If you have been a frequent reader of my blog or have just been following the news, you must have noticed how much focus is being placed on digital art right now. With my past few blogs focusing on NFTs and investments in digital art, I wanted this one to focus on my personal history with digital art and how my involvement in this medium has evolved over the years. Before I get into that, let us take a quick dive into the fascinating history of digital art and its gradual progression into mainstream culture. So here we go…
History of Digital Art
It might seem like the use of computers to make art is an innovation that came about recently, however computer/digital art has been around way before that. How long ago, are we talking? The world of art and computers first came to merge back in 1956, when computer scientists and mathematicians started exploring the artistic potential of the computers that they had in their university research labs. As computers were hard to access back in the day, artists were only able to readily create computer art in the 1960s when emerging computer technology became relatively easier to access. John Whitney during this time emerged as an artistic pioneer when he used computers as a creative tool to help create his mechanical animations that were used in television commercials and programs. Due to his futuristic vision, he is now known as one of the “fathers of computer animations”.
Over time as technology progressed with the advent of more sophisticated computer systems, engineers were able to introduce innovative ways in which artists could adopt computers in producing art. This can be seen in the invention of AARON in the 1980s, which was the first paint program that allowed users to “paint” on their computer and led to the term “digital art” being coined. Additionally, digital art gained popularity as highly successful artists like Andy Warhol held publicized exhibitions of his series of digital artworks to advertise the Amiga 1000, the first personal computer.
Coming into 2000s, the rapid progression of computer technology and the Internet age being ushered in helped in taking digital art worldwide, where anyone with access to a computer could create digital art. This has led us to come to this age of NFTs and cryptocurrencies, where digital art after years of development finally finds its place in the limelight as it finally gains the credibility and prestige of traditional art.
My personal journey with Digital Art
Ever since childhood, I have always been fascinated by art and all the different things that go into creating a remarkable piece of artwork. I found great joy in exploring all the different traditional mediums such as watercolours or oil paints that helped me discover my artistic voice and to express myself creatively. It was crucial for me as a budding artist to understand the strengths of various mediums and how they can aid in my creative expression. I hit my stride with acrylic paints and if you are familiar with my work, you might have observed how frequently that medium is utilized in creating some of my artworks.
I discovered my passion for graphic design as I realized how versatile and dynamic the medium was. It combined my love for art and technology in such a seamless manner that I could not get enough of it. As I graduated with a degree in graphic design, I found myself working as an in-house designer which gave me the opportunity to develop my design skills and explore the corporate world over the course of 8 years. During this time, I also worked on developing my own unique style which drew inspiration from my professional design work and my love for contemporary art, fashion and fabrics. As I developed my own unique artistic perspective and as my style matured, I found myself growing out of my role as an art hobbyist or an in house designer and I soon evolved into a professional artist who was dedicated to her craft full time.
Initially I gained recognition for my original acrylic artworks, but as I introduced limited editions that were digital art pieces based of my various, popular art series, I discovered how much they were appreciated by collectors. This led to me further investing myself in creating digital art that helped in not only refining my artistry but also making my work more accessible and relatable to the online demographic. Since I was already so involved in the digital art realm, I was able to foresee the potential of NFTs and where the future of digital art was headed. Due to this, I became the first female artist to have her own NFTs in the Middle East. As big of a highlight this is in my journey as a digital artist, I am incredibly excited to further push the limits of my digital art and see what the future holds.
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