I use the term “digital painting” instead of “digital art” to describe that aspect of the art I do, because no photographs were captured or harmed in the making of these images. When you tell people an image is “digital art” they often have a common reaction…“Oh, where did you take the photograph?’ That’s because digital art is associated with programs like Photoshop, in which you open a digital photograph, press a few buttons and you can turn a snapshot into an Instant Monet (or Renoir or whomever). Digital Painting is a different kettle of fish. Although it uses the computer as the medium, the method is similar to traditional painting and drawing. The basic difference is that instead of a brush and paint, you move around a mouse or digital pen that sprays pixels on the screen in the way your hand moves. You start with a blank sheet….or a rough sketch or preliminary painting, and you scan it into the computer.(Or you can start from scratch with a blank screen) Then you draw and paint on it, using the brushes in the painting software and a mouse or digital pen. The results can later be printed out in whatever size you wish. Personally, the program I use most is a program called Corel Painter. The screen has a selection of brushes and media that you can select from, such as airbrush, oil paint, acrylic, pastel, etc. Although it relies on sophisticated technology, the technique and result is the same as old fashioned paint or pastel. If you are interested, you can try your own hand at Digital Painting for free. There are several free Digital Paint programs available to download on the Internet.