Artist Resume: Examples and Tips
Artists compose paintings, sketches and prints, representing themselves or creating work for commissioned customers. An artist can specialize in a particular medium or style of art, such as working with inks, watercolors, charcoal, oil, paints, pencils or computer software programs.
Create a resume that shows both your creative side and your ability to fill an artist position using these expert examples and tips.
Featured Resume Example: 3D Artist
Name: KEVIN HANSON
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Creative and motivated Artist with progressive career experience in various forms of structure and design. Known for strengths in project design, planning and management to exceed customer expectations.
WORK HISTORY
Artist
01/2017 to Current
Company Name, City, State
- Created custom drawings and paintings using fine oils, acrylics
and charcoal on high quality canvas. - Interfaced with art director, designer, production manager and
print producer. - Preserved branding standards of assigned accounts.
Art Teacher
09/2009 to 06/2015
Company Name, City, State
- Responsible for developing course outlines that had to be
approved by the school and the board of regents. - Assisted in developing much of the reference material that was
used for each class. - Developed a series of unique projects that succeeded in
getting students excited about art.
Design Assistant
07/2006 to 02/2011
Company Name, City, State
- Assisted interior designer in designing and creating
comfortable and functional environments to represent clients’
lifestyle, taste and budget. - Conducted market research to understand trends and
customer preferences. - Developed design deliverables that elevated, differentiated
and functioned on-brand and on-strategy.
SKILLS
- Composition
- Technical illustration
- Visual Art Creation
- Dreamweaver
- Sculpture
- Corporate identity branding
- Painted finishes
Education
Master of Arts: Design
City, State
Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class 3D Artist Resume
- Summary In a few crisp sentences, present a blend of skills and experiences that display your top strengths and show how you’re a good fit for the job opportunity. For example: “Dedicated artist with extensive knowledge of 2D motion art, and project design, planning and management.”
- Skills Present a balanced mix of technical skills, such as “visual art creation,” “logo design,” or “proficiency with digital and 35mm cameras,” and intangible (or soft skills) such as “strong creative sense” or “creative planning.” You can also highlight skills in programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator.
- Work History Many artists have experience as art teachers, designers, or design assistants, so mention your accomplishments in these areas. Showcase projects you’ve successfully completed (e.g., “Created 15 custom drawings and paintings onclient commission, using fine oils, acrylics and charcoal on high-quality canvas”), and list any recognitions you’ve received for your work (e.g., being featured at an exhibition or arts journal, or placing in an art contest).
- Education Feature your highest academic credentials, such as a bachelor’s in Art History, BFA in Graphic Design, M.A., Master’s in Design or MFA. You should also mention additional training or certifications you have, such as Adobe Creative Suite certification.
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Find the Right Template for your Resume
Give your resume the right look with these professionally designed templates.
Emphasized
This straightforward yet colorful layout is divided into two columns, with prominent headers making it easy for readers to navigate.
Knowledgeable
This clean design uses graphic blocks for section headings, effectively organizing your credentials. An elegant resume font for the job seeker’s name provides extra class.
Artistic
Each section in this layout is set off with sleek headers, while leaving plenty of free space to arrange your information.
For even more free templates you can use for your resume, visit our resume templates section.
Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
- DO use punchy phrases and verbs. use active verbs and crisp phrases instead of long long-winded sentences that start with “I” and “we,” For example, rather than writing “I consulted with clients to discuss commission ideas and style preferences so that we could create mutually agreeable project parameters,” write “Consulted with clients to discuss commission ideas and style preferences, creating mutually agreeable project parameters.” Space is at a premium in your resume, so use it on critical information rather than pronouns.
- DO make sure your resume isn’t too long. As we mentioned just above, it’s best to keep your resume lean. Aim for a length of two pages at most, and only share information that directly addresses the position you’re interested in. For example, experience keeping track of supply inventory in an administrative gig is a worthy skill, but it won’t help you stand out when it comes to showing you have the right artistic vision for a particular project.
- DO tailor your resume for each job opening. An artist position for an advertising agency will have very different requirements than a role in a private gallery. Make sure you revise your resume summary, skills and work history to best fit what the job needs. If you use one of the resume examples on this page, our tools help you to adjust and save different versions of your resume easily.
- DON’T send in your resume without proofing it. Even a minor mistake in your resume can have a negative effect on recruiters. Check for grammatical and spelling errors before you turn in your resume, and double-check your facts, such as dates worked in past jobs. For extra insurance, use our Resume Builder, which will scan your resume for these types of errors.
- DON’T forget to quantify your skills and achievements. Make your accomplishments come alive using numbers and specific details. For example, earning a spot in a student art exhibition is impressive, but it’s even more impressive when you note that you were one of only 10 artists selected from a pool of 150. Applying numbers to your achievements makes them more tangible, and gives recruiters a better idea of your impact. For example: “Developed unique projects for two-month art gallery exhibit that attracted 5,000 visitors each week” leaves more of an impression than “Developed unique projects that succeeded in getting students excited about art.”
- DON’T forget to use relevant keywords related to the art industry. You can extract specific keywords for an artist position from the job description. Note down requirements such as “a keen eye for aesthetics and details,” match these keywords with your own skills and experiences (e.g., “Completed art project for city government that gained recognition from local newspaper for its aesthetic daring”), and incorporate them in your resume. For more keyword tips, see How to Use Keywords Effectively.
Pair your Resume with a Matching Cover Letter
