In somewhat defense of photoshop, pinball art has always reflected the pop culture and method of its time, and photoshopped art is no exception. We are in the age of photoshop.

Pop culture is mass-produced, meaning it is very cost-conscious (seeks to shave pennies per unit which translates to thousands/millions in mass production).

Every age calls its pop art "art", while subsequent ages are considered "junk". I have an art book from 1971 that has a chapter which calls into question all the pop art of that era and whether it truly is art. Likely written by middle age and older folks, it talks about how WW2 art, art deco, etc. are all so much better than the art of the 60s, which included the streamlined/outer space look, pointy people and so on. Movements many nowadays consider "classic" and "retro".

The problem with using old techniques on new games is you will get a new game that looks 30+ years old. Incidentally, that is my biggest argument against the DMD. It doesn't matter at all that it's "functional". I don't play pinball because it's "functional", but to be entertained. The geriatric DMD makes brand new games look dated the moment they're turned on. Really, a massive part of the artist's roll should be rolled into "animator" with the emphasis on what appears on a big beautiful LCD. My opinion only of course.