What Can I do With an Art Degree

Many people in todays society have somewhat of a stigma that they associate with someone who says they are going to pursue a career in art. However, you definitely should not automatically assume that you will be a starving artist. In fact, with a degree in an area of art there are many different areas that you will be qualified to seek employment within. For instance, perhaps you show a considerable strength in the specific area of design and you think this would be a great area for you to obtain a position within. Keep in mind, there are numerous specific areas of focus just within this one avenue of art. Start by researching the different art design degrees available.

Lets say that you decide that you would like to work as a layout artist. In this professional capacity it will be your responsibility to design an effective layout for a book, magazine, website, or other printed material. Keep in mind, this will require you to consider what will be visually appealing to viewers, as well as something that flows well and makes sense. As a layout artist it will be important that you can effectively communicate with a client regarding what they want the end product to be like and that you can take their verbal vision and deliver it in an effective and attractive manner.

You will likely find it necessary to take what is suggested by a client and interject the most fitting and appropriate techniques and designs for the project. Keep in mind, in your layout design projects you will be required to work with images (like photographs, charts, graphs, and illustrations), spaces, and text (such as different fonts, size of font, and the font color). Although in this profession it is likely that you will have a specific type of project that you prefer to work on, you can expect to be required to work on several different types of projects simultaneously. You can also find art training programs by searching our category specific pages.

While in previous years much of a layout design artist's work was performed using paper, pencil, images, and text, in todays technologically based society most layout artists use computer software and digital files to create their designs. Although many layout design artists choose to work in a freelance capacity, there are also many other employment opportunities that you can choose from. Keep in mind, in a freelance capacity you will be able to work from a home office and to choose the specific types of design jobs that you take on. On the contrary, if you pursue employment through a publishing house, an advertising agency, a specific manufacturer, or a magazine your work will likely be steadier but you will probably not have much of a chance to be selective about the type of projects that you choose to work on. Ultimately, you will need to choose the type of employment avenue that suits your goals and that allows you to work on the type of projects that you enjoy and that you show strength in.