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Scenic artists paint sets and other artistic elements for film, TV, and theater productions. They may work under a production designer and require skills in painting, drawing, and staging techniques. Some scenic artists work on digitized shows and films, using graphics programs to fill in sets. Animated productions may require up to 100 scenic artists to color frames and provide landscape art.
A scenic artist works for film, television or theater production companies to paint sets and other artistic elements needed to give the final product a chance to suspend reality. The production designer, also known as the artist in charge, may employ several scenic artists to paint movie or theater sets. For smaller productions, however, the director may also be the production designer, as well as the scenic artist in charge of soliciting cast and crew volunteers.
Some educational or experimental paths can lead to a career as a scenic artist and eventually a production designer. Many art school graduates prefer large-scale mural art or realism. Others train specifically as set designers for theater productions. Sculptors and graphic artists who use computer programs can also be enlisted as scenic artists to produce set pieces or craft the sketches for final storyboards. While these are ultimately the responsibilities of the lead artist in the credits – the production or set designer – scenic artists are often employed to actually make the artwork envisioned by the designer.
A landscape artist must be able to guide and critique the designer and director, but also work independently to create work that lends credibility to the production. A scenic artist will not only understand how to paint and draw realistic sets, but also the staging techniques that allow natural materials to look realistic, such as marbling processes that can make wood look like stone. Many of these special skills are gained through school education in theater or film; the rest are chosen by colleagues and bosses over years of experience.
Many scenic artists in 2011 are hired by change artists who oversee digitized shows and films that have vast arrays of sets created in post-production. Green screens are commonly used while actors act out a scene. Then scenic artists use graphics programs like Alien Skin and reg or Perfect Photo Suite and reg to fill in the blanks later, frame by frame.
Some animated productions utilize up to 100 scenic artists for a project. Three-dimensional modeling programs can be used to help writers and artists visualize each character. Then other scenic artists are employed to color in various frames or provide landscape art in sections to mimic the natural world as well as the particular style that was chosen by the director and change artist to give the production a unique look.
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