Visual and Performing Arts
Fine and studio art
Listed by colleges as Fine and Studio Arts
Focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of the visual arts. Covers art, photography, and other visual communications media.
Inside the major
Programs within this field
Colleges may offer this field under 13 more specific program names. The program you choose affects the courses you take.
- Art/Art Studies, General
- Focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of the visual arts. Covers art, photography, and other visual communications media.
- Fine/Studio Arts, General
- Prepares you to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Covers the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images), theory of art, color theory, composition and perspective, anatomy, the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio, and art portfolio marketing.
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation
- Focuses on the study of the historical development of art as social and intellectual phenomenon, the analysis of works of art, and art conservation. Covers the theory of art, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes.
- Drawing
- Prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions through representation by lines made on a surface. Covers eye-hand coordination; line, value, shape, and perspective; figure and still life drawing; the use of media such as pen and ink, pencil, charcoal, pastel, and brush; and personal style development.
- Intermedia/Multimedia
- Prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions in either two or three dimensions, through simultaneous use of a variety of materials and media.
- Painting
- Prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions by the application of paints and related chemical color substances to canvases or other materials. Covers color and color mixing, surface preparation, composition, oil and acrylic media, watercolor media, painting techniques, and personal style development.
- Sculpture
- Prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions by creating three-dimensional art works. Covers the analysis of form in space; round and relief concepts; sculptural composition; modern and experimental methods; different media such as clay, plaster, wood, stone, and metal; techniques such as carving, molding, welding, casting, and modeling; and personal style development.
- Printmaking
- Prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions by rendering art concepts onto surfaces and transferring images, via ink or dyes, onto paper or fabric. Covers monochrome and color printing; tonality; chemistry; equipment set-up and maintenance; techniques such as serigraphy, lithography, intaglio, woodcut, block, stencil, relief, etching, and composite; and personal style development.
- Ceramic Arts and Ceramics
- Prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions by producing art works out of clay and similar materials. Covers handbuilt and wheelthrown techniques; molding; slips and glazes; trimming and decorating; firing and kiln operation; oxidation; mixed media; ceramic murals; and personal style development.
- Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts
- Prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions by constructing art works from woven or non-woven fabrics and fibrous materials. Covers weaving techniques and loom operation; non-woven techniques such as knitting, coiling, netting, and crocheting; quilting; dyeing and pigmentation; printing and other finishing techniques; pattern design; tapestry; and personal style development.
Also called Painting (Fine Art)
Where it can lead
Careers this field can lead to
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Explore this careerAll work is projected to grow 3.5% between 2025 and 2035; read every hiring-change figure against it. The figures beside each career are the pay of that work, across everyone doing it. Graduates of this field earn $24,848 one year after completing the program, which is the start of a career rather than the shape of one.
Working style
How and where the work happens
Related careers can feel very different from one another. Compare the specific occupations to understand the work each one involves.
This field leads to a mix of in-person and computer-based work. About 57 of every 100 openings require working close to other people or spending time on your feet.
College options
Where to study it
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