Website: http://artofphilwohr.blogspot.com/
In this first part of the interview, we asked Phil Whor specific questions about what it’s like to be a concept artist in the entertainment industry, dispel a few common misconceptions that aspiring artists tend to have about the field, and discuss his educational background. Here’s what he had to say:
HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU DECIDED TO COMMIT TO BEING AN ARTIST AND WHAT WERE YOUR MOTIVATIONS/ INSPIRATIONS?
I liked creating art from a very young age,but I decided to seriously pursue art as a career when I was in middle school. I had seen artwork done for platformer games and was really interested in going down that path. Later in high school someone had visited one of my art classes who was in the industry and that further motivated me to continue my efforts. A friend of mine who was also into creating art, had a Warhammer 40k tabletop book that had some pretty awesome art in it and we used to make our own card art games and stuff inspired by that book.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES?
I really like the flexibility, the creative outlet, and working with other people to achieve an artistic vision that’s larger than what’s possible for a single person to create.
One of the biggest challenges of the job for me is being faced with those tasks that are less interesting (like making icons or website stuff etc.). I’ve learned to regard these types of tasks as the “work” part of the job, which helps me appreciate the interesting ones more.
An even more challenging part of this job, is finding the right job/employer or working environment since each company manages their artists differently. Some places can make employees feel “used” or just put you in situations where you aren’t really getting to do either the kind of work you want, or aren’t getting to collaborate in a relaxed environment.
ARE THERE ANY MISCONCEPTIONS YOU THINK STUDENTS TEND TO HAVE ABOUT CONCEPT ART AND ILLUSTRATION, THE JOB AND/ OR THE CAREER THAT YOU WISH TO SET STRAIGHT?
A lot of what you work on will be dictated to you. You still get to be creative but sometimes the things you have to concept isn’t always exciting or will generate portfolio pieces. Don’t think you are going to get in this industry and only make awesome drawings of characters all day, every day. Some people do get jobs like that, but most don’t. Studios have a really wide variety of things needing to be created, so you might get some awesome character piece one day, but then the next, you might be making tiny icon images for spells, or concepting things like crates and barrels. As long as the job has a decent balance of stuff that’s helping your career, then it’s important to keep a good attitude about it.
CAN YOU SHARE A PERSONAL STORY, ABOUT A HARD LESSON THAT YOU LEARNED, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, HAD YOU BEEN BETTER INFORMED?
I had a job where I was working on a project that was really not exciting to me, and I was still pretty new to the industry. I did some complaining about what I was working on because I thought every one else felt the same about not liking the project. Well later that week I got called into the art directors office because it turned out some people on the project really liked what we were doing a lot. I hadn’t been very sensitive to the fact that there were other people that liked the style I didn’t. I apologized and let them know I had just thought I was commiserating and didn’t realize I was upsetting some people. After that I tried much harder to keep a good attitude about things and they liked the change so it worked out.
Every one has different taste so just try to be sensitive so as not to accidentally insult someone. Always try to keep a good attitude about any work you do.
This concludes Part 1 of our interview with Phil Wohr. In Part two, we discuss with Phil his Dos and DONTs of portfolio building, how he branded and marketed himself in the beginning, and much more. All images used with permission by the artist. ©Phil Whor.
Website
http://artofphilwohr.blogspot.com/
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this interview, where we asked him specific questions about what it’s like to be a concept artist in the entertainment industry, dispel a few common misconceptions that aspiring artists tend to have about the field, and discuss his educational background. Here, in part two of this interview, we ask Phil Wohr specific questions about building his portfolio, marketing himself in the industry and more. Here’s what Phil Wohr had to say:
WHAT ARE YOUR LIST OF DOS AND DON’TS TO BUILDING A STRONG PORTFOLIO?
When building a portfolio it is important to show your strengths and your range. It is equally important to remove weaker pieces that no longer represent your abilities.
