Those with teaching certification may teach art in elementary or secondary schools, while those with a master's or Ph.D. degree may teach in colleges or universities. Some fine artists work in arts administration in city, State, or Federal arts programs. Sometimes fine artists work in an unrelated field in order to support their careers. Fine artists usually work independently, choosing whatever subject matter and medium suits them. Usually, they specialize in one or two forms of art.
Painters generally work with two-dimensional art forms.
Using techniques of shading, perspective, and color mixing, painters produce works depicting realistic scenes or may evoke different moods and emotions, depending on the artist's goals. Artists may combine mediums and include sound and motion in their works. Sculptors design three-dimensional art works either molding and joining materials such as clay, glass, wire, plastic, or metal, or cutting and carving forms from a block of plaster, wood, or stone. Some sculptors combine various materials such as concrete, metal, wood, plastic, and paper. Printmakers create printed images from designs cut into wood, stone, or metal, or from computer-driven data.