Drawing artist to conceptual artist
A drawing artist already meets 45% of what the conceptual artist role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.
60.1/ 100
1 How much of what a conceptual artist is expected to do is already part of a drawing artist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the conceptual artist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A conceptual artist role treats 8 of its required skills as things a drawing artist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- art history
- contextualise artistic work
- develop an artistic framework
- discuss artwork
- identify artistic niche
- intellectual property law
What stands in the way is 10 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 17 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A conceptual artist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a drawing artist background worth leading with.
- already held identify artistic niche communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held design greeting cards communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held plan art educational activities management skills
- already held discuss artwork communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held select artistic materials to create artworks communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held participate in artistic mediation activities communication, collaboration and creativity
All 17 carried skills, including the 8 the conceptual artist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 20 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn adapt artistic plan to location required
- still to learn create artwork required
- still to learn define artistic approach required
- still to learn define creative components required
- still to learn maintain an artistic portfolio required
- still to learn make artistic processes explicit required
- optional, not held assess each stage of the creative process optional
- optional, not held create pen-and-paper images optional
- optional, not held develop animations optional
- optional, not held provide input to collaborators to guide their work optional
- optional, not held use artistic materials for drawing optional
- optional, not held design graphics optional
- still to learn gather reference materials for artwork required
- still to learn monitor art scene developments required
- still to learn study artistic techniques required
- optional, not held monitor sociological trends optional
- still to learn iconography required
- optional, not held manage artistic project optional
- optional, not held manage personal professional development optional
- optional, not held ensure safety of exercise environment optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a conceptual artist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 iconography study this
- 02 adapt artistic plan to location practise this
- 03 create artwork practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 17 skills that carry over
- already held art history knowledge
- already held contextualise artistic work skill
- already held develop an artistic framework skill
- already held discuss artwork skill
- already held identify artistic niche skill
- already held intellectual property law knowledge
- already held labour legislation knowledge
- already held select artistic materials to create artworks skill
- already held assess conservation needs skill
- already held design greeting cards skill
- already held develop artistic educational activities skill
- already held develop artistic project budgets skill
- already held develop educational resources skill
- already held keep personal administration skill
- already held participate in artistic mediation activities skill
- already held plan art educational activities skill
- already held present exhibition skill
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assess each stage of the creative process optional
- optional, not held create pen-and-paper images optional
- optional, not held develop animations optional
- optional, not held ensure safety of exercise environment optional
- optional, not held manage artistic project optional
- optional, not held monitor sociological trends optional
- optional, not held provide input to collaborators to guide their work optional
- optional, not held use artistic materials for drawing optional
- optional, not held design graphics optional
- optional, not held manage personal professional development optional
13 held skills the conceptual artist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions skill
- not needed by the target role create digital images skill
- not needed by the target role create original drawings skill
- not needed by the target role create sketches skill
- not needed by the target role describe artistic experience skill
- not needed by the target role develop visual elements skill
- not needed by the target role draw up artistic project proposals skill
- not needed by the target role ensure visual quality of the set skill
- not needed by the target role perform ideation activities skill
- not needed by the target role select illustration styles skill
- not needed by the target role select subject matter skill
- not needed by the target role use digital illustration techniques skill
- not needed by the target role use traditional illustration techniques skill
1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn iconography required
Common questions about this move
Can a drawing artist become a conceptual artist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A drawing artist already covers 45% of what a conceptual artist is expected to do: 17 skills carry over, 8 of which the conceptual artist role treats as required.
What skills does a drawing artist need to become a conceptual artist?
10 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is iconography.
How hard is the move from drawing artist to conceptual artist?
Its learning distance is 60.1 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.