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Fine Arts Career in India: Institutes, Job Opportunities, and Top Skills to Develop

Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known ~ Oscar Wilde

Do you enjoy being creative - painting, sketching, singing, sculpture, or performing on stage or on screen? But have you always been discouraged because it's not viewed as a good enough professional option? Well, we are about to give you all the details you need to make a viable career out of it - where you can study, what you can study, what jobs you should look at and what skills to hold on to, practice and nurture. Read on for all the details…

Institutes for Fine Arts degrees

While creativity is the spark that will take you far, a certificate, diploma, or degree can be the stepping stone you need to further refine your skills and sensitivity, which will eventually make you more successful. In addition to the above, a number of postgraduate and PhD programmes in Fine Arts are also available for those wishing to specialise. These courses usually range in duration from 1 to 5 years. Here is a list of the top colleges across the country that offer UG, PG & Doctorate degrees in Fine Arts: 

Bachelor of Fine Arts & other undergraduate programmes

• College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram
• Amity University, Mumbai
• Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture & Fine Arts University, Hyderabad
• Jamia Milia University, Delhi

Master of Fine Arts & other postgraduate programmes

• Visva Bharati University, West Bengal
• Amity School of Fine Arts, Noida
• College of Arts, Delhi University 
• Sir JJ Institute of Fine Arts, Mumbai

PhD in Fine Arts

• Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
• NIU, Greater Noida
• Royal Global University, Guwahati
• Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune

Career Opportunities in Fine Arts

Having a degree in the arts widens your perspective and also gives you deeper insight into what career you would like to pursue. These professions range from entrepreneurship to self-employment. However, to give you an idea of the kind of options you should consider while pursuing a degree, we bring you a list of professions one can pursue with a degree in Fine Arts below: 

• Artist: An artist could be working with any medium - painting, sketching, sculpting or even the performing arts. Their main vocation is to create art that their audiences like to see and own(in the case of creative arts) or observe or listen to (in the case of performing arts).

• Illustrator: Professional artists who draw and sketch for a living are called illustrators. For print and digital media, they could be creating digital art or clicking photographs. For more mainstream media, they could be commissioned to create specific illustrations or murals following certain guidelines or styles.

• Fine Art Consultant: A fine art consultant is an expert in their chosen field of art. They work with customers, helping them find and buy art for their homes, workspaces or galleries. In addition to having the sensibility to identify good art from the rest, they also conduct research, build relationships with artists and collectors, and evaluate the wants and needs of their customers to deliver the best results.

• Art Therapist: An art therapist is a certified and trained professional. They offer clinical therapy and counselling using art as a medium of expression.  

• Art Teacher: An art teacher, as the name suggests, uses their artistic abilities to encourage others' creative development. They can teach students of various ages and will usually cover the basics, the use of various mediums, and the theories behind the art form.

• Gallery Manager: A manager of an art gallery is someone who is in charge of the day-to-day running of the gallery, but more importantly of selecting artwork and artists to exhibit. They also hire art experts to be employed by the gallery and communicate with suppliers, artists, historians, and vendors to plan the transfer, journey, or acquisition of display artworks.

• Art Framer: A custom wall hanging expert is an art framer. They work with clients to maintain and display artwork, and their everyday responsibilities include creating beautiful frames with their hands, sourcing supplies and interacting with customers.

Skills Required in Fine Arts

Fine artists create works of art for aesthetic, commercial, and ornamental consumption. Some of the most fundamental skills that a fine artist must have are perseverance, dedication and creativity. But beyond these, particularly for visual artists, there are a few other skills that they must possess:

• Realistic Drawing: The capacity to create art that accurately depicts actual life is a key skill that artists should possess. By mastering this ability, one can produce lifelike portraits, landscapes, and object-based art.

• Constructive Drawing: Fine artists practise constructive drawing as a means of representing their intent using simple lines and shapes on paper. Creating a rough outline of what the artist would sculpt, paint or draw later is one such example.

• Knowledge of art materials: When you become an artist, you first select one or a few mediums that you enjoy working with. To maintain your own distinctive style, it is essential that you learn how to work with the materials of your chosen medium. This is a skill that comes from learning and constant practice.

• Imagination: Whether you work on commissions or create art for exhibitions, having the imagination to create something out of nothing - and to be able to depict something in a style that is uniquely your own, imagination is an absolute must. Particularly for artists working in the surrealism or fantasy school, this skill is a basic building block.

• Understanding of Perspective: A viewer's perspective describes how they might view a work of art. To bring variety to their work, artists should be aware of numerous points of view and be able to create artwork from them. Other significant elements, such as shading and sizing details, are also affected by the artist's understanding of perspective.

Strong emotional convictions and an urge to create, along with a connection to canvas, pencil, or colours, are the usual traits on associates with someone wishing to pursue fine arts. A person's love of art can inspire and urge him to use that love to paint his environment. Fine art education is a tool to encourage, nurture, and lead young, passionate art aspirants in the right direction. With the right set of skills, a place to study and employment in hand, one can definitely achieve success in fine arts.