Also tailoring a portfolio towards a specific position can be helpful. Most of these companies like to see that you already have pieces in your portfolio that would be acceptable as concepts in their game, or are at least close. So, for example, if you want to work for a company that does cartoony style stuff, your portfolio should have at least some of that in it. Have others look at your portfolio and help you decide what pieces are bringing it down. It’s much better to have a portfolio with 20 strong pieces than one with 20 plus 5 pieces that aren’t as good. Those weaker pieces will make people think that you are at a lower overall skill level. Also, even if you have 100 strong pieces, try to bring it down to a manageable number so the other person can get through it. If there are too many, they’ll probably only look at half of them and those might not be the strongest ones.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND RE-EVALUATE YOUR OWN GRADUATING PORTFOLIO, HOW WOULD YOU DO? WHAT DO YOU THINK MADE YOUR PORTFOLIO STAND OUT? WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER?.
I probably had more work than I needed in some areas, I think I might reduce the total number of pieces in favor of a more concise read.
From what I was told at the time, my portfolio stood out as being fairly “broad” in terms of showing characters, vehicles, weapons, environments while still maintaining quality.
Looking back, my environments could have been a lot stronger, but you really can’t expect to be a master of all things, especially fresh out of school — and for me a 2 year school.
HOW DID YOU HUNT DOWN YOUR FIRST JOBS IN THE INDUSTRY? FRIEND/ WORD OF MOUTH/ REFERRAL? DID YOU APPLY ONLINE THROUGH THE COMPANY? ON A JOB FORUM/ HEAD HUNTER/ ETC.
My first job in the industry was at TKO Software in the Dallas area. I got the job because one of the artists there was a former art institute graduate who would watch the forums. At the time, he was impressed with my ability to create concept art and also 3D art at a reasonably high level for a student.
HOW DID YOU MARKET YOURSELF COMING OUT OF COLLEGE/ FIRST STARTING OUT? WHAT DIFFICULTIES DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME?
I probably didn’t do a great job of marketing myself because I was already interning at TKO before I got out of school. I really didn’t surmount any major marketing difficulties as I got really lucky getting picked up so early.
I will offer this piece of advice for students:
When presenting art, especially with physical, printed portfolio; neatness is important. You don’t want an employer opening your portfolio and it looks all sloppy with a bunch of notes and crap falling out. When you are making a piece of art, think about how it will look in a portfolio. As you finish each piece, try to make it presentation worthy by giving the image a label and a simple background. This helps sell your work as a “professional” and will save you a bit of headache later.
WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY MARKET YOURSELF? WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT (YOUR WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, WORD OF MOUTH?, ETC.)
I really don’t market myself a whole lot. I have a free blogspot account that gets a fair amount of attention. If you google my name it is the first thing that comes up and I think working on projects like borderlands and halo wars that people actually were searching for helped. I’ve found that once you get out of school, the projects you work on tend to draw their own attention as long as there is a place where people can search for related art.
When I’m looking for work though, I rely mostly on word of mouth and “who you know”. Almost every job I’ve gotten after Gearbox was through knowing someone and having an “in” at the company.
The industry is super small, so once you’ve been in it a while, the people who you’ve worked with tend to move around, and next thing you know you have 1st and 2nd party connections all over the place.
It can work in reverse if you upset people or are hard to work with, so play nice and check your ego at the door.
DO YOU THINK THE INDUSTRY IS VEERING TOWARDS A MORE CONTRACT AND OUTSOURCING MODEL FOR ARTISTS?
I think it will always be more or less half and half. I believe there will be a continued trend of large studios “ballooning up” to meet ship dates, and then shrinking back down once the project has shipped. I think outsourcing and freelancing fills those needs without forcing companies to make big hires and then big layoffs.
Personally, I still prefer having a salaried position to pure freelance. I might take the occasional side job, but I try to avoid larger commitments because I like to have time for personal work.
This concludes our interview with Phil Wohr. if you woudl like to read more, check out Phil’s Words Of Wisdom. All images used with permission by the artist. ©Phil Wohr
Question submitted by Christian B.
I AM CURRENTLY A JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT WANTS TO GO INTO THE CONCEPT ART INDUSTRY. I WAS WONDERING WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING AND WORKING ON AT THIS POINT IN TIME, AND WHAT I SHOULD DO AFTER I GRADUATE.
Glad to hear that you are want to become a concept artists.
