My friend that I meet in a game works as a 3d artist in AAA game studio and he worked in many studio of high caliber and I asked him what's the best advice for someone looking into getting into a AAA studio and he said that its networking. He did like 30 art tests for his first job but after that he got jobs in other studio just by being recommended by one of his friends that works in that studio, he even stopped updating his portfolio after few years because he didn't need it to get jobs. So make friends guys x)
The point about showing process/sketches is really high-yield, and probably the biggest area for improvement in my own portfolio. And I found the points about generalizing vs specializing, and social media really interesting. I've heard people say that social media presence doesn't translate to jobs, but from this I gather that it doesn't hurt to maintain one.
After many years in the industry, I’ve come to most of these conclusions on my own. Some through instinct, most through trial and error. However it is great to hear these affirmations. The importance of thought processes is everything, especially today. Thanks for doing this Hardy!
Thank you for this video! I’m an art director who has been searching for artists for a new project. I must have gone through 200 applicants in the past 2 weeks diligently and at least half of the applicants are not even designers, and 10 % of them have exaggerated positions on their resumes. I’ve posted about it on linked in and got a lot of negative feedback that I’m the one who gets pay to reject people and I l am just whining that I work too hard. So I really appreciate this very insightful video so I can share.
I'm so glad this was helpful and it's great to hear the art director side of things. I actually might be able to be helpful as a match maker if you are still looking to fill that position - I have worked with some truly great and professional artists over the years and I know plenty of them are looking for projects. If I can be helpful in that regard and provide a short list of vetted, capable pros, please email me at office@digitalpaintingstudio.com
It's because people are poor, which is not your fault. It just feels like for a lot of us, especially those barely scraping by, that it is incredibly unfair that a person in a perceived "financially secured position" effectively makes a judgement on whether we have food on our table this month or not based on seemingly arbitrary things, that people don't always have the knowledge to fully understand. This is obviously just a feeling and in reality it is perfectly normal, that you only need one candidate who is the most suitable to get the role, but rejection stings and in this economy especially so. You also have to consider that the arts are so much more than a regular job in the minds of many people on the outside and to them you aren't only slashing their income, but the dreams too. I feel like, in a way, it really sucks to be you, I can't imagine being forced to reject so many people regularly.
im currently a student in college for 3D designer actually my first year and im already thinking of finding some job rn and honestly this video seems really good and it helped me with some stuff around portfolio. I know how to make portfolio since i got also into art academy but i decided to go with something i was always into. Thank you again for this!
Soooo basically it depends and sometimes its completely the opposite of other times? 👀 Haha half jokes aside, there were some real good chunks of information here, thank you very much for doing this! I‘m taking with me that its good to have a space where you post curated, done pieces that can show off your expertise, as well as a place where you can show off your workflow and more sketches, behind the scenes etc and then show those off accordingly. Plus being a good person to work with in general :)
I was debating with myself if I should be a specialist to do everything. Because I only had a focus on character design. And never gotten nothing , and since I came back doing art, I realise I like doing anything, so thank you for the video. I also decided to open a youtube channel (is not this one,this is my personal account ) to do more illustration stuff since I also found enjoyment to do that.
It's a debate that I've pondered too because I think you can be successful either way - specialist or generalist. I'm glad you enjoy many different categories and I think that really can be an asset in your portfolio. I'd love to check out your channel - would you please share a link or the channel name?
@fowlerillus i just open the channel so is not much to look at 😅 I will make a painting soon so you still want me to give it to you? I also have a tiktok (I know cringe but people convinced me) would like me to pass that too?
