A digital illustration, or digital painting, is a work of art created using digital software that simulates traditional painting, drawing, or mixed media techniques. These digital tools create art directly from the artist’s hand through a program that translates the movement on the digital screen. As other artists use pencils or paintbrushes to create, digital illustrators use their mouse or stylus to create their works of art. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, along with other digital programs like Procreate, include pen, pencil, and brush stroke tools to assist the artist in creating various textures and layers, creating effects that are limitless.

Digital programs allow for the layering and manipulation of different types of media. Artists may draw or paint images on paper and then scan them into a program, converting the scans into digital images in order to manipulate and enhance their work with digital techniques, or add in other digital images or photographs.

Explore digital illustrations in the collection