How Internet Has Changed The Way Artists Work

The internet has changed art in so many ways. Whether it is painting, sketching, dancing, photography, filmmaking, graphic design or more, the internet has opened up a lot of avenues for artists. Unlike before, you can now get discovered through the internet. A lot of big companies look online, to find fresh talent. There is a lot of scope for artists online, including freelance websites, where they can get work and make money. For artists who make videos, they can earn a living through the number of views their videos get.

Senior artists and industry experts are super accessible through these platforms. With their live sessions and AMAs, you can really approach them and get tips and advice from them, see their process and workflow, which are really great for budding artists

We at SheThePeople.TV spoke to a few young artists from all over, and they gave us some interesting insight into how the internet has changed their life and their art for the better.

Abhishek Choudhury, an illustrator and comic artist from Bangalore told us that, “Back in the day, it was a struggle to get your work seen. You needed contacts and exhibit/shows to get noticed - I think social media has changed that in a big way." He adds, “Senior artists and industry experts are super accessible through these platforms. With their live sessions and AMAs, you can really approach them and get tips and advice from them, see their process and workflow, which are really great for budding artists.”

Abhishek Choudhury, an illustrator and comic artist from Bangalore // Pic credits: Nahim Abdulla Instagram

Malvika Tewari, a 26-year-old graphic designer and visual artist tells us that the internet has opened up more avenues to getting feedback about your work, she adds, "Uploading artwork on Instagram, Behance or Tumblr always helps in getting quick feedback. It keeps me aware of what's already popular, so pushes me to keep reinventing. The internet gives great visibility and serves as a platform to take my artwork to the right audience."

Now, Youtube also gives me an option to monetise the videos through advertisements which I utilise and plan to see other avenues like subscriptions in the future

Another popular art form these days is filmmaking. Since you can capture the attention span of people through video more effectively, a lot of artists are taking up filmmaking as an art form.

Faisal Hashmi, an award-winning UAE-based horror filmmaker told us, “Since I never went to a film school or got in any sort of formal film course, the internet has been my place of learning and absorbing as much knowledge as I can about the craft. When I made the decision to attempt my first short film, I devoured everything online about editing a short film, framing shots, tips and tricks from working a camera to directing actors.”

He releases all his short films online, and that helps his art. “I’ve made a targeted effort to release all my short films online for a worldwide audience to see. Some of them have hundreds of thousands of views on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo and I get to learn so much from a wide audience watching my films and giving me feedback that further improves my work. Now, YouTube also gives me an option to monetise the videos through advertisements which I utilise and plan to see other avenues like subscriptions in the future.”

"The world can access your work. The world can criticise your work. As scary as that sounds, sometimes it's necessary to put your unique idea on the world map.”

Another actor and filmmaker based in Chennai, Karthikeyan Velappan told us, “I think the internet is a boon for artists. The audience size grows. If it was only theatres before, its Netflix now. The world can access your work. The world can criticise your work. As scary as that sounds, sometimes it's necessary to put your unique idea on the world map.”

A still from Kathikeyan's upcoming sci-fi movie 'Kaalapayanam' // Pic credits: Karthikeyan Velappan

An interesting point we noticed was that with people putting up all kinds of different art online, you can learn and get inspired by things you may not see in your hometown or country.

Judy James, a painter based in Dubai makes a point, “The internet lets me check out art I would never get a chance to see, living on this side of the world, it's amazing for inspiration and new methods and techniques.”

"I personally have had way more commercial success through word of mouth than solely relying on the internet. There is also a great amount of risk of theft on the web, which cannot be controlled."

However, it's not always safe to put your work on the internet. Mazarine Mistry, a visual artist from Dubai tells us that some of her artwork has been stolen online, "The internet does have the advantage of reaching out to a wide audience, however you can't choose the nature of your audience. I personally have had way more commercial success through word of mouth than solely relying on the internet. There is also a great amount of risk of theft on the web, which cannot be controlled"

Although there is a great advantage of putting your work online, there are always copyright issues. There are ways to control this, but even then, people who want to steal art will do so. However, the pros are definitely more than the cons and young budding artists are finding this as an avenue to grow their art and even monetise it. In a way, the internet almost changed the way that artists work. Even if you aren't an artist, you can be one with the help of the internet. There's no possibility that can't be explored with the internet and all artists want that opportunity.

Pic credits: Art F City

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