Freelancing Is Easy! (And Other Myths)

Many graduates have been faced with the dilemma of pursuing a career in video games/film as an artist at an established company, or taking on the challenge of freelancing. Unfortunately, there is a caveat... freelancing is at its core a business. And most of us did not go to school for business. The purpose of this post is to shed some light on what we "don't" know about business upon graduation, so that we do know what we can start learning and researching for the path we are best suited for.

There are three main phases of freelancing: Client Acquisition, Client Management, and Client Retention. You'll notice that none of these things seem to allude to the skills of exporting in Maya, or use the word "topology". This is because most of the clients you will acquire will have absolutely no idea what those things are, and they honestly don't care. They are looking to pay someone to take care of these things for them, which is exactly why we should be looking at this all from their perspective. Starting with acquisition.

Client Acquisition

The process of acquiring clients is going to be the absolute most difficult part of freelancing. It is what starts the process of paying your bills and keeping you working. Unfortunately, many of us have some gaps to fill in our skill set in order to accomplish this, namely marketing. Marketing is the strategy that one can use in order to acquire more clients. Without marketing, it is impossible for anyone to know you exist. Marketing can be anything from replying to a job posting to shoving your logo sticker on a guy's face as he walks past you on the street (I am not endorsing this tactic by the way). The amount of marketing you do in the beginning (and continue through your freelancing) will ultimately determine how successful you are.  Here are some basic strategies I have used and observed in my experience freelancing.

Portfolio

You should absolutely have a place for people to check out your work. Most students graduate with a portfolio or a website, which is essentially that. You need to have something that clients can visually look at to imagine themselves hiring you for their vision.

"You need to have something that clients can visually look at to imagine themselves hiring you for their vision. "

Call to Action

On this website, there should absolutely be some sort of "Call To Action". This is a marketing term for something that the clients can take action on. Asking for a quote or leading them to your contact info is your way of starting the conversation and getting them in touch with a real person (you). A real person makes for an easier transition from them saying "I like this work" to "that person was nice, I want to that person today". The easier you make it for them to contact you, the better. A big button that says "Contact me for a quote!" is a great way to do this or you can also simply put your contact information on the header/footer, of every page to make sure that it is as easy as possible (without being annoying) for them to just ask questions about your rate, work ethic, schedule, etc.
Note: If you do something like this, you had better be crucial about your response time as not to discourage them from moving on before you got a chance to answer.

Know What You Are Best Suited For

Many clients will use all subsets of skill terms interchangeably. You and I know that a graphic designer is actually VERY different than an illustrator in terms of technique, style, and results, however, a client may be looking for either of those, when in reality, they need a concept artist. Putting "Game Artist" at the top is very vague, but your work can do the talking. My recommendation here to to be clear about what you do in your work, and let SEO (Search Engine Optimization or the keywords you have embedded in your website) grab the attention of people searching for a lot of other terms.  
This technique is debatable as I have heard many opinions about how to market yourself. But the purpose of this initial vagueness is to get them asking questions and let YOU be the one to tell them you are not right for the job, rather than letting them make the assumption up front.

Know The Trends

Anything you can do to stay ahead of the other artists is going to put you at an advantage. Knowing that many clients will post on Craigslist, seeing that Tumblr is an easy way to scroll through work, and knowing that ArtStation is a popular portfolio showcase are all important factors in getting noticed. Another very hot topic right now is the fact that many artists are making money off livestreaming on Twitch and similar platforms. Research how other artists are getting noticed, or if you are working with other artists, ask what they did to get their clients or get their name out there.

Never Enough Networking

Networking is another great way to market. Finding local meetup groups or industry mixers is a great way to keep your marketing fresh. Of course, always have business cards with you, but at least talking to people and getting an idea of what they are looking for will keep the emails rolling in. I have found many opportunities while networking, and most of them were opportunities I wouldn't have searched for in a million years. Talking to many people can also give you an idea of what other work is out there besides video games and film. Turns out, many products, health care providers, mobile platform developers probably need someone with your skills at some point. And if not, they know someone who needs your skills.

Tracking Your Marketing

Keeping track of all of your marketing techniques is a must. Whenever you update your work, you should have a list of places where you need to upload it, or a list of websites that you post regularly on in order to get your resume and work out there. Slacking on this has absolutely no excuse when Google accounts are free, and they provide spreadsheets. By simply inserting a link to the site and a date of when you last updated, you will maximize the amount of marketing content you get out there when you develop a new portfolio piece AND reduce the amount of time you spend on marketing. I know you would rather spend time on the actual work instead.

Fake It (At First)

Mockups are a great way for clients to visualize their work with your skills. If you are an artist of any sort, there are many products that your work could end up on. For instance, modeling can be anything from a prop in a medical simulation to a 3D printed statue to a board game prototype to a miniature building that architects use to plan part of a city. With each project you do, you should expand the possibilities of catching any client's eye. Even if you didn't ACTUALLY make a board game, mocking it up cleverly to give the illusion that you CAN is the key. I am not saying that you should lie, however, you should do a lot of work up front to shut down the questions they have about whether or not you have the ability to model and render something for their product.  

A good example is when I was part of a Kickstarter for an Indie Game, one of the rewards we advertised was an Art Book for the backers. This Art Book did NOT exist in its physical form (yet), but a little photoshop work made it very clear (and attractive) that backing us at that reward level would give them quality from a professional.  

