WHY IS USING TRADITIONAL ART MATERIALS SO IMPORTANT?

Tactile experience is gained through the physical use of a paintbrush, pen, pencil or any other physical tool. This is helpful for development of hand-eye coordination as well as motor skills. Being able to get involved in the way marks are put down, as well as having the ability manipulate them when they’re on the surface increases the possibility for experimentation and happy mistakes! Additionally, nothing will beat the authenticity of an original art piece, as each creation is one-of-a-kind. Digital programmes will never be able to replicate the feel and look of traditional art, because in ‘a traditional painting, you can feel all the texture and style of the artist with your fingers and see it with your eyes.’(4).

When using traditional mediums, artists are forced to carry on going even with imperfections. ‘Unlike the undo button on a digital device, mistakes can’t always be easily erased. This restriction forces an artist to problem-solve their solution to physically fix their error. Better yet, it encourages an artist to no longer make those mistakes and ultimately improves their skills’ (3). This is something I have experienced as I am a perfectionist. But working on keeping mistakes and learning from them, as well as loving them sometimes, has allowed me to become a better illustrator overall and it has given me the confidence to experiment and try new techniques I otherwise would have overlooked.