Tips for a Career in Arts

If you’re an artist and you’re thinking of making a living from your art, you’re in luck. There are many well-paid jobs available to artists in a wide variety of commercial fields.

Such as advertising agencies, book publishing, mainstream print media, the online digital world, animation studios, and more, and you can find plenty of art teacher job opportunities online as well if your dream is to impart your knowledge to others.

To that end, we teamed up with experts from job aggregator Jooble to take a closer look at some important tips on how to get started as a professional artist.

1. Subscribe to art-related websites to broaden your horizons

You can discover a wide range of new art forms by visiting art-related websites, groups, and forums online.

Many of these sites discuss the arts, list competitions, advertise job openings, and are even willing to showcase your work.

Knowing what’s out there will help you discover your particular interests and potential future direction.

2. Draw inspiration from other artists

A good method to get you closer to making a full-time living from your art is to develop your creative flair by drawing inspiration from other artists.

Many artists are already producing excellent works in whichever area you are attracted to. Use their success to inspire yourself.

For instance, study their work and look up their biographies to see how they got their start and how they eventually developed into the accomplished and successful artists they are now.

3. Find your niche

The world of art offers a myriad of career opportunities in many genres. That’s why it’s important to discover what you are good at. You may be a fantastic comic illustrator but completely hopeless at 3D animation.

Find your particular niche by experimenting with the different genres that interest you. Whether you enjoy sketching, drawing cartoons, doing animation, or digital graphic design.

It’s important to try new things and experiment with new mediums to find the niche that appeals to you and that you’re particularly good at. This will help you choose the direction of your future career.

4. Perfect your craft

It may seem obvious, but the first important step on the road to becoming a successful paid artist is to perfect your skills.

You need to be at the top of your game in order to compete with other artists who are already established in your chosen field. Show your work to friends and family and ask for their honest feedback. Try to get as many opinions as possible to get a fair evaluation of your work.

5. Develop a portfolio

For any artist to make a living from their art, they need to have accumulated a substantial body of work that can be used to showcase their skills.

Your portfolio is your resume and will be viewed by potential clients or employers in order to determine if your particular style and level of competence fit in with their specific requirements.

6. Market yourself and your work

There are various ways to market yourself and your work. You can begin by creating your own website which will serve as a portfolio to showcase your work.

If you’re a digital graphic designer, you can sell your works as prints through various online platforms such as DeviantArt or Etsy, and many others. You can also enter competitions to increase awareness of your work as well as to build your reputation.

Winning competitions can also lead to opening many doors and building valuable contacts. If you’re a physical watercolor, oils-on-canvas artist, ceramist, or sculptor, get your local art gallery interested in showing your work, or arrange your own exhibition.

It doesn’t have to be a costly or elaborate affair. Hire a local venue or hold an open-air exhibition in your local park. This may go a long way to gaining exposure and enhancing your reputation.

7. Apply for a career in arts

If you prefer a more secure career in art as opposed to going it alone as a freelancer, there are a wide variety of jobs to choose from.

Here are some of the jobs available in mainstream businesses that employ full-time artists:

• Graphic designer
• Children’s book illustrator
• Technical illustrator
• Art teacher
• Industrial designer
• Fashion designer
• Animator
• Motion Graphics Designer
• Cake decorator

Conclusion

Thanks to the digital era, soon-to-be artists get numerous opportunities to pave their way in art-related fields.

Firstly, art is not about using colors and canvases only, it has gone digital. Many different professions have arisen due to this shift.

Secondly, the internet gives loads and loads of means to promote your works and gain reputation much faster than before. Don’t hesitate to learn about all the opportunities and obtain the career of your dream!