Finding Commisions

[Senira]

Honestly, folks, where's the best place to begin?

I've been scoping the job boards here daily; I've been searching through the listings on my school site looking for jobs that don't require you to be an almost-graduate or to have a degree; I've even tried looking around for arts organizations or anything I could intern at back at home, but I live in a podunk corner of Maryland where such opportunities are non existant.

I'm eager to start building my portfolio now so I have a better chance of being hired out of school, but it's so hard to get noticed in the first place! What's the best way to go about getting clients now so I'll have some credit when I'm ready to head into the working world?

[Seedling]

What sort of commissions are you looking for?

[Senira]

Illustration, character concept art, private commisions, portaits-- anything in that arena.

[Mirana]

(Cute signature quote, Senira. ;) )

Personally, I've found that if you market yourself and your site as much as possible, the work will come to you. Join every art gallery, visit and familiarize yourself with a few forum communities, do some contests, build up a network of fellow artists... It takes time, but you've got a lot of that right now.

[Seedling]

That’s a mighty wide arena.

Hmmm. . .

For the time being, focus on illustration. There’s a book called “the Business of Illustration” – find it and read it. Jobs that require a degree? Those aren’t the jobs you are looking for. You want freelance opportunities, and nobody in the freelance world gives a hoot about degrees. Look at your art. Would it be best used on greeting cards? Children’s books? Murals? Figure out who would be the most likely to need what you make. Then, go through the yellow pages. Send advertisements of your work to the business or individuals whom you think would be the most likely to hire you.

Good luck.

[Senira]

Thanks for the advice, guys! At this point I'll try anything if it will get me out of working retail for the next three years. >.<

[Qitsune]

If you want to do portraits, make sure to include a few in your portfolio, sure it has character art, but nothing that someone would commission and hang in their living room like kids portrait, grand parents, pet portraits (if you need subjects for portraits use your relatives, you'll have a x-mas present and a portfolio piece all rolled into one.)

Same for concept art, maybe include some sketch variations on a topic next to the fleshed out idea you picked in the bunch.

[Nicole]

Get the book called Writers and artists year book and the book called Starting your career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic designer By michael Fleishman very good books hope that helps!;)