A very important open letter to ConceptArt.Org and all artists around the world.

[stevethomas]

This is by far the best place for me for inspiration. I don't have a lot of time these days for my personal art, yet I find myself here everyday - just so I don't lose that fire inside.
Each day there is new and great art. I think I've almost been around from the beginning, although I don't post very often - or as much as I should. I guess I've never felt I had the right background to do so. I didn't have any formal art training so I turn to ConceptArt.org for answers to my visual questions.
And it's terrific that there are so many high-level professionals in the art field as well as those who hire the artists.
I downloaded Greg Manchess's painting demo and was extremely happy with the quality of information. I urge anyone who has a favourite artist that has put on such a demonstration here to download it. You won't be sorry.
I will definitely be donating to keep this site around.

Steve Thomas

[Rabid]

Great to see so much effort here still going stong and all of Jason's work coming to fruition. I can't wait to see the new content and plans for this site and yet more branches sprouting for the largest art community in the world! I thank every hour spent on this site thus far building on what I can learn here and allowing me to take the responsibility of teaching others...

[Soja]

Jason man and all you CA guys!

Ca changed my life completly!! I started studying graphics design in 2003 and honestly i had no idea what to do. My marks where bad and the only thing i could study was graphics design. Cause u dont need to have good marks just a portfolio. I couldnt draw shit at that time but i enjoyed it a lot.
But i got frustrated very fast because my art teacher didnt like what i do. I also got to hear that i would make fun of the school because my work was soooo bad. I got really shy and stopped drawing. Some how i came across the Feng Zhu DVDs throuhg a friend and that was the first time i heard the word concept art. So i googled it to find out more about this kind of work. So i found out about the ca.org website and luckily there was a workshop in the same year in Berlin hold by Marko and Andrew!!
Man this workshop really teach me more than 4 years at uni!!!! It change my life it make me become the person who i am today! After i met Andrew i did around 500 SP myself this little journey taught me so much. And people who laughed about my drawings in those days dont say a word now. My parents who are asian never believed me i wont earn money someday and day still dont believe in it. But i'm on good way i hope.
Well im still not really good. But i got an internship in one of germany biggest game company as an concept artist! what was soooo suprisingly for me. I still struggling a lot and my work still get me frustrated...but all in all im very happy about what im doing and how i got to it. I learned so much more about life the details of the world and really understand what's important and what's not in life. I got more confident with myself and i learned very fast that's important to celebrate everyday of life and how beauty it is...even it sound pretty cheese! I got to know so many amazing and inspiring people!!
I would not trade this experience for all money of the world.
Im really looking forward for the new Ca 4.0 and the future of the world of art!
And im really thankful for what you have done so far for all of us!
Thanks a lot!

[[DAN]]

Thanks so much Jason for what you have done for me and for art community around the world.

I met Jason Manley and Andrew Jones first time on the workshop they done in 2004 at UBI Soft Romania, with the help of my dear friend Oblio.
It is a moment that happened years ago but i remember it so clear like it was yesterday because it was the Turning point of my life.Until that time (i was 23 years old at that point) i basically did everything that didn't involve art to find a way of sustaining myself , i finished a programming college and a economic academy but i was lost, extremely frustrated and without purpose. Programming was interesting but not THAT interesting to keep me awake late hours in night, with the economy ....exactly the same story.Back in 2002 i started to learn 3d and painting as a hobby, I was very very very alone in my hobby I had no friends artists I didn't knew anybody involved in art.Back then in my country, Romania, was a harsh economic time , I painted a lot till i was 10 (lol) years old but after that , because of a profound absence of money i had to stop because my family didn't have the finance to buy me paints and brushes and the perspective to go to an art school was just not possible for me, so for the next 13 years of my life i pursued education to give me a well payed job to sustain myself and my family.I didn't have the slightest idea to that point that there is a job called "conceptartist" or "illustrator" , in my country those were alien words for normal people like me.Then this workshop came... and i can tell without hesitation those were the most important 9 hours of my life.When i walked out of the workshop, i knew exactly what i have to do with the rest of the years i have to live , it all came together in such a profound level , seeing these two great men, Jason and Andrew, sharing their knowledge, passion and painting in front of my eyes!!! (was the first time in my life when i've seen someone do a painting in front of me), i just surrendered. Everything came together, my love for science and art mixed in one word "conceptart" and presented with so much enthusiasm, warmth and friendship.From that moment i quit my job at that time (i was carrying light equipment on the sets for the Romanian national television network for 6 years) and i dedicated myself 100% to art.Later that year i became a graphic designer at a romanian private company, doing flash animations, web design and in the spare time pursuing the digital painting dream.In 2005 the second workshop, in Prague... much bigger, many awesome artists,... history repeated... after i got out of the workshop, back in my country, i quit my job as a web designer and got my first job in industry as a concept artist on a full feature romanian animation movie.From that point i worked also as freelancer and now for the last two years I worked as a conceptartist at Crytek Gmbh and now freelance again.For almost 5 years i am living the dream... to do nothing but art.