Shop Them

Part of marketing is going to be shopping your clients as much as they are shopping you. Experienced freelancers know that if a client takes a week to get back to you, there is probably going to be some frustration on your end throughout the process. Bear in mind that these clients are a TIME SUCK and may not be worth saying "yes" to. A good audiobook that I like to recommend for this concept is "Book Yourself Solid" and in there, the author goes over which clients will actually lose you money if you work for them. When first starting out, this may not be the case, but in the future, it will be something to think about as you develop the skills you need to acquire better clients.
Lastly, just because you have clients, doesn't mean the marketing is over. You should always keep a check list of things you need to do for marketing as things slow down with your current clients or if you need to take a break while rendering. Marketing WHILE you have work is what will close the gaps in your employment. The more you can discipline yourself to not procrastinate on this one, the less worries you will have when you look at your bank account.

Client Management

I wish I could say that the business stuff ends there and you can put your headphones back on to rock out to Maroon 5 while re-topologizing a sexy bantha in spiky armor. But no. Keeping your clients happy is going to be a chore at first, and a breeze after your first few clients. I have outlined some of my best business practices below.

Be Prompt

This goes back to answering their first inquiring email all the way through letting them know you received the last payment. Being on top of the communication is imperative to keeping the trust between you and your clients. This will sometimes mean that you are more prompt than they are, which can be frustrating, but totally worth it. If there is a Skype call, have your microphone tested a half hour before. If they are expecting a response from you and you are unable to assess the new contract until a lawyer friend looks at it, let them know it will be a day before you can respond. These sort of communications will keep the clients from wondering why they bothered to hire you in the first place (which can happen if you lag on communication).


"These sort of communications will keep the clients from wondering why they bothered to hire you in the first place..."

Be Prepared

Research your clients and past projects if you can. When they first call you, have some mockups ready for what you were thinking when they told you their initial problems/visions. The more you can surprise them, the more they will want to keep working with you. Providing them options is the best way to seem prepared. "Oh hey, I already drew up some ideas on your dog character you mentioned in the reference images, but I also took a look at the prequel you had on your website and thought adding a dog bone to his collar would be more appropriate". Clients love that stuff mostly because they are hiring someone to be creative for them and want to see that someone is thinking about that.

Be Organized

No one likes working with someone who is constantly searching through their email or can't seem to find the only file they have been working on for the client's project. Have your emails labeled or in folders according to the client that hired you, and have your files saved in one place with folders that are labeled. 100GB of Google Drive space is four bucks a month, so you have no excuse for not having a place to be organized. Also, if you want to go the extra mile, keep track of each client in a spreadsheet. When they first contacted you, a link to the contract you signed, etc. You can contact them later during marketing fun times to follow up on how well the project did (maybe link the award it won back to your website!), ask them to refer a friend, or ask them to write a review to put on your site. All of these things can easily add up and move your from "recent graduate" to "experienced professional" in no time at all. 

Be Convenient

This is somewhat of an overlap from the previous one, however, it is important to point out that clients already have a million things going on to get their projects off the ground. Anything you can do to be more convenient than what they have is a plus for them working with you (and being excited they chose you). See that they have been sending a lot of files to you through email? Send them your Dropbox link and tell them it is the latest technology and will make their lives easier. Waiting for them to send you a contract? Tell them you already have templates ready to go if they want to just tweak that instead. Find they are calling you a lot to give you feedback? Recommend a tool that they can use to quickly highlight or circle the areas that need improvement (or even have client access to software that does that already, like Concept Share). This is literally "Customer Service" at its finest. Anything you can do for them is going to give them a glowing impression of you and your work ethic.

Know Your Contracts

No one likes getting stuck in a contract that they don't understand, misread, or simply didn't realize they signed up for "that". Get your contract to a notary or have a friend look over it to make sure that you aren't wasting the client's time. They could be asking for something that you aren't willing to do. By this same token, make sure that the contract is fair for you and your timelines (why I recommended having your own templates). Having them pay once up front (usually a percentage of the total) lets you know that they are serious, and then they can pay you either incrementally for your time or at the end when they have considered it done. There are other indications that a client is serious (have a contract ready, a script done, investors, etc.), but that is a topic for another time. And of course, clients don't understand the impacts of "revisions". Outlining how many they have up front will save a lot of time negotiating later when they "still don't think the green looks right on that bow tie". Forcing them to make a decision and stick to it in the contract will keep you sane.

Know Your Laws

I have run into friends that have been underpaid or the clients have fallen off the grid before the final payment was made. You have a legal obligation to fill your end of the bargain, and when you do, they have a legal obligation to fill theirs. Reminding them of this usually solves the problem, but if it doesn't, the justice system has your back.

Do NOT Miss A Deadline

This is a huge show stopper and will prevent any of your clients from recommending you, and even give them legal justification for not paying you. Don't commit to something you can't do, and if you can't do it, communicate that as early as possible so they don't feel like they have run out of options last minute. If for some reason you can't deliver something to a client, you can ask them for an extension, but you should use this ticket as often as you ask your parents to pay for your strippers. Time management is key, and allowing for family emergencies, last minute vet visits, or forgetting that Super Smash releases this week should be allowed for in your time estimates. If you give yourself a cushion, and they understand you have other clients, you should be able to negotiate with them.




