Marketing for Artists
polycounter lvl 18
Hey guys, long time no see.
Last night I wrote up a small article on helping budding artists jump-start their careers based on my experience. I thought some of you might like to read it.
Direct link here: Marketing for Artists
And reposted below:
Marketing for Artists
I find myself in a lot of conversations with budding young artists seeking to get ahead in the world asking me advice on just how to go about that. I've examined a lot of individual cases and I've noticed a few common mistakes artists make that destroy their chances of getting ahead, and most of them stem from a lack of understanding of marketing themselves. I've noticed a few techniques that artist hopefuls can use to get ahead in the art field.
First, DIFFERENTIATE.
99% of artists I've seen make the same four models: Space marine, naked man, naked woman, and character from a recently released movie. If everyone's making the same model, how is anyone going to stand out? Being an artist that creates high quality assets is important, but quality should not be the only differentiator between you and another artist.
Consider this: If a potential employer is looking for a new artist, in a "market" where there are hundreds of space marines, how likely is it that your space marine is going to be the very best out of all of them? Not very.
The most obvious (and most overlooked) solution for this is to choose subject matter that no one else is doing. If you create a "market" for a certain type of art by choosing something unique, who is there to compare and contrast against? Who's the competition? It also makes it that much easier to be remembered as "the guy that paints amazing metal" or "the guy that makes incredible fantasy creatures."
Let's face it; managers hiring artists are going to look through dozens of portfolios to find a worthy artist. If you're making exactly the same art as anyone else, what reason does this guy have to remember you?
Look at what other people aren't making, and make it well. Find a niche, an untapped potential market for a new or different type of art, and become the undisputed master of that art. If you do it right, you'll be seen as the originator, and everyone else will be a copycat. That's the benefit of being first. If you can't be the leader of something, find something you can be the leader of.
Let your portfolio reflect your personality, your uniqueness, your inner fire. You're the only one that cares about you, so try to communicate why other people should care and remember you, too, through your artwork. That's all they'll care about.
Second, BE OMNIPRESENT.
Were you the kid in high school who sat alone in a corner, ignored everyone and filled his sketchbook with his drawings? Keep the art focus, but lose the antisocial behavior. Keeping to yourself is the fastest possible way to failure and ruin. Period.
Woody Allen once said, eighty percent of success is showing up. That's one of the single most profound statements I've ever taken to heart.
Find a message board or website that focuses on art and start posting. Comment on other peoples' work, give helpful advice, be friendly, and make friends. Build a network of friends and acquaintances and surround yourself with them all the time. Be social. Network. Thrive.
To put this in perspective, every contract and every job I've ever gotten was the result of having known a guy that knows a guy. No cold calls, no internships, no open assault of job applications. My career was created entirely through networking. This can work for anyone, because the more people you talk to, the more likely it is that opportunities will literally come to you.
So get out there, make friends, and create a presence. Always be there. Always have a voice. Always have a personality. Be yourself.
Never make enemies, because the guy you just said stank mightily of elderberries could be the art director of a company you desperately want to work for in the future. I've actually heard of this happening many times, so don't shoot off at the mouth and hit yourself in the foot.
I'll say it again: If you think you can succeed by being antisocial, get comfortable mopping floors.
Third, VALUATE.
Learn to qualify peoples' opinions. Not every opinion is equal. Anyone that tells you otherwise is absolutely, one-hundred-percent wrong. They may be nice and cool and seem sincere, but if you keep listening to them, they will destroy your ability to tell good advice from bad. You'll never know who's trying to help you grow and who's trying not to hurt your feelings. You'll consider the opinion of the tried and true professional to be equal to the worthless fanboy that thinks Leonardo da Vinci was the Ninja Turtle with the orange mask. (That was Michelangelo. Duh.)
Does "Hey, that looks great, don't change a thing!" sound familiar? No piece of art is without flaw, and rarely does an artist not have an opinion. If you want to feel good about your art, by all means, listen to these people and don't bother improving. But if you want your art to get better and be fit for a professional development environment, listen to the people whose comments hurt the most.
The people that rip your work apart the hardest are the people that genuinely want to help you. Think about it. They took the time to look at your work, think it over and write out a response. Your mom may think you're just the best guy ever and think you deserve all the attention in the world, but you don't. Time and attention is respect.
