Why I Still Value Traditional Art
Everything in today’s world is increasingly online, including art. There are many talented digital artists out there, but as LLM’s and AI art become more popular, traditional art seems to be becoming more of an afterthought. However, in a world that is increasingly online, traditional art is one of the few things that feels tangible.
Traditional vs. Digital vs. AI Art
A quick look at my website or my social media platforms will show that I strictly dabble in traditional art forms. Whether oil paint, graphite pencil, watercolor, colored pencil, or charcoal, I love all of it. I started learning how to draw at a young age in the early 2000s and just stuck with it.
I was also exposed to digital art as a kid. I followed amazing artists on DeviantArt (I know, I’m showing my age there!) and other art websites at the time and I thought they were so cool. They looked so colorful and polished, and I actually began to feel like my hand-drawn work was inferior to theirs. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the resources to access platforms like Procreate to seriously get into digital art at the time, but I constantly compared my work to theirs.
I eventually moved away from that mindset and for a while compared myself to other traditional artists instead (as they say, comparison is the thief of joy, but that’s a conversation for another day). Still, there are incredibly talented digital artists in the world that produce incredible works of art. Digital art certainly deserves its flowers.
AI art is a different story. These large language models have popped up and gained a lot of popularity over the last few years to generate “art” that mimics what actual trained artists spend years working hard to achieve. It raises a lot of concerns about plagiarism and copyright infringement as well as makes artists question whether their work is even worth it.
What’s even worse is that it’s everywhere now. You can’t go on any social media platform without seeing AI-generated art or video. As time goes on it becomes harder to tell what is AI and what isn’t. As AI encroaches on creative fields from art to animation to writing to music, many may ask, what is the point of making anything by hand anymore when a computer can do the same thing in a matter of seconds?
The Value of Traditional Art
I say that traditional art has more of a purpose than ever in today’s online world. Here’s why:
Traditional Art Takes Effort
The AI enthusiasts of the world may say that the advantage of AI-generated art is that it removes the time and effort required to create art. I would disagree. I say that the effort that goes into it is the point because I’m learning something along the way and polishing my skills. In the end, I can be proud of myself for persevering through it and coming up with something I can be proud of.
Traditional Art is Tangible
As the world becomes increasingly digital, there is almost nothing you can actually touch anymore. Books? Just get an audiobook or a digital copy. DVD’s? It’s all on streaming now, you don’t need them. Restaurant menus? Scan the QR code and read it on your phone. Traditional art is one of the few things I can touch and experience in real life now.
Traditional Art Creates Community
There is such a community around traditional art. Connections are built over art classes, craft fairs, art collectives, and galleries. I often see complaints online that community is another thing that is quickly disappearing in 2026, but traditional art offers an outlet to bring people together.
The Bottom Line
I love traditional art. I won’t stop just because AI becomes more popular or because digital art becomes more of an expectation among the public. I actually think that traditional art is even more important in this environment. Being able to create with our hands and support the people who do it is a great reminder of our humanity and what we are meant to do.