And lastly...

Do Your Work, And Do It Well 

If I was falling behind, I have asked friends to help me in consulting, tech troubleshooting, and sometimes even mocking up some art to get it to the clients faster, but I never missed a deadline I committed to. Afterward, I will usually research what I was unable to do (or why I was so slow at it) so that next time, I knew exactly what to do to become less dependent on other people. Eventually, most of what was asked of me became second nature and I was able to navigate more effectively, and identify what the client was really asking for.

Client Retention

Keeping your clients happy is going to be the key to finding more work, as they will want to come back to that awesome artist that launched their first indie title. Find a way to keep in touch with them through their endeavors, and ask them if they have any business associates that need an artist when things get slow with them. You'll find they would be happy to recommend someone that they know will love working with you as much as they did.


"...you can always set up a referral agreement with other artists that you trust to keep at least some cash rolling in."

Referral Agreements

Even if you find yourself too busy to say "yes" to everyone, you can always set up a referral agreement with other artists that you trust to keep at least some cash rolling in. When I began working for studios again after freelancing, I found that clients were still contacting me after I had begun 40 hour work weeks (and no time for new clients), so I set up referral agreements with my friends that could complete the work in my absence. There is no reason why you can't continue to make money off of that hard work you put into your client base and marketing efforts. Setting up a

contract with friends that you can refer other clients to is a great way to do that. Essentially it is saying, "Hey Julie, I don't have time to make a card game for this client, but if you need a gig, I'd be happy to give you their contact info for 5% of whatever they pay you". This sounds a bit weird to some people who have very little business experience, but this is a very common practice in many different industries. It keeps clients coming to you for when you end up out of work again, and it solidifies a network of people that may be able to conversely find you work in the future.

Public Endorsements

Again, like mentioned before, proving that you are a professional can come from recommendations or public endorsements. Your client says you did a great job? Ask them to put it in writing and if you have their permission to post it on your website under "Happy Clients!" Anything you can do to add to your proof that you are a professional will really make you stand out over the other artists.





That's about it for my recommendations on freelancing in a nutshell. Are you still with me? One last note before I sign off.

Not everyone is cut out for freelancing. Freelancing as an artist is best described as a balance between art and business. If you find yourself either completely unmotivated to do the business/marketing work up front, or simply that you think it is too much work for your taste, there is no shame in simply sending out resumes until you get a solid and stable studio contract. Freelancing is really hard, and frankly, it can be quite scary at times. Luckily, there are entrepreneurs that started their own studios and are ready to hire artists just like you!

If however, you find you want to give this a shot, there are options out there besides just being unemployed and poor until you get your first gig. I know many freelancers that leverage their talents elsewhere (barista, bartender, IT, etc.) and then work on the one or two projects they have for clients on their days off. This may be your only option until you build a clientele or get enough gigs to support yourself outside of that side job. Some freelancers will actually save money for workshops and lessons to hone their skills during the down times. Regardless of what they do, the most important thing YOU can do is identify how much work you are willing to do for either path and take action on it. The end goal is to choose the path that pays your bills and keeps you happy. Period.

I hope this was insightful. Feel free to comment and let me know if you have questions. 

Linked In Secrets

Another post! This one came kind of suddenly... I'll try to make the most sense of it so you guys can get the most out of it.

This one is indirectly about networking. I attended a webinar by Greig Wells (for the sake of continuing this blog, here's a link so I don't get in trouble XD) on Linked In and how it can help you find a job. Well, I was yawning at this, too... however, this one in particular emphasized how a little work now will yield the recruiters CALLING YOU to GIVE YOU a job rather than you applying endlessly. Um yeah. So for the hell of it, I got up at 8 in the morning and took notes. Granted, the whole point of the webinar was to suck you into $400 worth of other merchandise you would need, however, I'm going to tell you why you should read this and not worry about purchasing anything... the free stuff actually works. I spent 5 minutes tweaking some things after the 2 hours session, and a recruiter from a very very well-known company contacted me within 24 hours of the webinar (and that particular job posting) and asked me if it was a job I would be interested in. I NEVER APPLIED TO THIS COMPANY. Hello? Welcome to 2012! This NEVER happened in your parents' generation of job seeking, and I have the feeling this wasn't an accident.

So below is my summary of what you can do to improve your Linked In Profile and get noticed before everyone else applies. Enjoy :)

The Basics:
If you do not have a Linked In Account, go home. Right now. And don't read the remainder of this blog until you have a profile that is 100% complete.

Seriously. Go home.



So assuming you all now have an account, I need you to look at your connections. These are very very important. Before you continue, I want you to go into your email account, facebook, twitter, or sidebar of linked in, and find 5 people that you know and ask them to join your network. Now repeat this at every moment you remember to. Make this your goal every week. Consistently add people you know and build your network.

Ok, I promise that's the last of what I'll ask you to do before the end of the post. Maybe.

-Keyword Strategy:

Recruiters nowadays have an interesting job. They have to fill positions (in their entirety) without spending too much of the companies' money. Meaning, they have to get the most qualified applicants to apply in the least amount of posts. Posts on popular forums cost money per day of posting. How do they accomplish this? Well, there's always Craigslist... we all know how many nuts apply for those positions... And, there's Linked In. They can dig through their connections by searching for a few key words, and voila! they have a few hundred applicants that they can contact to see who would be interested in that position. You can gear your profile to come up more times than not in their searches by using a simple tool. You can find it here at Wordle.Net. Gather about 5 job postings all from different companies (all different levels: entry, mid, and senior) and c/p all 5 into this app. Take the top 5 biggest words and remember write them down.

