by Hector Ruiz | Jul 1, 2017 | Questions, slideshow
Eliott gives you advice on how to find a professional mentor in the industry.
Q My name is Miguel and I’ve lived up to the challenge of self-teaching myself the fundamentals of art, after I graduated in summer 2016. I’m in no way a pro like you are, but the hard work earned me a few freelance gigs, some of them resume worthy.
The reason I share my work history with you is because I came to ask about a possibility to have a mentorship from you. I’m not a beginner and I’m not a professional. I’m in a weird spot where I can fail a lot and hurt myself a lot, both in portfolio development and career. A professional like you could help me avoid mistakes like this and speed up the prospect of finding a full time job. I have envisioned something like a design brief and a quick review/draw over of the same assignment. This would be a portfolio development of sorts.
I know anyone can get there without a mentor, but anyone will get there faster with one, and the view is more interesting while riding with someone else along. I’m not particularly young, nor my family situation is the best, and being a graduate, it would be tough to start over in another school like FZD or Art Center or move to expensive countries.
Miguel Nogueira
www.miguel-nogueira.com/concept-art
A Hey Miguel, thanks for taking the time to reach out; I am flattered that you think so highly of me to be your mentor. I would love to help you out, but at the moment, my schedule is swamped. Between working a full time AND a part time job, running The Big Bad World of Concept art website, authoring a second book, and working on my personal projects, all while raising my new born daughter and trying to be a good husband to my wife, you can see how I’m left with little to no free time to spare.
I agree with you wholeheartedly however, that having a mentor will be immensely helpful, so don’t give up on that effort! Here’s some info to help you find one.
1. First of all, finding a mentor out of the blue is incredibly tough. Put yourself in their shoes – They don’t have a relationship with you, and therefore can’t know how you operate or if it’s worth their time to help you. They may also be drowning in similar requests, so why should they pay attention to yours? By turning the tables, you can appreciate the uphill battle that waits you. Therefore, don’t ask for the person to “be your mentor” right off the bat. That’s a big ask- far too big for the first introductions.
2. Instead, its better to let a conversation form and evolve naturally over time. Get on their radar by follow their work, and being helpful and supportive. Tweet out their posts, comment in a positive way on their blogs or Facebook pages, share their updates, start a discussion on LinkedIn drawing from their post, etc. Give, and give more so that over time your presence will become welcomed and when you finally reach out to them, they may be more inclined to answer your email because you’ve been of service to them. Gaining this favor can be just the thing you need to get your ‘foot in the door. It’s also a great way to get to know the person better and see what they really have to offer.
3. When its time to ask for that favor, I’d start small. Ask a specific question or for a specific piece of brief advice, then see how they respond. (How quickly do they get back to you, how thoroughly they explained their answer, etc). If he or she is local, ask them if they would be willing to meet up for lunch or coffee (Keep it less than an hour and pay for the meal).
4. After meeting, you can evaluate the encounter and decide if you want to spend more time with that person. Was a connection made? Was he or she encouraging your efforts or telling you what to do? Did she ask questions, or wait to provide answers? (Remember, the point of a mentor ship is to ask a question and get an easy to understand answer. The relationship should be comfortable If not, feel free to let the relationship go and seek out someone else, instead.
5. If you are comfortable with the encounter, then build upon your dialog. Ask them if they’d be willing to view your work from time to time and offer advice/ feedback. If this is successful, you won’t even need to mention the word “mentor” because it would have happened fluidly. That’s not to say you can’t officially ask them, but my point is, that you may not have to.
Things to remember
1. Once you get the mentor ship, you must remain open and flexible to new ideas, while remaining resilient and respectful at all times. You must also be eager to learn, and committed to modifying your workflow process for the better.
2. And above all else, you can’t quit, when the going gets tough. Doing so hurts not only your artistic growth, but sours the opinion of mentor-ships for the professional who mentored you. He or she may not be quick to mentor any one else after you and you would have single handedly messed it up for the rest of us.
