If you have a flair for art, then there are many career paths that you can venture down. You could produce paintings for a living, design clothes, illustrate books, consider sign-writing, or produce graphics for websites and advertising campaigns.
Most of the creative fields may not require you to get a traditional job to grow in your career. For instance, as a fashion designer or graphic designer, you can work remotely or as a freelancer and work by creating your workspace at your home. You can set it up as an office plus workshop with all the necessary items like a desk, chairs, a small sofa, filing cabinet, cupboards, shelves, perhaps a whiteboard and idea board, etc. These items can be bought online from a store like office monster or from a local supplier near your location.
An art career can be as vast and diverse as you can imagine and could come with a lot of benefits. So, we shall explore the many possibilities in this article.
Portrait Artist
One of the most commercial subjects to paint would be portraits. Everyone wants to see themselves in paint. You can even have your pets represented in oils, too. What makes a piece of commissioned artwork special is that it is bespoke and there will not be another one of its kind. A portrait can stay with a family for generations. Particularly attractive or important subjects from the past are now desired to adorn modern walls.
If you can paint realistically, then it is worth seeing how good you are at representing a person in paint or other mediums. Okay, you might have to brush out the odd perfection if the person paying you the money requests it, but other than that, the fact that you can produce something as realistic as photography is capable of will be in demand.
So, why not turn your talent into a cottage industry. As an artist, you can be self-employed or freelance. Alternatively, if you have an interest in law but never fancied all that study, you could become a courtroom artist.
Fashion Designer
If you do not desire to paint the actual people, why not design the clothes that they wear. To be a fashion designer you will need to have a good eye for shape and colour. Also, you will need to develop skills in sewing and paper-cutting. It will be important for you to be able to spot trends in the market.
To enter the profession, you will generally need a qualification such as a Higher National Diploma (HND) or a degree in an art-related subject, in addition to having a flair for design.
Book illustrator
Surprisingly, those who write picture books do not always illustrate them. This is where the book illustrator will come into their own. To become one you will not only need to be good at drawing but also have the ability to translate words into meaningful pictures that a certain age group will be able to relate to.
The majority of illustrators will have at least a bachelor’s degree as an entry-level to the career. Then, it is a case of marrying yourself up with an author, agent, or publisher that requires your services.
Signwriter
It is not all of us that have such a steady hand, and that is primarily what you need to be a signwriter. Reputation is everything, too, as you are only as good as your last job. You will be in demand because businesses require signs for their vans and shopfronts. However, it has to be said that many signs are now created with modern processes, so some of your work in the future may need to come from restoration projects. For instance, where an old bus is restored and requires some period signage done. Researching how textual styles have changed over time will aid you in this kind of work.
Through an apprenticeship scheme is a good way to become a signwriter.
Graphic Designer
Graphic design now requires knowledge of computers and the various graphics packages and drawing tools out there. You will need to be able to work to different scales and in 2-D as well as 3-D and beyond. 3-D printers are the future in terms of engineering. There will always be a demand for you to design new company logos. Every successful marketing campaign will also require something visual to catch the eye.
So, to be one of the best graphic designers, you will need both IT and drawing skills. Also, you will need to have the ability to come up with practical solutions to problems. As well, to have some very good communication skills to help interpret what others are wanting. Most graphic designers will have a foundation degree in an art-based or design-based subject to lead them down this path.
However, freelance and DIY designers mostly obtain work based on practical skills. You might have to learn some basic designing tools to use and might have to create an exceptional portfolio. To explore software and tools that might work for you, you probably might check out review pages like https://serp.co/software/reviews/. Choosing the right tool for yourself can be a lot more beneficial if you have an insight into what every software has to offer.
In conclusion, five careers to consider here. If you are planning to work for a company, rather than go it alone on a self-employed or freelance basis, then you will be looking to obtain a degree in an appropriate art-related subject. It is not just about that, though, you will need to have some natural talent and a leaning towards art.
