Have you observed a creative pattern while watching the commercial of a product, it’s packaging or displays? It can be the design, the colour pattern, or the overall aesthetics of the product. For example, the bright blue used by Pepsi, or the refreshing green color and lemon used by Liril.
How the product and its advertisement are portrayed is a creative execution of a Commercial Artist. Who not just brings the product to life, but evokes a want for the product in users.
In this blog, we’ll briefly look at how to become a Commercial Artist; the courses and colleges in India and abroad; the salary insights, and the top recruiters.
Commercial Artists create art or design for product displays, brochures, advertisements, packaging, etc. for commercial and advertising purposes. They aid in building the visual identity of the product that can promote and increase its referral and sales.
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The designs or art created by a commercial artist is not for a functional purpose, but rather an aesthetic purpose. Like any other artist, a commercial artist makes multiple drafts by hand or with computer tools.
Thus, it is important to choose fields that aid in the creativity required for the field. An undergraduate degree in graphic design, fine arts, advertising, or related fields will be preferred.
As per the skill requirement of the field, it would be advisable to choose the arts stream for this career. Develop creative skills such as painting, illustration, computer graphics, etc. right from an early age.
A lot of the certificate courses online offer hands-on projects to work on. These courses are estimated to be 3 months long and are skill-based. Few of these courses focus particularly on mastering certain design tools.
| Name of the course | Duration |
| Certificate course in Digital Graphics | 3-4 months |
| 2-D Design and Composition by Palomar College | 12 months |
| Applied Multimedia Technology by Notre Dame University | 4 months |
| Visualisation: Visual Representations of Data and Information | 8 hours |
| Fundamentals of Digital Image and Video Processing | 1-3 months |
It is a field where creativity thrives, therefore, harbouring artistic ability from an early age will be productive. An undergraduate degree in fine arts, graphic designing, advertising, or related field is required.
Apart from the educational qualifications, an experience in designing and an apt portfolio to suppose the same would help in becoming a successful Commercial Artist.
Want to start early? Check out Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA in Design&Branding program for hands-on experience.
Also read: How to become a Creative Director- A Complete Educational Guide
How to become a Commercial Artist after 10th
After the completion of Grade 10, a person can choose the Art stream. Additionally, while in school and later a candidate can qualify for the art exams and gain certifications. These certificates will help in getting admission to the courses.
How to become a Commercial Artist after 12th
For UG diploma and undergraduate courses one should have a minimum of 55% in 10 + 2 or equivalent from a recognized board and University. Certificates highlighting your artistic and visual designing capabilities would be a bonus.
Apart from the marks criteria, a candidate should qualify for the University or Institution specific entrance exam and interview round.
Diploma in Commercial Art courses include papers such as Graphic design, colour management, art direction, typography illustration, etc.
| Name of the course | Duration |
| Diploma in commercial arts | 1 year |
| Diploma in Commercial Art by Nirmala Niketan | 3 years |
| Diploma in Graphic Design | 1 – 2 years |
| Name of the course | Duration |
| Bachelors in Fine Arts: Commercial Art | 3 years |
| Bachelors in Fine Arts | 3 years |
| Bachelors in Graphic Design | 3 years |
| Bachelors in Advertising | 3 years |
| Bachelor of Visual Arts | 3 years |
| Name of the college | Location |
| Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art | Mumbai |
| Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University of Baroda | Baroda |
| Kala Bhavan, Visva-Bharati | Shantiniketan |
| National Institute of Design | Gujarat |
| Indian Institute of Art and Design | Delhi |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | New Delhi |
| College of Art | New Delhi |
| Banaras Hindu University | Varanasi |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture And Fine Arts University | Hyderabad |
| MIT Institute of Design | Pune |
To apply for an undergraduate program abroad, a candidate will need to have the following documents,
Here are a few courses you can try
| Name of the course | Duration |
| Bachelor in Fine Art: Visual Art Major | 3- 4 years |
| Bachelors in Fine Arts: Illustration | 3- 4 years |
| Bachelors of Fine Arts: Visual Arts | 3- 4 years |
| Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Designing | 3 years |
| Bachelors in Advertising | 3 years |
The above courses are offered in this universities:
| Name of the Institution | Location |
| University of Worcester | England |
| University of the Arts | London |
| Emily Carr University | Canada |
| University of San Fransico | USA |
| Academy of Art University | USA |
| Vancouver Island University | Canada |
| Glasgow School of Art | UK |
| National College of Art and Design | Ireland |
| Yale University | USA |
| University of Illinois | USA |
An internship is your opportunity to stand out from the crowd to your potential recruiters. Apply for internships during the final year of bachelor’s or after graduation. It will help you gain experience and build connections.
An artist needs his art samples to highlight his/her skills and specialization. Ensure to include samples of your works in your portfolio with a compelling resume and 2-3 case studies. Certificates and projects will also increase your chances.
Yes, you can become a freelance commercial artist provided you have 3-4 years of experience in the field and have worked up the position. Your portfolio and references would give you credibility as a professional.
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Technical Skills
Interpersonal skills
The salary of a commercial artist differs based on their job role. An average annual salary of a commercial artist is 3.1 to 4.9 lakhs.
| Role | Commerc al artist | Graphic Designer | Art Director | Illustrator | Multimedia Designer |
| Avg. Salary p.a | 4.9 LPA | 3 LPA | 7.2 LPA | 3.6 LPA | 4.2 LPA |
| Country | US(in dollars) | UK(in pounds) | Australia (in Australian dollars) | Canada(in Canadian dollars) | Italy(in euros) | France(in euros) |
| Avg. Salary p.a | $63,935 | £33,442 | $60,000 | $68,141 | 31920 EUR | 38,800 EUR |
Commercial Artists create art or design for product displays, brochures, advertisements, packaging, etc. for commercial and advertising purposes. They aid in building the visual identity of the product that can promote and increase its referral and sales.
The salary of a commercial artist differs based on their job role. An average annual salary of a commercial artist is 3.1 to 4.9 lakhs.
Layout, Photography, Graphic design, Technical illustrations, Photoshop, 3D modeling, Artistic skills, Marketing skills.
An undergraduate degree in fine arts, graphic designing, advertising, or a related field is required. Apart from the educational qualifications, an experience in designing is required.
Wipro, IBM, Sprinklr, Amazon, Puma, Tata Consultancy Services, CureFit, CIEL, Landor & Fitch, Ola.
Bachelors in fine arts, visual arts, graphic designing, advertising, or related field.
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