Oxford English Dictiony says to paint is "To represent (an object, scene, etc.) or portray (a person or thing) on a surface, using paint or other colouring matter." Ok so OED says no, using Microsoft Paint is not painting.
vs. urban dictionary
paint
The greatest art package of all time. Ships with versions of windows. Pictures created in Paint often look like they were drawn by children. usage: I drew an awesome picture in Paint!
beach scene
A different point of view. Tongue-in-cheek obviously, but don't assume that young people will believe the authority of one site more than another just because it says "Oxford" or "Britannica" or "New York Times" in front of it.
When you use digital media programs, you can create visual art with entirely different tools. With visual art computer programs you can build visual art skills, allow students to flex their creative muscles, and increase their general computer skills. In addition creating digital visual art can be useful to learn for future artistic careers using these technologies, such as graphic design, web design, and photography editing.
The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC has created the NGA Kids site and Art Zone: digital activities that engage students. It understands very well that in the 2.0 trend in education, art or otherwise, a great way to engage kids and have them coming back is to actually engage them by having them become co-creators.
These programs can also teach the old lessons of visual art, such as the "The NGAkids Still Life helps you create interactive art that mirrors the paintings of the old masters. Mix everyday objects and painted elements while experimenting with composition, scale, and perspective."
The lessons of these programs can also work on skills preparing the students for the new technologies. For the future photographer: "PHOTO OP is a two-part interactive activity that introduces you to digital photography and digital photo editing. Use the virtual camera to create snapshots and explore lighting, focus, shutter speed, and compositional effects. After you've taken some photos, switch to the Photo Op ...create complex artistic compositions by layering, applying filters, and experimenting with various special effects, lighting, and blends."
Also by exposing students as early as possible to the way visual images look best within an internet framework, one is also giving students the opportunity to thrive in visual arts in newer fields. While visual art classes were probably integral to the future career and success of a print graphic designer, the new workers must be able to understand what looks best on a webpage.
So the new technologies prepare students for potential future careers or hobbies. And, overtime a computer can be cheaper than paint, paper and brushes, increasing the number of students who can participate. It is also of note that these sorts of training programs can fit in perfectly with the new internet economy. For example, a photographer used to charge $100 for a photo that can now be sold on iStockPhoto for $1 (Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody). With even an amateur level of skill and training, although it might not create a self-sustaining professional, it can provide some reward and gain for the student's passion and skill.
So enabling students to use these tools in visual art creation is:
-forward thinking
-preparing students for 21st century creativity and skills in computers and visual arts
-less expensive, available without the physical resources required
-available on the internet, so able to engage students in the arts even if the school can't provide it (which is a problem that the National Gallery of Art like many museums is facing, how do you build an audience if the students were never given any education in visual art whatsoever?)
So what's the downside?
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