That overheard comment about 'faking it' in digital art really stuck with me

I was at a coffee shop last Tuesday and overheard two people talking about an art showcase. One guy said he thought half the pieces were just AI prompts with no real skill behind them. It made me think about my own work, I spent 3 months on a piece for a local gallery in Portland and someone probably thought the same thing. I use a mix of hand drawing and digital tools, and it bugs me that people assume digital means easy. Like, I still sketch everything out on a tablet before I even touch the color palette. Has anyone else had their work dismissed because it was made on a computer instead of with paint?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.joseph1mo ago

Fair enough, but I see it a little different. The real skill isn't in the tool, it's in the eye and the hours of practice that went into making good choices before you even open the software. A brush doesn't make you an artist, and neither does a stylus. What bugs me is when people act like digital work is cheating, but then can't draw a straight line themselves on paper either. Isn't the final result what actually matters, not how many paint stains are on your jeans?

lindag331mo agoMost Upvoted

Did you catch that article about the guy who spent ten years learning to paint traditionally, then switched fully to digital and won a big award? I read it on some art blog, and it really drove home your point about the eye being the real thing. The tool is just the last step, like a fancy brush or a specific canvas weight. People get so hung up on the "how" that they forget the "why" and the "what" in the final image. It's like saying a chef who uses a good knife isn't really cooking, you know? I totally agree with you that the final result is what matters, even if some folks think paint on your jeans is some kind of badge of honor (it's just messy, honestly).

lindag331mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, right? The paint stains on jeans thing kills me lmao. It's like these folks think laundry detergent is the enemy of real art. I swear half the traditional purists out there probably think their turpentine fumes make their paintings more authentic or something. The whole "digital is cheating" argument is just so tired at this point. A stylus and a paintbrush are just sticks that move color around, who cares which one leaves a mess on your desk? The chef with a good knife thing was spot on, you wouldn't tell Gordon Ramsay his souffle is fake because he used a gas stove instead of a wood fire. People just love gatekeeping things they don't understand, I guess. If the final piece makes you feel something, that's the whole point.