Everything that happened for me from 2004 till now it couldn't be possible without you and the knowledge you shared.Everything i learned was from these forums and at this moment instead to be an accountant or programmer, very unhappy with his life and very frustrated I am ...well still frustrated (but in a very positive way) with a looong path ahead of me, but not a lonely gloomy dirt road in the woods with no signals but a modern busy highway.

I apologize for the length of this post and for the rubbish quality of my english, it is emotional moment for me to write all this, I don't want to be misunderstood is not about me is about what conceptart.org does to people in every corner of the world.

Thank you conceptart.org

P.S: I am a lurker

[Jason Rainville]

Jason you're an awesome guy and you're enthusiasm is so genuine it can easily be felt through the internet

Like pretty much everyone else, this site is what saved me from the prospect of a life I didn't want to live. Even as I was entering a police foundations program, fearful that having the life of an artist would result in failure, I always approached my classes creatively. Each free-choice project was littered with art, diagrams, creative writing and visuals of all sorts. It became clear to me that I was quite different than those around me at the time, and while my conscious mind was forcing my steps to fall on the easy path, my heart was telling me that there was only one way for me.

This site and everyone I've met on here have helped me every step of the way. While there's still a lot of work to do and a lot more hardships to face, I know what I have to do, and I know who I can count on to help me do it.

Despite my fears of this growing into a before and after thread, it has to be shown what my 3 years on this site means to me;

up to fall 2006 (age 21)




up to fall 2009

[Arish]

This community really opened my eyes to what is out there and how many amazing artists there are. Without it, I probably would have just been stuck in a rut and never realized what I was capable of, let alone how to get there. Thank you Jason and everyone else for all your hard work and dedication. As soon as the downloads become subtitled, I'll buy as many of them as I can afford!!! And until then, I'll just keep drawing and getting inspiration from everyone else in the community...

[Dirty C]

Definitely down for Mark English's tutorial. Heard too much about those guys from Cotron to not pay attention.

This site has literally given me my career. From the first workshop in Amsterdam - it was sold out but Jason let me come anyway.. I've been at I think eight or nine workshops - all but Austin (I think technically only the founders have been to more) and the Next Gen Atelier is the only art school I ever attended. And the interview with Doug Chiang and Sega were both lined up by brilliant contacts made through the site.

I know I'm not the only one who owes an awful lot to these guys, though I can't think of anybody that owes more. This is the only place my work will appear, and yeah I'll help out

An extremely stripped down list in order of people that helped majorly at pivotal points: Jason, Kevin L, the nascent UK posse, Marko Andrew, Wes, Dobsky Dobsky Dobsky, BRAT_777, CoroKempChanman, Dobsky Coro Dobsky, Marc Taro. Thanks again, and you're all gay

*edit: Oh yeah I guess I fell in love too *

[sandman]

Hey Jason!

Is there a way to donate what we can through Paypal or something to CA.org? I'm trying to make it on my own in the freelance artist biz and I'm lucky if I make $500/mo. I'd love to give a few dollars here and there, but as of now, I don't see a way to other than the downloadable contest and streaming classes.