In your Linked In Profile, incorporate these words in every possible way into these categories: Tagline, Current Title, Past Titles, Specialties, and Summary. Re-use these words in our descriptions of what you've done and what you are doing. Exaggerate the tasks you were given on particular projects to let these words shine out above all others. This is part of your resume optimization and should be second nature by now, but if it isn't, start making a habit of it.

Here's an example of one I did. This is the only step I did to get that email. That's it. But, there's 4 more steps you can do to help yourselves along the way. Continue on, my friends, continue on...

-Profile Optimization:


Now that you know what key words to use, you can start filtering out all of the things you don't need in your profile. That one time you worked at Target? Gone. Get it out of there. This is your chance to start building your portfolio of RELATED experience. Worried you don't have enough? That's ok. If you're still in school, keep taking production classes that increase your experience in projects. Go to webinars, workshops, seminars, networking events, conferences, and add those classes to your level of experience. If you're an artist, go to life drawing sessions and add those to your curricula. Literally, anything that will increase those words and your experience in your own field will help. Join the Computer Graphics club, volunteer for a conference (there is more than just GDC and Siggraph...), start your own game on the side... they don't need to know that it was particularly a group of fellow classmates or that the class was free. Just show that you are learning and thirsty for more. Also, adding related classes is ok at first, but once you get your first internship or job in the industry, start slowly filtering out anything that reminds them that you just recently graduated. You are a professional. Prove it.

-Create a Group:


This is especially beneficial to those who are unemployed. Creating a group and being the lead manager of it allows you to create your own title and increases your chances of being found in a search (remember those keywords?). It can be a group of fellow classmates that you were in a project with and want to keep in touch about that particular project and where it's going, an interest group (localized or global), anything that you can add people to that would have the same interests as you. Make sure to name yourself intelligently based on a previous step ;)

-Build your network to 500+ :

This one's a little tougher. I'm a firm believer in the importance of blooming a relationship instead of collecting business cards. But, here I am, a "master networker" as some call me, and only at 265 connections. What gives? Well, the webinar suggested just adding anybody and everybody that had at least 500 connections... but honestly, that will help with the recruiting and not so much with you actually building a physical network of people that you can have coffee with. Those people will be there for you when the recruiters don't call. So, I suggest a little of both. Most recruiters of companies will add anyone because their network needs to be large enough to get the job done, quickly and cheaply. Start adding recruiters, directors of marketing, and the like of the companies you are following on Linked In (you ARE following companies... right???). This will help in the next step.

Also, find people that you have met physically, but not necessarily talked to. Introduce yourself and add a little of where they know you from when you connect to them on Linked In. Make certain (even if you think they would remember you) to include how you met them, or where you know them from--- I can't tell you how many people I can't remember how I met them, or if I know them, and they never mentioned a word about why they are connecting with me. This step will probably double your current network. In addition to this, make certain to always get a business card (and have one on you) at every place you go. Especially if you are in major cities. You never know who you might meet. These are the people that will start expanding you out of your college cushion and it may surprise you how small this industry is. No position or industry should be out of the question. Industry companies need lawyers, caterers, and they rent out offices in the same buildings as advertisers, restaurants, clock repair shops, and jewelry makers. Ok, the last two were a bit of a stretch, but anyone that you have a good conversation with will always be worth it. You never know who they might know. Just mentioning that you are in entertainment gets most people excited, anyways. "I want to be a game designer". "Hey! My son works for EA!" How familiar does that sound?

-Signal/ Social Media


Last, but not in the very least, taking advantage of social media. LinkedinLabs.com has an app called Signal that will allow you to see the feed on your network. Basically this allows you to listen in on the conversations people are having about jobs. Recruiters post when their company has a position (remember we added them in the last step?). They post so people can apply before the job is up in the market of forums, and they also begin their search to find people who qualify. Comment, Like, interact with these posts on Signal and you will be shot to the top of the list for these people to call in for an interview because you will be fresh in their mind.

Social media in general is becoming so powerful. Search.twitter.com allows you to search for tweets in the last 36 hours from recruiters that are related to your industry. That should give you an edge over the competition, because hey- it was in the last 36 hours. Follow these people on Twitter, Like their Facebook Page... anything that will get you exposed to their updates immediately when the happen. FOLLOW THEIR COMPANIES ON LINKED IN. I can't stress this enough. Anytime a company is hiring a wave of people is a good time to apply, whether your position is posted or not. This industry revolves around projects. One position being filled is not the end of the world, and being connected on a level in social media with all of the right people is what will get your resume to the top of the pile.

Want to know why the position is filled before you even apply? Because everyone else has already done the last 5 steps. Do the work now and save yourself an enormous amount of headaches in the future. There are 5 more advanced steps, but you can all start here and email me for the last 5 (they are super complicated and take a lot more time). Ultimately, the first 5 should be enough to wrap your head around how fast this industry hires and get you noticed enough to get that first job.

And now... here's your last task: Come up with 1 more step that will increase your chances of getting a job... just through Linked In. Post below. I dare you.

