Need advice on making tough choices to develop as an artist.
polycounter lvl 9
Hey guys,
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. For the past 4 years I've only worked part time freelance with hard surface stuff in my spare time. For a long time I've wanted to work full time remotely as a freelance artist. I love doing hard surface stuff and currently consider myself an amateur.
Now here is the problem. Looking at job postings on various sites, it seems as though the need for hard surface artists is almost non-existent. People either want a character artist or environment artist. It seems as though now that character artists are branching out and doing the weapons and what not also. It also seems there is much more work for artists who do stylized/handpainted art.
I feel like my options are extremely limited and it's made me feel like I'm on a fence and a choice has to be made.
I feel like my options are:
a. Improve to become a professional hard surface artist, improve on vehicles and then hope to find work for a position that is rare or scarce.
b. Learn and be either an environment artist or character artist. Which would probably take me 2 or more years full time with personal practice to be at amateur level.
c. Be a jack of all trades and be a master at none.
I don't want to waste my time probably doing c and not even getting any work because I'm not experienced enough. I want to know what I can do to get as much work as possible and be as open to opportunities with freelance work. I really want to be a full time freelance artist but I feel like I'm so far behind.
I would love any insight or advice fellow polycounters could give!
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. For the past 4 years I've only worked part time freelance with hard surface stuff in my spare time. For a long time I've wanted to work full time remotely as a freelance artist. I love doing hard surface stuff and currently consider myself an amateur.
Now here is the problem. Looking at job postings on various sites, it seems as though the need for hard surface artists is almost non-existent. People either want a character artist or environment artist. It seems as though now that character artists are branching out and doing the weapons and what not also. It also seems there is much more work for artists who do stylized/handpainted art.
I feel like my options are extremely limited and it's made me feel like I'm on a fence and a choice has to be made.
I feel like my options are:
a. Improve to become a professional hard surface artist, improve on vehicles and then hope to find work for a position that is rare or scarce.
b. Learn and be either an environment artist or character artist. Which would probably take me 2 or more years full time with personal practice to be at amateur level.
c. Be a jack of all trades and be a master at none.
I don't want to waste my time probably doing c and not even getting any work because I'm not experienced enough. I want to know what I can do to get as much work as possible and be as open to opportunities with freelance work. I really want to be a full time freelance artist but I feel like I'm so far behind.
I would love any insight or advice fellow polycounters could give!
Replies
The skills for environment art and hard surface cross over quite a lot, so i would advise doing some modular environments, build the props, etc etc.
I am doing a hard surface role right now, and im sort of in the same boat, as my environment skiils are not as practiced.
However, the skills are sort of the same, you just need to practice a few key skills, like tiling textures, working to a grid, and building\blending materials in an engine, and the rest of your knowledge should cross over well, and certainly faster that you are estimating.
Either way, you definitely want more than one string to your bow if possible, and developing your environment art skills certainly wont be time wasted, so dont worry!
I guess I'm going to push myself to work hard at improving in hard surface. I think I will dedicate an hour of my day to learn as much about enviro as possible. I also one day hope to be okay at characters, but I guess that can be something I do in my spare time instead of watching movies/tv shows.