The Business of Finding Work

[MoorDragon]

I check out alot of the online communities for artists...mostly the digital artists and I'm struck by two things:

1. the incredibly huge number of artists looking for work. For every job posted it seems like thousands of people respond hoping to get their foot in the door.

2. the huge number of seasoned artists who are apparently out of a job wandering the wastelands of the internet looking for work.

I'm thinking, is it really this bad out there? I spent 8 years as a lead artist on the staff of a government agency and decided to bail and seek my fortunes in the private sector, moved to LA and started beating the streets. It's been about 18 months now and I'm still looking because it seems like there's way too few jobs and way too many unemployed artists. And when I look online to websites like Conceptart.org and Renderosity and others...I come away with a sense that it's near impossible to make it on talent alone in this business because it seems everyone is pretty much of the same high calibre. So it's really about who you know.

I'm also dismayed by all these artist I see posting their resumes with 7, 10, 15 years experience and I'm wondering why are THEY looking for work?

Any thoughts on the current state of the business? Anyone care to share their stories of trying to make it big or just to make a living?


MoorDragon

[Gavman]

So it's really about who you know.
Agreed :)

I got work in art more often when I went out searching for it. Rather than by simply showing what I could do.

[DParrett42]

You just broke my heart, man. I don't know anybody.:shrug:

[Qitsune]

I think this is better suited to THIS section of the forums, no offense!

[Gavman]

You just broke my heart, man. I don't know anybody.:shrug:

If your work is stunning, chances are you'll be contacted. If you can be flexible with your art in style, medium and subject matter, this also improves your employability as an artist.
Generally speaking, it's down to the requirements of a project if you're suitable or not though. You may be a great cartoonist, but this would be no use if you're asked to create an architectural technical drawing for example.

Don't be disheartened by my first comment. My advice would be to find something you can build on which makes you unique and stand out from a croud. Deliver this and you're a step closer to getting work.
And... more than anything, keep practicing your art and the techniques which define your area(s) of interest. The only way to improve is to practice.

[Helium Macaroni]

So.. you can't find work after moving to LA?

Strange. I find this area damn near saturated with employment opportunities. Some may yet be out of my league, but it seems far better here than anywhere else for entertainment art, with both the game and film/tv industry located in Southern California.

Talent and skill is important, however being friendly, open, personable is almost equally if not more important than the skills you'll bring to the job. Being a kind and extroverted person will not only make you easy to work with, but will allow opportunites to present themselves more often. About 1 out of 5 people I meet out here in the LA area is connected some way with the entertainment industry, opening up continual opportunities. You never know if the guy sitting next to you at the bar is an assistant AD for a music video shoot, or if the girl in line with you at the bank is an art director. I've met animators, industry accountants, sculptors, writers, other illustrators, etc almost everwhere. Often if you're caught drawing in public someone will strike up a conversation with you if you're in the same field.

My own personal experience brought me to my current boss/mentor from meeting someone playing broomball. It led me eventually to working full time faster than working my way up through a company.

It really is about who you know if you can't get placed by a college or other institution.

You need to be open at all times to opportunites that may present themselves, and have current work to show on the fly, and contact information ready to be presented. It takes a special person to be able to be comfortable with constant casual encounters so that they may lead to employment. But the more people you befriend, the more of a positive reputation you'll get, and the more work you'll be reccomended for.

[nephilim]

there is plenty of work out there for people who have a good portfolio and work hard.

im not a particularly great artist but i make a living fulltime freelancing. if i can do it just about anyone can, if they want it bad enough.

i dont know what kind of work you are looking for, but it seems like you have your eye on a studio position. But if you dont mind freelance work, i recommend heading to a big convention like gencon indy or socal, or the San Diego Comicon.

After going to gencon indy i came back with a ton of work so its definitely a good investment.

make sure your folio is great and keep shopping it around.

mike

[DavePalumbo]

After going to gencon indy i came back with a ton of work so its definitely a good investment.

I was thinking of going there this year for the reason of hunting up some work, though I'm not decided yet. I know companies attending San Diego are often very open to meet with artists, is it the same case at Gencon?

[nephilim]

I was thinking of going there this year for the reason of hunting up some work, though I'm not decided yet. I know companies attending San Diego are often very open to meet with artists, is it the same case at Gencon?


Well most of the companies there are there to sell product. But...they also bring alot of their staff along since its one of the biggest cons, its alot of fun, and people from all the companies probably like to pal around.

So usually you can find lots of art directors around who are willing to look at your folio, and Wizards of the Coast even has portfolio reviews in a little booth that you sign up for.

it really is a good place to go to find work, its not expensive to stay in indy, and the convention is lots of fun.

mike

[MCeran]

So usually you can find lots of art directors around who are willing to look at your folio, and Wizards of the Coast even has portfolio reviews in a little booth that you sign up for.


I'm going this year to San Diego, and it's big and important visit for me cause I'm from SE Europe. So I'm afraid to miss this sign up for Wizards. Is this gonna be directly on con, or I must sign up week or two earlier on some mail adress?

thanks

[nephilim]

i dont know if wizards of the coast(WOTC) has portfolio reviews at the San Diego Comiccon, cause ive never been. I went to Gencon Indy last year and WOTC had them there.

You didnt sign up before or anything, once you got to the convention there was just a sign up sheet, and it was first come first serve. But it was cool, one of their head art directors did the review and everything.


mike

[DavePalumbo]

Last year at San Diego, WotC had a booth situated with about two dozen other booths in an area specifically designated for portfolio reviews. The whole thing was run by sign-up sheets on first come, first serve. So far as I know, nobody could sign up before the day they met with the WotC representative. I signed up and had an interview a few hours later. If you're nervous about missing it, I recomend hitting that signup sheet first thing when you get there, but I doubt you'll have a problem.

thanks Nephilim

[MCeran]

Thank you both.

Milivoj

[Nicolette Moore]

I tried to gather a group of illustrators together to battle the market odds. It really is a tough industry. We'd be better off joining forces but as artists we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Most do not have the time or funds to invest in one another, or trust. Hence, most are stuck having to work for a small price in order to pay the rent. Gathering a group and asking everyone to share in the expenses is a touchy issue that has proven unsucessful for me and many others who have tried this before me. Collaborating is the way to go. Check out my portfolio at www.nicolettemoore.com. I'm working with investors to put up a store that will promote illustrators and help us affordably pursue a career selling our own creations rather than looking for a job or waiting for a publisher. I am producing three comic book titles and am looking for pencilers, inkers, and colorers. I can't offer much pay, but I can pay a per page rate and I can get you and your work heavily marketed.

[nephilim]

i disagree that forming a studio is the way to go. unless you are signing on to an established studio that is able to guarantee giving you plenty of work at good rates, forming a studio means you just to have to split that money that you could earn for yourself.


mike

[asgloki]

I prefer to use artists directly rather then a studio, but thats just me. I guess its the thought of paying a middle man?