Babe Lab with Paul Richards, and R & H

Hey All! I hope you are having a fantastic winter so far! Some of the Alumni are in Los Angeles right now for their first winter and tbh, it doesn't feel like winter here at all! Beach anyone?

Anyways...

Today's post is about two events that were attended in the last week. One of the great things about LA is there are so many things to do in the industry and most of them happen right here in lovely So Cal. So if you ever happen to find yourself working down here, there is literally a major event going on a few times a week, you just have to develop a way to get your eyes and ears in the right places to be informed! Personally, for me, blogs, newsletters, networking, and just overall enthusiasm for meeting new people and seeing new things is what got me into all of it. So! Look no further, the first event of the week was *drumroll please*...

Rhythm & Hues!

On Hollywood Blvd, there is a restaurant called "Osaka". We arrived a little later than expected because of traffic and deadlines at work, but sure enough, in a little room, Jill Gilbert greeted us at the door (she is in charge of most of the major events in LA via One Plus Hub. SUBSCRIBE NOW if you are in the area, because this is where all your networking events for the year will be. She kicked off the night with some thanks and announcements, introduced some of the R & H VIPs, and then let us continue to a lovely night of meeting talented and well-known people. And did I mention how good the free sushi and drinks were???

So, I can't go into too much details about the night, however, I did meet two animation producers, and animation writer, someone who works for Sony, and an enthusiastic artist that could potentially be hired by my company in the future. Now, if I was lazy and decided to stay home, would all of this had happened? No. Get yo butt to an event and meet the people that will make your progress your career!

Ok, I'm done.

Not really. The next event, is the Gnomon Workshop: Babe Lab. I know some of you artists in APCG think you are exempt from all of this artsy fartsy stuff aka life drawing... NOT! Every artist I've talked to in the field has some connection to drawing, painting, sculpting, etc. in some way to keep their brain active and their analytical receptors fresh ;)

Life drawing can teach you so much. Even if you don't consider yourself to be "an artist", if you are in the business of games, mobile development, movies, etc. guess what! You are helping create something, and thereby making you (yes, even the programmers) artists! So rather than sitting here lecturing about it, I'll just cut right to the chase, and give you the awesome details of the night with Paul Richards. He has truly inspired me to draw, no matter where I am or if I'm in a class with a model.

So basically, he had Stacy (the model) up on stage with him, doing demonstrations and poses that supported his lecture. This was pretty awesome because normally (most teachers I've had anyways) the teacher just has a powerpoint or a lecture in their head, and will sometimes use some sort of visual, but this was a great way to show exactly what he was talking about. AND he even had little props that explained what he was referring to in 3D space. Some were arrows to show the axis and angle of the particular body part he was pointing at, stickers to explain the proportions of the body parts in relationship to one another, squishy props to demonstrate the interaction between soft and hard surfaces, and others were just visual sketches he had up on the projector to give you a more illustrated analysis of what he was saying. So awesome. Why can't the Art Department be more like this???

Some of the subjects he touched on (again, summary and paraphrasing- not quoting here):


-Create geometry in your mind, based on the axis that appears for each surface. If the torso is facing one way and the head another, define those figures in space as boxes or 3D objects that simplify what is going on. The Axis is a tremendous help when defining how the form will appear on 2D space, as long as you understand what is happening in 3D space.

-The foot creates a check mark. This is most apparent when the figure is wearing heels of some sort. Define those flat planes and just look for the check mark, and it will simplify how you approach the feet. Feel free to add your own heels to the drawing if she has her foot in a suitable for it, or you're drawing from your head.

-He noticed one day when a model was holding herself up, that the hand is a distorted version of the check mark. The thumb is the stiletto and the flat planes still exist. Something to think about.

-When defining the shape of the fingers, it's always important to define what side of the finger the nail is hugging. If you can answer that, it will define the planes of the hands and fingers a little clearer and help you portray the hand more accurately.

-When drawing anything on the figure, even if you are drawing from life, pretend like the figure was animated. Imagine a "frame" before and a "frame" and connect the dots by exaggerating push/pull, squash/stretch, anticipation/drag, etc. If her arm looks like it was come from one direction, drag the fingers behind as if the force of movement was defining the shape of her hand. Same for hair, and any other things you can think of that would make the pose more interesting. The sky is the limit!

-The head pose can tell you a lot about how interesting the rest of the pose will be. Look at pictures of people online and ask yourself if it's an interesting photo. Even the most graphic porn (!) can be boring and uninteresting if the head is straight forward. The straight on photos of someone taking a picture in the mirror are usually the least interesting. But there are still some fashion and advertising photos taken by amateurs that can demonstrate how important it is to avoid symmetry and straight on head poses. He bled into another discussion about silhouettes and how the composition of the photo is clear, so I'll explain that next.

-Avoid tangents. Simple? I didn't get it at first either. The worst thing you can do as an artist is make the definition of space unclear. If, from the perspective of the drawing, the boob meets the arm, which meets the leg, the eye has a difficult time immediately recognizing what comes first in space, and what is the furthest in space. Even if this is literally what you are looking at from your perspective of the figure in front of you, CHEAT. Drop the boob down a little farther, extend the arm out so it is more resting on the ground than right behind the leg, etc. Cheat it to make everything more clear. The best artists are the ones that see friction in the system and avoid it by using their artistic license and freedom of being able to draw whatever they like.

