SPICY | Painting the Web?
Not all artists paint on canvas or paper. Find out from one artist, Tan Yuqing, what it's like to dabble in digital painting
Story and Photo by Elaine Tan
Painting without the hassle of cleaning up does sound perfect, doesn’t it? Well, that’s exactly what digital painting does for artists who choose this medium. With just a drawing tablet and Photoshop, multiple artworks can be created with never-ending supplies.
And, like most digital work, the best way to gain feedback and assistance in technique is through the Internet! Tan Yuqing, 17, a fan-artist of popular Korean boy band BTS, is one of many who uploads her work online in the hope of getting invaluable advice from other artists.
Uploading your work online may seem daunting to most, but Yuqing feels otherwise.
“It’s definitely scary to know that there are people criticizing your work out there, but without criticism, you’d never improve. There’s always a ‘delete’ button if I really feel hurt or offended so I just go for it! Art is meant to be shared, after all,” she said when asked about the first time she decided to upload her creative work.
“My first piece was uploaded at the start of 2015, and I see a huge improvement in my more recent work as compared to that.”
“It takes me days to complete a piece, so the gratification from the positive comments really helps me to gain more confidence in my art. I used to think that my work was just average, but my followers are really encouraging so I’ve tossed that thought aside now,” Yuqing states with a smile, grateful to the many that have helped her to stay driven.
As a design student, Yuqing feels that uploading her work online has a practical use as well. Having modules at school that require her to paint digitally, she finds herself making fewer mistakes with the advice she gathers, careful to not repeat the same mistakes that she committed previously.
What started solely as a way to share work with others has developed into a platform for learning and self-development. Yuqing is now able to toss her insecurities aside, and calls for artists alike to follow in her footsteps - to share their creations and improve together in the online art community.
