Some art career questions

[J]

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[gubixcube]

My 2 cents:

Question 1- The illustration market (As I know it living in the U.S.)
is flooded, but there's always room for talented artists- and the jobs go to
the ones that have good communication skills and deliver the work on time

You probably won't get an agent to start- mostly because they want
to have a published artist that can get them jobs as well. Of course
that is an educated guess at best. I would get a directory, send a few emails,
press packets or talk to few agents personally to find out. Some agencys deal in
a specific type of art/ medium, and they all have their own set of conditions
unique to the agency.... so research is important.



Question 2- PDF and JPGs are fine for sending by email.
I usually zip the final TIFF and upload it to my server for easy download
for the client.

Question 3- You can have them sign and scan the contract
or mail it to you. If you have a kill fee, or seperate fees for the sketch/concept
stages it will save you some trouble if they drop the job for their reasons-
and you will be paid for the work thus completed.


Question 4- Sample Contracts/ Invoices and Business Practices
for the Graphic Arts Field
http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Artists-Guild-Handbook-Guidelines/dp/0932102115


I know you want to listen to your teacher...but seriously.
He/she is one person w/ one opinion. If you want to be an illustrator, be an illustrator.
In fact...there you are "You are an illustrator" congratulations.

Now to get your work published- think locally. You want to do fashion illustration?
Do some drawings for a local fashion show poster/program.Go to the local theater and meet with the costume designer and see if you can help out with some drawings- just be enthusiastic

Lastly-make a move- try it out...don't give up something before you try it.
If it really is the thing for you, make an effort

good luck to you
-brian

[joe]

I want to start it locally (Hong Kong) but I think my specialized areas (namely fashion illustrations and fan art) don?t have much market here. (This is confirmed by my fashion illustration teacher).

Some advice, i'd say don't restrict yourself too much when you're just starting out. Take on a broad variety of work, it's all valuable when you're learning your trade.
By all means, keep working on your fashion illustration, but don't be afraid to take on magazine illustration, music graphics, advertising, publishing, etc. It will give you a huge amount of experience, which will help you work internationally. In a market as large as Hong Kong, i'm sure there are plenty of opportunities.
As well as the experience gained, the other great thing about working in different areas of illustration, is that it opens up doors that you may have never even considered.

[HellboyOne]

Do everything. Say yes to everything. Even if you don't think you can do it. Then figure it out later.

[J]

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[.::OkieDokieArtichokie::.]

Not that you asked for crits but I think if you drew more than just girls with all the same face you'd have a better portfolio for prospective employers.

Your style is unique and great but branching out will help a LOT. I used to draw only anime and it wasn't until I started working with a more american pin-up style that I got jobs. It's hard to predict what the people want, so try to get a little variety in your portfolio! (just my opinion though, no offense intended about your current selection of art)

Good luck!

[J]

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[em...]

Having a distinctive style is good if you are famous, because people want YOU specifically.

If you're not, then versatility is important. You'll get more work if you can adapt to whatever style a client wants.



By all means, do most things in your preferred style, but you should show that you are capable of other stuff if needed.

[faroukbaaaaa]

even though it is small I have to say they look like the same face over and over.
No one knows what goes over these days so good luck but I really would advise maybe just 'one' profile picture or something to vary it up

[jimsz]

If you want to pursue art, go for it.

The above posts give excellent advice on how to approach getting your work out there.

You're a young person, you have plenty of time to succeed and fail and you'll experience them both but that's what makes all of this worthwhile. Any business involving creativity is cut-throat, offers less pay than it should and more pressure than you'd want. However, there is nothing like someone wanting what you create.

If you're not making enough from art to survive, get another job - nothing wrong with that.

If it is something you wish to do, do it, enjoy it and do your best.

[J]

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