-Always emphasize highs and lows of the figure. If one arm is posed high than the other, exaggerate it. If everything is parallel, add subtle highs and lows to make it more interesting. Same with thicks and thins. There are thick portions of the body, and thin portions that create these tapers. Exaggerate them to make the figure more interesting (and less like a stick figure).

-When something is flushed up against another body part, think about what the geometry is underneath and treat the top geometry like it's paper and has no thickness. This will help you define the shape a little better. The contact will naturally mesh the two things together (unless it's two hard surfaces).

-If you are having a difficult time understanding a pose, or creating one, remember that appendages like to rest in corners. When an arm is on the hip, it is probably resting on the hip bone. When one ankle is behind another, it is probably resting on the Achilles Heel. When laying down, if one leg is up and behind another, her ankle is probably interlocked with the back of her knee. Some common resting places: the knee (back and front), the elbow (back and front), hip bone, etc. Watch people out on the street and find where else is a common resting place for certain parts of the body (even hair!).

-A good idea is to cast shadows for contact points to define when they contact each other. Also, certain body parts will bulge out when they contact another. Think about hard surfaces contacting soft ones and how they would interact. Exaggerate it. Also, contact points create pooches and creases. Kind of the same thing, but it depends on the contact points, again. Pooches are the bulging out, and creases are the cuts in (usually a bone sticking out farther than the skin can stretch- like the hip bone).

-When creating proportions that are not exaggerated to push away from realism, there are arcs that you can follow to define how far out certain appendages go. The neck will rotate down to the center of the clavicle. The wrist will come up to the top of the shoulder. The ankle will come up to the base of the hipbone. watch people extend and contract their arms, legs, and head to find more. There are tons! But ultimately, you want to make sure that when your proportions look off, create an imaginary arc from those points and see where they would end up if they were contracted and see if you are off by a few inches in your drawing.

-POV can make a pose more interesting or define a message you are trying to convey. If you split a figure down the middle, you can also create perspective by recognizing that the body is symmetrical by nature (usually).

-William Hogarth emphasized that there is beauty all around the body in the form of  "S" curves (also called the Line of Beauty). Look for them in the figure and exaggerate them. Sometimes you must "connect the dots" and extend the curve to something other than the silhouette (say a shoulder blade around to the bottom of the buttocks), but they are usually there. Even if the tapering of the "S" is subtle, it's there. You just have to find it.

-In Life Drawing, it's apparent that the body posing for you, is not an apple on a table. There will be movement. Which is why it's important to capture the pose immediately with gestures and then emphasize what might not be there anymore. Never blame the model for moving something that you didn't draw in the first place. The beauty is there for a split second, and then could be taken away. Capture it early (angles, S Curves, planes, etc.), and use what you have to create something later.

-Connect lines from the extremes of the figure to create a silhouette/negative. You can define the whole of the figure with just a negative.

-"You have to REALLY TRY to fuck up the human design. Some of these photos are just BAD."

-Cranial Real Estate. There is only a certain area that the head will grow hair. Be aware of it, and allow that to define the position, thickness, and physics of the hair.

-A famous artist (I didn't catch the name) always emphasized a "3 Point Story" in his work. Adjective + Archetype + Action. Like a Sexy + Actress + Climbs the Rope. There's always a story to be told in his work.

Lastly, he suggested these books to be the best out there for improving your analysis of the human figure. Walt Stanchfield's "Drawn to Life" Volumes 1 and 2, and Force. I just got Walt's books in the mail this week, and I already own Force. Super stoked to read more about the human figure!

So, in conclusion, I wouldn't have learned any of this if I didn't go out to these events. The learning never stops, and the networking never stops. Until next time, I hope all of you enjoyed your Winter Break, and I look forward to the next post! If you have questions about anything I've discussed today, please feel free to email me!

Have a great weekend :)

Gnomon Illustrator Panel

Hey guys!


My name is Sonya, I'm going to be making the first post! If you want to know more about me, read the About section on my website here, or view my blog. I got invited to a Gnomon event last night and decided this would be a great opportunity to put content into the blog! If you don't know what Gnomon School of Visual Effects is, it's a school located in Los Angeles that offers classes taught by industry professionals and online courses for those who can't come to campus. They also do events such as this, and they have workshops where you can buy DVDs for pretty much any topic regarding the visual effects industry of film, games, and even traditional art. If you want to know more about the event I went to, click here. It was put on by Blue Canvas, an artist network and magazine about art, and Section Studios, which has done concept art for Final Fantasy and God of War. The main idea of the panel was to focus on Composition, particularly in concept art. Anyone looking to become an illustrator, or considers them self an artist in any way, should really read this blog! 


So! I'm going to start out by saying this blog is paraphrasing the basic ideas that the artist's were trying to convey. Some of it is going to be my words because the notes I took in Evernote are not complete sentences :)


Nathan Ota kicked off the event by showing off some of his acrylics and sketches. I have to say that I was blown away by how awesome his work is. Some of his paintings that were in galleries have been 2' x 3' like the one below, but he always starts out with a sketch. 