Here’s the bottom line: While most artist have no problem answering a question or two in in a specific email, they will likely need to further persuasion to make a bigger commitment. Mentorships are serious and should not be taken lightly. Make sure you can dedicate the time and energy necessary to be mentored properly. Its also equally important that you find the right person to mentor you. If this all seems overwhelming, there are paid mentorships available for such reasons. In these instances, you can skip all of the awkward introductions and desperate pleas for help, and get right to learning. You can buy a chunk of an artist’s time in exchange for him or her helping you with your issues. We list a few mentorships on our website. I’d start there to get more information.
I know this is not the answer you were hoping for, but I help that I’ve at least helped you out and pointed you in the right direction.
-Eliott
Want to help us grow our resources section? If a resource has helped you greatly please e-mail it to me or any suggestions
to: me@eliottlillyart.com. I will be keeping this list updated as I discover new entries. Thank you--
by Hector Ruiz | May 18, 2017 | Questions, slideshow
Elliot discusses the topic of working as a foreign citizen in the concept art industry.
Q My name is Reza and I have a question. As a foreign citizen, do I have the opportunity to become a concept artist and work abroad on a full-time basis? And if so, what do you think are the best ways to get that full-time job as a foreign citizen? I come from a country that does not have concept art as a job profession (Indonesia), so I have a plan to work in a studio that is not from my country (especially US). What do you think about it?
- Find a studio that offers relocation assistance
- Enroll in a US university, find an internship at a game studio, then get hired full-time as a concept artist.
- Find work in another profession that has more demand than concept artist, then, slowly transition to a concept artist career (assuming I get a chance)
I guess this plan is quite messy, but that’s because I didn’t have that much luxury in terms of money to go travel and become an international citizen and live in another country, so this what I can think about for now.
By the way, thank you for all the educational content you provided at bigbadworldofconceptart.com is very helpful in improving my knowledge to become a concept artist.
A Your problem is one that I am familiar with and have had several aspiring artists in a similar positions, contact me for advice. In fact, I just published an article that you should definitely read on the BBWCA website. The short answer is: Yes, you can become a professional concept artist (which is a huge challenge in itself), but since you live outside of the US, things get even more daunting. Unlike artists born in the US, who only have to worry about getting the right education, you will also have to worry about finding sustainable employment once you’ve graduated. Looking ahead, if you return to Indonesia, you will likely need to find international clients and work for them on a freelance basis. So, basically, you are right – you will have to move to another country. The question, though, should be: “where?”
Of the three options you listed, I think your plan to enroll in a US based art university, is your best one, but getting an F1 Student Visa can be a bit difficult these days with the current administration in the U.S. government. Before making any plans to come to the U.S., you should definitely read up on the current immigration laws affecting student entry into the United States. You should also know that in the USA, F1 visa holders cannot accept off-campus employment at anytime during the first year of their studies. Under certain circumstances, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) may grant permission to accept off-campus employment after one year of study. You should check before assuming that you will be able to work while enrolled in school here in America.
As an alternative, I suggest that you seek out concept art schools that are not in the US, but are equally as competitive. (like Syn Studios, Montreal, or FZD, Singapore). You should look for a country that has not only good schools, but several video game studios that can offer potential employment. You’ll have to do a bit of research here, but it can make the world of difference down the road. For a list of international concept art schools, visit the BBWCA website. To see what video game studios are out there, visit the GameDevMap website.
Hopefully this puts things into perspective and gives you a realistic idea of what to expect.
Best of luck
-Eliott
Want to help us grow our resources section? If a resource has helped you greatly please e-mail it to me or any suggestions
to: me@eliottlillyart.com. I will be keeping this list updated as I discover new entries. Thank you--
by Hector Ruiz | May 16, 2017 | Questions, slideshow
Is following a concept art education worth the risk of leaving your home and everything else behind?
Q I live in Columbia and have been studying and drawing art for only a year. Right now, I’m enrolled at CGMA in the foundation and design program, and I feel I have learnt a lot but I’m still ages far from becoming a pro. I also attend a traditional painting class at a local art school with an art master, and I also have a side-job as an English teacher to sustain myself financially.
Thing is; I’ve always dreamed about living in Montreal and working there. I’d love to go through the concept art diploma program at Syn Studio Montreal and have a big big question: Do you recommend I stay in Columbia or migrate to Montreal to learn concept art, under the following circumstances.
