I'd like to apply for the Concept Artist position but i don't have experience...
I'd like to apply for the Concept Artist position but i don't have experience... 
I don't mean i've the talent and the world class portfolio that Creative Assembly looks for (i visited so many times the CA jobs page in these months that i've almost learned it by heart now ) . I applied months ago when CA was looking for a Concept Artist and i tried to improve from that time. I must improve a lot yet but the point is that one can improve his skills by his own with self motivation, studying, hard work etc
But one can't improve his experience by his own if only professional experience is considered, it's a Catch 22 situation : i can't apply nowhere without experience but this way i will never make the necessary experience...
Do you have any suggestion about this situation, Marks?
(sorry for the long post and thanks a lot if you read it!)
I don't mean i've the talent and the world class portfolio that Creative Assembly looks for (i visited so many times the CA jobs page in these months that i've almost learned it by heart now
) . I applied months ago when CA was looking for a Concept Artist and i tried to improve from that time. I must improve a lot yet but the point is that one can improve his skills by his own with self motivation, studying, hard work etcBut one can't improve his experience by his own if only professional experience is considered, it's a Catch 22 situation : i can't apply nowhere without experience but this way i will never make the necessary experience...
Do you have any suggestion about this situation, Marks?
(sorry for the long post and thanks a lot if you read it!)
Replies
Some good advice on this subject here:
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Game_Industry#How_to_Get_In
Looks like you answered your own question.
It's not the experience, it's the portfolio. Concept art is extremely competitive. I'd say once you start trending / getting recaps with your art, you're closer to a job regardless of experience.
We just hired someone with 0 experience over applicants with experience (some over 8 years).
Hard work man. It's all about the hours you put in. My concept painter friend, he paints all day. All. Day.
That's fine Eric, thanks.
Thanks to you all for your suggestions!
I'm totally fine with being rejected on the base of talent, artistic skills, originality and so on. I do know that is plenty of better artists out there, that's why i try to improve.
And i'm totally fine with asking for experience for a senior position. That's why it's called "senior". I never apply to them, i know my place. But when experience is asked as a required element (and not as a potential bonus. I'm not stupid, i do understand that experience+talent= BOOM.
So, what do you suggest me to do ? to give it a try even if i lack some experience?
In this case "experience" is just a politically correct way for the recruiter to mean "skills".
Just apply even if you don't meet any of the criteria. You'll probably get ignored, but maybe they'll look at your stuff and want to hire you. Just be persistent, keep knocking on that door, work on your skills and you'll get in.
For many of the job offers i've read, you are right Pior. I was talking about when they ask - at any level, not only for senior or lead positions - for a great portfolio + experience in the industry (games or films) and some title shipped yet , an AAA title if possible (and since everything is labelled AAA now, i take it as "a game from a medium/big studio, no matter how the game sucked actually").
To be honest, i've found many job offers, even from nice companies, not asking for experience as a mandatory element and i'm going to apply to them. Mine was not a complaint in general, i was simply asking to Marks an advice about Creative Assembly...let's say, to have more or less an idea of how important they consider experience!
Thanks Rawkstar! I know it's the best thing to do , but i'm the kind of person that hates to bother people... XD I'll try, anyway, let's hope i'll knock at the right door soon or later!
You didn't show us your folio but from your concept for the riot contest you're not there yet at all, you lack a lot of basic skill that you need to mastered to be employ as a concept artist, I would suggest NOT sending folio, and working way more, else you may end up in trash pile and it might be hard to get out.
Well, it's getting a little OT now, it started simply as a question to Marks about Creative Assembly way to consider experience, i know by myself that i need to improve and that i'm not at the level they look for!
Anyway, thanks for your suggestion Odow, even if i couldn't even remember the drawings i did for that contest existed...
About my porftolio, it's a nice idea to show you all my drawings and having some advice, i was simply waiting to finish updating it, i've got a lot of new drawings to add to it that need to be completed!
But anyway, here it is my half done portfolio:
http://www.lucamaria-artworks.com/
Any critic will be appreciated!
Your 2 requirements:
Not an artist position per se but I think the practical experiences you'll get out of it will help you in your quest for your dream role. Assuming they choose you.