@fowlerillus Hello I tried to send you the links but youtube keeps deleting them, is there's any other way? Or is just visual bug? Sorry if I sound desperate I'm just confuse I send them yesterday but now is gone so I'm confused
First of all, thank you for your outstanding video - it was incredibly informative and helpful! I was wondering if you might consider creating a similar analysis from the opposite perspective: how can young authors, writers, and board game designers find artists for collaboration? Specifically, I'd love to hear your thoughts on: • How do artists decide whether to work with a writer, especially when it involves small studios or modest budgets? • What can we offer to experienced artists to interest them in our projects? • Is there any chance of collaborating with renowned masters, even if the project is small or non-commercial (for me, but not for the artist)? Your perspective on this would be incredibly valuable to many of us who are seeking successful collaborations with artists. If other viewers would love to see a video on this topic too, give this comment a thumbs up so Hardy notices our request! 👍🏻
I'm so glad you asked this - that is a point of view that I think we artists probably don't consider as much as we should. First of all, if you are looking to hire artists, please email me at hardy@digitalpaintingstudio.com. I work with many very skillful artists in my mentorship who are looking for project opportunities so I guarantee I can put you in touch with someone awesome to fit your project needs. I love nothing more than connecting capable artists with opportunities :) As for your specific questions - I think there is never any harm in asking. Artists love nothing more than getting inquiry emails out of the blue so never hesitate to reach out. Smart artists will have their business inquiry contact information pasted everywhere. Budget often plays a primary role for me. When multiple projects are available, it just has to make business sense to go with the highest return on finite studio time. However, there are other factors that can definitely play a role and I think this is where small studios with more modest budgets can compete for upper echelon artists. Sometimes it's just an unusually cool or resonant project that will capture the artist's heart - this has certainly been the case for me before. If it's just something that you love and want to be a part of, it can be worth it. There are often other deferred payment systems that can be offered too. Shares or stakes in the company at its founding, profit sharing etc. In my honest opinion, art is an investment and you tend to get what you pay for but it gets returned many times. Getting people excited and capturing their imagination has huge intangible benefits on the ultimate success of a project so this may be an area to splurge in early phases of a project as a down payment on future success. I can't thank you enough for asking this - I hope lots of artists see your comment and consider things from the other side. Please reach out if I can help match you with an artist for your project. Cheers!
@fowlerillus truly! also I think if you know people in the industry you should utilize them. from what I heard many jobs don't hit hiring sites, as they are filled internally
I really love content like this. We're not able to know that because we hardly can talk much with AD when we start and are looking for first contacts in the industry. More AD feedbacks would be really great to be up to date with their needs !
I have recently picked up art again and I am new to digital art so I am struggling with colors. I just watched your 15 years in a single dragon video and I realised I can just approach it the way I did with color pencils. Detail my sketch and let the values build slow and steady. I love that process the most as I have a background in watercolor and color pencil. Thank you and if you dont mind may I ask your age sir. If you're 15 years in where did you start and why? Thank you for you help. Peace and love
That sounds really similar so I hope that method translates well for you. I agree, it's all about having control and letting things develop slowly. I don't mind at all! I am 42 and I would say I started working professionally as a concept artist in 2009. I always loved to draw and my ideal job as a young person would have been to just be able to draw cool things all day (I'm living the dream!). I studied graphic design in college which seemed like the closest thing to that but I really hated building web pages and logos so I went to graduate school to study medical illustration. This was much closer to what I wanted and gave me a really great anatomy base. I got a job at a medical illustration studio and I worked there for 14 years. It wasn't quite the creative "cool art" job that I always wanted though so I started very slowly building a concept art career after hours until that was finally stable enough to quit my day job (which I did in 2021) and do cool art full time.
Hi Hardy! I've learned so much from your videos, and have a quick question regarding having a sketch book. Can your sketches be shape designs? I'm only asking as I've been learning so much about creating from shapes and digitally painting, that making line sketches feels foreign now. Is that something that is acceptable to ADs? Thanks again for all your great content!
Awesome question. While I can't speak for all art directors - I think that shape designs are completely valid as loose, expressive explorations and I consider them roughly the same thing as line sketches. A sheet of really nice shape explorations has the same value in my opinion and I have a hunch that this might actually be preferable to some art directors. I say go for it!
do you have any advice for 3d artist, especially ones like myself who want to be character artist, but not sure if i should use the style of the studio i want to work in (Fortiche Prod) or make my own that are similar?
Hi! I don't have any experience in the 3D part of the market but I would imagine that a lot of the same ideas apply. We want to get our very best work in front of the art director as quickly and easily as possible to hold their attention and seem like a problem solver. As for emulating the style of a certain studio - that is a question that 2D artists wrestle with as well. I think a middle ground approach works best. Rather than going all in on Blizzard style for example - choose something that is stylized but not super focused on their particular niche. That way your work feels familiar and applicable to them but also to a wide variety of other companies so that you aren't over committing to one single shop. Again - not sure if this advice applies, but I suspect that it does. Cheers!
Hey hardy One of my tutors on cgma was saying that atm there is a big struggle/freeze in finding jobs in the industry im curious wether that is something you have also noticed?
Great question and yes, that is what I'm hearing as well. As I understand it, in the last few years lots of the larger studios have merged which led to lots of layoffs that have rippled through our industry. I have been lucky as I mainly work as a freelancer and a contractor which gives me some flexibility. I hate to say this while so many of our colleagues are struggling, but I have personally never been busier and there are still opportunities out there for artists to start careers even in this industry climate. My hope is that the 2-5 year outlook for the industry will improve as the upheaval settles and as indie companies fill in the gaps. People still want to play cool games and watch cool movies so the market should help correct this. Hoping for better days ahead!
