Art

“Art achieves a purpose which is not its own.”

– Benjamin Constant

Overview

Do you like to draw? Do you have a sense of aesthetics and presentation? Then you may well have a future as a professional artist. Artists do more than just sketch, paint or sculpt – they are responsible for making choices that shape the look and feel of the world around us. Ready for that kind of responsibility? Then find out how an accredited online art degree like an associate and bachelor’s degree program in fine arts and media arts, animation and art history can help you get started in a career as an art director, fine artist, painter, illustrator, cartoonist, sketch artist, sculptor, multimedia artist, or painter.

Something to note - many people, artists especially, assume that every aspect of art is talent and that having an online art degree will not be helpful.  From Michaelangelo to Pablo Picasso, almost every great artist has had many instructors and extensive training by a master or at a prestigious art school.  An online art degree is the modern day version of an apprenticeship and is looked at very favorably by employers.  Sure, Van Gogh never had an online art degree.  And, if you only want to sell one painting in your lifetime, you won't need one either!

Art: Career Insights

• Some artists are naturally gifted, but the majority learn their craft through study and hard work.
• Artists tend to be self-employed, though they will also find work in advertising agencies, design firms, publishing houses, and entertainment conglomerates.
• Earnings vary widely – some paintings sell for thousands or even millions of dollars!

Art Director

An art director is responsible for the overall design concept and look and feel for a magazine, a line of clothing, or a theatrical set. Art directors can be very hands-on – meaning they will do drawings themselves and begin the implementation of their own ideas – or they can be visionaries and managers, turning over their ideas to lower-level designers, who bring them to life under the art director’s close supervision.

Fine Artists

Painters – often considered the top of the fine art career ladder – use paint and canvas to express their ideas. They may paint realistically or abstractly, in some cases with very little evident technical skill. Sculptors use clay, stone or other solid, tangible materials to create three-dimensional representations of objects or even intangible concepts.

Illustrators

Illustrators use their hands or, increasingly, rely on sophisticated drawing software to create drawings. These drawings may have a commercial use (for example, in an advertisement) or they may rise to the level of fine art, created and appreciated for their own sake. Cartoonists are a type of illustrator who tend to draw in a non-realistic way, often with the intent of achieving a humorous effect through their pictures and accompanying words. Sketch artists can toss off a drawing rapidly, sometimes using information provided by a third party; they are often employed by police departments to assemble a portrait of the perpetrator.

Click here for a complete list of accredited online Art degree programs

Penn Foster Career School

Penn Foster’s high school and vocational technical programs are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools.  Their unique and flexible program offerings are designed for career oriented individuals and adult learners with an interest in real-world solutions.  With programs in business, internet technology, appliance repair, paralegal studies, medical administration and many, many more, Penn Foster has provided valuable learning experience to over 12 million students worldwide.

Penn Foster Advantages:

• Something for Everyone – Penn Foster offers over 80 courses covering a wide variety of interests.  Study common programs such as business management, or not-so-common courses such as wildlife and forestry conservation.
• Large and In Charge – With over 12 million students enrolled since 1890, they are the largest distance learning institution in the world.

Penn Foster Training in Art

• Artist

Click here to request more information from Penn Foster Career School

Click here for a complete list of accredited Art degree programs online

The following accredited schools, colleges and universities offer art degree programs:

Stratford Career Institute	Penn Foster Career School
Westwood College

Art and Fine Art Related Links

The following links are useful for students in online art degree programs, distance learning design courses, and other online education programs in art or fine art.

Home of the World Famous Onion Gallery, featuring the work of Quincy Clemons.