If I remain in Colombia I’d have to keep working this side-job as an English teacher and continue living with my parents while studying at CGMA and the traditional art school. If I move to Montreal, I’ll have to take out a loan with a bank and would have to work 20 hours a week to make ends meet. I know I will have to fill out an i864 form, or at least one similar, and I’m not sure if I will be able to financially support myself like the Montreal officials would like me to.
According to my current state, what would you recommend? Staying or migrating?
Best regards,
Sebastián Posada Álvarez
A Good question, but the answer is tricky. I can’t advise you as to what you should do, I can only advise you as to what I would do, If I were in your position and honestly, it all comes down to: How badly do you want it, and what are you willing to sacrifice to get it?”.
You have talent and potential, but attending a school that is dedicated to your career choice, has resources that aren’t currently available to you and, most importantly, has professional teachers who can give you immediate feedback, sounds IMMENSELY ADVANTAGEOUS to me. Whatever I would have to sacrifice to get there, would be worth it for me, because it puts me closer to fulfilling my dream.
But, that’s just me. In your instance, you’d have to give several things deep consideration; like: what exactly would you be giving up?…
Well, you’d be leaving your job (that pays the bills) to take on student debt. Syn studio isn’t cheap, and neither is Montreal. You’re going to be in debt- and that’s stressful, especially since there’s no guarantee that you’ll find work once you’ve graduated. Yes, it is possible that you might be framing your degree in a good diploma frame and keep it like that for a long time until you get a job. In fact, there is a high likelihood that you may still need further training after graduation. It’s going to cost a lot of money, are you sure you want to take on that responsibility? Due to the cost, many people never achieve their dreams of a concept art career. As the cost is high, many people will probably have to take out some loans to afford this career. However, that’s not the end of the world, especially when there are companies, like CreditAssociates (see here to find their contact details), that know how to help people deal with debt. By getting in contact with debt-relief companies, people can manage their finances and pay off this debt. Finances shouldn’t stop you from following your dreams.
Speaking of finances, in the USA, F1 visa holders cannot accept off-campus employment at any time during the first year of their studies. Under certain circumstances, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) may grant permission to accept off-campus employment after one year of study. You should check before assuming that you will be able to work while enrolled in school in Montreal.
You’d also be leaving behind your friends, family, and support system. Being separated in a foreign country, without knowing anyone may be very difficult to overcome- especially if you have serious relationships at home. (Got a girlfriend in Columbia? Well, you won’t in Canada – least not right away).
Lastly, you’d be taking a huge gamble!!! Hopefully, your family will support you through this endeavor, but if you come back after graduation, empty-handed, they may never let you live it down. This can be soul-crushingly painful.
If you’ve read thus far, and your gut reaction is: “no problem, I can do it!”, then there may be hope for you yet. If, however, you get an uneasy feeling in your stomach, then maybe you should stay in Columbia and seek alternative solutions. Here are a few ideas: Continue to take additional online courses. (as many as you can, and as frequently as you can).
Reach out to any concept artist you can find who grew up in Columbia, and ask them what schools they went to, to learn concept art.
Find a mentor who can guide you one-on-one to get you to where you want to be.
If you need help with any of these, visit the BBWCA website to find out your options.
I hope this has been helpful. Best of luck.
-Eliott
Want to help us grow our resources section? If a resource has helped you greatly please e-mail it to me or any suggestions
to: me@eliottlillyart.com. I will be keeping this list updated as I discover new entries. Thank you--
by Hector Ruiz | May 11, 2017 | Portfolio Advice, Questions, slideshow
Eliott Lilly discusses how to make your concept art portfolio more appealing to prospective employers in the industry.
Q My name is Josh Matamoros. I am an amateur concept artist with the goal of entering the video game industry in the future. I humbly come to ask for feedback to improve my portfolio: http://www.artstation.com/artist/joshmatts
What would my portfolio need to be considered for the industry?
