The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Artisan \Ar"ti*san\ (?; 277), n. [F. artisan, fr. L. artitus
   skilled in arts, fr. ars, artis, art: cf. It. artigiano. See
   Art, n.]
   1. One who professes and practices some liberal art; an
      artist. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

   2. One trained to manual dexterity in some mechanic art or
      trade; and handicraftsman; a mechanic.
      [1913 Webster]

            This is willingly submitted to by the artisan, who
            can . . . compensate his additional toil and
            fatigue.                              --Hume.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Artificer; artist.

   Usage: Artisan, Artist, Artificer. An artist is one who
          is skilled in some one of the fine arts; an artisan is
          one who exercises any mechanical employment. A
          portrait painter is an artist; a sign painter is an
          artisan, although he may have the taste and skill of
          an artist. The occupation of the former requires a
          fine taste and delicate manipulation; that of the
          latter demands only an ordinary degree of contrivance
          and imitative power. An artificer is one who requires
          power of contrivance and adaptation in the exercise of
          his profession. The word suggest neither the idea of
          mechanical conformity to rule which attaches to the
          term artisan, nor the ideas of refinement and of
          peculiar skill which belong to the term artist.
          [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

artisan
    n 1: a skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft
         [syn: craftsman, artisan, journeyman, artificer]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

54 Moby Thesaurus words for "artisan":
   Admirable Crichton, adept, aeromechanic, apprentice, artificer,
   artist, artiste, attache, authority, connaisseur, connoisseur,
   consultant, copyist, cordon bleu, crack shot, craftsman,
   craftswoman, creator, dauber, daubster, dead shot, diplomat,
   diplomatist, elder statesman, experienced hand, expert,
   expert consultant, graduate, handicraftsman, handy man, journeyman,
   machinist, maker, marksman, master, master carpenter,
   master craftsman, mechanic, mechanician, no slouch, old master,
   politician, prentice, pro, professional, professor, proficient,
   savant, shark, sharp, statesman, technical adviser, technician,
   wright