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Careers in
Art
If you are artistically
inclined or are otherwise creative, you can look for a career
in art that will help you satisfy your creative urge. Among
the various options that you can choose from are Applied
Arts, Painting, Graphics (Print Making), Sculpture,
Architecture and Interior Design.
Awareness for design is increasing by the day. Business
houses are realising that a better designed product or
advertisement will fetch more customers than a badly designed
one. The scope of employment of designers and artists has
thus increased in recent times. Not only are they employed
full-time, but the profession also offers the possibility of
starting a consultancy or even do free-lance work. The only
requirements are that a person must be good and be able to
finish the work in the given time. While a good designer will
never be short of work, a mediocre person will not be able to
find work at all. So it is not enough to be artistic, but the
person must be good in his work and be able to understand the
requirements of the client. Above all, an artist must have
taste.
Where to study:
The courses are offered by Arts Colleges in
different States and the premier institute in the category is
the National Institute in the category is the National
Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Should one have an aptitude
for designing buildings, one can seek admission in the
Architecture Colleges. Many institutes offer short-term
courses on interior design as well: Exterior-Interiors offer
one-year courses in interior design in association with
Jenson and Nicholson in many cities of India. A number of
polytechnics offer shorter options.
For advertising too a number of options are available. There
is the Mudra Institute of Communications and Advertising
agencies (MICA). The National Institute of Advertising
(NIA)
offers diplomas in advertising. Alternately, one may join
institutes of mass communication.
Before applying, assess whether you are suited for this
career. You must have an in-born talent for drawing and a
steady hand. A fertile imagination and creativity are
pre-requisites since art is not something that can be taught.
Only if you have a talent can it be refined in an Arts
College. If you have no skill in drawing and sketching, it is
better to look for something else. Above all, you have to put
in 200% of yourself in order to succeed. A mediocre attempt
will only produce mediocre results.
How to apply:
The minimum qualification for taking up the
course is Class 12. For the degree courses, there is an
entrance test in which the aptitude of a person is checked.
You may have to make a still life sketch as well as a
free-hand drawing on any medium from given topics. There is
also a general awareness section in which general knowledge
is asked. The next step in the admission process is the
interview. A person should have a portfolio to show during
the interview.
It is important to practice drawing at home. For help and
guidance, one can approach students of the arts colleges or
even the faculty members. In certain cities, those who have
just graduated organise crash courses too. Free-hand drawing
must be practiced too and the best of the work should be
selected for the portfolio.
Scope:
Advertising agencies are forever in search of creative
directors and artists who can create an advertisement that
will catch everybody's fancy. If you are above average, the
course is very helpful in getting a foothold in advertising.
A tendency towards painting and sculpture and the ability to
introduce some individual characteristics will result in your
paintings and sculptures being sold at high prices.
Apart from advertising agencies, a designer can get
employment with big companies, TV channels and programming
companies, film companies as designers, set designers etc,
export houses, textile designers and teaching. The scope is
thus vast. In a sense there is a boom in designing as a
number of foreign products and companies have come into India
so people are realising the importance of a good design. With
the introduction of computers, a whole new area has opened up
in animation and computer graphics too. There is, in fact, a
shortage of professionals.
Starting salaries at the national level for graduates range
from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per month. In smaller towns, the
starting salary may even be as low as Rs 1,800. The scope is
certainly higher in metros where advertising agencies and
designers have their offices. Alternately, one can open one's
own studio and take work on contract basis from clients.
A word of warning may be in order. Of those who take up art
as a career, few survive. If you are interested in painting,
for instance, it may take years for you to establish your
name and be able to command a price. Others join for the glamour they
are soon disheartened. Even in an applied field
such as advertising, an artist does not have fun and games;
for the most part it means putting in hours at the drawing
board. It is therefore important to ensure that your heart is
in it. Otherwise you will be like thousands of others who
have had to change careers midstream. To avoid frustration
later on, it is better to assess the realities first.
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