A Hey Josh, your work looks great – it has lots of character, style and personality and you clearly have drawing chops! I have some comments that might help:
Your portfolio: Right now, you have far more sketches and illustrations in your portfolio than you do concept art -I counted one, maybe two pieces of art that explore a singular idea aka: concept art. So, my first piece of advice is: If you want to be a concept artist, than you need to showcase concept art! On Artstation, I would create several project folders and keep the sketches, concepts and illustrations separate. This will give any client who is viewing your work, a better understanding on what they can expect from you.(It will also cut down on the number of images that they are presented with at once – its overwhelming). It will also help you discuss terminology with them. For example, if they ask you: “What does a sketch look like, and how does it differ from your concepts?”, then you can point them to the respective folders and say: “Here’s what my sketches look like, and here’s how I work when designing concepts…”.
Your art: The “Gunsligner” is a good example of a concept art piece, where you start diving into variations and iteration on a singular idea. I would encourage you to go further, beyond just changing the face, but consider alternate chest and leg pieces, without a cape. etc. Really try to create different silhouette changes with each revision. Feng Zhu talks about the importance of this in one of his tutorials: http://youtu.be/4yKxY0KKrak?t=1m53s The goal being to really dive deep into who the character is. (She has a robotic face… why? what else is robotic.. why? what happened to her?… Can you show me that in your image? etc.).
The gunslinger also represents a very polished level of execution. The refined fabrics, materials and textures provide vital information to other artists who will have to model your designs down the production line. Employers look for artists who can convey such details, since it is crucial to establishing good characters. If you want to be an attractive candidate, you may need to do more images that showcase such variety and polish. (that’s not to say that every image needs to be up to this level of refinement, but showing that you can deliver this quality consistently doesn’t hurt).
So, to conclude, if you want to be an attractive candidate for a video game studio, you would need to do the following:
1. Clearly, you are a character artist – focus your portfolio on that.
2. Show examples of iteration on a singular idea (different style and design changes of the same figure). Do this for at least 5 different characters.
3. Display a high level of technical ability and polish (material changes, advanced lighting, dynamic poses, etc.).
4. Remove old, outdated images that don’t currently reflect your skill set (toss anything that is older than two years – especially if you have better stuff currently).
Bets of Luck
– Eliott
Want to help us grow our resources section? If a resource has helped you greatly please e-mail it to me or any suggestions
to: me@eliottlillyart.com. I will be keeping this list updated as I discover new entries. Thank you--
by Eliott Lilly | May 2, 2017 | Questions, slideshow
Eliott advises on the importance of focusing towards one goal vs. becoming a jack of all trades.
Q My name is Kyra and I窶冦 an 18 year old freshman in college studying art and something else; I intend to double major, and my dilemma is thus: Art and Theatre vs. Art and Mathematics. My father says having a mathematics degree along with an art degree will make me more attractive to employers, because it shows versatility and the potential to learn programming languages with greater ease later on; and I suspect that he窶冱 right. My heart, however, is really in theater; performing, screenwriting, and costuming. Which second major should I choose?
A Neither. My main feedback to you is this: you can’t do it all. To be ANY sort of professional artist requires you to be the BEST artist you can be because the competition is so high. There will be dozens of art students in your class, but only a handful will land a job as an artist, let alone have a career as such. Longevity in this field requires commitment, focus and dedication. It’s also worth mentioning that to be a GREAT artist, requires one to sacrifice even more (This can be your free time, personal relationships, socializing with friends, etc). Regardless of the type of artist you want to be, If you ever want to get paid for your talents, then you will need to put in the work now.
Let me put that into perspective for you. From a very young age I have always wanted to be an artist (and only an artist) so it’s all I’ve ever studied for. 17 years or so of art training later (elementary to graduate school) and I’m working in the field of my dreams, doing what I love doing. My other classmates however haven’t been so lucky because they either started learning about art too late in life, or didn’t take it seriously enough. Either way, their art training has left them ill-equipped to compete on a professional level.
Therefore, double majoring, in my humble opinion may seem like a good safety net, but may actually hinder your artistic growth because it divides your focus. It also means you will have twice the workload, but only half as much time to do it in. (There’s a whole section in my book that covers what you should be learning in college and how). Ultimately, my concern is that double majoring may result in you being a mediocre artist and/or a mediocre actor (when you could have been superb at either one). I suggest you choose wisely.