Thanks for all you've done for CA!
Sincerely,
Char

Hi Char,

There is currently an option to donate (as little as $5) via. PayPal using the link just above the top post on the page.



David

[rossipoo]

Oh my goodness, CA has set my mind straight in EVERYTHING, because of CA i improved tremendously in a short period of time, i learned so much about the industry, I know EXACTLY what i want to do now, i also met some of my closest friends here on CA, I never thought i could do it, but here i am , with thousands of others with the same goal, just practicing. I never knew there tons of people out there just like me.

I remember back in March 2009, before i joined the site, all i did was draw anime thinking i had talent and could be famous one day, I was pretty cocky too, i LOLD at myself when i found this site, Thank you CA for setting my mind straight and introducing me to so many things, I have learned TONS from just being here. It was literally a 5 star art school, but the instructor/teacher is yourself to give you assignments and to push you.

I once again thank CA for everything that has done for me. Without CA i wouldn't be the same person i am today. I would probably still be drawing anime and uploading on Deviantart. My life started here, and CA is probably the best out of the bunch, ( you know what other sites im talking about ), not for just the knowledge, but for the community. The community here is AMAZING, i really give you props at how this site is ran.

Thanks, CA, Couldn't have done it without you

[kelly x]

Dear CA.Org, I joined March 2008 as a non-artist and now I work full time as a game designer, artist and have had a gallery show in Baltimore featuring my digital Pin-up paintings. As I said when I joined in '08, I had zero art instruction, zero skill level and basically just the pure dream of being an artist all my life. Now, I am a working artist along with my partner Se7en, we have just finished our own game, worked on SILENT HILL, ROCK BAND, ELEBITS, ALIEN VS PREDATOR, BAYONETTA. Some are web sites, small games, all art all of the time and I would not have been able to work period if I was not introduced to CA.Org, I had no idea what a Wacom Tab was before I got here nor any of the programs needed to progress in art. Yes, Jason!!!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and I thank all of the people who have crited my arcane beginnings and continue to help!!! The DVD's are awesome and have not become a "master of anything except, knowing I now can actually live my dream. Learn, prosper, buy every DVD, download, live stream, read the "Cheer Me Up" thread, make friends all over the World and accept Crits as a gift!!!!!!
Just a quick down and dirty letter of true THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KingElvis]

I first came here thru the link on some artists webpage. I dont even remember where or who it was. I was just amazed and blown away by the amount of artists that brought so much good work. It really made me be humble about my own drawings. But it also clicked with me that hard work really does pay off. And from then on, I somehow always came back to art and never gave up that dream that maybe someday I can be as good as so many of the great artists that i admire.

Conceptart has given me so much. I think its actually very hard to express in words how precious this place is.
For the sake of financial stability I am on the way of becoming a police officer. CA always ignites this flame inside of me when the days are dark and the road ahead looks rough. I have tried to live without art but, seriously, its not possible. So I just surrender to it.
I love you CA. And I will help as much as I can.
We live in very interesting times and Im really looking forward to what CA will become in the future.

[Fipse]

Just short, just to show that I´m still alive.

You know that I´m more the pragmatic kind of man and the more emotional vocabulary ist lacking a lot. Would this site have existed about 25 years ago, when I started workin my life surely would have led another way. Being now in other areas of work it´s simply great to see a site that gave so many people so much in matters of inspiration, work and even money to pay the rent.

I really admire the work you and the team have done here and just wish that everything will work out the way you would like. even me will be more active next year after nearly two years break because I´m going freelance maybe there´s even need for an old fart in the concept art community.

I simply wish you luck in your enterprises and hope to see you once again when you´re hopping into old Europe.

Greetings

Fipse

[DanielC]

if i didnt found this forum i'd still be washing my mom's dishes at the other end of the world.... soo thanks !

[davi]

long live ca

thanks for all the information jason.

[Diaforetikos]

Wow Jason. That was the first time I ever cried from reading something. You and this community have changed my life.

