What We See Dictates Human Expressions

Articles by Debbie Jensen

Do Artists Ever Know Enough About Art and Design?

For today's professional multimedia artists who design for print and the Internet, do they ever know enough to be considered competent in their field? Who really knows, but it could stand to reason that the answer to this question may depend upon who is hiring them, how much they are paid for services rendered, and how targeted audiences respect what they see.

As subjective as art may seem, most people expect a certain standard of output. When artists apply for work, their professional attitude, sometimes personal appearance, and their portfolio (and resume) are sized-up by perspective employers. To many artists, this may seem a bit unfair, because they may wonder why their attitude and personal appearance bears weight against their artistic abilities. Practically speaking though, artists are usually measured by the same standard as other professionals.

Artists are measured by standard pay scales too. It is up to the artist to see that this actually happens. Multimedia artists have to spend years learning their profession and deserve to be fairly compensated for their skill sets. What would today's advertisers and marketers do without graphic artists and web designers?

When artists are hired whether it be in-house or through free-lance work, they are hired according to the style in which they are able to communicate with the targeted audience. The real question is: Is the audience motivated to action through what they see and read?

So, what do you think, do artists ever know enough about art and design? If the truth be known, artists are no different from other professionals - they probably have a lot to learn. Artists need direction, input, and support from their employers and co-workers. Artists need to be nudged, inspired, and motivated in order to produce the goods. Artists come from all walks of life and vary in knowledge, talent, experience, education, and personality.