The popularity of digital art has increased in the last decade. As we continue to live and breathe in a digital landscape, the world of art hidden behind galleries and museums has undergone an incredible transition.
Sometimes, digital artists need a little more inspiration to keep going. To help you with your networking needs or to stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices, these are the top seven resources every digital artist needs.
1. Pinterest
Being a photo-sharing website, Pinterest is simple and yet, a great source of inspiration for digital artists.
It has images on every subject you can possibly look for, and its keyword site search is very effective in helping you find the images you need. Once you click on the image to view the larger version, you're also able to see the original source.
Besides using it for creative inspiration, Pinterest is used by digital artists to network and market their work. Pinterest lets you create your own boards where you upload your digital art, thus helping you increase your online presence and engagement.
2. Dribbble
On a mission to build the world's best platform for digital artists, designers, and creative professionals, Dribbble is a great resource to gain inspiration, find work, learn design, or hire designers. Here, you can see a treasure trove of digital art projects from design professionals across the world.
Its keyword tool helps you look for the latest or trending digital art projects easily. Besides, Dribbble is a great place to network with like-minded creative professionals, who are all able to share feedback and creative inspiration with you.
You'll find digital art and creative inspiration in eight categories, namely, Animation, Branding, Illustration, Mobile, Print, Product Design, Typography, and Web Design. You can also filter your search on the basis of popular posts or the new & noteworthy ones.
3. Concept Art World
Featuring concept artists, illustrators, and designers, Concept Art World is a big and beautiful online gallery for digital artists who are looking for some inspiration and ideas to get started. It features a clean layout and its easy navigation features help you access the art you desire.
In addition to the usual sections you hope to find on a digital art platform such as, artists, studios, and inspiration, Concept Art World also surprises you with sections on news, books, and training.
You can browse digital art training courses, webinars, and events in the training section. From methods to master specific tools and designs to advice on an array of things relating to digital art, the training section gives you a glimpse of what's happening around the world in the digital art scene.
Although it is structured as an art directory, you can access most of the content on Concept Art World as if you're reading a blog.
4. Computer Graphic Society
Being one of the most popular digital art sites for the last decade, the Computer Graphics Society (CG Society) is here to inspire, inform, and help you learn the ins and outs of digital art.
You can share your work, tell stories, or improve your skills to advance your digital art career at CG Society. What makes CG Society remarkable is how acclaimed art directors use this space to hire new talent every once in a while.
Moreover, its community forum CGTalk is very active and attracts digital artists from near and far who talk about best practices, trends, and new work.
You can view its gallery to get inspiration, keep yourself up to date with digital art News, and sign up for workshops to upskill yourself. In addition to engaging digital artists all over the world, CG Society is driven by the intense need to empower them through appropriate tools and knowledge.
5. Deviant Art
Although not limited to just digital art, Deviant Art is a good resource for inspiration for artists all around the globe. Quite similar to Pinterest, in practice and purpose, this website is the largest online art gallery with a bustling community of like-minded folks.
You can search and find the inspiration you're looking for, or join groups to be a part of stimulating conversations. In addition to having Digital Art as a separate topic, Deviant Art has 38 other topics or genres for you to choose from. It's sure to leave you spoiled for choices when you're looking for ideas.
You can sign in and submit your own art here. Besides, you can complete customized artwork on commission. If you're in a mood to explore and experiment, you can use Deviant Art's own digital drawing tools to make some good art.
6. IAMAG
If you want to learn from the best artists in the profession, IAMAG is a great resource known for its masterclasses and interactive live sessions.
You can discover the creative process of top creative designers, learn concept art and methodology with the masters, and watch tutorials that help you ace techniques and tools of the digital art world. In addition to lectures on dedicated art topics, tools, and techniques, there's significant help available on job and career management.
You can get insights from artists and studios or sign up for digital art challenges on the site. You can discuss trending topics and explore best practices by talking to top professionals and creative designers in its bustling community of members.
You can also use IAMAG for portfolio reviews, private lessons from top digital artists, and mentorship sessions that help you advance your digital art career in no time.
Mentorship sessions are available for all levels from beginner to advanced. What's more, is you can opt for lessons and mentorships in a number of languages other than English.
7. CoolVibe
Being a site dedicated to showcasing the best digital art, CoolVibe invites submissions from digital artists new and experienced alike. All the work on its website is credited to original artists and the team spends a good amount of time every day to bring to you great inspirational ideas for your next work of art.
Be it sci-fi, fantasy, video game art, anime, or manga, it has cool digital art on everything else that exists virtually.
You can access the website's archives to look for inspiration, or even browse using different styles like concept art, 3D art, illustrations, videos, movies, and digital paintings. If you'd like wallpapers inspired by digital art, CoolVibe lets you get your hands on them too.
Explore, Experiment, and Enjoy Digital Art
While all the resources can be great starting points to explore and enjoy the world of digital art, they require no prior experience or qualification for you to jump on the bandwagon and be one of them.
These websites celebrate creativity and curiosity like no other. Hence, they help you master your techniques with ease so that your digital art can do all the talking.