You could try Daily Spit Paint every day, I work with a guy and during his lunch break he sits down, reads that days rules, eats his sandwich, has a drink, picks up his wacom, stands up, stretches his fingers, gets a bit of fresh air "he is french" comes back and bang! nails it in 25 - 30 minutes! but then he says it does come naturally after 20 years experience of doing it ever day for 8 hours or more.:)
Also I love this thread - http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php/870-Journey-of-an-Absolute-Rookie-Paintings-and-Sketches?
I see students go in search of this goal, its not an easy path but I always admire their tenacity and the way they improve from daily practice, life drawing, location drawing, following the simple hard rules, posting on forums and being self critical.
Thanks a lot MagicSugar, you've been very kind!
Thanks LittleClaude! you are very kind!
When they write "experience" it doesn't mean anything. If they like your work, they'll hire you. It's as simple as that.
So I'll repeat - pick up your pencil/tablet and start drawing+painting.
I'll give you another advise as well - stay away from job postings and just focus on painting.
I don't think it's that simple.
You can do the art but can you take critiqes and directions? Can you clearly explain to other artists your intentions in your work and why they have to edit their own work if they used your concept but didn't completely follow what you were going for.
How does one image from your portfolio indicate how fast or how slow your are. How much volume of designs can you do?
If you have listed pertinent work experience in your application it would ideally suggest you have worked with others, worked under a demanding schedule, worked under pressure besides knowing your stuff for the level you claim you're at. Sure you could sweet talk yourself during the interview but if you're not ready for the role and fail to meet employer expectations you might be exposed during your probation period.
What Im saying was that you first need the skill above all else. The OP did say it himself about his skill.
Being abpe to take critique is important yes but its not relevant to the OP situation.
Train. And trqin, and train some more. That's the only way the OP will overcome this doubt hes having, and become confident.
@ZacD : let's hope so, one day XD
@Kanga : here it is: http://www.lucamaria-artworks.com/ As i wrote some posts ago, i'm uptading all of it , so it's a half portfolio actually, but at least it's more updated of that thing i did for the Riot contest :poly136:
As i wrote, it's half full since i'm uptating it (i'm finishing another drawing even now
Critics and comments are welcome!
Thanks LittleClaude, i appreciated it! If i had 1% of the talent of the King i'd have no problems...but they were other times.
I know i'm too old for an entry position and perhaps i'll give up. Or with a little luck i'll knock at the right door before giving up, but i believe it less and less every day. We'll see.
Anyway, this all started as a simple question to Marks about Creative Assembly approach, it became something totally different.. XD
He was pretty accomplished and experienced as an artist long before he reached his 40s.
Eh eh, you are right of course, but i think it refers to the Silver Age comics with Stan Lee, not to the beginning of his career!
Looking at your portfolio, two things jump out at me.
First of all;
You don't have a lot of content on there, and what you do have is scattered across several sub sections. What do you want to specialize in? Characters? Props? Environment? Pick one and really take some time to push yourself in that direction. As was mentioned above, Experience is as much proven skill (via your exmaples on your website) as actual employment experience when it comes to applying. Yes, real work experience counts for more, but so does a page of high quality work.
Second, your work is very... loose. I noticed that almost all of your pieces lack hard definition lines. Coming from someone who looks at concept art for modeling reference, sharpness on key features really is what catches my eye. ie; Look at After the Shipwreck. Everthing is equally blurry. With your Red Crested Bdzonk, same thing.
You have a lot of talent
Thanks a lot, you've been really kind!
You found the site a bit empty because yesterday I decided to cancel the majority of things and rebuild the portfolio from (almost) zero, leaving just something (but i think i'll end removing also the ones i left) . At least, talking with you all here lead to this positive decision!
About the blurriness, that's one of my main problems, i know that. I think it's because i don't use a lot of opaque brushes, apart from the initial blockin in, i always fall in the trap of believing that the opaque-controlled ones are more easy to manage - while they only lead to an over worked/blurred look, of course. In the drawings i'm doing now I'm forcing myself to use more opaque brushes and preserve hard edges where they are needed...hoping to find where it is
Let's hope the new drawings will look better!