You don’t have to be an artist to become a graphic designer. While the ability to draw, paint, or create in one of the other traditional artistic ways can help your career as a graphic designer, it’s not a requirement. Graphic design is more about combining elements like fonts, photos, illustrations, and color to create effective messages. You don’t have to create these elements yourself.

In many cases, an artist is hired to create a painting, illustration or drawing for a project. These works are then handed over to the graphic designer, who then incorporates them into the artwork.

In some cases, you can create your own illustrations, drawings, and paintings, but this is not considered an essential part of a designer’s skillset. However, these skills can set you apart from other graphic designers, making it easier to get jobs and advance.

What you need is an understanding of the artwork that can be incorporated into your work. Creativity to effectively bring it together with other elements is also important. Last but not least, your understanding of color, shapes, lines, and other design elements is crucial to developing a piece that conveys the client’s message.