Show them the same respect and never turn them away. Be grateful. Learn to face the pain head-on. The comments hurt because they are true, and deep down, you know it. Get used to being broken down, and never fail to build yourself back up, stronger than before. Getting your feelings hurt is a part of life, and successful people learn to pick themselves up and try harder next time.
As you meet these people, acquire a mentor. Find someone better than you that knows what they're doing, is honest, and likes you. Become friends. The only reason I rose from a mewling mediocrity to a professional artist is because of mentors that invested time and attention in me. Drop your ego and open yourself to learning, and never, ever backtalk if you truly trust their opinion.
Finally, FREELANCE.
Your best bet toward getting a job making art is to simulate the job experience in every way you can. Join a mod. Design levels. Make player models. Most importantly, finish them.
Find as many ways as possible to gain experience making real, usable, ingame assets. There's a world of difference between making a model in a 3D application and making it work in the game, and that difference is what separates the amateurs from the professionals.
When you select a mod or contract to take on, decide in advance what you intend to learn from it and how you plan to grow. Every step I've ever taken in my career was considered in regards to what specific experience I'll gain from it. In my eagerness for experience, I have willingly eaten a considerable amount of dirt to get the experience I needed to move forward. Identify the gaps in your education and seek to fill them through hands-on experience. Always, always, always finish what you start.
And there you have it.
That's all I have to say on the subject. Depending on how well this is received, I may write a guide soon on how to dramatically increase your chances of getting a job based on my experiences as a salesman and as a hapless artist trying desperately to become employed. It's truly remarkable how simple it can be, and how so many people miss out on it.
Hope you guys like it.
Last night I wrote up a small article on helping budding artists jump-start their careers based on my experience. I thought some of you might like to read it.
Direct link here: Marketing for Artists
And reposted below:
Marketing for Artists
I find myself in a lot of conversations with budding young artists seeking to get ahead in the world asking me advice on just how to go about that. I've examined a lot of individual cases and I've noticed a few common mistakes artists make that destroy their chances of getting ahead, and most of them stem from a lack of understanding of marketing themselves. I've noticed a few techniques that artist hopefuls can use to get ahead in the art field.
First, DIFFERENTIATE.
99% of artists I've seen make the same four models: Space marine, naked man, naked woman, and character from a recently released movie. If everyone's making the same model, how is anyone going to stand out? Being an artist that creates high quality assets is important, but quality should not be the only differentiator between you and another artist.
Consider this: If a potential employer is looking for a new artist, in a "market" where there are hundreds of space marines, how likely is it that your space marine is going to be the very best out of all of them? Not very.
The most obvious (and most overlooked) solution for this is to choose subject matter that no one else is doing. If you create a "market" for a certain type of art by choosing something unique, who is there to compare and contrast against? Who's the competition? It also makes it that much easier to be remembered as "the guy that paints amazing metal" or "the guy that makes incredible fantasy creatures."
Let's face it; managers hiring artists are going to look through dozens of portfolios to find a worthy artist. If you're making exactly the same art as anyone else, what reason does this guy have to remember you?
Look at what other people aren't making, and make it well. Find a niche, an untapped potential market for a new or different type of art, and become the undisputed master of that art. If you do it right, you'll be seen as the originator, and everyone else will be a copycat. That's the benefit of being first. If you can't be the leader of something, find something you can be the leader of.
Let your portfolio reflect your personality, your uniqueness, your inner fire. You're the only one that cares about you, so try to communicate why other people should care and remember you, too, through your artwork. That's all they'll care about.
Second, BE OMNIPRESENT.
Were you the kid in high school who sat alone in a corner, ignored everyone and filled his sketchbook with his drawings? Keep the art focus, but lose the antisocial behavior. Keeping to yourself is the fastest possible way to failure and ruin. Period.
Woody Allen once said, eighty percent of success is showing up. That's one of the single most profound statements I've ever taken to heart.
Find a message board or website that focuses on art and start posting. Comment on other peoples' work, give helpful advice, be friendly, and make friends. Build a network of friends and acquaintances and surround yourself with them all the time. Be social. Network. Thrive.
