53122 Painters, sculptors and other visual artists

What this occupation covers

Painters, sculptors and other visual artists create original paintings, drawings, sculptures, engravings and other artistic works. They are usually self-employed. This unit group also includes art instructors and teachers, who are usually employed by art schools.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 3 main duties for this code.

• Create drawings, paintings and other artwork using oils, pastels, watercolours, charcoal, ink and other media.
• Create sculptures, statues and other three-dimensional artwork by shaping, carving and working with materials such as clay, ice, paper, stone, wood or metal.
• Teach students the techniques and methods of drawing, painting, sculpting and other forms of artistic expression.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 3 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 41221 Elementary school and kindergarten teachers
• 41220 Secondary school teachers
• 53124 Artisans and craftspersons
• 41200 University professors and lecturers
• 41210 College and other vocational instructors
• 52120 Graphic designers and illustrators

Excluded from this code

• Art teacher - elementary school (See 41221 Elementary school and kindergarten teachers)
• Art teacher - secondary school (See 41220 Secondary school teachers)
• Artisans and craftspersons (See 53124 Artisans and craftspersons)
• Fine arts professor - university (See 41200 University professors and lecturers)
• Fine arts teacher - college level (See 41210 College and other vocational instructors)
• Graphic designers and illustrators (See 52120 Graphic designers and illustrators)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

animal art painter · animal art sculptor · art instructor · art instructor (except primary, secondary, post-secondary education) · art teacher (except primary, secondary and post-secondary education) · artist · artistic painter · artistic printmaker · charcoal artist · clay modeller · decorations painter - visual arts · etcher - visual arts · ice sculptor · ink sketcher · Inuit art sculptor · landscape painter · lithographic artist · maritime art painter · metal sculptor · monument sculptor · mural landscape artist · mural painter · oil painter · painter - visual arts

Employment requirements

• Creative ability and talent, as demonstrated by a portfolio of work, and knowledge of the safe use of materials, tools and equipment are required. Art programs are offered at universities, colleges and private art schools.
• A college diploma in fine arts techniques may be required.
• Art instructors and teachers may be required to have a university degree or college diploma in a field related to art.