Many people attracted to a web development career—specifically custom web design—have a background in computer science. This is obviously an appropriate beginning. But there is another skill set you might want to have when looking for freelance web designer jobs. You might actually want to be an artist or at least a creative visualizer.

A web designer job requires that you know how to program, but it is equally important that you understand key elements of design—and not just HTML color charts. Do you have a sense of what colors work together and how they may affect customer behavior? Do you know how the human eye travels across a picture and its relation to composition? When companies hire a web designer, they may not specifically think they need an artist, but if you have no background in the field  and are not working with a creative partner, it will certainly show in your work.

Even if you are an experienced programmer with little or no background in art, remember that a little education never hurt anyone—even if it’s very basic. Simply exposing yourself to more art and design while furthering your knowledge of art history and theory is helpful. You may find yourself wanting to explore your own art, whether through sketches or photography.

You don’t need to know what kind of paint Matisse preferred for landscapes, which of his ears Van Gogh cut off, or that Andy Warhol grew up in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. But you can learn something about the elements of design that have persisted throughout history, and it may greatly benefit your work in web development.

• Mechanicals: This term refers to the requirements of this particular press, and also to the separated forms used to print four-color images. Often still used despite the rise of digital printing, which does not require them.
• Prepress: The process of going over a first copy of a printed product with the press operator to make any needed corrections to color and other factors
• Gutter: The space between columns in a printed publication
• Bleed: When a color image is printed all the way to the outermost edge of the printed page.

A common career path involves starting as an "in-betweener," creating transitional drawings between key moments in a scene. A major skill for this job is being able to imitate a senior animator's style and line quality.

Another junior-level job in animation studios is layout artist. This person roughs out backgrounds for each scene, which are not used in the final product but which are vital to proper positioning and perspective in the animation itself.

Serving the area for over 30 years, ABS Graphics is an integrated marketing, communications and print media company that has designed many award-winning brochures, annual reports and magazines. Their many areas of expertise include direct mail and marketing collateral, among other things, and they have spearheaded projects for various clients large and small.

Again, the donation by ABS Graphics helps to underscore how having good connections in the industry can be beneficial. Artisan has worked hard to earn their reputation, and the formation of long-term relationships is something that can't be underestimated when it comes to business. We'd like to send out our sincere thanks to ABS Graphics for their generous donation and continued support.

ABS Graphics: (l-r) Seve Vanderveen and Brad Burker
Photograph by Nick Gerber 

• Create Flash animations from an art director's drawings
• Shepherd a package design through prepress to be sure the finished product matches expectations
• Take a senior designer's logo and use Photoshop to deploy the logo in business cards, letterhead, and a web template
• Lay out a catalog using a product list specified by a creative director

We serve over 2,000 companies across the nation from a talent pool of 8,000 artists–and we are always welcoming more of the best and brightest into our ranks.

We have grown and adapted throughout the years to continually be in a position of strength from which we can best serve our clients. If you have worked with us, you know what we are talking about already. If you haven't yet given us the opportunity to serve you, we encourage you to get in touch and let us know what you need–or what you have to offer. We love hearing from talented people as well as those who are looking to employ them.

If you are searching for the perfect match for your skills in print, marketing or on the Web, know that these are our areas of specialty. Graphic designers, brand managers and Web designers are among the many fields we represent, and since "Matching Talent with Success" is our founding principle, you can be sure that your every need will be attended to.

You already know that we are extremely pleased to say that we've been serving clients and talent for twenty years; which is actually quite an accomplishment on its own. This, however, is not the only thing we are proud of. Pardon us for a moment, while we let you in on some of the other reasons we are so excited to be in business today!

•    Within five years of being founded in 1988, we tripled in size
•    We've been able to grow and serve not only Chicago-area clients and talent, but those in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles as well
•    We were included in a list of "fastest-growing companies" that was compiled by Inc. Magazine.
•    We proudly serve over 2,000 companies.
•    We attract some of the best industry talent there is…check them out: http://www.artisantalent.com/find-talent/

As you can see, rapid growth, loyal clients, and talent and a great work ethic are all part of the Artisan picture. We wanted to do something spectacular to show our appreciation for these wonderful years of business; and we also wanted to make it something unique. Thus, the "Match That Gives Back" creative competition became the centerpiece of Artisan's 20-year anniversary party–http://www.artisantalent.com/match-that-gives-back/–and we feel it is the perfect way to celebrate!

ArtStart has been around since 1988, and they are dedicated to providing artistic educational opportunities for both children and adults. These projects focus on the connection between humans and their environment. Programming includes work with homeless, sheltered and street youth. ArtStart tries to provide a creative outlet that is both educational and relaxing for them.
Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, this non-profit organization holds a variety of programs.

Here are just a couple of examples:

• The ArtScraps Creative Materials Reuse Store. The ArtScraps location at 1459 St. Clair Ave. provides a place for teachers, parents, artists and others to find and recycle materials that would otherwise be discarded in a landfill.
• ArtStart's interdisciplinary summer arts camp. This program is designed for youth that are between 4-12 years of age. It allows them to really experience the art and culture of African, Latino, Asian and other cultures. This program has been around for 15 years.
• ArtStart also has artist residencies, workshops and evening poetry readings among its many offerings.

We'd like to congratulate them on being a finalist for our "Match that Gives Back" Award!