Digital art, as its name implies, is almost entirely computer-generated. It is rising in popularity among artists and is often shown in the SoFA gallery here on campus.\nIt can utilize fractals, which are "rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole," said Benoit B. Mandelbrot, a Franco-American mathematician who coined the term. It can also manipulate scanned materials such as photos and collages. This medium is used in graphic design, advertising, film and video game special effects.
Some popular fields \nof digital art\nDigital photography -- a now widely used method of capturing pictures that allows for immediate feedback.\nRephotography -- also known as "then and now" photographs, these pictures are taken of the same subject at different times or with different effects.\nDigital imaging -- processing, compressing, storing, printing and displaying digital photographs or illustrations.\nMovie special effects -- divided into two subgroups: optical effects that use photographs and mechanical effects that use live-action shooting.\nDigital illustration -- think of the programs Photoshop and Paint on your own personal computer. \nVideo game design -- the game mechanics, visual arts and programming of the games played on Xbox or PlayStation.\nArtistic computer game modification -- uses patched or modified existing game structures.\nMachinima -- a more specific form of artistic computer game modification that takes characters and scenes from online games such as World of Warcraft and turns them into short films. Search YouTube, and you will find a million.\nPixel art -- some examples of this include the graphing calculator and mobile phone games that keep you awake in finite.\nElectronic music -- uses synthesizers and prerecorded sounds to create music. This does not include electric guitars or keyboards, which are technically considered electromechanical instruments.
