Fine Arts as a Career Option

Simple though it may seem the term Art has very broad connotations. Loosely defined the term denotes anything and everything that is aesthetically appealing, visually delightful, and requires certain skills.

Accordingly art includes a number of things: painting, sculpture, sketching, cartooning, dance, music, singing, poetry, ceramics and pottery, photography, flower arrangement (e.g. ikebana), interior designing and yes, even cooking!!!

In recent times, however, Art has been broadly categorized into two-three groups e.g. performing arts, visual arts and fine arts etc. The latter encompasses sculpture, painting, sketching, drawing and graphics.Fine Arts

India has a rich tradition and heritage of art. There are many individuals who have attained the acme of fame. Yet there remain innumerable nameless, inconspicuous but highly talented artists, who make significant contributions to art who wallow in poverty and squalour.

From painters of Kalighat pat (Kolkata) pattachitra (orissa), kalamkari (hyderabad) Madhubani (Bihar) to those of Pichwai (Rajasthan) Chamba (HimachalPradesh) there are indeed hordes and hordes of them, who eventually pass into oblivion, unwept and unsung.

Fine Arts Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification: 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 assesed. The next step in the admission process is the interview. A person should have substantial portfolio to display 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.

Personal attributes: Aspirants for this field must have the ability to enjoy creating and imagining; this is among those professions where learning from others plays an important role in the budding stages.

An inborn talent, dedication, an eye to form, ability to utilize colors and creative ability to develop original ideas are also important factors.

Fine Arts Job Prospects

Fine art professionals have a plethora of options to choose from. Various opportunities exist for them in various art studios, advertising companies, publishing houses, fashion houses etc. Many professionals prefer to be freelance workers as freelancing gives them a freedom to try their hands on a variety of projects.

One can also opt for fields like teaching, direction, photography, television, clothing and fashion besides working as art directors for magazines, on-line services, software companies, publishing houses, advertising, promotion and product design.

Fine Arts

• Painters: Painters paint portraits, landscapes, scenery, still life, abstract design, murals etc. On different surfaces with different mediums.

• Sculptors: The sculptor carves figures, statues, monuments and other media in imaginative designs by chiseling stone or carving wood or modeling clay. Modern sculptors utilize materials like reinforced cement, concrete or white bronze or plaster of Paris.

Commercial Art

The main work of commercial artists involves designing advertisement displays, packaging, creation of visuals etc. This can be in the following areas:

• Design: The function of the designer is to be conscious of the requirements of an industry. Designers usually work with a team of experts from different disciplines, both technical and business. Their ideas have to be tailored to fit in with commercial and technical requirements.

• Graphics: This is concerned with lettering, illustration including photography; the design of symbols and logos. Its also includes visual aids for industrial and educational application, TV graphics, captions,  programme titles, all non-verbal TV presentations of information, such as election result, trade figure trends etc; packaging , publicity and advertising, stamp and letterhead design etc.

Fine Arts Pay Package

This can vary depending on the jobs. While designing magazine covers can easily fetch a pay of Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 10,000 per month. Freelance artists can be paid anything from Rs. 2,500 to 15,000.

By and large, the following salary package is offered by the industry:

• Visualisers: from Rs.8000 to Rs.12000 p.m.
• Assistant Art Director: Rs.12000to Rs.20000 p.m.
• Art Director: Rs.25000 to Rs.40000 p.m.

Fine Arts Institutes/Universities

• University of Delhi

University Road
Delhi - 110007
Phone South Campus: 011-24119832
Phone North Campus: 011-2766709, 27667011, 27667190
Fax: 011-27667049
Website: www.du.ac.in

• Rajasthan University

University of Rajasthan
JLN Marg, Jaipur 302004
Rajasthan, India
Phone: 91-141-2711070
Fax: 91-141-2711799
Email: info@uniraj.ernet.in
Website: http://www.uniraj.ernet.in/

• Jamia Millia University

Jamia Nagar, New Delhi
Pin-110025
Tel: 26984650, 26985180
Fax: 011-26981232
Email: admin@jmi.nic.in
Website: www.jmi.nic.in

• Amity University

Amity Campus, Sector 44
Noida- 201303, Uttar Pradesh
Ph: 26569050, 2653047
Website: www.amity.edu

• Loyola College

Phone: +91-44-28178200
Fax: +91-44-28175566
Email: helpdesk@loyolacollege.edu
Website:  www.loyolacollege.edu

• Symbiosis Institute of Design

Viman Nagar,
Pune 411 014, INDIA
Tel (Admissions): +91 20 6561 3769 / 70
Fax: +91 20 2663 4549
Email: info@symbiosisdesign.ac.in
Website: www.symbiosisdesign.ac.in

• Apeejay College of Fine Arts

Bhagwan Mahavir Marg
New Jawahar Nagar
Jalandhar- 144001
Phone: 0181-2452181, 2458547
Fax: 0181- 2225204
E-mail: acfa.jln@apj.edu
Website: www.apj.edu

Other Universities

• Rabindra Bharti University, kolkatta
• Banaras Hindu University
• Vidhyapeeth, Rajasthan.
• Rajasthan School of Arts, Jaipur.
• SNDT Women's University, Mumbai.
• M. S. University of Baroda, Baroda.
• Kala Bhavan, Vishva Bharti, Shanti Niketan West Bengal.
• University of Calcutta