CAREER

Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

Overview

Salary Median (2020)

$52,340

Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)

+1% (little or no change)

Most Common Level of Education

Bachelor's degree

Career

What Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Do

Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.

Other Job Titles Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators May Have

Artist, Automotive Artist, Blacksmith, Fine Artist, Ice Carver, Illustrator, Muralist, Painter, Portrait Artist, Sculptor

How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work

I go to cities and create spaces where people can come together. I'm often asked to create pieces that interact with particular environments and open people's imaginations. I'm constantly experimenting with and engineering different fibers and materials to use. I am also constantly learning new technologies and science skills in order to bring my work to the scale we need and be able communicate the technical details to a variety of individuals including construction workers and engineers.

Artist & Climate Change Activist

I consider it my life’s mission to convey the urgency of climate change through my work. I have traveled north to the Arctic to capture the unfolding story of polar melt, and south to the Equator to document subsequent rising seas. On these trips, I take a lot of photographs and get inspiration. I use these images as guides. On a large canvas, I grid out sections that correspond to parts of the photo and then begin painting using pastels.


Tasks & Responsibilities May 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.

This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.