Technology

I certainly agree with the fact that the initial response to Photoshop   especially if one has been dabbling in traditional art fields for a long time   is that it seems to make everything easier for 2 dimensional art. Upon introduction to the software, one would almost automatically dismiss all other programs in the creative suit out of excitement for Photoshop.  Eventually though, most people venture out into the other programs in the suite and find that the some of the things they do on Photoshop are more suited to the other programs. I find nothing wrong in first learning Photoshop and then eventually moving on to the other programs of the suite. If anything, it could even build up a certain foundation on the basics of the other software.

I believe Photoshop is the  gateway program  - so to speak   to the other software the Adobe Creative Suites have to offer. Most digital artists unwittingly use it as a stepping stone to increase their prowess in the digital arts. I agree that there is no other program that can deal with raster-type images in a more well-rounded way than Photoshop. It certainly helped me out in my career in digital art, and has given great basic knowledge of how the other programs in the Creative Suitte work. It has also showed me that although I can create most anything in Photoshop, other programs are more suitable for other tasks at hand.

Photoshop has certainly given rise to a lot of half-baked artwork making the rounds. I agree that this is due to the accessibility of the program which leads to its growing userbase which no longer exists of the more hardcore artists and designers. However, it also means that more and more people are trying their hand at digital art. This means that the pool of the next generation of artists has also grown bigger. We just have to continue on giving constructive feedback and criticism to lessen the number of low-quality work going around.

Its great that Photoshop continues to create waves in the digital art industry. Its subsequent and gradual dropping of the technical aspect of things has given rise to the number of budding digital artists as well as to the number of people who tend to try their hand at digital art rather than hire someone to do it for them. Of course this could lead to lower quality of work but we have to understand that with the proper guidance, some of these people could grow to be great digital artists. In any case, there is also the factor  wherein great job positions are of course given to the good designers which could also be motivation enough for artists too hone their crafts.