@@fowlerillus Sorry for missing this. There's definitely a market, ableit not a big one, sometimes I feel pressured to change my style to have better opportunities. Not to mention being flexible with styles is always a plus in the industry. I've been trying more realistic styles and it hasn't bother me, but it definitely doesn't have the appeal more asian-stylized works have. Guess I have to decide what's more important for me. Thanks for the message!
If employers won't take school work for portfolios, then the entire industry is going to become a walled garden that will eventually run out of people.
That's a good point but I think the comment was more about showing still life studies and that sort of thing. If you do projects that simulate industry assignments as part of your school work, then I think you can work around this catch 22. Also - I love the term "walled garden" :)
My friend that I meet in a game works as a 3d artist in AAA game studio and he worked in many studio of high caliber and I asked him what's the best advice for someone looking into getting into a AAA studio and he said that its networking. He did like 30 art tests for his first job but after that he got jobs in other studio just by being recommended by one of his friends that works in that studio, he even stopped updating his portfolio after few years because he didn't need it to get jobs. So make friends guys x)
That’s awesome advice. I’m at Lightbox Expo right now and it is a flurry of networking and I suspect careers are being made left and right
The point about showing process/sketches is really high-yield, and probably the biggest area for improvement in my own portfolio. And I found the points about generalizing vs specializing, and social media really interesting. I've heard people say that social media presence doesn't translate to jobs, but from this I gather that it doesn't hurt to maintain one.
Awesome! Thanks for your perspectives about this.
After many years in the industry, I’ve come to most of these conclusions on my own. Some through instinct, most through trial and error. However it is great to hear these affirmations. The importance of thought processes is everything, especially today. Thanks for doing this Hardy!
Thanks for the perspectives and I'm really glad to hear that these answers track with your experiences. Good to get a pro artist's input here. Thanks!
"As an inquisitive child...." is the best part of this video 🤣🤣
Haha
Thank you for this video! I’m an art director who has been searching for artists for a new project. I must have gone through 200 applicants in the past 2 weeks diligently and at least half of the applicants are not even designers, and 10 % of them have exaggerated positions on their resumes. I’ve posted about it on linked in and got a lot of negative feedback that I’m the one who gets pay to reject people and I l am just
whining that I work too hard. So I really appreciate this very insightful video so I can share.
I'm so glad this was helpful and it's great to hear the art director side of things. I actually might be able to be helpful as a match maker if you are still looking to fill that position - I have worked with some truly great and professional artists over the years and I know plenty of them are looking for projects. If I can be helpful in that regard and provide a short list of vetted, capable pros, please email me at office@digitalpaintingstudio.com
It's because people are poor, which is not your fault. It just feels like for a lot of us, especially those barely scraping by, that it is incredibly unfair that a person in a perceived "financially secured position" effectively makes a judgement on whether we have food on our table this month or not based on seemingly arbitrary things, that people don't always have the knowledge to fully understand. This is obviously just a feeling and in reality it is perfectly normal, that you only need one candidate who is the most suitable to get the role, but rejection stings and in this economy especially so. You also have to consider that the arts are so much more than a regular job in the minds of many people on the outside and to them you aren't only slashing their income, but the dreams too. I feel like, in a way, it really sucks to be you, I can't imagine being forced to reject so many people regularly.
im currently a student in college for 3D designer actually my first year and im already thinking of finding some job rn and honestly this video seems really good and it helped me with some stuff around portfolio. I know how to make portfolio since i got also into art academy but i decided to go with something i was always into. Thank you again for this!
Awesome! Glad this was helpful
Found your channel recently and just wanted to say thanks! A lot of valuable information here.
Soooo basically it depends and sometimes its completely the opposite of other times? 👀
Haha half jokes aside, there were some real good chunks of information here, thank you very much for doing this!
I‘m taking with me that its good to have a space where you post curated, done pieces that can show off your expertise, as well as a place where you can show off your workflow and more sketches, behind the scenes etc and then show those off accordingly. Plus being a good person to work with in general :)
I think that's right! I'm glad this was helpful
This was so helpful, def going to check out the full blog article. Thanks for doing the work on this!
Awesome, glad this was helpful!
This was a great video with solid insight and info. Thank you for doing this!
I'm glad you found it helpful!
Great vid. Really appreciate the effort to create and put this out here for artists to learn from.
I'm glad you found it helpful!
I was debating with myself if I should be a specialist to do everything. Because I only had a focus on character design. And never gotten nothing , and since I came back doing art, I realise I like doing anything, so thank you for the video. I also decided to open a youtube channel (is not this one,this is my personal account ) to do more illustration stuff since I also found enjoyment to do that.
