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Posts Tagged ‘artists’
Freelance Art Directors
4/14/2008 10:19 AM By ArtisanAs an art director, you'll be brought in as part of a team to work on a specific project, working with the creative director, one or more copywriters, and perhaps designers and programmers.
You'll also need to work directly with account executives, marketing staff, senior execs, and clients to understand the project's goals and help shape visual solutions.
In some situations, you'll be more of a project manager; in others, you'll be expected to do a significant amount of design production as well as relationship-building and strategy.
Catalog Layout and Production
2/20/2008 10:26 AM By ArtisanProduction artists are often called upon to work on catalogs, which require a great deal of deadline work to pull together layouts, text, and photographs using an existing set of templates and guidelines.
As you work on a catalog, it's important to vary the "density" — the amount of white space, photos, and text — so that each spread is different. When pages all look the same, readers tend to get bored.
While some catalogs are meant to be an absorbing visual experience, complete with short editorial pieces, it will generally be preferable to use sensible categories to organize your products. Like a well-designed website, a well-designed catalog should give readers an idea of where they are in the publication and what other options are available for exploring.
Once you've enticed readers in with an attractive cover, most of them are looking for information: "How much is it? Does it come in the size I need? Where is it made?" Help them out. Use consistent, readable type, be sparing with color, and don't overcrowd your pages.
A Production Artist’s Education
1/8/2008 10:25 AM By ArtisanProduction artists do not need to have four-year degrees — often, a two-year degree from a career-oriented graphic arts program is sufficient to get you started finding work as a freelancer.
Sometimes, an artist who aspires to fine-art or graphic design work will take jobs as a full-time or freelance production artist while completing a four-year degree. This can be a useful way to get to know how art departments and advertising agencies work.
By far the most important part of a production artist's education is learning production software — not just the basics, but the shortcuts that will help you get more work done quickly. Get as much hands-on experience as possible while studying, by taking classes, doing internships, and investing in lower-priced "education" versions of popular programs such as QuarkXpress, Adobe Photoshop, and InDesign.
