What a Career in Jewelry Design is All About
A jewelry designer must be skilled at creating new designs through the use of sketches and computer design software and be able to transform the ideas into a physical creation through the use of various materials, specialized tools, and equipment.

Some jewelry designers are also skilled at repairing jewelry, setting and polishing gemstones, and appraising jewelry.

Creating actual pieces of jewelry such as rings, bracelets and necklaces involves the use of creativity, aesthetic sense, and manual dexterity. The making of a piece of jewelry, after it is designed, requires very close attention to detail and concentration.

Career Training and Education
In order to become a jewelry designer many have traditionally learned their skills through on-the-job training and apprenticeships.

But with the advent of computer-aided design, prospective jewelry designers get their training through graphic design schools, online distance learning centers, vocational schools, or community colleges.

Jewelry manufactures who hire jewelry designers prefer those who have graduated through a formal program at a college or graphic design college. There is bachelor of fine arts or master of fine arts programs in jewelry design.

Some jewelry designers enroll in gemology courses that can train them in identifying and grading various gemstones.

The Job Outlook for Jewelers and Jewelry Designers
Job openings for jewelers and jewelry designers are expected to grow approximately 5% in the decade of 2008-2018. Job opportunities will be best for graduates who have training with computer assisted design and computer assisted manufacturing.

The mean annual wage for jewelers is $35,360.

The Video Game Industry
Video games have come a long way since the days of “Pong” — a simple simulation of tennis where a dot (the ball) was struck by each opponent’s paddle (a long white line).

Today the game industry is a 20 billion dollar business that offers video games so life-like that the line separating reality and virtual reality is becoming much harder to distinguish.

The formula for a successful video game has not changed since the days of Pong — the game must be entertaining, the game must have graphics, and the game must appeal to the public.

What Does a Game Artist Do?
Most video games are now presented in 3-D for visual appeal and realism. If you want to become a 3-D artist for video games there are several different paths you can go:

* 3-D Character Artist/Animator - This type of game artist is responsible for designing and building life-forms or animated creatures. The character artist usually carries the responsibility of making the primary “hero” of the game. 3-D animators are responsible for making the characters move and do things.

* Background Artist/modeler - The characters in a video game are not the only components in the game. They have to interact with each other and their environment.

The background artist is responsible for creating setting for the characters to move around in. The background for a video game can be as simple as a street scene or as complex as the interior of a spaceship. Background artists construct these environments according to the specifications as determined by the game producers.

* Texture Artist - These game artists are responsible for adding the details to 3-D art. A building wouldn’t look like a building in a video game if there weren’t concrete surfaces on the walls. A monster in a video game would look lifeless if not for the glint and shine of its scaly skin.

Becoming a Game Artist
If you are pursuing a career as a game artist you need specific training at a graphic design college or school with an emphasis on digital art.

A game artist should have a deep background in various drawing disciplines that use computers and computer art software. Those with bachelor’s degrees are more likely to be hired by game companies.

Game artists who do 3-D work should be proficient in using modeling and animation software and be able to adapt to new hardware and software packages as they come out.

Strong communications skills are a “must have” trait due to the high concentration of meetings and daily interaction with production staff and programmers.

The Job Prospects
According to various sources in the game industry, a game artist can expect to make about $60,000 per year. However this salary range fluctuates according to which game company you are hired by, how big the game company is, and how high profile the game is.

The job forecast for all artists and related workers is expected to grow about as fast as other occupations in the next decade. The competition for these jobs will be high and the most qualified candidates will secure positions in their respective fields.

What Does the Job of an Interior Designer Encompass?
For many years the job of an interior designer had to do with decorating living or business spaces by using the appropriate selection of furnishings, lighting, floor and window treatments, artwork, and the use of color.

For the most part, these are the primary functions of interior designers but recently the tasks of interior designers have expanded to architectural aspects such as planning for interior detailing, the placement of windows, stairways, escalators, and building renovation elements.

Interior designers are responsible to their clients and must assess what their needs and wants are before going into the actual phase of interior design planning.

A great deal of communication is needed during this phase to make sure that the concepts of the client and the interior designer are in phase.

Interior design jobs can be as small as a one room treatment of a kitchen, bathroom or living room to taking on projects for entire office buildings, retail stores or public locations.

These projects are often done under tight deadlines and the interior designer must be able to work well under pressure and multitask effectively.

What Steps Are Necessary to Prepare for an Interior Design Career?
Entry-level interior design jobs require a college degree in design. Professional design schools offer programs that take 2-4 years to complete. There are also 2-3 year certificate programs in interior design offered by community colleges, art schools, and online education centers. Some graphic design schools also include interior design in their curriculum.

Some graduates of interior design programs gain needed work experience by interning or serving in a design apprenticeship program. These apprenticeships are 1-3 years in length and provide career training for aspiring interior designers.

Apprenticeships are usually done at a design firm or architectural firm under the watchful eye of a professional designer.

The Qualities Employers Seek from Prospective Candidates
Many employers of interior designers want individuals who are proficient in using computer aided design (CAD) software. A basic understanding of engineering and architecture is also desirable.

Those seeking employment as interior designers should be creative, efficient, and have strong communication skills. They should also be constantly attuned to what is going on in the interior design industry in order to maintain a current perspective of what is fashionable and what is not.

The Job Outlook for Interior Designers
The future looks bright for interior design positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be a 19 percent increase in interior design jobs from 2010 to 2018. Although there will be substantial openings for interior design jobs, the competition for these spots will be extremely high.

In 2008 the mean annual wage for interior designers was $51,020.

Clothes Make the World Go ‘Round
You may be wearing a simple t-shirt with a graphic design on the front or you may be wearing the latest fashion produced by Dior but you are making a statement about who you are by the clothes you wear.

