Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Also called Artist, Fine Artist, Painter, or Sculptor
What Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators do
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
Who tends to enjoy it
Creative
People who like making things, design, writing, music, and self-expression.
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Curious
People who like figuring things out, research, science, and solving problems.
What you'd actually do
- Use materials such as pens and ink, watercolors, charcoal, oil, or computer software to create artwork.
- Integrate and develop visual elements, such as line, space, mass, color, and perspective, to produce desired effects, such as the illustration of ideas, emotions, or moods.
- Confer with clients, editors, writers, art directors, and other interested parties regarding the nature and content of artwork to be produced.
- Maintain portfolios of artistic work to demonstrate styles, interests, and abilities.
- Market artwork through brochures, mailings, or Web sites.
- Study different techniques to learn how to apply them to artistic endeavors.
- Monitor events, trends, and other circumstances, research specific subject areas, attend art exhibitions, and read art publications to develop ideas and keep current on art world activities.
- Photograph objects, places, or scenes for reference material.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Judgment and Decision Making
What you'll need to know
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Fine Arts
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Art / Art Studies 864 colleges
- Fine / Studio Arts 749 colleges
- Visual and Performing Arts 365 colleges
- Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other 114 colleges
- Intermedia / Multimedia 60 colleges
- Painting 69 colleges
- Drawing 58 colleges
- Sculpture 75 colleges
Related careers
Production
Etchers and Engravers
Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.
Little to some preparation
Production
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.
Little to some preparation
Production
Prepress Technicians and Workers
Format and proof text and images submitted by designers and clients into finished pages that can be printed. Includes digital and photo typesetting. May produce printing plates.
Medium preparation
Production
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators
Perform work involved in developing and processing photographic images from film or digital media. May perform precision tasks such as editing photographic negatives and prints.
Little to some preparation
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 27-1013.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.