Meanwhile, a friend’s 14-year-old son has picked up Blender, a graphics software, to create 3D models and renders.
AS COMMON AS CODING
Even as kids ditch crayons for the iPad, art will not fall by the wayside in the digital world, especially as the technology to make it evolves.
Creating digital art can be as sought after a skill as coding. 3D animation is estimated to grow at an annual rate of 12.5 per cent and become a nearly US$50 million (S$65.7 million) market by 2030, according to Acumen Research and Consulting.
Introducing children to drawing apps from an early age is crucial in developing their digital and artistic capabilities. Besides imitating traditional media like ink, watercolour and acrylic paint, more sophisticated programmes can teach children about layering and editing, which are necessary skills for many artistic careers.
Whether your child wants to be an architect, video game designer or graphic designer, classes in digital art for kids is the place to start. But parents can encourage kids to play around with all kinds of art, whether analogue or digital, to expose them to different experiences and means of expression.
CJ Looi is the CEO and co-founder of PixCap, a web-based 3D design platform.