He emphasized right off the jump that the "prep stage" is the most important stage for every artist (or it should be). He will not start his piece until (sometimes unless) he has a solid composition. He always thumbnails and does many many many sketches before he even thinks about picking up a paintbrush. He also does a lot of research to clarify or frame the idea he wants to communicate. He did say that a lot of his ideas come from his head, but he tries to convey to his students the importance of research and reference, especially when working for a client. Here is an outline of things that are important when he is composing something:


-Thumbnails and sketches not only help you narrow down the options of how the piece is going to look, but also keeps a good relationship with you and the client. Constantly giving them options and previews keeps them in the loop and keeps them happy, or allows them to change it with enough time for you to render the final.


-Ask yourself: How do you get your audience to flow through the composition? Do you have a good beginning, middle, and end (to the story and to the physical piece)? How do you keep your audience engaged?


-He usually has something in the foreground and something in the background. Both help to tell the story.


-Use light to send the audience's eye toward something you want, because light creates a richness and a depth. There should be a lot of time put into the lighting and how it ill add to the composition.


-He always saves his favorite part for last, so he can put his best effort into it.


-He actually physically paints in layers, starting out with a black canvas and adding elements in the background and slowly adds on until he has a completed piece. 


-One of the most common things he notices about young artists is their inability to accept error. Erring and then erasing and starting over, or painting over it is part of the process. No one should be afraid of making a mistake because that's how we discover what works.








Cecil Kim is the Creative Director at Section and spoke in the panel, as well. The compositions that he showed were extraordinary and painterly, mostly done digitally (scanned images of his initial drawings on paper and painted over). Here is one of my favorite pieces of his that he did for an album cover.

One of his main points of the talk was to keep simple shapes that make a great composition and build on top of those. He mentioned Andrew Loomis in his book "Creative Illustration" and I happened to have the book (and pages) he was talking about. Here's what he showed us:

The compositions that are most interesting can be broken up into shapes and lines that interact to balance the patterns and randomness. In addition to looking at varying these sorts of compositions, he also stated that 50% of his work is completed when he sets the horizon line, the rest of the perspective will follow and he just needs to layer the complexity of his piece from that. Here is an outline of some of the things he touched on:


-He likes to make sure there is flow and rhythm based on the above compositions or ones he forms from those concepts. The rhythm and flow is basically what Nathan was talking about above- the purpose is to keep the audience engaged and the piece interesting throughout its entirety.


-There needs to be a contrast of line and shape, wherein he tries not to repeat any sizes of the shapes. Repetition needs to be varied, otherwise it might seem boring in some instances.


-Another way to state what he does above: He works in 2D space first, by creating silhouettes and simple shapes and then puts in the perspective, with the vanishing point, horizon, ultimately making it 3D. This helps keep the integrity of his original composition. Usually, this defines his atmosphere and air, which also creates the mood.


-He tries to keep from having a flat and cliche horizon line. The perspective keeps the audience initially engaged and the composition and rhythm lines keep them looking at the piece.


-On clients specifically, he wanted to let the students know that he comes up with about 5 different compositions at first and gives the client some options to work with. All 5 have to be something that will work as a final piece, but are different in presentation based on the initial concept. He will usually come up with these 4-5 solutions in about 2 hours before even bothering to render them. Thumbnails and paint sketches usually do the trick for the initial review with clients. 4-5 color passes are included in this to give different interpretations of the mood.




Last, but not least, James Paick took the mic and showed off his concept art that he does for previs and 3D environments. James' focus was mostly on the idea that the concept art in the industry isn't just art for the sake of art... it has to lead into something and be an environment or a character or an idea that can be implemented in 3D. That's not to say don't have an imagination so that the idea is realistically possible, but essentially always bare in mind what you can inspire in the artists that create the environments and push the pieces into another level with your art.

The one thing he started out saying, that I think is most important for concept artists, is he asks the client what the purpose is. The purpose defines everything that he does and how he chooses to compose his piece. It even defines the level of finish he should go for. He always starts with very simple thumbnails and increases the complexity as the clients become more comfortable with his ideas and composition.


A lot of his suggestions were directed at young artists or artists that were new to the industry. Here are some of the things he talked about:


-Don't worry about what you don't know, or how you're going to tackle a piece that is seemingly difficult. Don't be afraid to fail, but also get your foundation/fundamentals/basics mastered and then pick and choose those tools to use depending on what the project requires.


-Repeated images can be used if their purpose is to reinforce the environment. Use the same elements to keep the environment consistent, but vary it.


-For portfolios: Get a portfolio that stands out in content and style/design. Get the client to say THAT is what we need for our game/film/idea. If you want to work for games, build a portfolio that is badass in game content. Choosing to copy styles of games and companies isn't a bad thing, because that shows that you can latch onto a style and execute it. It also shows you're passionate about that field.


-In the same realm as style and personality, they hired YOU, so stay true to your style and visage, but still deliver what the clients want.


-The beauty of concept art for 3D environments is you get to be the designer. Every detail you put into the piece can possibly ignite a spark for the animator or texture artist or scenic designer. The more ideas you put into the piece, the more the other artists will get out of it.


-If you are creating panoramas or short but long compositions, focus on making the entire thing one composition and then breaking it up as if you framed three or 4 separate images that were strung together. Each one has to be just as interesting as the other.


-The first ideas you have are usually the most generic and the most cliche. Tread carefully with putting those ideas on paper, or try to make them unique as you develop the overall concept. 


