Digital art is a fun way to explore your creativity working with basic image manipulation software like Photoshop and GIMP. Luckily for you, the basic skills that you need to tackle most of the projects discussed below are pretty basic. You’ll pick up the skills in a few hours.
The following 10 projects will give you a head start into more advanced digital art tasks you may want to face in the future.
1. DIY Makey Makey Sculptures
Unlike traditional forms of art, modern creations can be interactive and fun. A great example of such a hack is the Makey Makey project that allows you to control the computer using basic circuits that require your body to complete.
You can add more detailed functionality through basic programming skills on platforms like the MIT App Inventor. The apps can be exported and installed on an android phone.
2. Light Paintings
Light paintings use slow shutter light to help you capture beautiful images of the art you’ve composed. For the best results, you’ll need a DSLR and a tripod to support the camera. If you don’t have a DSLR, you can rely on your smartphone.
You’ll need to adjust the settings so that light is captured extremely slowly during the shot. Once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with various colors, shapes, and wordings.
3. Snapchat Geo Filter
Geo-filters let you share your location with friends and family, especially on weekends and holidays. You can also use the feature for weddings, baby showers, and birthdays. There are various platforms that let you design every aspect of a geo-filter including Canva and SwipeStudio.
All in all, the underlying process is largely similar and the results comparable if you go through all the steps. This is an excellent weekend project since it gives you a chance to learn more about picking templates and customizing profiles to produce beautiful results. Even better, the filters you create are useful in everyday events.
4. Temporary Tattoos
With temporary tattoos, you don’t have to alter the structure and appearance of your skin. Moreover, there are several options you can choose from based on your unique style. You may want a popular art tattoo that can be bought from a store or decide to create something from scratch. Regardless of your choice, you can’t go wrong because they are temporary.
Flower or quote tattoos are excellent for specific seasons or to mark various emotional situations. Regardless of your choice, make sure that the colors blend well with your skin tone and that they don’t fade easily until you decide to remove them.
5. DIY Personal Logo Designs
If you’re like most people who have thought of starting a business someday, chances are that you’ve also considered possible logo designs. A personal logo design should be developed with the nature of your brand in mind.
The easiest way to create a personal logo is to use templates or review catalogs of other people’s designs for inspiration. This will help you determine the colors and shapes that will work for your project. Once you’re all set, you can use a computer program to refine the end product.
6. Mosaic Portraits
One major reason why most mosaics are considered to be artistic masterpieces is the effect they have on the viewer. The image is concealed on one side and revealed on the other.
The underlying form and shape that you see depends on perspective and focus. You can spark your creativity today by creating a mosaic portrait of yourself on any unusual digital canvas.
7. DIY Space Galaxies
If you’ve ever fancied what it’d be like to travel to space, you can take the first step of challenging yourself to create art that highlights the beauty and wonders of the galaxy. The best part of this DIY project is that it can be used to create thematic digital canvases for clothes, shoes, mugs, electronics, furniture, and other accessories.
Depending on the objects you want to imprint your impressive galaxy theme, it’s important to capture the colors and hue of the image. For starters, the Milky Way (the galaxy that the earth and other familiar planets share) looks like an amalgamation of purple, blue, and white rings with stars sprinkled all over.
8. Animated GIFs
The age of memes has brought about a weird but fun obsession with GIFs. What better way to ride this craze than to learn how to make your own? Besides, it’s one of the most creative and exciting digital projects.
The key to successfully creating your own GIFs is to select the right tools for the job. You’ll need Photoshop, Inkspace, or Gimp. Remember, a GIF doesn’t have to be on a popular meme, you can create your own from scratch.
9. Gradient Landscapes
The gradient tool found in photo editing programs such as Photoshop is excellent for artists who want to create an impression of depth in their work. For this DIY project, you’ll get to experiment with various colors.
At the end of the exercise, you’ll be able to determine the best colors and shades to use for your foreground, middle ground, and backgrounds, all on the same plane.
10. Photoshop
Photoshop DIY projects are a cool way to have fun while sharpening your artistic skills. You may want to alter pictures of people you know in real life for fun or to create bizarre artistic representations. Any artistic image that you fancy can probably be created using basic Photoshop tools.
However, ensure your creations are appropriate. Once you learn photoshop basics, try working with more advanced tools such as the healer feature to remove pimples and other blemishes from the skin.
Digital Art Is Beautiful
Digital art makes use of visual illusions and basic pixel manipulation to create beautiful images, animations, and sculptures. You don’t need to pay a dime to complete most of the projects we’ve discussed. What’s more? If you keep practicing the basics, you can advance your skills to become a professional digital designer in the future.