Digital Art is a varied, relatively new and rapidly developing field that is often overlooked or slighted by people who either don't understand exactly what makes a piece of art "digital" or who may harbor some common misconceptions about "computer-generated art". I have written this guide to help you navigate through the sometimes murky waters of digital art and help you find the masterworks that reside there!

First we must define the term "digital art".. This is simple - It is art that is created in a computer program. It may involve another medium (such as photography or canvas painting) at some point in the artistic process , but the majority of the work is done in a program like Photoshop, PaintShopPro or Corel Painter.

There are many myths and falsehoods being perpetrated about digital art - I would like to tackle the main one upfront:

"Myth #1 - All Digital art is Computer- generated or incredibly EASY to do "

FALSE - This misconception has sprung up due to two main factors:

1) In the early days of personal computers,  many people experimented with "fractal generators"  and found that through entering mathematical formulas one could generate colorful geometric patterns.. Although I could probably write an entire guide on fractals alone (which I will definitely NOT be doing here!) some inferred from this that ALL computer art must be merely the result of a few keystrokes and not the artist's technique, talent, and imagination.

2) Many people have also experimented with programs like Adobe Photoshop and have found that you can take a photograph - run it through a filter effect and make it look like a painting ; This is a "one click process" and is really a matter of the program creating the art - and although there are some people calling themselves digital artists who do this (and this kind of work is easy to spot by the lack of definition and brush strokes) ), it is widely looked down upon by most people creating art digitally .

The true fact of the matter is that digital artists are just as varied in skill, technique, and imagination as painters/photographers are. There are people who use digital brushes and paint marvelously detailed work totally from scratch,  others who meticulously assemble different textures, images, and fantastical elements into their photomanipulations or collages, and there are also artists who use filters in a very intiguing and creative way, layering and customizing every element and detail  into creative and engaging works of art.

There are many styles of digital art - but the main three are:

Digital Painting/illustration  - This is exactly what it sounds like - painting on the computer. Most digital painters use a  tablet or a pad and pen set that takes the place of the mouse, so they are creating brush strokes and drawing the forms just like a "conventional" painter would do. It is just as complex and as diverse an artform as painting with oils is and it also boasts a unique advantage over it. As the accomplished fantasy artist Linda Bergkvist says "I find that I can experiment so much more when working on the computer. I grow bold: I try new things because I can save the original version of an image and I don't have to worry about a good picture being ruined for all time because I tried something different with it. I was always terrified of that. My brush was shy against the canvas, and it stumped my growth.

"Spoiled" a digital painting by Linda Bergkvist

Photomanipulation - This is a hybrid of photography and digital art. Photomanipulation is a varied field that encompasses slightly edited or superimposed photographs to incredibly dense and textured pieces . (My work is a hybrid between digital painting and photomanipulation) . "Photomanipulation is as old as photography itself : before computers, manipulation was done by retouching with ink, double-exposure, piecing photos or negatives together in the darkroom or scratching the emulsion....) (Wilkepedia)

"Shame" a photomanipulation by Thomas Dodd

Collage - Like it's non-digital namesake - this is the assembling of different images into a new piece and is a process that lends itself easily to the medium of the copy. There are some wonderful examples of this in eBays ACEOs (art cards editions originals) search category.

"Mina's gaze" - a digital collage by artkatstudio

When shopping for digital art on eBay , you should use the same criteria that you would for any piece of work. Does the image strike you - move you - trigger an emotional response? Then it is probably worth owning ! Read the biography or Me Page of the artist and see if they are passionate about the digital process. Most digital artists seek to educate their audience since we work in a field so fraught with misconceptions. Look also for the keywords DFAO (for Digital Fine Artists Organization) and KMF (Kiss My Filter) to see the many excellent digital artists associated with these groups. Don't be afraid to ask the artist a question about the piece: ask them what they categorize it as - or how it was created and what inspired it. Most of us artists love to talk about our work so don't be shy!

 And finally, we come to perhaps the most debated aspect of the digital art world - the print.

Is there such a thing as an "original one of a kind" print? Many digital artists will say that there is .. They will point out that their work is created  in a computer program,  so when they print it onto paper/canvas etc. then that is a unique transference effected by many elements including the type of inks and paper used as well as the type of printer it is produced on. This is a debatable position to take and one that I will not seek to dispute here, but I will point out a couple of things you should look for when determining the value of a "Digital print".

First - look and see what kind of print it is - if it is a giclee, it will be worth more than an inkjet.. "Giclees" are individually produced, high-resolution prints made on a special large format printer. These printers use a much wider range of inks than desktop inkjet printers do and consequently - giclees will generally be of a much higher quality and sell for more. Some digital artists will add paint or other elements to a giclee print and this will also add in value to the piece - giving it a "one of a kind" element that reproductions generally do not have. Another thing to look for when determining the value of digital art is whether or not it is a limited print run. If the artist states that it is and your print comes signed and numbered with a certificate of authenticity- then it will be worth considerably more than an "open edition" or unlimited print run.

In conclusion, I hope that I have shattered a few of the stereotypes about digital art and also helped to shed some light upon the diverse array of work being produced in the medium. Keep in mind that this is a VERY new artform (after all - PCs have only been around a little over 20 years !) and like any genre - it will only grow in popularity and consequently - price and market. Here is your chance as a collector to get in early on a growth trend in the art market. Perhaps you will discover the next Warhol or Picasso of the digital age while you are buying your art on eBay - you never know... But the most important thing is to buy the art that moves and inspires you - regardless of whether it was created with a brush or a mouse!