The competitive-ness level of the art field?

[aerisaxia]

I know in itself art is a competitive field, But I'm wondering exactly how competitive is it? especially in concept art. " If you're good enough you'll get hired" isn't always the case in other fields, You could be amazing at your job but, something could happen (company fails,lay offs..etc) and you might not be able to get a job in the field you were for a long while because all the other workers laid off face the same problem.

What sparked my interest was that I see alot of very talented artist websites and alot of them seem equally amazing. So I thought to myself how many of them land jobs and how often? I've also heard that this field is partially fueled by networking, so I thought how hard is it for someone brand new with no contacts as of yet to push their way in? and how hard is it to keep a good spot in the field to get more jobs.We'll always need medical staff because there are alot of people on this planet that constantly get sick, but if a major company really likes one artist will some one have to literally die for another position to open up?

just wondering how many people out of the infinite talented portfolios I see out there really land the dream job they're looking for, and how many can make a reasonable living off of it all,

I know of some really amazing people who basically become celebrities and seem to be hired everywhere, have a family large contracts and are about set for life. That's the dream,but how many really get there?

I'm not looking for try hard and you will replies, just curious.

[Noah Bradley]

There's plenty of work to go around.

It ain't all well-paid nor glamorous, but there's enough to make a living. It's darn competitive and requires a lot more than the ability to make pretty pictures.

People who complain that it's too difficult to get work are usually not very good at their work or are terrible at networking.

[aerisaxia]

Any good tips on getting in? Besides the obvious keep getting better?
I'm thinking of getting some type of degree, but school costs and I'd need to find a way to cover it, and I'd hope to find some contacts there, because I've heard going the self taught route is a little bit harder.
Either way I don't want to end up like my grandparents who wanted to be pianists....now in their 60's taking odd jobs to pay off their house.Still amazing piano players though.
Although I know art is a wide field, any other art jobs/fields that get more stable like if anyone knows how hard web design is to get into? I just really want a job in art.

[sone_one]

i wouldnt consider webdesign an art-job. its basically about coding and way less about design. most webdesigners i met had shitty (and thats still friendly) design skills. having access to photoshop/indesign/dreamweaver doesnt make a designer out of you... its the same matter as the fairies thread going on here.

go for art if you want to, but dont expect it to be as easy money as lots of other jobs.
i had a non art related job for 3 years, and while the money's been ok, the challenges i had to face compared to when i do art-stuff, been minimal.
yet if you love to do it... do it! just dont think its as easy as it looks when you see others art.

[dpaint]

There's plenty of work to go around.

It ain't all well-paid nor glamorous, but there's enough to make a living. It's darn competitive and requires a lot more than the ability to make pretty pictures.

People who complain that it's too difficult to get work are usually not very good at their work or are terrible at networking.

This^ Its not just being good which most people can't pull off, its also being good under pressure, being good and fast, and being good and have the ability to deliver to a deadline. Then its doing all those things for more than a year or two full time. If you have a backup plan doing something close to art that's what you'll end up doing. If you want to be an artist, be one.

[Elwell]

Something I've said in the past, but that bears repeating:
Any creative field is like a pyramid. There are a few very famous people at the top, and lots and lots and lots and lots of wannabees, has-beens, and never-wheres at the bottom. Everybody is aware of the ones at the top, because they're famous, and everybody is aware of the ones at the bottom, because there are so damned many of them that everybody personally knows some. But what most people don't realize is that there's plenty of room in the middle.

[[email protected]]

Any creative field is like a pyramid.

Let me extend this: any field is like a pyramid...

[aerisaxia]

i wouldnt consider webdesign an art-job. its basically about coding and way less about design.

I've been looking into coding a little on the side as well( always had an interest in video games and some programming), sounds like at least some fun throw some good designing in there to play around with as well maybe it wont be half bad. ( though I don't know if web design is any more lucrative) and the coding might help me.

there's plenty of room in the middle.

