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Artists

Artists create artistic works using appropriate techniques, materials and media; design artwork and illustrations; and restore damaged pieces of art.

Wages

New workers
AVERAGE
Experienced
£15,641
£30,634
£55,634

New workers start around £15,641. Normal pay is £30,634 per year.
Highly experienced workers can earn up to £55,634.

Available jobs

In the past year there were 11,524 vacancies for this type of job

9.00%

Projected job growth over the next 8 years

Related courses

People work towards these careers by taking these courses at college and uni.

What they do most days?

  • Produces works on commission basis for clients.

  • Markets and sells finished work directly to customers.

  • Liaises with writers and publishers to produce book illustrations.

  • Uses artistic skills to restore damaged artworks.

  • Approaches managers of galleries and exhibitions in order to get finished work displayed.

  • Builds up composition into finished work by carving, sculpting, etching, painting, engraving, drawing, etc..

  • Prepares sketches, scale drawings or colour schemes.

  • Selects appropriate materials, medium and method.

  • Conceives and develops ideas and ways of working for artistic composition.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Adobe Photoshop

  • Adobe Illustrator

  • Adobe InDesign

  • Adobe Creative Suite

  • Marketing

  • Brand Management

  • Artwork

  • Animations

  • Workflow Management

  • Autodesk Maya

Soft Skills

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Communication

  • Detail Oriented

  • Customer Service

  • Sales

  • Management

  • Self-Motivation

  • Packaging And Labeling

  • Organizational Skills

  • Problem Solving

  • Enthusiasm

How do I get a job like this?

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

Routes to this career

See all

Illustration with Animation

Manchester Metropolitan University

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Manchester · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/112

Design (Placement Year)

Lancaster University

BA (Hons) · 4 Years · Full-time with year in industry · Lancaster · 01/10/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Fine Art (Top-up)

London Metropolitan University

BA · 1 Year · Full-time · London · 09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Game Art

dBs Institute

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Bristol · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/120

Fine Art

University of Chichester

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Bognor Regis · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 96/120

Digital Media Design

University of Winchester

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Winchester · 08/09/2025

Tariff points: 96/112

Animation

University of Gloucestershire

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Cheltenham · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 96/120

Fine Art

Buckinghamshire New University

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · High Wycombe · 09/2025

Tariff points: 88/112

History of Art

Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · London · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 128/144

Arts and Visual Cultures

Richmond American University London

BA (Hons) · 4 Years · Full-time · London · 09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Fine Art with Foundation Year

University of Wolverhampton

BA (Hons) · 4 Years · Full-time · Wolverhampton · 09/2025

Tariff points: 48/48

Comics and Graphic Novels

Teesside University

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Middlesbrough · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 96/112

Animation

University of Portsmouth

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Portsmouth · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/120

Animation

University of Derby

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Derby · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/104

Animation

De Montfort University

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Leicester · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/104

Fine Art: Painting

University of the Arts London

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · London · 29/09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

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