My Colorado Journey
Back to pathway map
Creative Industries

Fine Artist, including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.

Annual openings

173

Median wage

$51,910

Typical education

High school (GED)

Growth 2026–2032

+10%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

Interactive walkthrough

Explore My Colorado Journey Careers

See where to compare pay, job demand, locations, skills, education, and training for a Colorado career.

Open in a new tab

Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

High school (GED)

Credential requirement

No certification is required or expected for this job.

Work experience

No previous work experience is required, though work experience or work-based learning in this or a similar occupation is expected.

Work-based learning

No information available

Employer competency information

  • Feedback from artists identifies the following competencies as being critical to success: Creativity and the ability to turn an idea into a work of art as well as entrepreneurship and the ability to promote that art to buyers.
Some Fine Artists, such as sculptors, benefit from training and experience in welding, fabrication, or other skilled trades.
Making a living as a creative artist requires a mix of skill, ability, and entrepreneurship - finding what you are passionate about and good at, and then finding a way to use that to create something that people want to buy.

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

Work style

The type of work can vary by job and employer.

  • With childrenNo
  • On a computerMay vary
  • OutdoorsMay vary
  • With your handsYes

Interests it draws on

  • Arts, Design, and Entertainment
  • Arts and Design

Automation exposure

Low exposure

Tasks here lean on judgement and people skills that are hard to automate.

A typical day

  1. Use materials such as pens and ink, watercolors, charcoal, oil, or computer software to create artwork.
  2. Integrate and develop visual elements, such as line, space, mass, color, and perspective, to produce desired effects, such as the illustration of ideas, emotions, or moods.
  3. Confer with clients, editors, writers, art directors, and other interested parties regarding the nature and content of artwork to be produced.
  4. Maintain portfolios of artistic work to demonstrate styles, interests, and abilities.
  5. Market artwork through brochures, mailings, or Web sites.
  6. Study different techniques to learn how to apply them to artistic endeavors.
Feedback