Practical Art Skills

For some jobs, the amount of time you spend using your art skills may vary, depending on the particular task you are doing. Artistic flair is usually combined with practical skills, and the use of a wide range of materials, tools and equipment.

Architect

Architects design buildings and stay involved in the building process until it is finished.

Most buildings are the result of teamwork and architects discuss ideas with other professionals.

Once ideas have been worked out, the architect sketches plans of the inside and outside of the building. After the customer accepts the design for a building, the architect does detailed technical drawings that the builder can use.

As building work goes on, the architect visits the site regularly to check that the work matches the drawings. Architectural technicians usually help them with their work.

Blacksmith

Blacksmiths make things from metal. They heat the metal until it is very hot, and then bend it into shapes.

Before starting a job, blacksmiths make a sketch or plan of how they want the item to look.

After placing the metal into a hot fire, they wait until it is hot enough to be bended and shaped. Once the metal is hot enough, the blacksmith will put it on an anvil.

Different types of hammer and other tools are then used to change the shape of the metal. The blacksmith then joins some of the bits together, for example, by soldering, welding or riveting.

Metal Engraver

Metal engravers cut designs and/or letters into all types of metal.

They decorate objects such as bowls, pieces of jewellery and clock faces. They also mark inscriptions or lettering for nameplates, trophies, cups, gifts and so on.

In industry, engravers produce signs and machine labels, control panels, dials and measuring scales for equipment.

Engravers cut into flat or curved surfaces, or use techniques to raise lettering or patterns from the metal. They may copy existing patterns onto objects or create their own designs.

Some engravers work freehand; others mark out the work on the object before making cuts.

Signwriter/Signmaker

Signwriters paint signs using special signwriting enamel and brushes.

Signmakers produce signs using a range of materials such as plastic, metal, wood and glass.

The signs are used outside places like shops, pubs, restaurants, railway stations and businesses, and on vehicles.

Sometimes they design the signs themselves. In other cases, they follow a client’s design or their brief. The work also involves putting up the finished signs.

Tattooist

Tattooists use artistic and technical skills to make permanent images on people’s bodies. They use a needle and tattoo pigments to do this.

The customer may choose from one of the standard designs available, or they may want something original.

If the tattooist is doing an existing design, they’ll usually use a basic transfer which is put in position and used as a guide. Other types of tattoo are drawn freehand directly onto the customer’s body.

The tattoo machine is then set up ready. The needles of the tattoo machine make little holes in the skin and the pigment fills these holes.