We all face the question right after high school... "What now?" I faced it for 3 long years. Most of you have maybe faced it longer. I wasted so much time wondering. I have nothing to show for it. I ran circles in my head, fighting against myself. "You can't do it Orlando. Your just like everyone else. You be excited, then fall flat on your face. Your dreams will remain dreams..."

I was already part of this community 3 years ago, but never active. Watched as everyone achieved their dreams while I wasted mine away. Finding any means to entertain myself via video games, movies, late night with friends. Ignoring responsibility and taking the easy road. I didn't try hard for anything because I worked to live. Working a minimum wage, dead end job that had nothing to do with art. I lived (and still do) with my mom, paying her whatever bills I had, and not being able to save a cent. This was my life 3 years ago.

In June, I broke up with my girlfriend. I asked myself the famous, "What now?"... Then I went online. Thats when I saw your live classes. I had previously purchased many videos, but this hit me hard. Being taught by a teacher live... I never thought I would be able to find time to go back to school, or do art. But thats when I realized the true meaning of the word sacrifice. I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Art.

With the announcement of online classes in June, I knew I wanted this. I have never drawn this much in my life. I have never wanted something this bad. I never had this kind of passion. Jason, do you understand what kind of difference you are making in peoples lives? I don't think you see it. That letter brought tears to my eyes. Not trying to be all religious, but God put you on this Earth for a reason. Jason, you found it, and you are running as fast as you can with it. Thank you for doing what you are doing.

I can't afford new clothes, I can't afford to fix my car. I can't afford to live on my own, or go to school. Shoot, I can't even afford to pay for the classes in summer, but I will be there. I am not missing out. I'll find out any way to pay for this and donate as much as I can. Jason, you are bringing purpose to my life. This website has changed my life forever. Thank you so much.

[Mr Man]

You magnificent people will never leave my soul, and I am forever indebted to your kindness.

Thankyou.

[Icon]

I discovered CA on 2005 by recommendation of some art high school buddies of mine. I was so inspired by what I saw, that I started to get involved with the community, and a year later I went to Montreal and it changed my life. I met so many incredible artists with so many stories and wonderful words of wisdom. I met people that today are my best friends. I ran back home and changed my bachelor degree to an associates degree saving tons of money and time. I kept myself invested in the community, its people, its contests,
It gave the me the tools I needed to keep myself afloat as an artists, and with the help of my online peers, the work that I produced here, began to give me freelance. Then in 2008 I was given the opportunity to attend the Atelier, and by under the main instruction of Carl Dobsky, and other teachers such as James Kei, Coro, Jason Chan, Mike Bierek, Kemp Remillard and others, I was given all the necessary tools to continue my life as an artist. Here is a small before and after of just one CA story.

Attachment 847587

Without CA I'd still be looking at old art books wondering how the hell can anyone do it.

This place has changed my life, and the atelier has shaped it.thank you all and fuck yes I'll donate.

[nofu]

Everything!

Despite what my join date says I've been here for a few years. I actually found out about CA through dA in between 2007/2008, joined and immediately got a punch in the face for not knowing when to keep my naive mouth shut. Hurt my ego quite a bit and vowed to never return. Needless to say I did... about a week later but only rejoined quite recently.

Unfortunately due to my geographic location and restrictions based on that (and not having a credit card or a debit card that paypal accepts) I cannot (yet) take part of the full learning potential of CA. But regardless, over the two years here CA has inspired me and widened my horizon the most. I have evolved with my art more over the past two years than ever before and whenever I start feeling down about my art again CA lifts me up and gives me new hope.

[Ryuartyi]

Like most other people on this site, ConceptArt made me realize that I could actually have a career in art. I was at an extension college two years ago working on becoming a chemistry major. Right before the school year started in August I found this site and thought almost nothing of it. During my classes I found myself immersed in the site, wondering if I made the right decision to become a chemist. I had a passion for science, but also art.

I decided to take art classes the next year and realize my potential. Unfortunately the art classes taught me nothing about being an artist. My figure drawing classes had as use color to express a mood on a piece before we were even taught contour. We had to muscle studies, no studies at all. I was devastated. ConceptArt became my only outlet for art education during my job failures and strange sicknesses until my brother found the Academy of Art from Jason Chan's CA gallery. Both he and I decided if we were going to really buckle down and get live models and such that would be the place.