Q I want to be a concept artist (specifically creatures and costume character designs, though I窶冦 well aware a concept artist has to be more versatile than that), and I intend graduate school to get a masters in either sequential drawing or illustration. I窶冦 equally capable in the performing arts and mathematics, though I greatly prefer the former. Which is the wisest degree combination for an aspiring Concept Artist? Art and Math, or Art and Theater? Or, assuming I窶冦 any good at this by the end, do I need to be concerned with that at all?
A I honestly don’t know because every professional artist that I know (both concept or commercial) ONLY has an art degree. I have not heard of anyone holding a split degree. I HAVE, however, heard of students who studied a specific major in school, graduated and realized they hated it, (or just loved art more) and decided to abandon that skill set and go back to school for art instead. That’s kind of like a double major… right? (As a cautionary tale I’ve also heard the reverse of this: where a student studies art, can’t find a job, inherits huge debt and now works at Starbucks…). In the USA, there are various schemes that can help debt constrained graduates. You can find more at debtconsolidationusa.com for engenious ways to come up with a debt settlement plan.
At the end of the day you need to understand that whether you decide to be an artist, an actor, or a programmer, you are up against incredible odds. Within each of those industries the competition is high, and job availability is low. The chances of you succeeding (finding full-time employment) are exceptionally slim. The best advice I can offer (all cheesiness aside): DO FOLLOW YOUR HEART. Make the most of your college experience, soak everything up like a sponge and apply yourself in one area of expertise. If you wake up and decide that you are an actor, then make that your ONLY major, and crush it! Keep art as a hobby.
Want to help us grow our resources section? If a resource has helped you greatly please e-mail it to me or any suggestions
to: me@eliottlillyart.com. I will be keeping this list updated as I discover new entries. Thank you--
by Eliott Lilly | Apr 27, 2017 | Portfolio Advice, Questions, slideshow
Elliot discusses what to do when you don’t have a portfolio ready for the concept art industry.
Q My name is Ashley and I recently graduated from the University of South Carolina (not an art school). In my last semester I realized that I had a passion to do concept art, but that there was nothing in my portfolio to show my interest. I am concerned that this puts me at a disadvantage to other job applicants who have an art school background. Does this matter in the industry? Does this mean I simply have to work and fight harder to stand out? Also, although it is geared towards the video game industry, could the advice given in your book: The Big Bad World Of Concept Art; An Insider’s Guide For Students also be applied to the animation/movie industry as well?
A Your situation is very similar to my own experience in college, so I know what you are going through. Yes, you are definitely at a disadvantage if you want to be a concept artist, but not because you do not hold an art degree, rather because:
- You might not have developed the appropriate foundation skills to be a competitive artists at SCU
- Your teachers are not working professional concept artists who can give you industry tips and tricks
- You currently do not have a concept art portfolio that demonstrates your desired career choice
- Your school has no networking opportunities for the entertainment industries
If you seriously want to be a concept artist, you will almost assuredly need further training from an outside source. My solution was to go back to school for another two years to really refine my skill set and portfolio. I would suggest you do the same. Attend a concept art focused school or at least attend some online classes. Check out the resources page on the website for our highly recommended choices. Also: I wrote an article on my blog a while back called “Am I in the wrong school?” It offers three really good actionable options that might offer additional solutions to solving your dilemma.
It’s also worth mentioning that you will need to work hard just to be “up to par” with other budding artists looking to get into the industry. THEN you will need to work extra hard to stand out. In fact, EVERY ARTIST (pro and student) has to work hard to stand out in this industry. – That’s a lifetime effort.
Lastly, YES, the advice given in The Big Bad World Of Concept Art; An Insider’s Guide For Students also applies to other professional industries. Since getting a job in any entertainment industry is about the same, you can take what you’ve learned in my book and apply it to that specific area.
Want to help us grow our resources section? If a resource has helped you greatly please e-mail it to me or any suggestions
to: me@eliottlillyart.com. I will be keeping this list updated as I discover new entries. Thank you--
