What is Arts and Crafts?
An Arts and Crafts degree is a programme that hones your practical skills and also provides the theoretical knowledge to manually create beautiful and useful objects. The degree has a broad approach, allowing you to experiment in areas such as drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, woodcraft, and more.
Arts and Crafts Specialisations
Arts and crafts degrees offer several specialisations based on the artistic medium and techniques you prefer. The most common specialisations in Arts and Crafts include:
- Ceramics,
- Textile Arts,
- Printmaking,
- Jewellery Design.
What will you learn during an Arts and Crafts programme?
An Arts and Crafts programme prepares you to work in various artistic mediums and create handmade objects such as decorations, clothes, or pottery. During an Arts and Crafts degree, you'll gain theoretical understanding of the history, culture, and philosophy of arts and crafts, besides your craft's practical skills. If you're wondering why Arts and Crafts is a good degree, here's what you'll learn:
- well-rounded understanding of artistic and cultural movements through the ages,
- learn design principles such as composition, proportions, and contrast,
- experiment with various artistic techniques like oil painting, charcoal drawing, or watercolour,
- discover how you can use different materials to create art, for example, wood, glass, or ceramics,
- collaborate with other artists and learn how to work together to create complex works of art.
Common courses include:
- Woodworking Techniques, a course where you learn the complete process of working with wood, from sawing and shaping to veneering and lamination.
- Ceramics, teaches you the ancient art of working with clay to make beautiful ornaments, cups, plates, and so on.
- Jewellery, a course on making jewellery pieces where you learn to design and craft rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants and more.
- 3D Techniques teaches you to sculpt digitally with the use of software.
- Textiles, about the design and making of hand-made garments.
This programme teaches you to craft things with your own hands. An Arts and Crafts degree is not about designing objects for mass production, it's about using your creativity and artistic abilities to make aesthetic objects yourself. The skills you get empower you to be an independent artist and sell your own work, befitting a more independent spirit.
Skills required for a degree in Arts and Crafts
A degree in Arts and Crafts is all about creativity and dexterity because you'll have to create many imaginative and beautiful things with your hands. Apart from that, this degree and career path is more suitable for independent people who like to have their own business, oversee their own studio, and don't expect a regular 9 to 5 type of job.
What can you do with an Advertising degree?
With an Arts and Crafts degree, you can build a career as an independent creator, especially if you make and sell hand-made objects, or you can choose to collaborate with bigger studios in different roles. The career paths or jobs you can get with an Advertising degree include:
- Ceramic artist,
- Independent fashion designer,
- Illustrator,
- 3D Artist,
- Art teacher.
A Bachelor's in Arts and Crafts can lead to roles in education, art production, or art therapy. A Master's in Arts and Crafts could open doors to more advanced positions in the art world or allow you to specialise further in a specific craft. So, is an Arts and Crafts degree worth it? Absolutely! If you're passionate about creating and appreciating handmade objects, this degree can provide a rewarding pathway to express your creativity and share it with others..
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