Washington Art Schools

Guide to Washington Arts School Programs

When you look at your high school notebooks do you see doodles in all of the margins?  Do you find yourself spending your free time creating your own images with paper and pencil?  Do you enjoy sketching the likenesses of your friends and family? If you answered yes to these questions, then you might have a future as an illustrator. If you live in Washington you have several education options to earn a post secondary degree in fine arts. Most illustrators will obtain a four-year degree from a college or university before entering this field.  There are also online degree programs to cut down your commute time and earn your degree right from home.

Washington Arts Job Outlook and Salary

There are quite a few areas in which an illustrator may find work.  Illustrators are necessary to create images for magazines, books, calendars, and many other print items.  There will be an increased demand for illustrators who specialize in creating digital images for a variety of mediums.  The projected increase in growth of employment opportunities in the fine arts in Washington is approximately sixteen percent over the next decade. With this increase, illustrators may find opportunities to work from home in a telecommuting situation. So whether you live in Kent or Yakima, you could work for an employer within the state or anywhere in the world.

This area of fine art also includes those who work in medical and scientific illustrations.  These artists must have additional knowledge of the subject in which they are working such as anatomy or geology. Related occupations to illustrating are cartoonists and sketch artists.  While some illustrators will be employed full time by a single business, many will work as freelance contractors for several different companies to be able to earn a living in this field.

For those illustrators living and working in Washington, the typical salary will range from $41,000 to $74,000 per year.  Salaries may have wide variations depending on the area of specialization, the type of employer, and the level of recognition in the industry. Illustrators may need to supplement their income by selling their artwork at art festivals, galleries, or from a home art studio.  Those working in this field may also increase their income by teaching courses for art students of all levels.  

Local Art Festivals & Events

Spokane Spring Arts and Crafts Show – March 5th – 7th, 2010
RAGS Wearable Art Show – March 11th – 14th, 2010
Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival – August 14th – 15th, 2010
Bellevue Festival of the Arts – July 23rd – 25th, 2010

Largest Cities in and Around Washington

Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way, Kent, Yakima, Bellingham…

Washington State ZIP Codes

98101, 99201, 98402, 98660, 98004, 98203, 98001, 98030, 98901, 98225…