Graphic Art

Graphic art, in the purest sense of the word, is that art which is designed to be easily-replicable, generally by means such as a printing press, stamp or other ink-fixing device. Of course, with the advent of computer technology, there has come to be an entire world of computer-based graphic art and this has resulted in significant innovations in the field. The graphic arts are also a very commercially-viable field in which an individual may find almost constant work. For many artists, it is the way they use their chosen and developed skills to make a living on their own terms.

Graphic art is not generally regarded as among the fine arts by the academy crowd even though it has much more significant impacts on the lives of ordinary people than does art for art's sake. Graphical works are to be found all around us. Even young children are able to reproduce well-known logos and devices from memory, in many cases, which speaks of the power of this art to work its way into the fabric of our lives. Many graphic artists have crossed the divide between commercial and fine art, Andy Warhol being a well-known example for having used the techniques of graphic art to make artistic commentaries on modern society.

Training in graphic art will most often require training in various printing techniques and a great deal of computer education. The training in printing equips the artist with knowledge about the various capabilities of the technologies used and allows them to use the advantages and drawbacks to create art that is customized to the job. The blocky, undefined lines and bold colors of silk-screen printing, for example, have been used in a way that has enable the creation of many powerful pieces of art. Portraits of political leaders are often executed in this medium, allowing the creative application of color theory and space usage to create an iconic and meaningful image.

Graphic art is no less a fine art than any other, though it is only beginning to be recognized for being as much. Many historical periods can be instantly identified by anyone with a few samples of graphic art of the era, which is something that can not generally be said for the fine arts of those periods. For artists, graphic art is both a way to make a living and to make a significant impression on an era.