Written by Zeal Dobariya, Converge multimedia journalism intern and Senior at Gwinnett School of Math, Science & Technology (GSMST)
Most high schools offer art classes to all students that want to take them. However, it seems like high school students are not taking art classes because they believe them to be useless for their future. But there are many applications of art classes that can be used in various professions, regardless of what career field you decide to go into.
Some of the main career fields that use art-related skills are engineering, medicine and architecture. Engineers are expected to make detailed sketches before they are able to build a product. This means that they must make complex drawings and sketches that show every detail. By using digital forms such as Autocad and Inventor, engineers can also make animations and drawings to show the 3D models of products they are trying to make.
Doctors are also likely to use art skills to create diagrams of the different parts of the body. For example, cardiologists map the chambers of the heart to see where the points of damage are. Although some of these diagrams can be automatically created with computer programs, doctors often create the diagrams by themselves to really grasp how areas of the body that are affected.
Architects also create scaled drawings of the building that they are planning on making. Similar to engineers, architects have to meticulously plan the buildings that they are designing. This means that they have to either make a hand-drawn sketch or a sketch on a digital platform. These are some examples of career fields that are not strictly related to art.
Some fields that are also related to art but are more involved in creative expression include graphic design, fashion design and makeup artistry. All three of these use more aspects of the art than the previously mentioned career fields, but they are also using those art skills to make a final product.
For graphic design, there is much more to creating a magazine or website than just art skills. Also, fashion designers use their art skills to create pieces of clothing, but there is more to creating the clothing. Makeup artists also are using art skills to make a complete look. All three of these career fields use art as a supplement to creating the final product.
Overall, art skills that are learned in high school can be used in the real world. In almost every career field, there is an aspect of art that is used.
