General Advice

[hitpawz]

Hello all,

This is the first time I have ever posted on this message board. I made a website of most of my work at:

www.hitpawz.com

I am asking any and all to visit my site and browse through my stuff and maybe take a few minutes to give me some advice on becoming a concept illustrator. I've been trying and trying to look for work, but have had no luck what-so-ever.

Do I need to work on my form? Do I need a bigger variety? Different mediums? Anything you can offer, even if it is just "yo, you suck", would be helpful. I used to think I was ok at drawing, but after looking at the work on here, it's so intimidating that I've been afraid to show what I've done. I've never taken an art course in my life, so could some of you that are more experienced and trained please help me out? It would mean the world.

Thanks guys,
Jamie

[egerie]

Well it's a very nice all around website. The only thing I can think on top of my head is perhaps push your figure drawing and focus on portraiture and cloth folding.

One thing I found suprising tho is the inconsistency of the work you selected to be put up there. In the sense that there are some *really* nice pieces next to ..more loose ones..
You seem to have exagerated musculature and shading down pretty good
Oh and if you like doing storyboards and might want to push them further, try to find some books on cinematography. You can also pay close attention to the movies you're watching and the camera angles the director used.

P.S.: this is one of my favorites

[jayceel]

Hi Hitpawz

Like egerie said, there is a big difference in quality in your work, some looks quite good but others are of poor quality.

Don't show the poor drawings, instead show fewer but good quality drawings. You will be judged on your worst drawings and as a client I would be worried if I would be getting the good or the bad quality work. You have to convince the client that you can do the job.

Never give up, practice and practice and you will get there.

JayCeeL

[hitpawz]

Thanks for the tips guys. I actually put the crappier ones in there on purpose to 'hopefuly' show that I can do quick sketches as well as finished work. I figured that companies would want to see the quick roughs as well as finals. But if you guys think that's a mistake, I'll most likely go in there and remove those dumpy ones.

My site really only encompasses a small portion of my work as there is a LOT left to scan and clean before putting it up. I really appreciate the advice. so thank you. Back to work

[egerie]

Actually, a quick sketch can be quite beautiful. But it takes time and time over to make a good *accurate* one. For example, an artist could put sketches to show it's dynamic poses and gestual strengths. Or another to show it's design drafting skills. It all depends on what you want to show, what are your strong points and what will the viewers think of it.
As jayceel said ( ), your portfolios will ALWAYS be judged on your weaknesses and solely those. So be ultra picky with what you show.

P.S.: You could also do a personal work section to show friends and a portfolio page to show potential employers and the like.

[marc_taro]

Hey - great to hear this good advice! - I completely agree - you are judged by your worst work, not your best. Consistancy is more important than flashes of brilliance....Great to hear confirmation from an independant source that others work the same way when tossing out reels...

Remember, the guy who is looking at your reel has 85 others to get thu, and is likely looking for an excuse to get yours over with quickly...it's a brutaly honest world out there...

~m