Reply To: Need advice on which path to choose. 2D/3D

[Kent Trammell]

Hi @cerubim – You ask a big question. Unfortunately it’s the kind of question that has no guaranteed answer. But here’s my advice:

Your portfolio looks very promising from both 2D and 3D angles. Clearly you’ve developed a solid understanding of artistic principles that produce quality results. However if I can be honest, though promising, your portfolio does feels young to me. The principles you’ve showcased are solid but still need time to develop to a professional level.

Don’t be discouraged by this! Be motivated instead. The reality is 2D and 3D quality standards are higher than they’ve ever been with sites like DeviantArt and ArtStation proving the breadth of top-level artists in the world. In my experience, the key is to stand out in the crowd in some way. That’s not to say you need to be the literal best artist in the world to land a job. But success is unlikely if you’re “just another competent artist” in the crowd.

Right now that’s kind of how your portfolio hits me: Solid, competent principles! But there’s thousands of illustrations and renders that look just like yours. Everyone does dragons, everyone does wizards, everyone does fantasy environments. Of course there’s nothing wrong with those things, we all love them! But when everyone does them, the bar is super high to be noticed. Therein lies the challenge: If you want to do a dragon, how is your dragon going to impact me more than this dragon, this dragon, or this dragon?

Of course standing out on the internet leads to a reputation which leads to job potential. However I also know how daunting that can be at your stage. I remember being there vividly! It helps to clarify your goals.

1. Are you trying to land a job at a major studio like Blizzard, Insomniac, Naughty Dog, etc? If so then you need to accept that it will be a journey starting with smaller studio jobs that lead to the bigger ones (with hard work and continuing to stand out among colleagues). One way I managed to stand out when I was working studio gigs was exercising multiple skills, which you could do as well. Sure my title was “modeler” but I never shied away from an opportunity to provide textured renders or write a script that helped me and other artists automate tasks. Those things 100% build your reputation and increase your utility as a creative employee.

2. Alternatively are you content with smaller studios? Boutique studios aren’t overly plentiful but certainly more plentiful than big studios. They’re usually present in some way or another in most medium to big cities. These are great stepping stones to bigger studios and you’ll learn a TON about professional creative work. Keep in mind smaller studios tend to need more generalistic artists capable of multiple skills.

3. What about freelance? This is essentially being a one-man studio. The key is being super flexible and developing a keen sense of what people / companies need. Honestly this kind of work could be anything: Local animated commercials, Graphic design/animation, photo-shopping mistakes from photographer sessions, architectural visualization for a construction company, vehicle animations for a car dealership. They may not be the flashiest jobs and void of fantasy creatures but they can pay the bills.

4. Another approach is to be an independent artist. More than the other three, standing out is even more important. It takes a particularly clever artist to build up a self-sustaining business based on their own art. If that’s what you want to do it is possible but it’s like trying trying to make the olympic team in the art world.

Part of the beauty of this field is the variety and potential! However that means there isn’t a reliable formula and it’s really hard to offer concise advice to an aspiring professional artist. In closing, one last super helpful tip is to network. As your develop your skills and post impressive art online, nurture the relationships that occur. If a notable artist replies or follows you as a result, do the same in response. Like and comment on their work. Over time this will add to your network. Likewise, keep in touch with classmates with whom you graduated. As they get jobs it helps if they remember you. When you land your first job don’t ever burn bridges. Be kind, be a team player. All these things build up your network which 100% will lead to more and more work. I can speak from experience that most jobs in my career (studio and freelance) come from my network bringing me jobs. The very beginning requires the artist to seek work but after the first year or two – of working hard and nurturing your network – jobs will seek you out.

I hope something in here helps!