Artist Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

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Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

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Taking on a career as an artist can encompass several different niche employment opportunities, including art directors, fine artists, multimedia artists, animators, and fashion, floral, industrial, or interior design. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the demand for arts and design occupations, as a whole, will grow by just 2% (or about 20,500 new jobs) over the next decade.

With such a narrow window, applicants can expect a high amount of competition for roles in this industry, and your priority should be designing a stellar resume that helps you stand out from the crowd. Below, we’ll provide you with several downloadable resumes, as well as a few tips and tricks on how to write a creative, job-specific resume that gets you noticed.

Downloadable Resume Examples

Entry-level
Artist_Entry-level.pdf

Example #1 Entry-level

Mid-career
Artist_Mid-career.pdf

Example #2 Mid-career

Senior-level
Artist_Senior-level.pdf

Example #3 Senior-level

Artist Resume Examples

Years of Experience
  • Entry-level Entry-level
  • Mid-career Mid-career
  • Senior-level Senior-level

Marlo Enfinger
(090) 123-4567
[email protected]
3232 N 1st Street, Paramus, NJ 07602

Profile

A Freelance Artist and Painter with three years of experience creating stylized watercolor paintings and charcoal drawings using unorthodox conceptual approaches. Achieved recognition in various art exhibitions, including the Pioneer Works Gallery in New York.

  • Art Portfolio: www.marloenfingerpaintings.com

Professional Experience

Freelance Artist, Self-Employed, Duluth, GA
October 2018 – Present

  • Design and develop paintings for clients according to specifications, including personal portraits, marketing images, and stylized paintings for offices
  • Coordinate with two art galleries to provide a variety of charcoal drawings and watercolor paintings for major exhibitions
  • Create custom artwork for client marketing materials, including brochures, brand images, and logos

Painting Instructor, Painting With a Twist, Duluth, GA
March 2018 – March 2020

  • Led art classes with 15-20 adult students, provided feedback on style and technique, and created an inclusive, non-judgemental classroom atmosphere
  • Executed high-quality acrylic and oil paintings in various painting styles and mediums to demonstrate art techniques

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts – Painting with Minor in Photography
Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA, September 2010 – May 2013

Exhibitions

  • Solo Acrylic Painting Exhibition: Bold and Defiant, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, 2019
  • Solo Watercolor Painting Exhibition: Girl in Field, Hudgens Center for the Arts, Duluth, GA, April 2018
  • Two-Person Photo Exhibition: Floral Jubilance, 2 Smith Art Gallery, Duluth, GA, September 2020

Key Skills

  • Watercolor, Oils, Acrylics, Gouache
  • Personal Portraits
  • Art Education
  • Charcoal Drawings
  • Scenic Art Creation

Patricia Lawless
(211) 700-0000
[email protected]
590 Penny Lane, Duluth, GA 30096

Profile

A 3D Artist with seven years of professional experience, specializing in character animation, 3D modeling, and Maya. A strong history of developing complex human animations and facial expressions to enhance the emotional impact of sequences.

  • Art Portfolio: www.patricialawlessanimations.com

Professional Experience

3D Artist, Dreamworks, Duluth, GA
October 2017 – Present

  • Develop complex character animations and concept drawings for a variety of feature films, including How to Train Your Dragon 3, Abominable, and The Bad Guys
  • Create impactful facial expressions and body language to enhance emotional resonance of film sequences and ensure alignment with directorial vision
  • Coordinate with the animation team, producers, and director to define character and art designs during pre-production

3D Artist, Pixar, Duluth, GA
May 2015– October 2017 

  • Collaborated with a team of 3D artists to design 3D character models and concept sketches for animated films, including Finding Dory and Coco
  • Utilized motion capture techniques to create high-quality animations for film sequences, ensured ideal scene pacing, and developed realistic character movements

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Animation
Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA, September 2010 – May 2013

Key Skills

  • 3D Animation
  • Character Modeling
  • Maya
  • Facial Expressions
  • Motion Capture

Anna Barn
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 High Street, Columbus, OH 12345

Profile

An Artist Director with 10+ years of experience, specializing in graphic design, character modeling, computer-aided design (CAD), and mixed media. A proven track record of defining visual aesthetic and artistic direction for premiere brands.