To put this in perspective, every contract and every job I've ever gotten was the result of having known a guy that knows a guy. No cold calls, no internships, no open assault of job applications. My career was created entirely through networking. This can work for anyone, because the more people you talk to, the more likely it is that opportunities will literally come to you.
So get out there, make friends, and create a presence. Always be there. Always have a voice. Always have a personality. Be yourself.
Never make enemies, because the guy you just said stank mightily of elderberries could be the art director of a company you desperately want to work for in the future. I've actually heard of this happening many times, so don't shoot off at the mouth and hit yourself in the foot.
I'll say it again: If you think you can succeed by being antisocial, get comfortable mopping floors.
Third, VALUATE.
Learn to qualify peoples' opinions. Not every opinion is equal. Anyone that tells you otherwise is absolutely, one-hundred-percent wrong. They may be nice and cool and seem sincere, but if you keep listening to them, they will destroy your ability to tell good advice from bad. You'll never know who's trying to help you grow and who's trying not to hurt your feelings. You'll consider the opinion of the tried and true professional to be equal to the worthless fanboy that thinks Leonardo da Vinci was the Ninja Turtle with the orange mask. (That was Michelangelo. Duh.)
Does "Hey, that looks great, don't change a thing!" sound familiar? No piece of art is without flaw, and rarely does an artist not have an opinion. If you want to feel good about your art, by all means, listen to these people and don't bother improving. But if you want your art to get better and be fit for a professional development environment, listen to the people whose comments hurt the most.
The people that rip your work apart the hardest are the people that genuinely want to help you. Think about it. They took the time to look at your work, think it over and write out a response. Your mom may think you're just the best guy ever and think you deserve all the attention in the world, but you don't. Time and attention is respect.
Show them the same respect and never turn them away. Be grateful. Learn to face the pain head-on. The comments hurt because they are true, and deep down, you know it. Get used to being broken down, and never fail to build yourself back up, stronger than before. Getting your feelings hurt is a part of life, and successful people learn to pick themselves up and try harder next time.
As you meet these people, acquire a mentor. Find someone better than you that knows what they're doing, is honest, and likes you. Become friends. The only reason I rose from a mewling mediocrity to a professional artist is because of mentors that invested time and attention in me. Drop your ego and open yourself to learning, and never, ever backtalk if you truly trust their opinion.
Finally, FREELANCE.
Your best bet toward getting a job making art is to simulate the job experience in every way you can. Join a mod. Design levels. Make player models. Most importantly, finish them.
Find as many ways as possible to gain experience making real, usable, ingame assets. There's a world of difference between making a model in a 3D application and making it work in the game, and that difference is what separates the amateurs from the professionals.
When you select a mod or contract to take on, decide in advance what you intend to learn from it and how you plan to grow. Every step I've ever taken in my career was considered in regards to what specific experience I'll gain from it. In my eagerness for experience, I have willingly eaten a considerable amount of dirt to get the experience I needed to move forward. Identify the gaps in your education and seek to fill them through hands-on experience. Always, always, always finish what you start.
And there you have it.
That's all I have to say on the subject. Depending on how well this is received, I may write a guide soon on how to dramatically increase your chances of getting a job based on my experiences as a salesman and as a hapless artist trying desperately to become employed. It's truly remarkable how simple it can be, and how so many people miss out on it.
Hope you guys like it.
Replies
But I find it a bit funny because a recent space marine model that I created has attracted allot of attention and job offers my way. There is always an exception to the rule however people looking to get employed would do well to listen to this.
Always, always, always finish what you start.
Good read, I agree with it all. Specifically the networking part...scratch their back and they scratch yours.
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Hey guys, long time no see.
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lose the antisocial behavior. Keeping to yourself is the fastest possible way to failure and ruin.
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great post and good to have you back
Spacemonkey, well, clearly your work is closer to the high end of the spectrum, and major congrats for that.
Slayerjerman, it's not just about that, it's just great to surround yourself with friends that share the same interests. Being social is its own reward, and it really makes me happy whenever I can help someone out.
Marine, aw, pooh! I have been busy... for example, I'm the character artist on the new Daxter game for the PSP. woo.
