Digital Tools: Enhancing Painting Skills among Malaysian Secondary School Students

ABSTRACT

Digital tools  refer  to software applications in the production of artworks particularly in painting. Digital art work is materialized by using computers, software and a combination of computer peripherals such as tablet support. With the aid of electronic equipment, digital artists manipulate pixels or coloring with light to compose the work  and traditional artists manipulate paint or ink as a medium for the same purpose. This study seeks to explore the construction of painting using digital media  in four aspects of productive dimension, namely:  composition, color manipulation, interpretation and creativity.  Moreover, this study aims at examining to what extent digital tools can assist in building painting skills among secondary school students in Malaysia. The group’s production of two painting types, digital and conventional was analyzed to determine the effects of treatments on students’ skills. Findings show that students construct  better paintings, both digital and conventional paintings,  upon their mastery of the digital media. This implies that digital media may be an effective means to help students improve their skills in both conventional and digital painting.