Basic Job Description:

The Scenic Artist works closely with the set designer in accomplishing all texture and painted effects for the production.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

The most important aspect of this job is the time commitment, in that it is very often quite compressed due to the nature of the job.  The scenic paint is the last element to be applied to the scenery, and as such much of the paint work happens during the last few weeks of the build. The scenic artist must be available to work during set times (to be decided with the scenic designer) throughout the build process.  However, as technical rehearsals and opening night come closer, the scenic artist must be willing to work as needed to complete the job.  This means the scenic artist must make him or herself available on weekends during the last few weeks of the build period. Additional evening work may also be necessary, depending on the needs of the particular show.  This time commitment is a “deal-breaker” when considering a student for the job of scenic artist. For an upper division Production credit, 45 hours are expected.

Typical duties include:

Purchasing paint and supplies (with the scenic designer)

Creating texture and color samples from the designer’s model or elevations

Creating patterns as necessary (wallpaper for example)

Priming and basecoating scenery as necessary

Finish-work and aging techniques

Creating a “touch-up” kit and touching up the scenery as necessary

Cleaning the paint area on completion of the project

Preferably the student will have taken the Scene Painting course, but this is not necessarily an absolute requirement.