Career Overview
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
Also Known As
- Artist
- Fine Artist
- Painter
- Sculptor
Alternate Job Titles
- 3D Artist (Three Dimensional Artist)
- 3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist)
- Animated Cartoons Painter
- Artist
- Artist in Residence (AIR)
- Automotive Artist
- Balloon Artist
- Blacksmith
- Book Illustrator
- Card Painter
- Caricature Artist
- Cartoon Artist
- Cartoonist
- Character Artist
- Color Artist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Production and Processing
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Originality
- Visualization
- Fluency of Ideas
- Visual Color Discrimination
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Near Vision
- Finger Dexterity
- Manual Dexterity
- Oral Comprehension
- Category Flexibility
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Innovation
- Tolerance for Ambiguity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Achievement Orientation
- Initiative
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
- Relationships
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Some College Courses
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
On-the-Job Training: None or short demonstration
Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- C#
- C++
- Extensible markup language XML
Tools & Equipment
- 23
- Acrylic paintbrushes
- Alcohol lamps
- Angle grinders
- Artists' fountain pens
- Artists' palette knives
- Artists' palettes
- Ball mills
- Bevel tools
- Brazing tools
- Bush hammers
- Bust armatures
- Camera lenses
- Ceramic bead bars
- Clay cutters
Work Environment
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $26,420 |
| Median | $60,560 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $140,660 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 10,000
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Special Effects Artists and Animators
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $99,800
Graphic Designers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $61,300
Craft Artists
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $38,480
Etchers and Engravers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $40,450
Art Directors
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $111,040
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.