The Big Bad World of Concept Art For Video Games; An Insiders Guide For Students is a guide book for students just like you! It answers ALL of those questions and more. Chapter 1 is an overview of the job, what it really entails and describes what its like to work in the industry. Chapter 2 discusses which schools you should attend, what you should be studying and how to make the most of your education. Chapter 3 talks about the things you should be learning outside of school to cultivate your talents, and Chapter 4 discusses how to build a portfolio to get the job you want in the industry. Chapter 5 offers words of wisdom and insight from some of the leading concept artists in the industry. There’s even a recommended resources chapter in the back of the book to get you started.
So my first piece of advice would be to start reading! You can purchase your copy on Amazon here. If, after reading the book, you still have questions, feel free to drop me a line and ask away.
Website: http://artofphilwohr.blogspot.com/
Educational background: The Art Institute of Dallas, Degree: Associate of Applied Arts, Pre-Visualization. Graduated 2005
Number of years in industry: 10 yrs (since 2005)
Shipped titles/ Projects worked on: Call of Duty Advanced warfare Havoc DLC, Borderlands, Halo Wars, Castle Ville, SteamBandits Outpost (Steam early access), and many more.
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE(S) OF ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER STUDENTS THAT YOU WISH THEY HAD TOLD YOU IN ART SCHOOL?
Definitely work on what you find inspiring but also remember that you want to be creating work that is going to be relevant to the industry and the jobs you want. A portfolio full of manga art or furries probably won’t get you a game job working on a realistic first person shooter. Most of the time you can find some crossover between the kind of art you want to make and the kind of art that will get you hired.
Also, there will be some companies that will try to take advantage of young talent. If someone is trying to get you to help them on their startup project or kickstarter campaign or whatever, often without pay, just make sure it’s helping you as well.
Promises don’t pay bills, and a lot of indie projects fail. Analyze the situation based on what’s happening right now, not what could happen in the future.
If you are going to do that kind of work to help your own portfolio or to make some money just don’t sacrifice too much making art you don’t like, or doing work based on some future promise that may never come true. That can be a hard lesson so, if at any point you feel like it’s not working for you or you aren’t benefiting then move on, even if it’s just to work on your own portfolio some more.
…You have to be the one who guides your own career.
ASSUMING THAT THERE ARE NO SPACE-TIME PARADOX’S INVOLVED… IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME 10 YEARS (KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW), WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF TO DO DIFFERENTLY?
I don’t even know that I’d want to change anything. I certainly wouldn’t want to relive some things, but all the hardship (and even the things that I would have avoided at the time), have made me the person I am. I don’t think I’d appreciate where I’m at today without the struggles of yesterday.
Don’t compromise on your passions!
If you are working on a job, and most (not just some) of the work you are doing is stuff you aren’t passionate about, or you can’t use most of it in your portfolio; then leave that job as soon as possible. I definitely had some situations that if I had gotten out of sooner I’d probably be a better artist today.
WHAT DOES “SUCCESS” MEAN TO YOU AND, WHAT ARE AT LEAST THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE IT?
Success for me is following your creative passion and using those passions to create works of art that keep you inspired, while inspiring and entertaining others.
It’s easy to say, but acting on it can be difficult when “following your passion” doesn’t seem financially viable. It’s also easy to end up compromising yourself by staying at a company just because it’s “safe”, or out of fear of the unknown, or just for financial reasons. In the end though, I think passion breeds hard work- and hard work brings money, (but you have to be in the right position to take advantage of this). If you find that home is the only place where you are ever able to follow your passions, even while working at a “good” studio, then it might be time for a job switch.
So the road map to success is simply to work on the kind of art that you are passionate about, find a job that has overlap with what you like to work on that supports those passions, then push hard in the direction of your dreams without too much compromise.
If you can stay with your passions you’ll be much less likely to burn out, and it will be easier to work hard. If you do find yourself stuck at a job you aren’t happy with then make sure you find your passion outside of it because it takes a lot of work to build up the momentum to get a portfolio together when you aren’t making any portfolio work on the job. If you are in that situtaion, stick with it though, it’s definitely possible to dig out of that situation. And when you are in school it’s kind of the same thing. You are working hard towards building a collection of images that when other people see them they can immediately tell that you really care about the work you are making. And when they see that extra effort and care that you put in and if it lines up with what they need, then with any luck you’ll get the position.
