People who enjoy art and design can work in a variety of fields. The production of art in any form that has aesthetic value is done by artists, who are skilled individuals who are familiar with the fundamentals of the arts. An artist can create art whether or not they have a degree in the fine arts. Many occupations make use of art.
The Road To An Art Career
Depending on your objectives, skills, and interests, there are various routes to becoming an artist. A trade school program that offers specific courses in the kind of art you want to pursue is another option for pursuing a formal education in the fine arts. Additionally, you can hone your abilities by working as an apprentice or intern for a professional artist, networking with other creatives who share your interests, or participating in art-related activities.
Before you can start a successful career in art, it’s critical to establish strong artistic abilities. Find a media that appeals to you, practice it daily, get feedback, and develop your own particular style. Obtaining a certification as a Certified Decorative Artist (CDA) may also help you increase your income as an artist. The majority of artists put “special events,” “communication,” and “online” as some of their abilities on their resumes. Additionally, it’s crucial to have a portfolio of your work that demonstrates your abilities and writing style.
Art Careers
- Graphic Designer
A graphic designer primarily produces images for published, printed, or electronic media, including advertisements and brochures. They are in charge of coming up with and creating visual art designs, and they might also be in charge of working with other media like fonts, colors, animations, print design, and photography. Using a variety of technological tools, graphic designers produce usable, meaningful, and functional graphics. They are employed by a number of sectors, including publishing, marketing, and advertising.
How to Begin Your Graphic Design Career
Improve your graphic design abilities through formal instruction or independent study to develop your design skills.
Get a professional degree in illustration, fine art, website design, graphic design, or a similar subject.
Working on projects and internships will help you gain valuable experience.
Make a design portfolio that highlights your accomplishments and abilities.
Apply for positions in graphic design.
Salary:
The typical pay for a graphic designer in the United States with 3-5 years of experience is between $50,000 and $75,000, according to Dribbble’s annual Design Industry Trends Report. However, this can change based on a number of significant aspects, including schooling, credentials, supplemental skills, and years of experience.
- Illustrator
Creating two-dimensional graphics for a variety of businesses and industries, including fashion design, children’s books, periodicals, medical manuals, websites, technical designs, and advertising, is what an illustrator does. The artist will employ a variety of approaches, such as the starkness of black and white, the vibrancy of color, or the use of light and shadow, to produce effects. They are typically employed or given a commission to create a visual interpretation of a related text or concept. An illustrator’s workflow often involves several stages, such as discussing the illustration and design requirements of the customer, settling on a price and a deadline, and creating a sample to show the client.
Starting Your Illustration Career
The following advice can help you launch a career as an illustrator:
- Consider the goals you have for the illustrations.
- Be an expert in sketching, anatomy, and perspective.
- Recognize the value of having a distinctive style.
- Serve as an example for upcoming illustrators.
- Establish a consistent clientele and keep up your work pace.
- Study the masters to improve your craft.
- Keep up with industry news and maintain contact.
- Complete an art school if you can.
Salary:
The average annual compensation for an illustrator in the US is $53,634. However, the pay for artists varies depending on the project, the publisher, the sector, and the level of experience. The size of their employers, their level of experience, and their location all have a significant impact on their salaries. In the United States, the hourly wage ranges from $19.71 (25th percentile) to $38.70 (75th percentile). The top hourly rate for an illustrator is $61.78, and the highest yearly compensation is $84,910, according to ZipRecruiter.
- Gallery Manager
An gallery manager plans exhibits for either a private or public art gallery. They frequently perform a variety of duties, some of which include:
interacting with artists, agents, collectors, and other members of the art world to discuss art prices
keeping a record of artists and their works in a database for future use in exhibits or sales opportunities
collaborating with other staff members to organize fundraising activities, including auctions or galas, to support the mission of the gallery
What It Takes To Manage A Gallery
In order to administer a gallery, you can do the following actions:
- Complete necessary training or an internship.
- Consider gallery manager education.
- Develop gallery management skills.
- Find out what a gallery manager does.
- Create a résumé.
- Apply for a position as gallery manager.
A degree in studio art, art history, museum studies, or a similar subject is required to operate an art gallery. Managers of large art galleries are frequently required to hold advanced degrees. To show your commitment, you can also benefit from internship, volunteer, and job shadowing opportunities.
Salary:
As of March 29, 2021, the average Gallery Manager pay in the United States was $49,783. The wage range is normally between $41,980 and $59,023, respectively. The wide variation in the median compensation for a gallery manager—up to $14,000—indicates that there may be numerous prospects for wage increases and promotion based on experience, location, and skill level. 10% of gallery managers earn an average of $95,000. Texas offers the highest average income for gallery managers in the US, at $65,477 per year, or $31.48 per hour.
