Artist

Artists produce fine art. They might specialise in a particular area such as painting or sculpting. Artists make a living by selling their work to members of the public.

Also known as:

• Fine artist
• Painter (artist)
• Sculptor

Work activities

Artists produce fine art. They produce work that people appreciate for its beauty or for its ability to make them feel different emotions. Artists use a variety of methods in their work such as painting, drawing, graphic arts, printmaking or photography, etc.  They also work using a variety of different materials. Painters may use watercolours or oil paints to paint a portrait or landscape, or sculptors may work in metal, wood or clay to produce a statue or object. Some artists use a combination of materials. Whatever the finished product is to be, all artists spend some time producing sketches and developing concepts or ideas. They may do a study of a particular subject, such as the human body, and use the resulting sketches and photos as the basis for a series of works.

Artists need to promote their work and have to persuade gallery and exhibition managers to display their pieces. They may spend quite some time meeting people and identifying potential clients. Many artists display their work on the internet, for example, through online galleries or art websites. Only very few artists manage to live on money made from the sale of their work. The majority take commissions, for example, to paint portraits, or take residencies in industry, education or community centres. Other artists may teach or work in art therapy or art restoration. A lot of artists may need to find other part-time work to supplement their income.

Personal qualities and skills

As an artist, you need:

• Creative and artistic skills.
• A good understanding of colour, shape and form.
• To enjoy working on your own.
• Self-motivation, determination and self-confidence.
• Business skills, if you’re self-employed.
• To be able to cope with fluctuating work and income.
• Marketing skills.
• To work to deadlines and budgets.
• To be the kind of person who can cope with rejection.

Pay and opportunities

Pay rates for artists vary widely, depending on the popularity of their work. They may agree a fee with a client who wants to commission a piece of work or sell work they have already created by displaying it in a gallery, exhibition or even a shop. In this case, they pay a commission to the gallery owner/exhibition organiser, or retailer.

Artists may earn very little or thousands of pounds a year. Very few can rely on just selling their work to make a living, and there are likely to be periods of low income. Celebrity artists are the exception rather than the rule. Artists in residence often receive studio accommodation, exhibition space and help with the cost of materials, as well as a fee.

Artists can choose their own hours of work, which may be irregular, and include weekends. Some artists work long hours, especially as a deadline for a particular piece of work approaches. Many aspiring artists find it necessary to take initial employment outside the art world or in a related field such as teaching.

Some artists are offered a residency in, for example, a school, hospital or cathedral. Opportunities for artists occur in towns, cities and rural areas throughout the UK. However, the ability for individuals to promote their work online via the internet means location is less important. Some artists choose to base themselves in Europe, for example, France and Italy are popular, where some offer teaching holidays to increase their income/sales.

Artists often work on a freelance basis or become self-employed, which helps provide artistic freedom but reduces long-term job security.

What’s happening in this work area?

This industry is a tough one to break into, however. This is due to the large number of artists operating in the same, often small and localised, marketplaces. E-commerce, using software packages to build websites and present their work, is presenting artists with exciting new marketing opportunities. IT skills are becoming increasingly important. Competition to become an artist is strong. Many people produce art as a hobby; however, it is much more challenging to become a paid professional or generate enough commissions/ sales to make a living.

Entry routes and training

A common route into this career is via a foundation course in art and design or a degree in fine art, visual arts or a related subject. For relevant higher education courses, you’ll need a wide-ranging portfolio – you will build this up if you take A-level art and design or an equivalent.

Many degree courses in fine art include art history as part of the course. You should check the proportion of practical work to theory on each course, as this varies considerably. Most courses offer experience in a wide range of fields, with specialisation in later stages. Departments of art put on exhibitions of students’ work, which may help establish a reputation and provide a basis for a career as a full-time artist.

There are postgraduate courses available in art, which are useful for specialised areas such as arts therapy or teaching.

Many artists become self-employed.

Qualifications

The usual entry requirements for a relevant foundation course are:

• One or two A-levels. You’ll need an A-level in art and design or in an art-based subject.
• GCSEs at grades 9-4in four to five subjects. Some courses ask that you have a pass in English.

The entry requirements for relevant HNDs and foundation degrees are similar to those needed for the Foundation course mentioned above. If you go on to a degree directly, you’ll usually need:

• Two or more A-levels. Many courses ask that you have at least a B grade in an art-based subject.
• Four to five GCSEs at grades 9-4. A pass in English is often required.

Alternatives include BTEC level 3 National diploma in fine art or related subject or the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

If you have the International Baccalaureate Diploma, many courses will ask that you have art at higher level. Many other qualifications are also accepted so check prospectuses for more details. To enter any course in art and design, you’ll need a portfolio of your work – this is part of A-level art and design.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your degree or HND course, a college or university Access course (e.g. Access to Art and Design) could be the way in. No formal qualifications are usually required, but you should check individual course details. They can lead to relevant degree/HND courses.

Relevant courses in art and design subjects, at various levels, are offered by a large number of centres, by distance learning.

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust offers grants, scholarships and Apprenticeship support to people wishing to set up craft/design businesses. The Elephant Trust offers grants of up to £2,000 for artists working on particular projects (and sometimes more).

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