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If you are artistically inclined, you may want to get some computer graphicartist training. For someone as creative as you, expressing your thoughts, anunconventional idea, or doing some sensational display signs, ads, or packagingare just up your street. Today, this creative field has 228,000 graphicdesigners working in the United States. If you’re interested, join thegang.

Your career roadmap with computer graphic artisttraining

If you’ve been taking art and design courses at high school, this can holdyou in good stead as you enter working life. At this stage, learn the basics incomputer classes that can teach you layout and photography. Design your schoolmagazine or newspaper and volunteer to design posters, handouts, or flyers.

At the entry-level, you need a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, whilesome jobs may ask for an associate’s degree or a technical certificate besidesindustry experience. The US has over 250 art schools and colleges that offercomputer graphic artist training programs accredited by the NationalAssociation of Schools of Art and Design.

As a student of graphic design, you will be asked to complete a year of artand design courses before going on to do a bachelor’s degree. You will alsohave to show some samples of your work to prove your artistic talents or submita portfolio that shows your skill in graphic design. Your computer skills willalso come to the fore, and when you choose a program, ensure that it integratesa computer course too.

If you do a four-year university or college course in bachelor of fine arts,you will learn art history, art, principles of design, sculpture, architecture,painting, architectural drawing, mechanical drawing, engineering, computerdesign, fashion designing, sketching, etc. Though you may learn a lot, not allof it will be necessary for a job as a graphic designer.

As you advance in your career, you can become a chief designer or designdepartment head if you also display leadership qualities.

Computer graphicartist training programs have applications in graphics programming,multimedia, video games, and touch screens and laser shows.

Job duties

Choose all elements of design like artwork, fonts, photography, etc Meetclients and art directors to understand the brief Develop ideas Work withsoftware to complete projects Adhere to deadlines, themes and budgets

Skills required

Artistic and proven talent Creative Imaginative Eye for beauty and detail Goodsense of balance, color, and proportion Good computer skills Impressiveportfolio Good communicators Organization Problem-solving Ability to workindependently

Certification

A bachelor’s degree in graphic design is required at the entry level. Someprofessional schools offer associate degrees and certificates in graphicdesign. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits 300institutions in the post-secondary stage, programs in design and art, and adegree in graphic design.

Job outlook

The salary range for experienced professionals with computer graphic artisttraining is broad, with a minimum of ,000 annually and 0,000 at the other endof the spectrum. If you own a consulting firm, you could well make 5,000 ayear.

However, if you do not have any formal education in this field or haveaverage talent, you will find it hard to forge ahead, so enter this dynamicfield by taking up computer graphic artist training.