I grew up in a small part of the late '80s right through the '90s. In that era, I remember trying my hand at drawing. I was okay for a child; people looked like people, things looked like other things.

In those days, when visiting my uncle (late), I deeply admired his art collection. He was a globetrotter for 60 of his 83 years and had acquired art from all over the world. Yet, his most prized possession was his nameplate calligraphed in bronze by Sadequain himself. It adorned his gate for a short while before it was stolen.

Until I was much older, I used to wonder what it was about Sadequain that made him such a big deal, or any artist in Pakistan for that matter. Though I now understand the former, the latter is still a debate that arises from time to time.

What makes someone a good artist in Pakistan? Is it their medium, their style, their message, or perhaps their success?

Subjective as success is, its acquisition is the only reason a hobby becomes a lifestyle.

That brings us to digital artists. It is a branch of art, only that it is made on computers. Digital art is simply another medium through which artists express themselves, no different (in essence) from cave paintings. It is, however, the way of the future.

Artist: Yousaf Ejaz

Keep in mind that even though we think of “Digital Art” as painting on a computer, it goes deeper; there are phases, such as modeling, texturing, lighting, compositing (and so much more) that still count as digital art.

Today, digital art is so common that with games like Drawception and Draw Something, people use their devices as their canvas and their extremities as a pen. It certainly is entertaining, especially when you get the fun without the mess.

Using this medium are amateurs, professionals, hobbyists and geniuses aplenty. A few minutes on DeviantArt ought to show you what we are talking about here.

Artist: Mehran Khan

I will not go into the details of Pakistan’s animation industry – which is usually the birthplace of digital artists – because that is a discussion for another day. However, we must acknowledge organisations like Trango Interactive, Post Amazers and Sharp Image, where the cream of our artistic crop was grown. I would name other organisations, but that will take us off-topic.

I had a discussion with some of the biggest names in the digital art industry in Pakistan today. I talked to Mehran Khan (Concept Artist/Lead, We R Play), Uzair Zaheer Khan (Director & Head of Production Burka Avenger/VFS, and one of the pioneers of this industry), and Harris Ejaz (Lead Artist, Agnitus). The crux of our discussion was the digital artist in Pakistan.

What I learned was that this is a talent-driven industry, one with creative individuals looking to further their cause. Other than telecom, this is perhaps our most reliably growing industry. But it has not grown large-scale as yet.

Artist: Mehran Khan

Here is what I learned about digital art in Pakistan together with some of the promise it holds and the impediments it faces:

Paid well but under-utilised

Given the infant nature of this industry, it is characterised by intense competition. Fortunately, for those who are good at their jobs, a comfortable living off a digital artist’s salary is quite real. There is plenty of opportunity for international exposure as well, since art does not adhere to the confines of language or geography.

However, Mehran Khan pointed out that some artists, despite being extremely talented, are not being fully utilised. This situation is like getting Michelangelo to work on truck art. Some artists with international clients will do some phenomenal work, but as a whole, you see a divide between capability and utilisation.

They won’t complain, of course; they are professionals who understand that with perseverance, there will be opportunities to exhibit true potential.

Artist: Harris Ejaz

Being good is the only pre-requisite

Some are born with the ability to draw and hone their skills over time, others learn the skill through practice and become good over time.

Most artists have been educated in art either formally or informally. If you have a good foundation in art, you can thrive. But excellence at drawing isn’t the only way to become a digital artist – there are other venues to explore, some of which can be self-taught; venues that make you technicians in the digital art industry.

Artist: Harris Ejaz

Official support is absent

On an official level, there isn’t much support for art in general. Fan clubs can be counted on fingers, and without clamouring masses, there won't be much motivation to accelerate the medium.

However, certain aspects like comics and animation are getting enough attention to help nudge things along. For example, if you take the sociopolitical undertones of the comic Blood Lines (Mehran Khan), you will find parallels with our current state of affairs. If projects like these continue to take off, the future might bring glad tidings and greater interest.

For some reason, people are under the impression that a digital artist will somehow work for free. People will offer publicity, recognition, gratitude, a free meal, or even just a vague smile in lieu of payment. Some artists (new ones mostly), accept these and end up lowering the market economics for the experienced professionals.

Artist: Mehran Khan

There is also the notion that digital artists are just playing around on their computers and aren’t too serious about their work. It needs a lot of work to expel this misperception from the public mind.

Interestingly, individuals and organisations who are supporting art, maintain a safe distance from digital art. Perhaps this is a result of a weak understanding of the industry. Bridging that gap could be a good place to start.

Additionally, there are only a handful of art schools, and even fewer ones which teach and promote digital art. As an industry, digital art is, for the most part, fuelled by the artists themselves. Harris Ejaz, Mehran Khan and Yousaf Ejaz (another staple of the industry) teach art whenever they can in Islamabad/Rawalpindi and there is generally an air of camaraderie about the industry. The professionals are more helpful as they understand that growth brings expansion and that’s good for everyone.

Artist: Harris Ejaz

A dearth of good management

This is the one part where even I, the writer, can speak from experience, and the artists concur.

Management in the digital art is run by a majority that hasn’t had hands-on experience in the field, and because they are uneducated in this realm, they make uninformed, oft poor, decisions. On the other hand, the artistically inclined minds are free thinkers who, despite all professionalism, have a hard time conforming to a management role.

Until the two merge, there will always be someone at the top making the wrong decisions, and someone new who will not learn the skills to take over.

Don’t get me wrong, there are organisations run by experienced artists. In fact, these organisations can claim to be pioneers of the industry. Trango (Shehryar Hydri), Sharp Image (Tahir Musa), and Post Amazers/Ice (Asif Iqbal) were operated by people who were both creative and adept managers. However, as the industry takes off towards popularity, the management started dissolving.

Artist: Mehran Khan

The future is still bright

The future does hold promise, I’m told. Business prospects look good, especially with the success of shows like Burka Avenger, and we’ve already established a global audience who will consume and promote our content for us. Despite there being a somewhat cliquish approach in certain circles and an imbalance between jobs and talent, there is every reason for the industry to grow further.

There might not be museums or movies dedicated to digital artists (at least not yet), but there will be conventions, fansites and social media hordes appreciating and praising the hard and serious work of these artists.

Artist: Mehran Khan

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