Job Descriptions - Definitions - Career Fields: Artist
 

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Artist

Art has to be in your genes or you have to have a burning desire to create visual images of things which you see or feel. Arty people are different from people who make their careers in the world of reality - like scientists, accountants or lawyers. Art has no perimeters; no-one but an artist is able to limit or judge himself. A good or a bad artist is the only distinction made between people who follow this profession. A bad artist who is able to appreciate another's work and emulate it is not necessarily a copyist - he could fulfil a need for art which has been already created but needs a new slant. Art is strewn throughout the world like bits of bright confetti that liven up mundane walls, rooms and gardens and bring colour to otherwise dull lives.
Only an artistic person can understand what drives an artist to create - to the majority of ordinary people, artists are rather odd-ball and not quite of this earth. They are viewed with a mixture of disdain and admiration and, as can be read in the many great novels written about them, people have a certain fascination about the emotional drives which almost force artists to express their thoughts and images in mediums such as canvas, paper, clay and even into the creation of weird objects. Vincent van Gogh epitomises the way many people visualise artists - mad, angry, brilliant, mentally tortured and blessed by the divine hand of God. Naturally, not every artist is as passionate about his work as van Gogh or Picasso, but, on the whole, artists live to create art and are unhappy when they are unable to do so.

An ability to sculpt, do pewter work, etchings, line drawings, watercolours, oils and so on is a must when presenting your portfolio to a potential employer. If you wished to set out on your own, you would have to learn what it is that makes people pay out their hard earned money for one of your creations. First learn to draw correctly before you enter the world of expressing your own feelings in any medium.

However, if the truth be known, most artists just want to make a living doing what they enjoy most - painting and creating. If the accumulation of wealth is your motivating force, forget about becoming a freelance artist, it takes years to make a name for yourself. If you are happy to use your ability in the creation of animated cartoons for television, backdrops for theatre productions, graphic art, adverts, layouts for newspapers and magazine and so on, the field widens dramatically. As in any profession, the best triumph and the mediocre survive.

Artists are required for many types of jobs which include animation, advertising, newspapers, cartoons, computer art, postage stamps, magazines, glass blowing, pottery, etching, glass staining, art, illustrations, book illustrations and so on - the list is immense. However, you would need a portfolio of your work which must include examples of your ability to work in as many mediums as possible such as oils, watercolours, acrylics, pencil, pen, clay, pewter etc., etc. and a good working knowledge of computers which are an integral part of the modern day art world. Apply to the firm or firms which need your particular expertise. The main theatres also employ artists to paint their backdrops and many magazines offer the opportunity to young artists to illustrate their short stories. Large pottery manufacturers are often in need of artists.


Career Fields


Art and Creative
Draughting and Design
Film, Television and Radio
Performing Arts and Entertainment 
 
 
Courtesy: CareerExpo

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