Career Advice on How to Become a Fine ArtistGeneral Career Information |
| Many people in society love, really, really love to look down on artists and why not, right? To be blunt and brutally honest, most people don’t have what it takes to be a sculptor, illustrator or painter. And, it can be a bit tricky to make a living doing any of these fine art jobs. Tricky, but not impossible, so if you want to be a fine artist and you have developed your talent, it is possible to make a living doing what you love. Just be prepared to be loathed for it. So if you job search or career planning includes being an artist, don’t be afraid of some rejection. |
Career Facts: |
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The fact is that many artists are making a living. How much money they make every year and what the job environment looks like depends greatly on what kind of art is being done. Many artists are self-employed. Sixty-two percent of artists are self-employed, making being an artist a great career for those looking to work for themselves.
There are many ways that artists can make a living in the business world. After all, someone has to illustration magazine covers, and do artwork for websites or artwork for CD covers, just to site a few examples. The truth is that artists are employed in almost every aspect of business and commerce. The advent of the Internet has only increased the amount of artists who are earning a living through their art. Why even banks need logos and brochures.
One of the fastest growing fields for artists is multimedia and animation. This field allows artists with a wide varied of visual skills to find employment. Gone are the days of artists being limited to painting portraits on canvases or waiting for a rich benefactor to commission a sculpture. Today, artists are able to see their work translated into many different formats. This is thanks, in part, to the Internet. |
Career Opportunities and Job Outlook-Good: |
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Some artists will fair better than others in the coming years, but, in general, the outlook for fine artists is good. The overall job growth is expected to be about ten-percent, with 3,000 new jobs added by 2016. This means that by 2016, roughly 33,000 fine artists, including painters, sculptors and illustrators, will be employed in the United States. The number for multi-media artists and animators is expected to undergo a much larger growth at twenty-six percent. But the good news is that many fine artists can also see their work translate into multi-media as well.
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A Day in The Life: |
| Because the work of fine artists differs so dramatically from illustration to sculpting to painting, not surprisingly the average days of different artists can be quite different as well. Some illustrators can work at corporations and businesses, illustrating everything imaginable from greeting cards to company logos and brochures. For these illustrators, they will punch the 9 to 5 clock like most people. Other illustrators will work at home and have more flexible schedules. Obviously, the work can vary tremendously depending on the type of art and whether or not one is self-employed or working for a company. |
Average Salary: |
| The average salary for fine artists is $41,000 roughly, with the top ten-percent earning over $79,000. |
$41k - $79k |
Career Training and Qualifications: |
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Many fine artists are self-taught and others have attended art school.
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