Posting in multiple forums, entering competitions which often involve Dev studios eg Cgchats monthly comp, all of it helps create awareness.
hmph.
so, if everyone liked to beat me up during class breaks - do i still count as "OMNIPRESENT"?
Only if they distributed you evenly over the classroom walls.
Keeping to yourself is the fastest possible way to failure and ruin. Period.
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How about Compromise? What you proceed to mention may simply not be whom that person is. So we end up with someone pretending to be someone else versus themselves.
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I'll say it again: If you think you can succeed by being antisocial, get comfortable mopping floors.
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Again, there has to be a compromise. You yourself later on mention valuate. What worked for you may not work for others. I agree with taking criticism. You kinda loose me in a red haze though with friendliness. Do you mean friendliness or more acceptance? One can't possibly be friendly with everyone without loosing oneself in the process. How about instead show respect? Moreover, I can usually tell when someone is trying to be friendly for the sake of themselves versus actually because they have a interest in you the person. I would suspect art directors have acquired this survival skill also.
I know what you are saying, I just have a problem with the phrasing of that portion. Especially given my own experiences and personality. Im better than a mop, as all people are here. Just because we choose not to fake ourselves for others should not doom us. If it does, then this world is also doomed. I choose not to believe this as I hope you.
I agree with Shine on this fact. If no one knows who you are, you can give it any kind of honorable reasoning you want, you're still gonna be mopping floors, or working at a third rate game dev.
Rather than faking it, start being more social. It's not "losing yourself" it's learning how to be more friendly, and investing yourself in the lives of others more readily. That's something you should desire anyway, not just for better job possibilities, but to be a better person in general.
It's not easy or enjoyable to work alongside people who "keep themselves to themselves", mostly...
However, yes, I am an idealist. And no, its not going to go away. Without hope, I frankly don't want to live in your world.
Salvador Dali did exactly this. He played the public like a violin and still did exactly what he wanted to do. He's one of my art heroes because of this quality.
It's not easy or enjoyable to work alongside people who "keep themselves to themselves", mostly...
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It can also make work hard or strained if people are not effective communicators. Quite a few times I have worked with the quite ones and because they didn't speak up and ask for help no one knew they where behind until it was too late.
It's not easy or enjoyable to work alongside people who "keep themselves to themselves", mostly...
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Hey now. Say what you will about cochtl, but he's a super swell guy. In fact, I can say that I love him.... in a nonsexual, humorous kind of way.
and i liked Poops reply about trying to be a better person, generaly i think if you actually care about the people around you , no matter who they are. others will see that.
sorta like karma
Salvador Dali did exactly this. He played the public like a violin and still did exactly what he wanted to do. He's one of my art heroes because of this quality.
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Including selling blank canvases with hes signature
So unless we are going to get into some kind of existential argument obout personality being freeflowing and adapting for the benefit of others which raises the quagmire of personal identity and freewill (I.E. Who am I really if I have no concrete basis, thus does "I" even exist?). Well, I think we would have to agree that everything if nothing else is a matter of balance. Which is what I was trying to say.
To me, there is no "period". There is however, compromise. Which personally translates to interacting with others, but not to the degree of fabricating/masking yourself just to gain those contacts.
Let us meditate on this wisdom..
polygooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
Oxy, you're hearing a lot of things I never said.
I used to be a seemingly uncurable introvert with no social skills. That wasn't working out for me, so I changed. Things got easier. No faking, no lies, no superficiality. Honest, sincere change through hard work and determination.
Being fake and dishonest takes a lot more effort than simply being genuine. When you're honest, keeping a consistent persona is automatic because you're just being yourself. Why bother lying?
People can and do change. All I'm saying in the article is that if you want to be successful, these pointers can make it a lot easier. You could probably make it by ignoring them all and doing it your own way. But it's so much more effective to follow them that deliberately choosing not to is counter-productive.
r.
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It's not easy or enjoyable to work alongside people who "keep themselves to themselves", mostly...
[/ QUOTE ]
Hey now. Say what you will about cochtl, but he's a super swell guy. In fact, I can say that I love him.... in a nonsexual, humorous kind of way.
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i love cochtl in a sexual way.....