How Are Computers Used in the Art Field?

Computer use has changed the way most people do business, including those in the art field. Not only do artists, animators, photographers and filmmakers use computers to create their art, they use them for much more. With the advent of computer technology came the ability to preserve artworks in digital format as well as speed up art distribution and professional promotion via the web.

Where once the pencil and hand-drawn images reigned king, the animation field today also uses computers in a significant way. Animation artists working in the field today are expected to not only possess basic artistic skill sets like painting and drawing, but also computer skills as well. Animators with the most competitive advantages, according to AskTheHeadhunter.com, know how to use programs like Alias PowerAnimator/Maya, Kinetix 3D Studio Max, SoftImage and Lightwave.

Design in general has benefited from the use of computers. Graphic designers regularly use computer programs like Adobe InDesign or Quark to do jobs they used to do by traditional paste-up methods. From jobs as simple as basic ad design to ones as complex as magazine or book layout, designers use computers in every phase of development. Additionally, designers working in the 21st century must also possess web design skills.

In the past, illustrators used traditional media like pencil, pen and ink or paints to create magazine, book and comic illustrations. However, like every other art form, illustration has been hit by the computer bug as well. With digital design and illustration tools like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator as well as Quark or Corel Draw, illustrators have more tools than ever with which to create art. Illustrators use computers in their work in a variety of ways including digital inking of comic pages, to creating background scenery and even preserving their artistic creations in CD format.

Many of the most recent films made in Hollywood would not have become reality without the use of computer special effects, according to RiverDeep.com. Scenes like the sinking of the Titanic to the creation of the character Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" came to the big screen thanks to advances in computer technology. The use of computers to create special effects has become so sophisticated that many art and film schools offer a special concentration in digital special effects.

Photographers working in the age of computers have come to rely on computers not only to preserve their artwork but to create digital portfolios to send to clients, correct mistakes in their photos like overexposure and post their work on the web to attract potential clients and buyers. Additionally, these photographers can upload photos from their digital cameras directly onto their computers, allowing them to specialize almost entirely in digital photography.