Artists: Not Just Painters

Posted by Adriana Scholten on Jan 31, 2011 in Telegram Past News

Don’t write off a career as an artist just yet because it may not actually be what you were imagining. Most of us think of an artist as someone who sits in a studio loft and paints pictures all day only to go home and eat ramen noodles because their pictures aren’t selling. Well that’s really not an accurate picture of an artist today. Sure there are people who paint, but a large majority of artists work in many other fields. Artists design sets for theatre productions and movies. They design 3-D movies and draw animations. They can also work as makeup artists or fashion designers. Some are even called food stylists. And that is only to name a few.

In my opinion, one particulary cool job would be to be an industrial designer. Your entire job is to create and plan layout of cars, toys, furniture and other things like that. How awesome would it be to be driving around in a car that you designed! You could work for companies like Ford, BMW Design Works, Toyota or GM. Also, the person who designed Apple’s iPod had a degree in industrial design. Electronic design is also in demand and you can end up working for Sony, Microsoft, Samsung and many other world-wide companies.

Another amazing job would be an architect. The art of modern buildings is definitely a form of expression and adds so much to cities. People could see your pieces everyday as they walk or drive down the street. Your job description could range from Job Captain, Urban Designer, Architectural Detailer to Lead Designer. And while architecture mostly focuses on the structure of the building and layout, you also have to take into consideration the environmental effects of your project along with the curb-appeal. Some architectural majors also work with the inside of buildings, making everything stream-lined and complimentary.

Also, I’m sure many teenagers would consider this to be a really cool job: a game designer. It actually is a form of art.  You could work on every aspect of creating the game, from prototyping to level design. There’s also 3D modeling, character design, game art and effects animation to work out. This job entails a lot of 3D animation which many people find interesting and a ton of creativity because no one wants to play a game they already have. There are tons of possibilities for this career.

For those interested in style, maybe a career in the fashion industry is what you would be great at. Many people today pursuing a career in fashion get a degree to learn how to design, market and make clothing. Each piece of clothing is like a wearable piece of art which also serves a functional purpose. It would be great to create your own line of clothes and then take them to Milan or New York City for a high profile fashion show. Another piece of this industry is the makeup artistry. As a makeup artist, you combine fashion with cosmetic image. You could end up working with television and movie starts if this is what you are interested in.

So if you have any interest in art don’t forget that an artist can be a rewarding and profitable career!