kain_kusanagi said:
As for apps, I'll look into the ones you mentions, I'm not sure I need much more than maybe Sketchbook Pro and that animation one you mentioned. My Galaxy Note 5 inch is a bit too small to do serious sketching. I know that when it's time for me to replace my old Laptop I''m going to get what ever the newest Galaxy Note tab is. I love the S-Pen and they keep making them better. Do you mind me asking how your commissioning works? Is it part of your career or is it the type of commissioning I hear about on Deviant Art? I'm not in a place that I'd start doing commissions, but I'm interested in the process. |
I am a freelancer and do a lot of types of graphic/fine art work on the computer. I also do oil painting and charcoals. Generally landscapes more than anything else when it comes to oils. I'm skilled with programming related stuff, so if I have to do that to put up/make code for graphics I've done, then I'll usually do that to get it 'right'. It's not a required skill, but it helps being tech savvy as possible,.. like, if your customer can't figure something out, it saves both your time to be able to do it quickly without having to resort to Google. Or you have to fuss with getting your work printed right... which happens, because printers are stupid and simple minded (referring to the machine, not the printshop lol).
Mainly right now I have been doing portraiture, large format stuff. No, it's not deviantart... the people there are not going to pay more than $5-15 maybe for a regular sketch, and it's not worth the time and money to build a network there... it's not my demographic anyway. I prefer working face to face. I get a lot of work by word of mouth. Mainly it's portraits, landscapes, or code work that I get asked to do...
I have a Facebook fanpage, it helps (if anything, just to encourage myself and others to look at my work) and also to network. There's some people on there that have started to follow me recently who I have no idea who the heck they are, but they follow it and keep up with me, so maybe they are potential clients when I post the finished work. Who knows.
It also helps to carry business cards... the Japanese give cards even just for personal encounters. It's a lot easier and more "modern" I think to interact with people this way than writing your number on a piece of paper where it can get lost.. so yeah, even if I just give someone my card after fixing their computer that's 'artsy' and personal with my work on it... or meeting them at Starbucks or something, it's a potential lead. As long as you are passionate about your work, take yourself seriously, you will have no problem attracting clients generally. I live in the city, people are active here and this is where I personally thrive and am happiest, so I think that's also part of it... it takes time to build a client base. A good sized painting can go for $200-400 easily though... especially oils... so even a few paintings is enough for a modest income. It's never steady though because it's freelance work.
Most industry professionals (concept art related, not my field), work freelance also. I mean once a game is designed, they are let go... you have to learn to build a name and network basically and keep tossing your portfolio (and improving it) every chance you get. I prefer to work locally than do that kind of biz. I'm not a fan of where the direction is going there... I honestly think some of that industry is behind the times. There are a lot of exciting things going on in indie games, for example... if you're ever bored as an artist, finding a good interesting spot to test your mettle is not that far away. May not be well-paying, but still...lol
