If you are planning to earn your bachelor’s or master’s degree at one of the many graphic design schools or graphic design colleges available, you are probably considering a traditional higher learning institution such as a college or university. These familiar “brick and mortar” education centers provide the infrastructure and applicable coursework for your degree.

You may have also thought about attending an online college to work towards your degree. Online colleges offer maximum flexibility for individuals who need to juggle busy schedules, or need to take classes when it is most convenient for them.

What Is An Online College?
Consider an online college as a virtual campus. Even though there are no physical walls, the process of education remains basically the same. There are lectures by professors, resource reading materials, tests, labs, and projects for students to complete.

Students are able to attend and participate in classes through the use of a computer, a reliable Internet connection, and an Internet browser that is compatible with the college website.

The graphic design school or graphic design college you choose provides all the details on how to connect to its servers.

The Hidden Costs of College
Art supplies, photography supplies, and other design related materials are additional costs that must be factored in, while going to the graphic design school or graphic design college of your choice.

Some students make ends meet by taking on part-time jobs, while others are fortunate enough to have these expenses covered by parents, relatives or student aid.

Weddings and You
Regardless of your particular circumstances, bringing in supplemental income by using your specific liberal arts talent can bring you personal satisfaction of a job done well. One particular social event that you may find interesting is weddings.

Video Game Art: It’s On Another Level
The complexity and depth of video games have progressed at an astonishing rate. Games that were considered state of the art a mere 15 years ago are now a visual marker that demonstrates just how far video game technology and graphics have come.

The depictions of virtual worlds in video games are so photo realistic that a casual glance at the graphics can be easily mistaken for the real world. If you have talent in illustration or art, there are opportunities for you to enter this exciting field.

Select Your Field of Specialization
While artist is a generic term, there are specific jobs within the art department of a video game company. Some of these are:

• Concept Artist - The job of a concept artist is to come up with visual design ideas that meet a set of parameters as set forth by the producers of a video game. A great degree of imagination, creativity, and good communication skills are necessary for this position.

• 2D/3D Animator - 3D artists provide the motion, action, and realism to characters and objects within a video game. They accomplish this by using cutting edge animation and modeling software.

• Illustrator - The job of a game illustrator is to draw character models, backgrounds, objects, 2D art, and any other art necessary for the production of a video game.

• 2D Texture Artist - The surfaces of objects and characters need textures or realistic “skins” for their shapes. Fur, shinny surfaces, lighting effects and stressed concrete are examples of what 2D artists do to fill out the final look of 3D images.

Career Training for a Job in Video Game Art
There are various universities and online colleges that offer programs specifically geared towards game art degrees.

Typical course curriculum covers subjects such as the history of video game art, game platforms, concept art theory, level design, use of 3D modeling and animation software, texture and lighting for games, motion studies, and character rigging.

Since coursework differs from college to college, make inquiries to see if the curriculum fits your needs.

The Job Outlook for Video Game Artists
The demand for multimedia artists and animators is expected to increase due to the market for cutting edge video games. However, competition for job positions will be very high. In spite of this, the industry is always on the lookout for bright new talent.

Typically, production jobs in the video game industry have tight deadlines to meet. Overtime and weekend work is usually required during “crunch time.”

How To Get Your Break In the Industry
Try to get a position with an independent or smaller video game company. Usually, these companies are on smaller budgets and as a result, are more willing to take on new talent in exchange for a reduced salary.

Larger game companies sometimes offer internships for artists. Check game publisher websites for information on these opportunities.

Another method is to get a job as a game tester. Although seemingly unrelated to the goal of becoming a game artist, testers have a foot in the door and have access to game producers and those associated with the production of games. Contacts can sometimes be made during the testing cycle and may open opportunities or inside track information for art department jobs.

What Is the Salary of a Video Game Artist?
Entry level positions as a video game artist average approximately $41,500 a year.

Individuals who have six or more years experience in the industry average $66,700 a year. Lead video game artists or lead animators can expect a salary of about $64,000 a year.

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Rethinking Remodeling
Interior designers face new challenges in today’s economy. Potential clients are not only looking for excellence in taste and functionality, they also want their remodeling to be professional, and affordable.

Times are changing; interior designers who make adjustments can remain competitive even in a down economy.

The idea is to adjust to smaller project budgets and maximize results.

Cut Costs Not Quality
There are several ways to work within the budget of your clients by carefully selecting options that will save them money, while also fulfilling the parameters for remodeling their home.