In the UK, a beginning gallery manager may earn £15,000 annually, while a more seasoned gallery manager may make up to £30,000. Senior gallery managers could earn between £30,000 and £40,000 annually.
- Interior Designer
A specialist who constructs and arranges the inside of a construction project is known as an interior designer. They make interior environments practical, secure, and aesthetically pleasing by utilizing their expertise of architecture, construction, and art. They collaborate with various clients and industry experts to create both functional and aesthetically pleasing aspects such as walls, kitchens, lighting, and bathrooms. They conduct research, design, manage, and visualize how the spaces will be laid out and look. They might be experts in a certain industry, such residential, commercial, or hotel.
How to Begin Your Interior Design Career
There are a number of steps you can take to become an interior designer:
Develop your design abilities and knowledge of design concepts to hone your eye.
Take courses in interior design or earn a degree in interior design to learn more.
Attend workshops or internships to obtain official instruction.
By acquiring a license or certification in your state or nation, you can become licensed.
Work for an organization or try it independently.
Salary:
An interior designer’s compensation range varies depending on a number of variables, including experience, credentials, job, and location. The average annual compensation for interior designers in the United States is between $35,000 and $78,000. In the US, interior designers’ hourly salaries typically fall between $16 and $37. Some interior designers bill by the hour, with fees ranging from $50 to $500, not including the price of furnishings.
- Art Therapist
A mental health specialist with a master’s degree who works with patients or clients to help them express themselves, examine their feelings and thoughts, and improve their psychological wellbeing is known as an art therapist. People of all ages and from a variety of backgrounds who are facing issues or looking to grow personally are treated by art therapists. Individuals receive emotional and mental assistance from them through a variety of artistic mediums and creative instruments. People who use art therapy find relief from their stress or anxiety and increase their self-awareness. Art therapists contribute significantly to the field of mental health by offering a novel and successful kind of therapy that is a complement to conventional talk therapy. Art therapists can help patients access and process feelings that might be challenging to articulate verbally through the creation of art while also assisting them in the development of coping mechanisms.
Getting Started as an Art Therapist
You need to have experience in psychology and a background in art to work as an art therapist. To become an art therapist, you can take the following steps:
- Strive to earn your bachelor’s in art therapy or a related discipline.
- Earn a master’s degree in art therapy or a comparable discipline that enables students to complete fieldwork and advanced coursework in order to become certified in the practice of art therapy.
- Participate in a medical internship.
Create a portfolio.
- Amass qualifications.
- Submit an application for open art therapy jobs.
Getting a master’s degree and amassing experience hours are prerequisites for becoming an art therapist. Graduate-level coursework in the creative process, psychological development, group therapy, art therapy evaluation, psychodiagnostics, research methodologies, intercultural competency development, and cultural humility are all required by educational requirements.
- Art Director
Gallery managers and art directors are two separate things. A gallery manager is in charge of deciding on the artistic direction of the space and overseeing daily operations. They are in charge of both permanent collections and artwork for particular shows in public or private galleries.
An art director, on the other hand, is in charge of carrying out a project’s overall concept. They are in charge of a project’s aesthetics and visual components.
Getting Started as an Art Director
Consider earning a degree in art, graphic design, or even marketing if you want to work as an art director. If you want to work on film and television sets, you can also become an art director with a degree in media technology or film production. Additionally, obtaining an internship in the arts, looking for a job in the arts on a full-time basis, considering further study, and asking for or applying for a promotion are all ways to gain experience.
Salary:
The pay scale for an art director varies according on experience level and employer. An art director typically earns between £47,500 and £60,425 a year in the UK. An art director normally makes between $63,557 and $92,000 per year in the US.
The creation of art in any medium that possesses a visual appeal is carried out by artists, who are skilled professionals who are familiar with the fundamentals of the arts. Numerous careers make use of art. Graphic designers, art directors, multimedia artists and animators, industrial designers, fashion designers, interior designers, and architects are just a few of the top careers for those who love art and design.
You can develop your skills as an artist by working as a pupil or apprenticeship for a professional artist, connecting with other like-minded artists, or by pursuing a formal degree in the fine arts at an approved college or university. Before you can start a successful career in art, it’s critical to establish strong artistic abilities. Find a media that appeals to you, practice it daily, get criticism, and develop your own particular style.
Additionally, it’s crucial to have a portfolio of your work that demonstrates your abilities and writing style. Obtaining a certification as a Certified Decorative Artist (CDA) may also help you increase your income as an artist.