The semester was almost done and I felt that I wasn't improving as much as I'd hoped. I had some money left in my college funds for some of the live streams of a few weeks ago. I was floored at the amount of information that was given. I felt that the last year while I was recovering was wasted because I didn't look hard enough on the site. Just to see all those people so excited to watch as Marshall Vandruff explained anatomy floored me. At the Academy of Art I found NO ONE who shared that kind of passion. My own had drained while at the school and watching that class hit me harder than anything else could have.

My story isn't great, it's not about gaining vast improvements nor about my overcoming of major struggles. I'm turning 21 in a few months and things are starting to make sense. My strange ailment seems to have all but disappeared completely and my passion is as strong as ever. I'm going to try my hardest to work enough to get a scholarship to the new school you're building and pay for more classes and downloads on the way. After my finals are done, the real work begins.

I haven't been around for a long time and I don't post often, but I am truly grateful for everything that this site has given me and where it will take me.

Thank you.

[SpookSquad]

Oh wow, that's one of the best messages on the present state of Art and art forums/schools I'v ever read.

I joined CA a few years ago, (or has it been longer?!) and though I'm a lurker, I never fail to drop in here and NOT be excited or thrilled by something. Hey, I've said it many times, and I'll just say it again: Art is like crack on my brain! I love the people here, and being a huge art lover, it's so great to just come in here and see so many people, some of my favorites even, just hanging out or giving tips and also online instruction. Seriously people, you can't get that a lot of places.
It's VERY motivating! Whenever I log in I love to see the "You Could Be Here--So Draw!" open spaces up on that artists billboard. You know people would love to be there, and really all any artist wants is to be able to do their thing, to learn and grow, and hang out with their fellow art pals who are in the same boat as them, through ups and downs.

Thanks, CA, for being such a magnificent beast of an art community!! It is my favorite, hands down.

Also, for those who think you can't donate money, hey, please reconsider, thinking of just ONE buck. Four quarters, you know? Me? I am practically on the verge of being out of work altogether. But if I stayed out of the fast food drive through for a few days, I could cough up a dollar. Then consider how MANY CAs are on this forum. If everyone who continued to wander through here gave just a quarter, hey that would add up. Imagine what a dollar would add up to. Every little bit helps the site. So for those who can give significantly more than a buck (kick ass!) imagine how much THAT would contribute!

[DIMAGYAN]

This site have been a mandatory visit almost every day since 2007 for me.

One of the most interesting things of conceptart.org to me was the virtual window quality.People from all over the world on one site.The posibilities to see, to read what others do.Be exposed to different views of the world.Share my own creations.It was a really humble and inspiring experience.

I learned a lot in here,not only with the downloads but with every thread, a single comment, a question or an answer.

The new horizons for Ca.org are really impressive and exciting. Thanks to all the people who have made this forums a reality and congratulations.

[Profil]

I'm no longer active in this community, but I still check in from time to time.

I just wanted to write you a thank you.

This community forced me to grow in some ways I weren't comfortable with, at all, but for which I'm thankful. Maybe the biggest lesson I got (among many important ones) was to be honest with myself, my intentions, why I do things, and, ironically, led me to quit pursuing a career as an artist.

I'll always carry with me the lessons and the memories of the awsome people I met here in the forum, the IRC chat, Prague. Again,

Thank you.

[hezz]

Amazing!

Okay, granted I haven't read the entire post just yet (will print it out right after typing this and read it calmly) but what I've read has already made a big dent in what I thought would be my future-plans.

I'm a graphic design student, really looking to specify into illustration and conceptart. I'm almost about to graduate and have been really weighing my options.

I know I really want to start doing occasional graphic and illustration work, especially for musicians with some photography on the side. But the market here is small and I know that I really want to work and live abroad. I gave myself 2 options, Bangkok (thai roots and I enjoy the lifestyle) and San Fransisco (my dream city that I have yet to visit).