Professional Experience

Art Director, Max Clothing Inc., Lawrence, KS 
May 2017 – Present

  • Develop a holistic approach to concept design for a large portfolio of clothing product categories generating $30M in annual revenue and ensure alignment with global brand guidelines, standards, and identity
  • Create innovative custom artwork and character designs for a clothing company featuring franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel, and DC
  • Lead a team of 20+ artists to create concept art and sketches for new clothing products and deliver presentations and pitches to stakeholders

Art Director, Alden Apparel, Lawrence, KS  
Jan 2008 – May 2017

  • Managed and built a team of 15+ artists to creative custom character artwork for shirt and hoodie product lines featuring iconic figures from Nintendo
  • Created fresh and unique takes on Nintendo characters while maintaining alignment with character likeness and brand identity

Education

Master of Fine Arts in Visual Art, Department of Visual Art 
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, September 2007 – May 2011

Key Skills

  • Character Modeling
  • Art Design
  • Computer-aided Design (CAD)
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Team Management

Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for Artist Resumes

In today’s world, you’re not just applying to the hiring manager. Often, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used to sort through thousands of resumes and identify qualified job candidates. When the ATS scans a resume, it looks for particular keywords and phrases that indicate you have the necessary skills and experience. This kind of technology certainly helps the hiring manager narrow down the list of potential applicants, but it also means that the more relevant keywords you include in your resume, the more likely you’ll be shortlisted for the job.

Key Skills & Proficiencies:
2D Animation 3D Animation
Adobe Creative Suite Autodesk Motion Builder
Animation Blender
Branding Character Modeling
Communication Creativity
Design Digital Editing
Exhibit/Exhibition Fine Art
Gallery Graphic Design
Image Editing Landscapes
Mixed-media Multimedia
Painting Photography
Portfolio Sketching
Action Verbs:
Analyze Assist
Build Conceptualize
Create Curate
Demonstrate Design
Draft Evaluate
Form Generate
Improve Innovate
Instruct Manage
Motivate Produce
Promote Publish
Redesign Refine
Report Shape
Structure

Tips for Writing a Better Artist Resume

Feature Your Art Portfolio in Your Professional Profile

As an artist, your work will always be the primary factor in determining whether or not the hiring manager decides to schedule you for an interview. The resume is a complimentary piece that is intended to provide valuable insights and context for your career achievements. For this reason, it’s important to feature a link to your art portfolio at the top of your document. In the example below, the candidate highlights their primary skill sets and a major art exhibition they were featured in. This will help the hiring manager gain a better understanding of the artist before reviewing their portfolio:

Profile

A Freelance Artist and Painter with three years of experience creating stylized watercolor paintings and charcoal drawings using unorthodox conceptual approaches. Achieved recognition in various art exhibitions, including the Pioneer Works Gallery in New York.

Example


  • Art Portfolio: www.marloengingerpaintings.com

Showcase Your Defining Artistic Achievements

Although there’s no substitution for your actual artwork, you can help provide context for your pieces by crafting impactful bullet points on your resume. In the example below, the 3D artist draws attention to their contributions to feature films. Hiring managers will recognize the studio and these projects, which will differentiate them from the competition and increase their chances of landing the interview:

Example


  • Develop complex character animations and concept drawings for a variety of feature films, including How to Train Your Dragon 3, Abominable, and The Bad Guys
  • Create impactful facial expressions and body language to enhance the emotional resonance of film sequences and ensure alignment with directorial vision
  • Coordinate with the animation team, producers, and director to define character and art designs during pre-production

How to Align Your Resume with the Job Description

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for craft and fine artists was $49,960 in 2021. Also, the median annual income for special effects artists and animators was $78,790. Finding success as an artist can be difficult and competition for the most lucrative roles will always be high. To give yourself the best odds of landing the interview, you’ll want to carefully align your resume with the job description.

Start by cross-referencing the document you’re building with the roles you intend to apply for. Does your experience match what the company is looking for? Are you featuring accomplishments that show you’re the ideal candidate for the position? Remember that this isn’t simply about passing the initial ATS scan, as you also need to make a positive impression on the hiring manager. This is why you want to showcase specific examples from your career to paint a compelling picture of your professional experience for the reader.