Jump to content
 







Main menu
   


Navigation  



Main page
Contents
Current events
Random article
About Wikipedia
Contact us
Donate
 




Contribute  



Help
Learn to edit
Community portal
Recent changes
Upload file
 








Search  

































Create account

Log in
 









Create account
 Log in
 




Pages for logged out editors learn more  



Contributions
Talk
 



















Contents

   



(Top)
 


1 History  





2 Graphic design software  



2.1  Free software  







3 Careers  





4 See also  





5 References  














Graphic arts






Afrikaans
العربية
Aragonés
Asturianu

Català
Cymraeg
Deutsch
Ελληνικά
Español
Esperanto
Euskara
فارسی
Français
Galego
Bahasa Indonesia
Кыргызча
Bahasa Melayu


پښتو
Simple English
Türkçe
 

Edit links
 









Article
Talk
 

















Read
Edit
View history
 








Tools
   


Actions  



Read
Edit
View history
 




General  



What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Cite this page
Get shortened URL
Download QR code
Wikidata item
 




Print/export  



Download as PDF
Printable version
 




In other projects  



Wikimedia Commons
 
















Appearance
   

 






From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 


Graphic artists at work during the 1960s

A category of fine art, graphic art covers a broad range of visual artistic expression, typically two-dimensional, i.e. produced on a flat surface.[1] The term usually refers to the arts that rely more on line, color or tone, especially drawing and the various forms of engraving;[2] it is sometimes understood to refer specifically to printmaking processes,[2] such as line engraving, aquatint, drypoint, etching, mezzotint, monotype, lithography, and screen printing (silk-screen, serigraphy).[3] Graphic art mostly includes calligraphy, photography, painting, typography, computer graphics, and bindery. It also encompasses drawn plans and layouts for interior and architectural designs.[1]

History[edit]

Throughout history, technological inventions have shaped the development of graphic art. In 2500 BC, the Egyptians used graphic symbols to communicate their thoughts in a written form known as hieroglyphics. The Egyptians wrote and illustrated narratives on rolls of papyrus to share the stories and art with others.[4]

During the Middle Ages, scribes manually copied each individual page of manuscripts to maintain their sacred teachings. The scribes would leave marked sections of the page available for artists to insert drawings and decorations. Using art alongside the carefully lettered text enhanced the religious reading experience.[5]

In 1450, Johannes Gutenberg created the first upgraded moving type of mechanical equipment called as the printing press. His printing press aided the mass creation of text and visual art, eventually obviating the need for hand transcriptions.

Again during the Renaissance years, graphic art in the form of printing played a major role in the spread of classical learning in Europe. Within these manuscripts, book designers focused heavily on the typeface.

Due to the development of larger fonts during the Industrial Revolution, posters became a popular form of graphic art used to communicate the latest information as well as to advertise the latest products and services.

The invention and popularity of film and television changed graphic art through the additional aspect of motion as advertising agencies attempted to use kinetics to their advantage.

The next major change in graphic arts came when the personal computer was invented in the twentieth century. Powerful computer software enables artists to manipulate images in a much faster and simpler way than the skills of board artists prior to the 1990s. With quick calculations, computers easily recolor, scale, rotate, and rearrange images if the programs are known.[4]

The design of street signs has been impacted by scientific examinations into readability. New York City is in the midst of replacing all of its street signs that have all capital characters with ones that only have upper and lower case letters. They anticipate that greater readability will improve wayfinding and greatly reduce collisions and injuries.

Graphic design software[edit]

Graphic artists applying for positions in today's job market are expected to be familiar with computers and a variety of software programs to create the most appealing, up to date artworks.

Graphic art software includes applications such as:

Free software[edit]

Beside computers and software, graphic artists are also expected to be creative with processing camera work, registration, crop marks, and masking.[5]

Careers[edit]

One of the most common career paths for a graphic artist is web design. With the popularity of the World Wide Web, the demand for web designers is immense. Graphic artists use their creativity with layouts, typography, and logos to market the products or services of the client's business. In addition to creating graphical designs, graphic artists also need to understand hypertext, web programming, and web page maintenance to successfully create a web page.[5] The responsibility for effective communication also falls under the auspices of the graphic designer.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Graphic art." Encyclopædia Britannica. Britannica.com. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  • ^ a b "Graphic art." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 3rd ed. Ed. Ian Chilvers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. p. 309.
  • ^ Mayer, Ralph (1992). "Graphic arts, or graphics." The HarperCollins Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques. 2nd ed. Revised and edited by Steven Sheehan. New York: Harper Perennial. p. 182.
  • ^ a b Meggs, Philip B. (5 March 2014). "Graphic design". Encyclopædia Britannica. Britannica.com. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  • ^ a b c McGuire-Lyle, Erin. Careers in the Graphic Arts and Computer Graphics (Career Resource Library). June 2000. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 1999.

  • Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Graphic_arts&oldid=1223334659"

    Categories: 
    Communication design
    Graphic design
    Visual arts
    The arts
    Hidden categories: 
    Articles with short description
    Short description matches Wikidata
    Articles lacking in-text citations from June 2008
    All articles lacking in-text citations
    Use dmy dates from May 2020
    Wikipedia articles that may have off-topic sections from October 2013
    All articles that may have off-topic sections
    Articles needing cleanup from October 2013
    All pages needing cleanup
    Articles containing how-to sections
    Articles with LNB identifiers
    Articles with NARA identifiers
     



    This page was last edited on 11 May 2024, at 12:37 (UTC).

    Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.



    Privacy policy

    About Wikipedia

    Disclaimers

    Contact Wikipedia

    Code of Conduct

    Developers

    Statistics

    Cookie statement

    Mobile view



    Wikimedia Foundation
    Powered by MediaWiki