Fine Artists: Painters, Sculptors, Illustrators Careers

Also called: 3D Artist (Three Dimensional Artist), 3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist), Animated Cartoons Painter, Artist, Automotive Artist

Fine Artists: Painters, Sculptors, Illustrators Careers

Varies

estimated salary

Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.

  • 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.
  • Model substances such as clay or wax, using fingers and small hand tools to form objects.
  • Create sculptures, statues, and other three-dimensional artwork by using abrasives and tools to shape, carve, and fabricate materials such as clay, stone, wood, or metal.
  • Set up exhibitions of artwork for display or sale.
  • Render drawings, illustrations, and sketches of buildings, manufactured products, or models, working from sketches, blueprints, memory, models, or reference materials.
  • Shade and fill in sketch outlines and backgrounds, using a variety of media such as water colors, markers, and transparent washes, labeling designated colors when necessary.
  • Frame and mat artwork for display or sale.
  • Submit artwork to shows or galleries.
  • Submit preliminary or finished artwork or project plans to clients for approval, incorporating changes as necessary.
  • Study styles, techniques, colors, textures, and materials used in works undergoing restoration to ensure consistency during the restoration process.
  • Collaborate with engineers, mechanics, and other technical experts as necessary to build and install creations.
  • Cut, bend, laminate, arrange, and fasten individual or mixed raw and manufactured materials and products to form works of art.
  • Provide entertainment at special events by performing activities such as drawing cartoons.
  • Develop project budgets for approval, estimating time lines and material costs.
  • Create and prepare sketches and model drawings of cartoon characters, providing details from memory, live models, manufactured products, or reference materials.
  • Create finished art work as decoration, or to elucidate or substitute for spoken or written messages.
  • Create sketches, profiles, or likenesses of posed subjects or photographs, using any combination of freehand drawing, mechanical assembly kits, and computer imaging.
  • Trace drawings onto clear acetate for painting or coloring, or trace them with ink to make final copies.
  • Apply solvents and cleaning agents to clean surfaces of paintings, and to remove accretions, discolorations, and deteriorated varnish.
  • Collaborate with writers who create ideas, stories, or captions that are combined with artists' work.
  • Brush or spray protective or decorative finishes on completed background panels, informational legends, exhibit accessories, or finished paintings.
  • Render sequential drawings that can be turned into animated films or advertisements.
  • Teach artistic techniques to children or adults.
  • Create graphics, illustrations, and three-dimensional models to be used in research or in teaching, such as in demonstrating anatomy, pathology, or surgical procedures.
  • Examine and test paintings in need of restoration or cleaning to determine techniques and materials to be used.
Work Context
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 86% responded "A lot of freedom".
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 85% responded "Continually or almost continually".
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 81% responded "A lot of freedom".
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 72% responded "Every day".
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 41% responded "Extremely important".
  • Electronic Mail — 45% responded "Every day".
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 42% responded "More than half the time".
  • Read More
Work Activities
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Read More
Detailed Work Activities
  • Develop artistic or design concepts for decoration, exhibition, or commercial purposes.
  • Collaborate with others to determine technical details of productions.
  • Present work to clients for approval.
  • Maintain records, documents, or other files.
  • Construct distinctive physical objects for artistic, functional, or commercial purposes.
  • Construct distinctive physical objects for artistic, functional, or commercial purposes.
  • Read More

Knowledge

Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Read More

Skills

Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
  • Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension
  • Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Read More

Abilities

Originality
  • The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Fluency of Ideas
  • The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Visualization
  • The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Visual Color Discrimination
  • The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Read More

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
Read More

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Document management software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat Hot Technology
  • Code Line Art Files
Object or component oriented development software
  • C# Hot Technology
  • C++ Hot Technology
  • Python Hot Technology
Computer aided design CAD software
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA Hot Technology
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Hot Technology
  • Autodesk 3D Studio Design Hot Technology
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro Hot Technology
Read More