On the other hand, theres the realist in my and other people telling me that I really should do another study before I head into the workfield. Which isn't totally unappealing to me, only the schools here aren't what I would want them to be. Schools are also unrealistic from what I've experienced and seen here, there seems to be a big cliff between the way you create in a school and the way you create in the real world. I don't like that at all.

So, just mentioning the words illustration education and san fransisco REALLY excite me!

I hope to head alot more about this in the near future, first off I'm going to carefully read the post.

thanks CA, this could be a game changer for me!

[BlightedArt]

tl;dr





(Just kidding) CA.org is brilliance on a stick, not saying anything else because seriously everyone else has already said it. Props to CA.org and Massive Black.

[lokimonkey]

Ive been coming here for a long time, first time I had a computer I looked for things related to art, found this site and well the rest is in the past. This has been a truly inspirational site, I was going to go to the Art Institue after highschool, but no way could I afford the high prices, I had pretty much given up on having a career in art, found this site, kept drawing, got better and kept drawing, I learned alot from this site, though I hardly ever posted anything, I lurked and absorbed knowledge from this site. Thank you for making this site and keeping art in my life, it is one of the things in life that I can truly say I love to do, when i have a bad day or am in a bad mood, ill draw, and ill become happier through drawing, its theraputic for me. Thank you once again for this site, id love to be part of the site as history is made

[CecelyV]

Like everyone else here, I aspire to be the best artist I can be. CA, with its awesome members/mods/admins/leaders/downloads/workshops and streaming classes, has helped me to grow and gain confidence in ways, and in a such a short time, as I never dreamed.

CA has validated the feeling, the knowledge inside me I've always had that tells me that I will be a great artist one day as long as I keep at it. CA has helped me to keep at it, and I'm sure all my fellow artists know how hard that can be when you're grasping for information on "how do I..?" or "where do I look for...?" for your art, and juggling life's responsibilities at the same time.

I will continue to support CA buy posting as much as I can, helping others in our community crits/advice/SB comments, and purchasing downloads/streaming classes/workshops/etc. My husband and I are already crafting a plan that will enable me to attend The Art Dept in the future. I will also continue to turn other artists on to CA as often as I can.
CA helped me to make a friend, AikidoAl, at Reverie in Dallas earlier this year. We talk on Gchat all the time, and next Saturday is our first ArtLuck--we'll get together to concept for the C.H.O.W that week, eat pizza and have our own art blast!

Thank you CA for everything, and thank you for hanging in there during all the seasons of great, good, bad and ugly. I don't know how else I can help, but if you need something please let me know and I'll do my best to help our community.

[camino1961]

Charge $5.00 to $10.00 a month and I will gladly subscribe to support the site. I am a graduate of SVA (school of visual arts) and what I learn from this site daily is better than the six years and thousands of dollars I invested in my education. Keep up the great work!

[quickreaver]

Very brave, to create an art planet of this magnitude! If I had more moolah, I'd buy every stinkin' download. No how else could a small-town chick from middle Ohio touch bases with industry professionals in San Fran, NY, etc. Long live CA, in all it's forms! Thanks, Jason and co., for all your incredibly hard work. Saaaaaalute.

[Carl Dobsky]

I have to admit that I wasn't one of the people who started out here. In fact, I first found out about it when Jason visited me in New York. He talked about nothing else and I was thinking to myself---"Ah there's this little website of artists they've got going". I had never even looked at the website but Jason insisted I come see the workshop in Austin. When I got there I realized that this was a much bigger deal than I thought. MUCH BIGGER. There were so many people all trying to throw in all their tricks to inspire and teach one another. Since then I've made some of the best friends I've ever had and through them I have learned more than words can say.

I feel like CA creates an environment where the merits of all forms of art are considered instead of looking down on them for espousing a different view or aesthetic. I am extremely excited to be working on the upcoming events. It's going to be a real concerted effort to bring together the different principles of production work, illustration, and traditional drawing and painting so that they can inform and compliment one another.

Word.

[Fenrysk]

richmond, VA? epic win.