Could I be looking for work at my current skill level?

[Florgenstein]

http://florgenstein.deviantart.com/gallery/

I'm not that great of an artist yet. I was looking through some of the freelance listings over at jobs.conceptart.org out of curiosity and I felt as if I could handle some. If I ever decided to do a job, I would do one just for the experience and just continue studying naked bodies and fruit all day like I've been because I know that's what I should be focusing on.

Hopefully you'll forgive me if I sound ahead of myself or if I'm in the wrong section

[TinyBird]

Depends what work. I don't see any environments or actual illustrations, just people standing with empty backgrounds so I really wonder can you handle a job that requires those? Or a computer that can handle stuff for printing work if those are needed? Do you feel ready?

[Florgenstein]

Yeah I do feel ready but only for some of the character design listings. I just worry about my skill level through other people's eyes and the bigger fish that might be swimming around the listings I'm looking at. I don't know how it all works because I'm so new to this side of art.

[QueenGwenevere]

Well, the worst that can happen is you submit your portfolio and get rejected... So if you see a listing you think you could handle, why not submit and see?

If you start getting work, well, then you're ready for that type of work. If you get nothing but rejections, you know you're not ready.

[JeffX99]

I'll be honest - work on improving rather than applying. I would say you have a couple years of dedicated study ahead. Work from life as much as you can, study gesture, basic drawing fundamentals, media techniques and presentation. Continue to develop your imagination and rely less on derivative styles and copying current trends.

You're on the right track and have pottential...now just do what it takes to realize it.

[Kamber Parrk]

If ya gotta ask. . .

And, no I won't provide traffic to an F'in' DA account by somebody who doesn't have a CA SB or any other participation in the community.

[Arshes Nei]

Well you could...

...but the better question is, if you should.

[Elwell]

If it were your money, would you hire you?

[tobbA]

Depends on how hungry you are.

[donalfall]

We should call that type of question "Elwell's Razor".

[Shorinji_Knight]

There is a wide range of options out there in the art world. The sci-fi/fantasy genre is probably the most technique intensive. Take a look at the sheer volume of professional artists that draw at the grade school level and make a living. You just need to find where your work fits. I think that you're already better than some of the professional artists out there.

If you really want to start working in the art field right now... Don't focus on the hardest art field to succede in. Condsider some of the other easier art markets first.

[Florgenstein]

Well, the worst that can happen is you submit your portfolio and get rejected... So if you see a listing you think you could handle, why not submit and see?

If you start getting work, well, then you're ready for that type of work. If you get nothing but rejections, you know you're not ready.

This is another reason why I made this post. Because I didn't even know you had to submit a portfolio. I barely know what a portfolio is supposed to look like. Maybe this is what I'll work on before the thought about working crosses my mind again.

I'll be honest - work on improving rather than applying. I would say you have a couple years of dedicated study ahead. Work from life as much as you can, study gesture, basic drawing fundamentals, media techniques and presentation. Continue to develop your imagination and rely less on derivative styles and copying current trends.

You're on the right track and have pottential...now just do what it takes to realize it.

Thank you, I will

If ya gotta ask. . .

And, no I won't provide traffic to an F'in' DA account by somebody who doesn't have a CA SB or any other participation in the community.

I do have a sketchbook which I don't update (which I should) and I participate in the community challenges although I just don't post.

Well you could...

...but the better question is, if you should.

That's what I'm asking here lol

If it were your money, would you hire you?

Yeah sure, given the right job subject, I just wanted some opinions

Depends on how hungry you are.

Not very right now

There is a wide range of options out there in the art world. The sci-fi/fantasy genre is probably the most technique intensive. Take a look at the sheer volume of professional artists that draw at the grade school level and make a living. You just need to find where your work fits. I think that you're already better than some of the professional artists out there.

If you really want to start working in the art field right now... Don't focus on the hardest art field to succede in. Condsider some of the other easier art markets first.

I've seen a good amount of concept art that just wasn't drawn that great, but it was good enough to get the point across. I think I could get the job done, but I'm not far enough along the line in my opinion to make it look all fancy, and do the job I would like to do. Which is why I'll be doing what Jeff said.

Thank you for your answers everybody

[Kamber Parrk]

Florgenstein: Fair enough!

And, I think "Elwell's Razor" is a damn fine standard.

[Misplacedhippos]

If it were your money, would you hire you?

Shoot... I guess I have to wait until everyone else I would rather hire is dead.

[Amarok]

Honestly, if you are at a level of art education where you didn't even know you'd need a portfolio to get a job, that's a good sign that you have a lot of things you need to figure out before you even begin trying to get work.

[Forrest_I]

The way I see it, there's no harm in keeping a section in the looking for jobs section on a few different art forums and saying you're available for work. Just don't stop studying and thinking you're good enough, but keep yourself available. If you think about it though all the time spent building a portfolio for a certain job or looking for tons of random odd jobs can easily be used on improving towards those bigger jobs.

[TinyBird]

I've seen a good amount of concept art that just wasn't drawn that great, but it was good enough to get the point across. I think I could get the job done, but I'm not far enough along the line in my opinion to make it look all fancy, and do the job I would like to do.

Mind you, concept art and design isn't just about having the prettiest art, doing work like that requires problem solving in several levels (showing the character, making sure the character is doable/fits in whatever medium it's presented in, finding solutions so that you and the client are happy with, deadlines, etc) which is really easy to ignore if you only look at the quality of the image alone.
Like, a lot of people can design a character of their own very easily but when you have to create a character for someone else while working with all that comes with it, it can be a totally different deal. Of course some of that will be easier when your overall skill level is better but still "getting the job done" usually needs more than one might often think.

[vineris]

I figure that if you're still asking the question instead of just applying, you aren't ready to run a small freelance business. It's incredibly easy to find out whether you have the skill, by whether people hire you or not. If you're not asking about the business side of things, then you don't even know what information you are missing.

Do some research, running a small business is not easy and if you start applying for freelance jobs then that's what you are going to be doing.

[Elwell]

Because I didn't even know you had to submit a portfolio. I barely know what a portfolio is supposed to look like.

All righty then. If it were your money, would you hire somebody who didn't even know what the requirements for the job were?

[luthertaylor]

There is a wide range of options out there in the art world. The sci-fi/fantasy genre is probably the most technique intensive. Take a look at the sheer volume of professional artists that draw at the grade school level and make a living. You just need to find where your work fits. I think that you're already better than some of the professional artists out there.

If you really want to start working in the art field right now... Don't focus on the hardest art field to succede in. Condsider some of the other easier art markets first.

care to elaborate on those easier fields hmm???

[Saraiva]

All righty then. If it were your money, would you hire somebody who didn't even know what the requirements for the job were?

Wheres the thanks button at? Hahah.