If you would like to read more from Phil Wohr, check out his full interview. In it, we ask him specific questions about what it’s like to be a concept artist in the entertainment industry, dispel a few common misconceptions that aspiring artists tend to have about the field, discuss his educational background, how he markets himself in the industry and more.
All images used with permission by the artist. ©Phil Wohr
Question submitted by Michael, Student artwork provided by Hector Ruiz
I DO PRIMARILY DRAWINGS CENTERED AROUND PEOPLE AND CHARACTERS. MY STRENGTH IS VERY MUCH IN THE DIRECTION OF ORGANICS AND NOT MECHANICAL DRAWINGS, AND I WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER AT ORGANICS, IT’S A SIMPLE TRUTH. I HAVE NOTICED AMONG ARTISTS, YOU ARE REALLY GOOD AT ONE OR THE OTHER, SELDOM BOTH, THOUGH IT DOES HAPPEN. SHOULD I EXPAND MY SKILL SET TO INCLUDE OTHER THINGS, LIKE MECHANICAL AND ENVIRONMENTS AND SHOW THOSE TOO, OR SHOULD I CONCENTRATE ON WHAT I AM GOOD AT AND SHOWCASE THAT IN MY PORTFOLIO? WHAT IS IT THAT THE INDUSTRY LOOKS FOR IN AN ARTIST THAT SPECIFICALLY WANTS TO BE A CHARACTER DESIGNER?
Hey Michael, thanks for writing in. Here are my comments:
“…AND I WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER AT ORGANICS, IT’S A SIMPLE TRUTH…”
Saying that you will “always” be better at one thing over another may mean that you are very focused in your choices and have honed in on the thing you like drawing the most. If that’s the case, then Kudos there. Just make sure that your organic designs, forms and volumes are immaculate.
However, as a professional who has seen hundreds of student and professional portfolios, I find that in most cases people who are “better at organics” tend to be those who are less comfortable with perspective. I’m just guessing here, but this is the more likely of the two scenarios.
Regardless, the truth remains: You can’t have an understanding of organic shape and form without an understanding of perspective. So if you suck at hard surface designs, perspective. etc, then my first piece of advice would be to practice those skills. Then practice some more!. Your designs will thank you for it as they can only improve.
“…I HAVE NOTICE AMONG ARTISTS, YOU ARE REALLY GOOD AT ONE OR THE OTHER, SELDOM BOTH…”
That’s a bit of a generalization. There are usually SEVERAL things that a person is good at drawing, each of which borrow from a similar skillset. For example; if you are comfortable with characters and anatomy, you may also be comfortable drawing portraits, creatures, monsters, etc.
Likewise, if you are comfortable with perspective, then you can probably design hard surface things like props, weapons, or even vehicles and/or environments. Keep in mind that being good at only ONE thing, limits your marketability, flexibility and in turn, value to a potential company.
“…SHOULD I EXPAND MY SKILL SET TO INCLUDE OTHER THINGS, LIKE MECHANICAL AND ENVIRONMENTS AND SHOW THOSE TOO, OR SHOULD I CONCENTRATE ON WHAT I AM GOOD AT AND SHOWCASE THAT IN MY PORTFOLIO?”
Normally, when taking the “specialist” route, I would say master only the things that you are good at, but being a character artist is a bit different. The reality is that being a character artist is THE MOST sought after job and thereby the most competitive field in the video game industry. There are way too many candidates to fill the few jobs available for this position. Therefore, if this will be your main focus, then you will need to be AMAZING at it.
As a fall back, I often encourage character artists to expand their skillset when possible. This usually starts with perspective and hard surface designs, but can be anything else that will diversify your portfolio. Again, it’s all about adding value to you as an artist, so that if a client isn’t impressed with your character work, they may still have a job for you doing something else.
“WHAT IS IT THAT THE INDUSTRY LOOKS FOR IN AN ARTIST THAT SPECIFICALLY WANTS TO BE A CHARACTER DESIGNER?”
If you want to solely be a character designer, it would help to show a few examples of things like these in your character portfolio:
I hope that helps. See: The Big Bad World of Concept Art For Video games; An Insider’s Guide For Students, Chapter 4: The Portfolio (page 79) for more specifics on building your portfolio.
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