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Ask two people to define commercial art and their answer will depend upon their age. The 50-something identifies commercial art as an ad for Camels designed by a frustrated painter toiling over a drafting board at a frenzied advertising agency. Young men and women are more likely to cite the flyer done by the desktop publisher in the next room, the award-winning billboard executed by the graphic artist down the hall or the guy responsible for the cool animation that ran during a Super Bowl commercial break. They are all correct. Examples of commercial art are everywhere. In terns of a definition, commercial art can be broadly described as creative work done for pay. The field has evolved at warp speed over the past half century, but one goal remains the same: professionals in this dynamic industry help marketers and advertisers grab the attention of an always-fickle public, then creatively persuade them to buy, buy, buy. History- Sit through a history of art series and you'll eventually arrive at the 19th century where the arts and crafts movement emerged. Its mission? Prove to the public that art can be both beautiful and useful. William Morris, a school of arts and crafts founder, was but one of those who believed in and practiced the art of beautifying common things. Why run a newspaper ad featuring nothing but words? How about putting flowers on that tissue box? Wouldn't it be great if everything from magazines and brochures to food packages and road signs looked terrific while offering information? This thinking, a reflection of the world's growing desire to consume, formed the base of the movement known as commercial art.
Function- Making commercial art has become another transformational process. Before computers and software did most of the grunt work, commercial art was accomplished with pens, pencils, watercolors, T-squares, brayers and tools since relegated to commercial art museums. Professionals hand rendered and laid out every piece of advertising and marketing material on the planet. Had technology not stumbled along, these professionals might still be hunched over drafting boards. Fast forward fifty years. Not only has the name Commercial Art disappeared into the profession of Graphic Design, but amazing tools and methods have helped turn the profession into a colossus of sub-disciplines that literally affect everything we see and buy.
Considerations- Given the fact that commercial art transects industries and has spawned hundreds of sub-specialties, a professional requires expert understanding of the latest hard and softwares. A majority of commercial art is created on Macintosh rather than PC and, as such, software written to do the work tends to interface more efficiently on the Mac. At the top of the software food chain are page layout programs (InDesign, QuarkXpress are industry favorites), image manipulation programs (Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard), Dreamweaver and Front page for website design, Adobe Illustrator, a vector-based draw program and a variety of other sophisticated tools. For package and other 3D designers, CAD-based software is required. The proliferation of programs to help commercial artists do their job is huge and growing.
Types- The list is endless, but here are some examples of commercial art: print ads, website designs, product packaging, book illustrations, billboard layouts, TV storyboards, commercial signs, dust jackets, CD and DVD case and disk art, magazine covers, newspaper display ads, logos, catalogs, posters, bottles, cans, boxes, shopping bags, electronic displays, bus, cab and airplane ads, flyers, brochures, booklets, pamphlets, business letterhead, tickets, programs, marketing and sales presentation materials.
Considerations- From apprenticeships to internships and from graphic design positions to art directorships, the world of commercial art stands ready to welcome professionals. Whether one wishes to work for an agency serving the diverse needs of clients or a single employer driving that company's product, package, newsletter, ad and website projects, the field is packed with variety. If in-house work is too confining, plenty of freelance job opportunities abound.
Potential- Go into commercial art if you thrive on excitement, love creative challenges, adore working with other artsy types and exhibit great stamina during crises. Stay away from commercial art if you are prone to ulcers, can't cope with quick project turnarounds and compromise isn't in your vocabulary. Commercial artists work closely with sales and marketing teams in a corporate environment. As a rule, ad agencies and design studios offer the best salaries because clients are demanding and the work is intense. The biggest educational requirement for a commercial artist is keeping up-to-date on emerging softwares. Fall behind and you may wish to keep a career backup in mind.
By Gail Cohen
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