This is a valuable video. I've been told by multiple instructors that I have the skills to be hired, but I stopped applying for jobs because it felt impossible. There are so many videos talking about how competitive it is, or how hard it is to break in, it is nice to hear that it's not the giant monster it's made out to be (even if it's still difficult) :)
I'm so glad it was helpful. Yes, there are a lot of "doom and gloom" voices out there for artists trying to start careers which doesn't seem very useful. And you're totally right, it is not an easy challenge - but there is a path to success!
Thank you so much hardy I’m an art student and can’t afford any sort of course to help me and your youtube videos have helped me so much i appreciate all the work you put into this
As we are about to start a new year, I just found you on YT 👍 I am a 55 y/o graphic designer, getting started in concept art. Spent a life-time working with apparel designers as a project manager and finally decided to go back to pursue the dream that took me to graphic design school. The work you do and the information you share is massive. Thank you so much for doing these videos!
Thank you Rene! That's so awesome to hear and welcome to the channel. I applaud you for betting on yourself and pursuing your dream. I sincerely wish you success and if I can ever help, reach out any time. Good luck in 2023!
Thank you giving these useful advices, if someone did not work in this industry, but his works and his skills are already up to standard, and he is still a fan. Is it possible to get a real job such as lead or senior level position?
I'm glad this was helpful. I think that some kind of experience would be a requirement for someone to get hired as a lead or senior artist - even if they were extremely skillful. My advice would be to start with freelance gigs to work up that professional experience and then go after those higher level studio jobs. All of this takes lots of trial and error though - plenty of application and rejection and finally, the stars align. Good luck and reach out if I can ever help or advise.
Honestly this video and your channel has been so helpful. By far some of the most useful info out there. Now all i need is to age so i can get an artstation acount :)
Hello, Hardy! Out of curiosity, did you create these square/ diamond brush presets or did you download them? If so, what is the brush pack called? This definitely eased my anxieties a bit, been creating character turn-arounds and UI stuff. I'll be tackling isometric assets soon to add to my portfolio, both ArtStation and my professional website. Despite having my traditional artwork and writing published thru a world-wide publisher and having graphic design expierence, it's certainly still daunting knowing where I'd fit in the concept art market and making it a long term, legible solution. For context, I'm 30 yrs old and currently pivoting careers after being laid off in an unrelated field to pay the bills. I do have my BFA in illustration and being a concept artist has always been a dream job for me. Many thanks in advance!
Hi! I made those myself but they are available for free in our discord server. You can join that here www.digitalpaintingstudio.com/community and then just go to the freebies channel in discord. Enjoy! It sounds like you are pretty far along building your portfolio but if I can ever help - I work with quite a few artists who are making similar career pivots. Regardless - good luck!
@@fowlerillus Thank you for the link and the free brushes, Hardy! I did send you a direct message on Discord with some written questions broken down to the best of my ability that I thought out a couple days ago relative to the field. Here's hoping you are having a wonderful day and I appreciate you reaching out.
Wow I really wish I didn't miss this live! Almost all of what I know and the improvements I made were thanks to Hardy's Udemy courses! If I may ask a late question, how absolutely necessary is 3D experience to someone trying to get into the industry? I would love to learn 3D as well, but I'm still very inexperienced with it, but I honestly am dying to get out of this kitchen job and into my dream field of work.
Great question (hard to answer briefly) - I don't use 3D at all and I'm getting along OK without it BUT, I think the more skills and tools that an artist has, the more competitive they can be. So if you are interested in 3D or have some basic skills, it may be worth developing that part of your skillset. However, don't consider it disqualifying if you don't use 3D much. You may want to check out Concept Art Academy. It has been helping quite a few artists pivot away from careers that they don't like.
I think something like learning 3d modeling doesn't hurt. Of course 3dsMax and Maya are among the top used(I did 3ds in college. LOVED the program) but I want to say Mudbox? Or something, it's one of the programs that basically will let you sculpt anything out of the digital clay, and paint it all 3d. So a character could become 3d using it with all the detail in 3d. But yeah definitely more knowledge the better, just in case something odd gets thrown at you.
Hey Hardy, I am kinda wondering how important a CV is for getting hired as a concept artist of any level? Because I never went to art school and all that, and I haven't worked for a studio or anything before, only some commission work here and there. So I don't really have anything to put in a CV yet. And a lot of small to big studios seem to ask for or even require a CV when you apply, even though I believe my portfolio is good enough to speak for itself. Thanks in advance! 😄
Great point. I have almost never been asked for a resume (and I'm a big believer that your portfolio is essentially all that matters and all that your prospective employers will care about) BUT - you're right, there are some instances (especially with larger companies) where a resume or CV is required. It's a big topic but I would think you can find some great resources on how to punch up your resume. However, I wouldn't worry too much about this - spend that time polishing your portfolio! :)
A great (and very big!) question that doesn't have a short answer. I hope you found the video helpful in that sense. I have some upcoming videos that expand on that topic - I think you'll find those useful. The very short answer is 1) always be improving your skills and your value to employers 2) apply to anything and everything that interests you (rejection may happen, but just keep after it) 3) find a community and a support system - that will help you improve faster and will help you professionally network - it can take years off of the journey towards launching a pro career.