It's a debate that I've pondered too because I think you can be successful either way - specialist or generalist. I'm glad you enjoy many different categories and I think that really can be an asset in your portfolio. I'd love to check out your channel - would you please share a link or the channel name?
@fowlerillus i just open the channel so is not much to look at 😅 I will make a painting soon so you still want me to give it to you? I also have a tiktok (I know cringe but people convinced me) would like me to pass that too?
@@mrwhitey2027 Sure! No rush but whenever you're ready to share it, I'd love to see it
@fowlerillus Hello I tried to send you the links but youtube keeps deleting them, is there's any other way? Or is just visual bug? Sorry if I sound desperate I'm just confuse I send them yesterday but now is gone so I'm confused
Great! One of the best contents I could see today!
Thanks! Glad you liked it :)
First of all, thank you for your outstanding video - it was incredibly informative and helpful!
I was wondering if you might consider creating a similar analysis from the opposite perspective: how can young authors, writers, and board game designers find artists for collaboration?
Specifically, I'd love to hear your thoughts on:
• How do artists decide whether to work with a writer, especially when it involves small studios or modest budgets?
• What can we offer to experienced artists to interest them in our projects?
• Is there any chance of collaborating with renowned masters, even if the project is small or non-commercial (for me, but not for the artist)?
Your perspective on this would be incredibly valuable to many of us who are seeking successful collaborations with artists.
If other viewers would love to see a video on this topic too, give this comment a thumbs up so Hardy notices our request! 👍🏻
I'm so glad you asked this - that is a point of view that I think we artists probably don't consider as much as we should. First of all, if you are looking to hire artists, please email me at hardy@digitalpaintingstudio.com. I work with many very skillful artists in my mentorship who are looking for project opportunities so I guarantee I can put you in touch with someone awesome to fit your project needs. I love nothing more than connecting capable artists with opportunities :)
As for your specific questions - I think there is never any harm in asking. Artists love nothing more than getting inquiry emails out of the blue so never hesitate to reach out. Smart artists will have their business inquiry contact information pasted everywhere. Budget often plays a primary role for me. When multiple projects are available, it just has to make business sense to go with the highest return on finite studio time. However, there are other factors that can definitely play a role and I think this is where small studios with more modest budgets can compete for upper echelon artists. Sometimes it's just an unusually cool or resonant project that will capture the artist's heart - this has certainly been the case for me before. If it's just something that you love and want to be a part of, it can be worth it. There are often other deferred payment systems that can be offered too. Shares or stakes in the company at its founding, profit sharing etc.
In my honest opinion, art is an investment and you tend to get what you pay for but it gets returned many times. Getting people excited and capturing their imagination has huge intangible benefits on the ultimate success of a project so this may be an area to splurge in early phases of a project as a down payment on future success.
I can't thank you enough for asking this - I hope lots of artists see your comment and consider things from the other side. Please reach out if I can help match you with an artist for your project. Cheers!
This is really awesome this helps a looot and am really thankful for the effort you went through Hardy you are amazing 🙏
Thanks, I'm glad it was helpful!
1. You have the exact same jacket I do
2. This is incredibly helpful, thx!
Very comfy hoodie :) I'm glad this was helpful
Thanks for the video, Hardy! Very insightful.
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful.
This is great information and will definitely help when refining a portfolio. Thank you so much, Hardy!
Awesome, glad it was helpful!
HUGE, thanks Hardy!
My pleasure. Glad it was helpful
Thank you for the insight, Hardy!
I'm glad it was helpful!
this is amazing
thanks hardy
Awesome. I’m so glad it was helpful
@fowlerillus truly! also I think if you know people in the industry you should utilize them. from what I heard many jobs don't hit hiring sites, as they are filled internally
I really love content like this. We're not able to know that because we hardly can talk much with AD when we start and are looking for first contacts in the industry. More AD feedbacks would be really great to be up to date with their needs !
Great to know! Thanks and I'm glad you liked it
This was sooo Helpful! 👍
Thank you !!!
I'm glad it was helpful!
Great Video. It helps so much to have feedbacks from Art Directors. Thank you Hardy !
You're welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful.
thank you so much this is so helpful
Awesome!
It blows my mind that someone is looking for artists on Deviantart in 2024
I was surprised by that too! I actually thought I remembered hearing that it went under but I guess it’s still an option. Interesting
Thank u for doing this!
My pleasure. Glad it was helpful
Thanks a lot for that, It's stay hard because every art directors want somethings differents.