That quote right there is golden, the thing I'm trying to figure out though is whether the middle is bad term but...bearable? like if the top of the pyramid is comfort then is the middle "constant uphill struggle" or " I may not be sitting on my private island, but I got a house, 2-3 kids, and don't have to worry about bills,medical coverage and food".
most likely will end up doing something in art be it advertisement(anyone know how that field is by the way?) or game design, I'm just trying to set the foundation with what will be realistic for me to lay my hopes and money on and what I should keep trying to achieve but use my back up...and figure out a back up.


EDIT: but above all I'm just curious how many of those people with nearly identically as amazing portfolios I see get jobs and how often just to kinda get an idea of what exactly I am working up twords

[bcarman]

I'm not looking for try hard and you will replies, just curious.

But this is the reality. You'd be surprised how many of these beginner questions get answered as you go through the process of getting good. You start to talk with people online and at conventions etc., get advice, get better. As you get better those people remember you, find your work talk to you.

There is no magic path of networking. The truth is that if you work hard and get good it takes time and in that time you meet more and more people and gain more and more knowledge of how to network and who to talk to. Knowing how to make those connections won't help until you're good enough to take advantage of them. Connections are ever changing as is the industry.

So the truth is when people say just get good that is the best advice.

[Elwell]

That quote right there is golden, the thing I'm trying to figure out though is whether the middle is bad term but...bearable? like if the top of the pyramid is comfort then is the middle "constant uphill struggle" or " I may not be sitting on my private island, but I got a house, 2-3 kids, and don't have to worry about bills,medical coverage and food".

The top isn't comfort, it's constantly working as hard as you can just to stay in place because the only way to move is down.

[aerisaxia]

But this is the reality. You'd be surprised how many of these beginner questions get answered as you go through the process of getting good.

Thus I am trying and practicing to achieve my goals on my merry way, I know that I'm trying no matter what, and I know I have to try hard and I will succeed if I try hard enough. However apart from Well following my dream and having fun I'm trying to define what it is I'm working hard FOR, because often dreams have imaginary particles we expect to come with them. I don't want to be a farmer expecting to make six figures. Like defining success, is success making it and scraping by or is success sitting in the lap of luxury, because if I'm working up to only just passing by i'm in for a bumpy road. Regardless I'm doing art because I like it not because I want to make millions, but I'm trying to weigh out the pros and cons of jumping into it all and setting my future onto it.

and if one side of this industry seems bumpy, I'm trying to find a part of it that's bearable so that I can keep pursuing the bumpy one. Regardless I want to find something in art.

[aerisaxia]

The top isn't comfort, it's constantly working as hard as you can just to stay in place because the only way to move is down.

Goes for everything on top and it's expected and if one likes what they do enjoyable, but once you reach the tippy top relax a little and float to the high middle you've still got all that experience on top to help pull you through and live comfortably and you can always use that to go onto other linked things and try your weight there. How ever if you're in the middle and the definition of middle is scraping by then the only possibility is the top and since you can't necessarily have an upside down pyramid. Most likely the top dogs will stand their ground and you should try else where get firmly established before going into battle.

just trying to define the pyramid and all others like it to figure out which to climb first.

[Elwell]

the definition of middle is scraping by

I never said that. The middle is BIG, that's the point. There's a top to the middle, as well as a bottom, and a middle of the middle too, of course. And correspondingly for each section, ad infinitum.

[sone_one]

beeing able to live comfortably, is mainly based on your income/expense ratio and your goals... noone can actually answer that for you.

if i earn more than i need to avoid starving and have some sparetime, im living comfortably... yet others are aiming for entirely different goals. maybe got kids, want a pool, a massive car, big house, ...

if its for the money... id do something less exhausting (yet for me less rewarding on a personal level).

[edit] do you really think theres a niche, with loads of money, thats not completely crowded yet? where there is money theres competition... thats how it is

[QueenGwenevere]

i wouldnt consider webdesign an art-job. its basically about coding and way less about design. most webdesigners i met had shitty (and thats still friendly) design skills. having access to photoshop/indesign/dreamweaver doesnt make a designer out of you...

You haven't met any real web designers. You've met so-called "web designers".

