black woman using wacom intuos pro in coffee shop

Life after art school: Five creative careers you may not have considered

August 8, 2022

Whether you’re considering art school or are already multiple semesters deep, it’s time to be thinking about what happens next.

Many young people know they love art and creativity, but aren’t exactly sure what they’re going to do after earning an art school degree. Aside from well-known but somewhat vague career titles like fine artist, illustrator, or graphic designer, what might you actually do with your degree? 

Here are five somewhat lesser-known careers you might consider.

creative using wacom display tablet

#1: Storyboard Artist

Storyboard artists help a director create a visual representation of a film, video game, or other creative project’s story. While frequently employed for animated films, all kinds of narrative storytelling projects need storyboard artists, including feature films and TV shows.

The director has a vision, and the storyboard is that vision broken up into a series of panels representing scenes and shots, sort of like a comic strip version of the project. This helps the director and crew plan shots and ensure continuity.

Sometimes the storyboard artist works from a completed script, but other times they also co-write the project or even work with the director to trans thoughts into pictures.

With the ability to work in a variety of industries, it’s a lucrative career path for a creative with interest in drawing, comics, animation, filmmaking, or storytelling in general.

The details:

Wacom One 12 in use stand

#2: Technical Illustrator

Technical illustrators create the imagery that accompanies complex, specialized information in textbooks, instruction manuals, encyclopedias, and other documents or websites that explain scientific, instructive, or other technical subjects.

Illustrators with experience in software like AutoCAD, or an interest in science, technology, or engineering, might find it to be a perfect marriage of form and function. The ability to visually communicate complex topics in clean, intuitive, and accessible ways is crucial!

The details:

Wacom One 13 touch comic

#3: Comic Flatter

If you love comics and want to be involved in the comics industry, but are more interested in the technical aspects of the creative arts, this might be your calling.

“Flatters” don’t usually choose the final colors and don’t add shading, tone, or emotion to the comic page. Their job is much more specific, detailed, and technical: they separate out each page into series of selections of different colored shapes that meet precisely under the lineart, in order to prep the comic for coloring by the colorist and for printing on a CMYK press.

Nearly every print comic book (and some other forms of comics, too) that publishes in color needs someone to prepare the work for the final colorist. That’s where the “flatter” comes in.

The details:

Mikeila Borgia creating with Wacom
Artist: Mikeila Borgia

#4: Asset Artist / Asset Designer

Every video game has a wide range of “assets:” items and vehicles, user interface graphics, icons, 3d environment objects, sound effects, and more.

Someone — usually a team of people, actually — have to create them: the asset artists or asset designers.

This is an extremely varied career in the video games industry, and creatives with 3d and 2d modeling skills are particularly in demand. It also requires good organizational skills, as a single game could have hundreds if not thousands of assets.

The details:

fashionable red haired wacom user
Artist: Natasha Wilson

#5: Pattern Maker / Pattern Designer

Love fashion, but don’t want to enter the cutthroat world of being a designer yourself? Patternmakers use a combination of creative and technical skills to take a designer’s sketches and vision and turn it into an actual physical product — to create a pattern that can be replicated into actual garments.

Pattern maker is a more consistent career than being a designer, though of course it’s less prestigious and it won’t be your name on the label. This career definitely requires fashion-specific skills like sewing and working with textiles, and is best for people who prefer hands-on work and are great at paying close attention to detail.

The details:

art student uses intuos at bar for creative work

No matter which direction you go, Wacom has you covered.

These are just five of the nearly infinite careers through which you can explore your limitless creativity. And no matter which direction you go after art school, Wacom products are likely the preferred tools of the creative professionals working in your industry. Whether it’s the breathtaking color fidelity of the Cintiq Pro pen display, or the durability, pen pressure sensitivity, and workflow-enhancing features of the Intuos Pro pen tablet, prepare yourself for life after art school by using the same tools as the pros.

Check out all the ways Wacom can help you prepare for the next phase of your creative journey — and good luck with whichever path you choose!

Save on Cintiq Pro 24 Touch Pen Display

Related posts:

The best free pose references for artists

The best free pose references for artists

Let’s Get Animated with Josh Pinker! Episode 4: Using deformers in Toon Boom Harmony

Let’s Get Animated with Josh Pinker! Episode 4: Using deformers in Toon Boom Harmony

The Top 10 things I wish I’d known sooner as a freelancer, by Inkshift

The Top 10 things I wish I’d known sooner as a freelancer, by Inkshift

How video games are made: the game development process with CG Spectrum, Part Two

How video games are made: the game development process with CG Spectrum, Part Two

Connect with Wacom on social media

At @parasolisland , where innovation is key to provide professional excellence as a high end studio, the Cintiq Pro family stands out for its design & ergonomic excellence. 🚀

The Cintiq Pro’s adjustable design optimizes workspace, offering a productive workspace where professional creatives can improve their workflow . 🌟
Invest in the best tools for your team. 

Go to the link in bio to connect with our enterprise team.

#WacomCintiqPro #EfficientDesign #CreativeWorkspace
121 0
It’s not often that we find a poet making visual art. 

Enjoy this beautiful piece by the talented @mackboross

“Kids at Play”

We dance.
because we’re happy.
We dance because we’re free.
But when.
We dance together.
We are as happy.
As can be.

Follow @mackboross on Instagram to see more of this beautiful series and the rest of their work. 

#addictivescribbles #ArtistsOfInstagram #madewithwacom #WacomCintiq #madeinaffinity #Blender
164 9
We chat with @schmoedraws , a talented Visual development artist who has been working for the gaming industry in games like “A New Beginning” and the “Deponia” series at Daedalic Entertainment. 💡

Join us as Simone discusses her creative process and how Wacom products has been an indispensable tool for her work. Don’t miss this interview – it’s a must-watch! 🚀

#ArtistInterview #GameDevelopment #CharacterDesign
928 13
Let’s start the week with a creativity challenge 💡✍️

You have 5 minutes to draw something nature related 🍃

Time is ticking ⏰ Grab your Wacom One and see where it takes you!

#WacomOne #CreativeJourney #DrawingChallenge
688 10
Unbox your talent with your Wacom One 📦

Discover your passion and start your creative journey 💫

See where our display can take you in the link in bio!

#WacomOne #CreativeJourney
500 10
💡 Layers Hack: Customize your layer palette in @clipstudioofficial 

If you are more of a color person this tip may help you! Organize your layers in a funnier way. Did you know this tip? 👇

#Digitalarttips #creativeinspiration
323 7
💡New creative challenge unlocked: Let’s make an artwork together!

Only one rule: Draw something and pass the display to another person ✍️

Let’s see where the teamwork takes us 😉 Discover all about the Wacom One in our bio!

#MadewithWacom #CreativeChallenge #WacomOne
334 5
Today’s creativity challenge is… DRAWING STRANGERS IN THE PARK ✍️

Let us know in the comments where do you usually go to find inspiration or practice your drawing 👇

#CreativeChallenge #DrawingStrangers
391 27