That’s true, each need is a little different but hopefully there are some common threads too
@@fowlerillus Yes I find advices that I hear before, I share this video with my ex schoolmates !
I have recently picked up art again and I am new to digital art so I am struggling with colors. I just watched your 15 years in a single dragon video and I realised I can just approach it the way I did with color pencils. Detail my sketch and let the values build slow and steady. I love that process the most as I have a background in watercolor and color pencil. Thank you and if you dont mind may I ask your age sir. If you're 15 years in where did you start and why? Thank you for you help. Peace and love
That sounds really similar so I hope that method translates well for you. I agree, it's all about having control and letting things develop slowly. I don't mind at all! I am 42 and I would say I started working professionally as a concept artist in 2009. I always loved to draw and my ideal job as a young person would have been to just be able to draw cool things all day (I'm living the dream!). I studied graphic design in college which seemed like the closest thing to that but I really hated building web pages and logos so I went to graduate school to study medical illustration. This was much closer to what I wanted and gave me a really great anatomy base. I got a job at a medical illustration studio and I worked there for 14 years. It wasn't quite the creative "cool art" job that I always wanted though so I started very slowly building a concept art career after hours until that was finally stable enough to quit my day job (which I did in 2021) and do cool art full time.
@fowlerillus lovely... I feel great knowing you reached your dream🙏 ... Thank you so much for replying... 🙌🔥
This was such a great and insightful video, Hardy! But daamn, that cliff hanger. :D 10/10
Right?! Haha. More to follow!
Thanks !
My pleasure!
What is really good portfolio at this time? Yes, it’s portfolio with high ranking friend, family or partner in the company 😊
Truth. Networking is important and a hard thing to do
Hi Hardy! I've learned so much from your videos, and have a quick question regarding having a sketch book. Can your sketches be shape designs? I'm only asking as I've been learning so much about creating from shapes and digitally painting, that making line sketches feels foreign now.
Is that something that is acceptable to ADs? Thanks again for all your great content!
Awesome question. While I can't speak for all art directors - I think that shape designs are completely valid as loose, expressive explorations and I consider them roughly the same thing as line sketches. A sheet of really nice shape explorations has the same value in my opinion and I have a hunch that this might actually be preferable to some art directors. I say go for it!
@@fowlerillus will do! Loving the challenges every month in the discord server!
do you have any advice for 3d artist, especially ones like myself who want to be character artist, but not sure if i should use the style of the studio i want to work in (Fortiche Prod) or make my own that are similar?
Hi! I don't have any experience in the 3D part of the market but I would imagine that a lot of the same ideas apply. We want to get our very best work in front of the art director as quickly and easily as possible to hold their attention and seem like a problem solver. As for emulating the style of a certain studio - that is a question that 2D artists wrestle with as well. I think a middle ground approach works best. Rather than going all in on Blizzard style for example - choose something that is stylized but not super focused on their particular niche. That way your work feels familiar and applicable to them but also to a wide variety of other companies so that you aren't over committing to one single shop. Again - not sure if this advice applies, but I suspect that it does. Cheers!
Hey hardy One of my tutors on cgma was saying that atm there is a big struggle/freeze in finding jobs in the industry im curious wether that is something you have also noticed?
Great question and yes, that is what I'm hearing as well. As I understand it, in the last few years lots of the larger studios have merged which led to lots of layoffs that have rippled through our industry. I have been lucky as I mainly work as a freelancer and a contractor which gives me some flexibility. I hate to say this while so many of our colleagues are struggling, but I have personally never been busier and there are still opportunities out there for artists to start careers even in this industry climate. My hope is that the 2-5 year outlook for the industry will improve as the upheaval settles and as indie companies fill in the gaps. People still want to play cool games and watch cool movies so the market should help correct this. Hoping for better days ahead!
Dude!
🤘
Now I feel bad for sending my anime portfolio to all companies lol
Don't feel bad! :) there is definitely a market for that but it's all about targeting the work for the job you want.
@@fowlerillus Sorry for missing this.
There's definitely a market, ableit not a big one, sometimes I feel pressured to change my style to have better opportunities. Not to mention being flexible with styles is always a plus in the industry.
I've been trying more realistic styles and it hasn't bother me, but it definitely doesn't have the appeal more asian-stylized works have. Guess I have to decide what's more important for me.
Thanks for the message!
You're so cute
😎
If employers won't take school work for portfolios, then the entire industry is going to become a walled garden that will eventually run out of people.
That's a good point but I think the comment was more about showing still life studies and that sort of thing. If you do projects that simulate industry assignments as part of your school work, then I think you can work around this catch 22. Also - I love the term "walled garden" :)