Art and Craft

Unconventional art

Art is much more than paintings hanging in a gallery, there are as many types of artist as there are stars in the sky and in recent years unconventional art and design has come to the forefront. The internet has made it easier than ever before for people to discover unusual and alternative forms of artistic expression. From decorating ideas that can be used in the home to some of the latest and most unusual pieces of art being displayed around the world, there is a huge range of unusual art out there and this blog brings some of the best examples together.

How to Become a Digital Illustrator

17 Nov 2020

Digital illustration isn’t just fun; it also pays well. It’s a field that draws many creative artists every year. If you’re curious about what you need to become one, or the fields you can work in, read on as we explore your options.

What You Need to Be a Digital Illustrator

There are a few things that most illustrators should consider getting before they start job hunting:

  • Fine Arts degree
  • A detailed design portfolio

That said, you don’t always need a qualification. For the most part, it depends on what kind of job you’d like to do once you’re ready. For example, if you’re a freelancer, your portfolio will speak a lot louder than any degree.

Jobs You Can Do

Once you’ve covered all your bases and have everything required to work as a digital illustrator, it’s time to pick your field. There are so many different options, so take your time and make sure that you pick something you’d enjoy.

Here are a few top jobs you can do:

Marketing

Many marketing agencies and large corporates will pay top dollar for excellent illustrators to come up with great and unique ads. Adidas, 7Up, and WWF have all used illustrated art to create fantastic advertisements.

Courtroom and Forensic

If you prefer something a little more serious, you can try courtroom or forensic illustration. Both jobs require a qualification in art, but you might need one in law enforcement as well.

Have you ever seen those drawn ‘Wanted’ posters on television? Creating them could be your job. As a forensic artist, you’ll try to draw realistic faces based on testimonies from witnesses. However, in the courtroom, you’ll spend a lot of time drawing faces and scenes from memory.

Fashion

Fashion is a cut-throat industry, but someone must create the visual representations of a designer’s “vision.” As an illustrator, that job will fall to you. You’ll be creating beautiful outfits digitally or on paper, and designing advertising based on these ideas.

Video and Online Games

Before a game ever enters development, there are a lot of ideas that get thrown around. It’s your job as an illustrator to bring them to life so that level designers and 3D artists have a reference to work with. If this is definitely true for video games, we have to add that development of online casino games (such as slot machines) now follow the same process and involves talented illustrator.

If this is the job for you, you’ll spend your days creating marvellous art that serves as the foundation for the entire development pipeline. You can see a list of digitally illustrated casino games here to get an idea of what you’ll be doing.

Final Word

There are many job opportunities for illustrators. If you’re interested in a serious career, you could pursue courtroom or forensic illustration. On the other hand, fashion or video game design is fun, and you’ll have more freedom to experiment. For a middle-ground, you might try your hand at marketing.

Just make sure that you have the required degrees for your chosen field, and never try to job hunt without a portfolio!

How Can Trash Art Save the Oceans?

27 Sep 2020

Trash art can be used as a source of inspiration for many artists and observers. It can also help to save the oceans by taking on one of the world's biggest environmental disasters. Plastic trash from the sea has been used by many artists.

Using Trash

30 Aug 2020

Some amazing art has been created using trash and things that would normally be thrown away. Using trash to make art not only challenges the normal creativity of the artist but also makes a difference to the world around them. It challenges the artist and the observer to think about sustainability and the environment.

The Benefits of Using Trash to Make Art

20 Jul 2020

Using trash to make art is becoming increasingly popular all over the world. There are many reasons for this, such as affordability, sustainability and the broader view on what is considered art to the audience. Using trash also makes for less reliance on the traditional economy to buy materials.