-It also goes with muscle memory. Styles and characters develop that end up being signature works for some artist because they get really good at doing the same thing over and over, and it is even incorporated into your muscle memory that your hand is used to drawing those same shapes and lines over and over again. Just something to be aware of, not necessarily to look down upon unless you are trying to diversify your skill set.


-Always use reference.


-Don't get too attached to your work. The main focus of the client is the most important, and getting attached just leads to problems down the road. If they ask you to start over and redo it and jump through hoops, you do it to maintain the relationship. And erasing it only makes you better at it the 50th time.


-What's not in the image makes the piece more powerful. A lot of amateur artists will try to frame the entire "composition" or set of objects in the frame of the canvas. Sometimes, it's better to leave that a mystery and leave it up to the audience to wonder where that canyon leads up to, or where the road goes. This mostly applies to environments, whereas telling a complete story with the characters is more important (usually) than leaving it a mystery.


-Don't put tutorials that you did in or out of school in your portfolio. Period. Unless it was applied to your own ideas. Everyone in the industry knows the tutorial and will recognize it immediately. It also is a great indicator that you are fresh out of school.






So that pretty much sums up their approaches to composition. There was a Q & A afterwards and it's hard to write paragraphs about this, but I'll at least outline some things they touched on or questions they answered.




-If there's something wrong with the piece (and you can't pinpoint the problem), go with your gut over a critique. It's what will make you happy. And don't be afraid to make mistakes!


-You have to think about 3D space and how this would become a reality. Be the designer and make the 3d artists' job easier by giving them solutions before they have questions.


Do you think peer critiques are valuable, even to professional artists?
-Critiques from peers are very important, they are your audience and what they see impacts the impression of the piece. Don't disrespect the critique no matter who it's from. A traditional artist can add just as much value to a 3D piece as a 3D artist.


What is the most common mistake you see young artists to?
-Perspective is the most common mistake for composition. Study it, master it, and push it. Make sure the main perspective lines are super accurate to perspective and the rest is eyeballed to give it personality and life.


-A lot of artists will see something and copy it for the sake of having a finished product instead of really considering what they are copying or why we are even presenting it in the first place.


-The concept artist has to reflect the extent of the game or film. Level of detail lighting and rendering and textures must reflect the level of detail that will go into that game or film.


-Ask yourself what you like to draw and then use that passion to expand. If you are really good at drawing bugs, then keep drawing bugs and sometimes that is what drives the passion for creating other things.


-Lighting can be pushed by defining atmosphere. Use composition lighting to define those lines and shapes and lead the eye to and from the subject.


-Studios ask around who knows an artist that will fit that project first before looking at random portfolios or job inquiries.


-GPA is relatively important, because it defines your character (are they a slacker with a great portfolio or a humble mediocre artist that is reliable?)


What was your biggest struggle as an artist?
-James touched on his struggle to switch between drawing and painting. He had to see shapes and colors differently and go through a long process of trial and error before he really understood how to paint.
-Nathan says color theory is an ongoing struggle because there is so much to go into that can define your purpose, composition, lighting, mood, and overall story of the painting.
-Cecil had issues with deadlines and being motivated because starting a piece later rather than right when he was assigned lost his interest and excitement for starting and finishing the piece. The sooner he starts, the sooner his best ideas and creativity come and the rest is tweaking and rendering.








Well that's it! I hope you all took something away from this post (if not some jaw drops from the pieces composed these talented individuals). If anyone would like to comment, feel free! I tried not to misrepresent any of the artist's and go straight from my notes with a little bit of context :)


Also, all of these images are copy-written by the artists on the website links I provided. Please do not distribute these without proper consent!


Until next time!

First Post!

Welcome Fellow APCGers!

This is the first official blog post by the APCG alumni! How exciting :) So, we're going to go over what to expect when you check this blog. Luckily, for you, all you have to do is sit back and relax. We're going to try to make this as welcoming as possible, because we know what our first few years in the industry felt like. We're here to tell you that as long as you continue to read and engage in the messages on this blog, it will happen for you and we are so excited for you to be out there with us! A lot of us are going to tell stories of how we got our "in" to the industry, and some of us will contribute advice from our experiences. This is by no means a set of rules... everyone does it differently and everyone has different experiences. But by listening to what we have to say, we hope to increase your chances.

Below, we've posted some of our topics that we would like to discuss. This is an INTERACTIVE blog, so if you see something on this list, or have further questions about our content or posts, please, by all means... don't hesitate! We would love to hear from you! Here is a breakdown of what we think you'll need to know once you're out there:

The Hiring Process

-Do's and Don'ts of resumes

-How to achieve a cover letter that stands out

-Interviewing (why it's different in this business than in other industries)

-How to apply

-Securing your spot (and keeping it)

Networking 

-Why it's important

-How to take advantage of situations that could advance your career

-How to market yourself professionally in unprofessional situations

-Drinking 101 (yeah, we're serious)

-Staying connected

Demo Reel Basics

-The Shot Breakdown

-Good practices for all disciplines

-Specifics for each discipline

Mythbusters

-Busting down the "impossible" walls

Resources

-Our favorites

-How to stay in touch with the world without working too hard at it

-Continuing Education

Well, that's a wrap! Hope you all are looking forward to our posts, and we hope to hear from you very shortly! Stay focused out there!!!