In the world of mainstream and commercial art, two key figures that stand out because of their roles are the graphic artist and the graphic designer. If you’re not one of them, the whole thing can be a tad confusing – what does a graphic artist do, and how is their role different from that of a graphic designer? Let’s face it; the terms do sound very similar; which is possibly why many people use them interchangeably. And while it might sound like a minor technicality, it’s good to know that they’re two very different roles.

One thing’s for certain, having a flair for creativity is certainly important whichever route one chooses. Take online games for instance: millions of colorful and well-designed artworks are produced for slot machines before the final product is created. Each and every game is well planned, designed and created to provide captivating gameplay to its players. And for this to be executed well, someone with a penchant for art needs to step in.

What’s the Role of a Graphic Artist?

Graphic artists have a whole lot of creative freedom. A graphic artist is someone who works in the domain of commercial art and uses their skills and creativity to develop the visual elements to deliver an idea, story or emotion to their audience. There’s a certain degree of creative freedom that a graphic artist enjoys, though at the end they’re bound by the requirements of the client.

A Graphic Artist’s Visual Content

The images that a graphic artist creates are for a wide range of products. These include comic books, graphic novels, animations, cartoons, book covers, movie stills and posters, and general illustrations.

These are usually the standard products a graphic artist is able to execute. Of course, the above examples are by no means exhaustive. Other products such as content for e-zines and other online material also falls within the remit of a graphic artists’ skillset.

A Graphic Artist Uses Different Media

A creative flair is not the be all and end all of a graphic artist. Apart from skill, they also need to be artistic and most importantly, knowledgeable about the various media available to them.

A decade or so ago, you’d see a graphic artist’s work in the print media. Back then quite a few graphic artists developed their content manually, by sketching, drawing or painting, because it allowed them to show off their individual signature style while incorporating textural elements depending on the sketching or painting.

Nowadays, the emergence of various new media has ensured that their work is available in other channels and artforms too. You can see their work featured in the electronic media, and quite a few find their way into the realm of digital media too.

What’s the Role of a Graphic Designer?

Much like a graphic artist, a graphic designer is also a commercial art professional. The main difference is that the former creates and designs for a specific audience based on the requirements outlined by the client.

There’s also another major difference – as previously mentioned, the graphic artist creates visuals to tell a story or deliver an idea or emotion, while the graphic designer creates visuals to make for engaging and interactive content. They could, for instance, convert reams of boring content into a catchy infographic that conveys the same meaning in a better way.

For a graphic designer, the star is the content – they just create visuals and designs that deliver content concisely and in an optimized manner.

A Graphic Designer’s Portfolio

There are different kinds of work that can go into a graphic designer’s portfolio. We list the ones most commonly seen for you below:
• Logo design
• Print design
• Web design
• Digital design
• Marketing collateral – brochures, flyers, business cards, advertising content, websites
• Infographics
• Visual presentation designs
• Instructional design

From the above, one thing is clear – the creative license that a graphic designer enjoys may well be limited because it’s very much bound by a client’s specific requirements as well as the kind of treatment the content requires. In fact, many a time, graphic designers would need to follow the client’s style guide and official color palette while creating their designs.

Where does a Graphic Designer Work?

In today’s world, you’ll find a graphic designer working in companies that create marketing materials and collateral. So, the obvious places you’ll find them are at advertising firms and also at companies that create marketing collateral.

Most of the big corporate entities these days have an entire department dedicated to marketing communications, and you’ll most certainly find graphic designers working on their creative juices to finalize an optimized end-product.

Graphic Designers and Graphic Artists – The Common Ground

There’s obviously common ground for both graphic artists and graphic designers. For starters, they both cater to the commercial art space. And they deliver their output or work in visual form.

Both graphic artists and graphic designers work in the print, digital and also electronic media formats. What’s more, they both require high levels of skill to create their designs and images.

Final Thoughts

The good news is, both graphic artists and graphic designers can earn a good living through commercial art jobs. And while there are plenty of similarities between the two, it’s also good to understand the various differences, not only so you’re in the know, but ultimately so you know where your passion lies.