Retail sales of clothing reached an astonishing $150 billion for 2009 in the United States. If you want to pursue a career in fashion design here are some tips and guidelines on how to do this.

What Does a Fashion Designer Do?
Fashion designers are responsible for creating the wide variety of dresses, suits, shoes, and other clothing articles that consumers purchase at retail outlets and exclusive fashion design houses.

The concept of a retail clothing design to the production of the clothing line takes about 18 to 24 months. Fashion designers must have a sharp eye for future trends in clothing styles and must be able to produce fashions that will be in vogue at the time of their release.

What Are the Qualifications for a Fashion Designer?
Fashion designers should be proficient in using computer assisted design software and have a bachelor’s degree in fashion design.

Internships with clothing manufacturing companies or design houses provide important career training experience for aspiring fashion designers.

Fashion designers must have a good eye for aesthetics related to color, proportion, spatial relations, creativity, and an intuitive sense for what looks fashionable. Although computer design software is useful for creating art for fashions, the importance of being able to hand sketch fashion ideas and designs cannot be overemphasized.

The Employment Outlook for Fashion Designers
Job openings in fashion design positions will increase by 1 percent from 2008-2018. The competition for these jobs will be extremely competitive.  A solid portfolio of design sketches is crucial for job interviews.

Receiving the proper education at a graphic design school or fashion design college is important in qualifying for positions in the fashion industry. In some cases brilliant talent in combination with the right contacts in the industry may open opportunities in fashion design.

Fashion designers make a mean annual wage of $71,400 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2008).

Do You Want to be a Graphic Design Teacher?
If you are attending graphic design school or are already employed as a graphic designer or artist you may have thought about becoming a teacher. What does it take to become an art instructor and what do you need to qualify?

The Basics
Regardless of the subject you want to teach all teachers must fulfill certain prerequisites before teaching in the public school system or at a college.

• To teach at a college or university the usual requirement is a master’s degree in the specific subject area that is to be taught.
• To teach in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools the minimum requirement is a bachelor’s degree.
• To qualify as a teacher in the public school system or at a college you must hold a teaching license. Specific teacher’s programs are available at universities, colleges, and online education centers.
• You should be an accomplished graphic designer or artist

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What Happens in the Classroom?
If you love to teach the profession of teaching can be a very rewarding experience — you’ll see your students’ progress in their skills and knowledge of the arts.

The job of an art instructor can also be challenging as you think of new ways to present material, concepts, and techniques in design or art.

Teachers can work more than 40 hours a week due to the additional time spent in planning and developing class curriculum, being available for student consultations, and other outside school activities.

You must be able to communicate effectively and be socially adaptable to a variety of different cultures, backgrounds, and personalities.

To become a successful teacher you must also continue to learn and hone your own skills as an artist or graphic designer in order to keep up with the latest trends and developments in your areas of expertise.

The Job Outlook and Typical Salary for Teachers
Job openings for secondary teachers (middle school and high school) are expected to increase about 7 to 13 percent in the next 10 years. The mean annual wage for secondary teachers is $54,390.

Job openings for postsecondary teachers (college level and universities) are expected to grow 14 to 19 percent in the next ten years. The mean annual wage for full-time faculty positions at colleges was $79,439.

Different Stokes for Different Folks
If you are studying to be an artist through a graphic design school or graphic design college, there are many fields within this category that you can specialize in.

In some cases the duties of one career overlaps into another one, but this can be considered beneficial because it allows the opportunity for artists to crossover into other areas.
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What’s Out There?
The following list of artist careers can help you to understand the function and job description for each position. There are more categories but these are among the more commonly recognized:

Multi-Media Artist - Artists in this line of work are usually found in the motion picture industry, television industry, and computer-Internet industry. Multi-media artists produce animations, graphics, and images used for movies, television programs, computer games, and advertising/marketing companies. The extensive use of image design software and computer hardware is typical for artists who decide to make a career in multi-media.

Illustrator - Illustrators are usually employed by publishing or product companies to create pictures, scenes, or other images. The illustrations that are produced can be used for commercial purposes, consumer products or books and magazines. Illustrators are usually required to have a good working knowledge of digital imaging techniques and computer software and hardware.

Medical / Scientific Illustrator - Artists in this field of work use their knowledge of the sciences in the creation images for use by the medical and science disciplines. They draw pictures to illustrate human anatomy, scientific data and experiments, and other graphics for illustrative purposes. Illustrators in this field also produce images for educational and teaching purposes.

Fine Artist - This is the classic definition for a career as an artist. In this field an artist creates works of art in oil and acrylic painting, sketching, printmaking, art restoration or illustration. Fine artists specialize in portraiture, scenic, still life, or abstract art. They use a variety of medium to produce their pieces and can utilize sculpture or electronic means for their art.

Craft Artist - Artists in this career make various handmade objects and creations that are sold or displayed in art museums, craft fairs, and art galleries. They work with a variety of materials such as glass, textiles, ceramics, paper, metal or other media to produce their art.

Educational Requirements
The educational background for a career in art varies according to the field you are in. For individuals who want to go into the fine arts or crafts, a formal education is not necessarily required but it can still be of assistance in learning design theory, art techniques, and related skills.

For those who want to become art directors, illustrators, or multi-media specialists, earning a bachelor’s degree at a graphic design college is usually required for entry level positions.

Salary Ranges for Artists
Jobs for artists are expected to grow 14% - 20% from now until 2016, which is faster than average when compared to other job categories. The median annual wages for the following job categories in art are (Bureau of Statistics 2008):

Craft Artists:     $29,080
Fine Artists and Illustrators:    $42,650
Multi-Media Artists and Animators: $56,330

Next Time…
We’ll investigate what it takes to become an instructor in graphic design. We’ll see you then.