• Prioritize the most important wants of your client first and eliminate non essentials.

• Instead of using marble for counter tops and wood for floors, try using laminates or refinishing to save costs.

• For major cost savings, avoid knocking down walls. Work within the allocated space available.

• Refinish cabinets instead of replacing them.

• Select lighting, carpeting, or furniture from warehouse outlets rather than designer retail stores

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Home Staging: An Alternate Income Source
What does a home stager do? Think of the job as redecorating a home on a quick turn around to give it the highest curb appeal in order to sell the house. Home stagers remove clutter, rearrange or replace furniture, do moderate landscaping, and enhance the overall look of the house.

Home Staging Sells Houses
Why is this service important for home sellers? Jan Van Horne of Coldwell Banker Realty said, “Typically, a potential buyer has made up their mind ten seconds after they step in the front door. They were already forming an opinion as they pulled into your driveway!” Putting the best foot forward, in this case, is essential in increasing the chances of selling a client’s house.

Give It a Try
Home staging affords more flexibility because more projects can be done in the same time as a three month project in remodeling one home.

Give home staging a try. This side business may help you weather the economic storm until the economy recovers. For students or recent graduates, home staging may be a great alternative career.

What Does a Graphic Artist Do?
Graphic artists, also referred to as graphic designers, create visuals for print, websites, film, and electronic media in order to illustrate message ideas to the public. Graphic artists use a variety of forms of visual content related to color, animation, photography, type fonts, and layout techniques.

Graphic artists are responsible for planning the production design of magazines, business reports, advertisements, newspapers, journals, and other publications that are needed to inform or explain ideas.

Some Interesting Facts About Graphic Designers
• Approximately 25% of graphic artists are self employed
• Many salaried fulltime graphic artists also do freelance work for supplemental income
• Graphic artists need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in order to qualify for entry level jobs.
• An associate’s degree can qualify for some technical graphic artist positions.
• Graphic Designers who have a good working knowledge of computer design software and Web design will have better opportunities to qualify for graphic artist jobs.

What Happens In the Workplace
As with many job situations, the work environment varies from place to place. Graphic artists who work for large design firms generally experience better working conditions. They work in well-lighted offices with comfortable surroundings. Work hours may include overtime during crucial periods of production.

Graphic designers who work for smaller companies may work in less spacious conditions and experience more demands in meeting tight deadlines.

The Job Situation
Freelancers and graphic consultants must constantly seek new clients or assignments in addition to maintaining their present client base. In order to meet client requests, weekend work and overtime is usually required.

Jobs for graphic designers are expected to grow about 10% from 2006-2016. Individuals with experience in animation and Web design have the best opportunity to qualify for job positions because of the growing need for design work in cell phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), video games, and other fields in related technology.

In May 2008, graphic artists made an mean annual wage of $46,750.

He Almost Got The Job…Almost
Bradley arrives at a company for a graphic design job interview. He looks forward to the event. He has a good resume and is eager to learn. The session goes well. The hiring manager likes him and sees potential.

Everything seems to be going his way until she asks to see a portfolio of his work. He opens it up and displays a random, unorganized sampling of his designs.

While there are a few good examples, some of his prints are smudged or creased. The case also looks tattered and worn.

The hiring manager quickly flips through a few prints but doesn’t look through all of the pieces. “Thanks for coming in,” she says. But Brad already knows he won’t be called back. “How could I have improved my portfolio?” he thinks to himself.

It’s Not Rocket Science
So just what is a portfolio and what is it supposed to do? In a nutshell, a portfolio is a professional collection of documents, photographs, or graphic illustrations demonstrating your skills, talent, and training in the area of your expertise. The content is placed in a large display carrying case called a portfolio.

The way you display your examples is almost as important as the content itself. Your examples should not be marred or creased, the portfolio case should appear new looking, and your content should match what your perspective client wants.

If you are presenting your portfolio on a website, many of the same principles regarding content selection and display for a traditional portfolio are also true for online purposes.

What You Put In Is What You Get Out
Simply assembling a mass of photographs, graphic designs, fashion designs, or other articles of your work doesn’t mean it will automatically be a successful portfolio. Making a successful portfolio takes several key factors:

* Excellent content that showcases your best work

* Content that is focused on the needs of the client

* Content that is well edited. (You don’t have to show everything)

* Organized content that unfolds logically

* Content that is current and up to date

Also seek out trusted friends or professionals in your field for advice and an honest critique of your work. This information can be very valuable in getting your portfolio to look just right.