As with any other art field, the design field also has a top tier, a vast middle tier, and a bottom tier. At the top tier and higher levels of the middle tier, you can find real designers who also do web design. At the very top, many of the designers are excellent at design. They don't always code their designs. In many large jobs, a designer comes up with the art direction and design, and production people code it.

At the bottom tier, you have an awful lot of bozos who learned the software and now call themselves "web designers" despite having zero design skills. (Many of them don't have real coding skills, either.)

In the middle tiers you have any range of people with good design skills and adequate coding skills, good coding skills and adequate design skills, reasonably good design and coding skills, or just good design skills but no coding skills.

That said, web design and graphic design in general is no longer as lucrative as it used to be. And the competition is as fierce as every other creative field.

Though if you actually like coding and are good at it, it's not a bad tool to add to your arsenal... The more versatile you are, the more opportunities you'll have.

[JeffX99]

I know in itself art is a competitive field, But I'm wondering exactly how competitive is it?

9.7. But that's on the "Hemfickle" scale. You'll have to convert if you're using metric.

[sone_one]

You haven't met any real web designers. You've met so-called "web designers".

almost true . i said most... its like you said the pyramid thing elwell mentioned.

[bcarman]

"Hemfickle" scale

I was trying to remember this the other day. Thanks Jeff.

[Farvus]

9.7. But that's on the "Hemfickle" scale. You'll have to convert if you're using metric.

Still it's not as bad as I suspected. I thought it's at least 12 .

[JeffX99]

Still it's not as bad as I suspected. I thought it's at least 12 .

That's why it is hard to nail it down exactly. The "Modified Hemfickle" gives a value of 12, you know, plus or minus a few points. Not many folks use it though because then no one knows wtf you're talking about.

[ThriceTheMoon]

Though if you actually like coding and are good at it, it's not a bad tool to add to your arsenal... The more versatile you are, the more opportunities you'll have.

Hey Queen, thanks for that. This is really good advice for me right now since I am in school for computer science but also pursuing art outside of university.

Thanks!

[Dusty]

and everybody is aware of the ones at the bottom, because there are so damned many of them that everybody personally knows some

And even if you don't know them personally, you'll be well aware of them. Because they're ALWAYS COMPLAINING, instead of trying to get better.

[Qitsune]

Something Adam Rex repeated a few times at IMC:They wouldn't call it bottom feeding if there wasn't food there.

In the context that you should start at the bottom, because it's easy to get in and there's plenty of (badly paid) work, and work your way up. Now, by bottom he meant he started doing work for kids magazines instead of kids books, not that he was doing DA commissions at 10$ a pop.

[Steamhat]

Alas the competition with art these days is far from being better or making better work than others.

Everyone has individual tastes in the end
...and worst of all:
THE INTERNET IS TEAMING WITH US! i mean really... to make a point, i'm gonna blatantly link to my Deviantart account and the amount of publicity i'll get, even with everyone here on this forum giving me a visit won't really budge my career.

[Birkeley]

A couple of other posters already touched on this, but you really need to decide what success means for you. If you don't know what it is you're trying to reach you can't possibly reach it. You need to decide upon, and write down, some firm goals for yourself, before you can decide how best to reach them.

For example, in my case, I'm not very motivated by money. I like to paint, but I enjoy simple, low-cost living and prefer to spend my time working on my own projects instead of working for others, and don't mind if this means I have what many people would consider a low income (I don't consider it "low" if it fulfils my needs). I find this kind of life offers me peacefulness and freedom. On the other hand, some people want a more financially lavish lifestyle and are fulfilled by the process of working hard for others in order to achieve fame or earn more money. These goals are vastly different and require vastly different approaches, but they both represent "success" to the person experiencing them.

What kind of yearly salary do you consider would give you the kind of lifestyle which would be fulfilling to you? What kind of artists do you think are earning this amount, and do their skill levels look like something you could realistically accomplish? ("Skill" does not just mean their artwork, but also the other skills required in the field, such as time management, people skills, and the ability to sell themselves and their ideas). You need to know what you are looking for. I would also suggest seeking out what you find fulfilling - your uncertainty over your career path suggests you haven't found it yet. Figure out what makes you happy and then figure out how to make money doing it.

Good luck!