5 Artist Career Tips

How I got my first proper job as an artist

Dear Reader,

I often get asked to give career tips and this is something I find incredibly hard to do since the job landscape in art has changed so much since I started and for all people that I know that work with art as a career it started differently and they all ended up in different niches according to their likes and skills.

What I can always recommend to anyone trying to make a career in art

1. Draw a lot and have fun
2. Find something that you REALLY like
3. Get REALLY GOOD at it.
4. Expand from there, bit by bit.
5. Be open to following opportunities even if they feel like a detour

The less complex the topic the quicker you can get good and find a job in that particular niche and you will find the niche. You will deeply be involved in the subject and others will recognize your skill in that particular area and point you in the right direction.

If you are sort of all over the place and testing around without ONE really honed skill then you still are a student and that is totally fine and good but that probably won’t lead to a job at that stage. And I know that finding that one first thing you want to hone might seem like a hard decision since that will determine where you will work. But you can always shift your focus. No doors will close and you will have that skill in your pocket

There are career so many paths in art that require different levels of skills.

2008 directly after my studies, I got my job at Daedalic Entertainment, a company that had just started out (nowadays a publisher). They had asked around at the local design schools for recommendations of artists who could do background work and /or character designs. My teachers simply recommended me and I got lucky and worked at that company for close to 10 years.

Was it only luck? Well not only. I was also good at what I did. I had up to that point gotten really good at lively characters. I always vigorously pursued, drawing characters and practicing live drawing of humans after hours with fellow artists. While at art school I also had my own projects I worked on and I drew comics for no money at all at a local dingy comic studio and did an internship at a marketing agency where I drew (rather bad) storyboards for advertising.
I put in a huge amount of time and effort and the rest fell into place. I don’t think that talent played much of a role. Talent to me sort of just means that you enjoy working on something more than on other stuff and thus it’s easier to put in A LOT of work.

Portrait of myself from 2007

On my deviantart account you can scroll back to 2005 :D

My husband took a rather different path from me. He started with a bit sparse artistic, but broad technical skill set as an intern at the company I worked at. He found his niche as a UI (user interface) ARTIST in another game company after he finished his studies, which he got really good at. Now he is creating his own game and doing close to all of the in-game art (I help with concept art and some portraits and marketing art.)

I think it is crucial to not get overwhelmed by big dreams to just focus on the next step in front of you that will in what ever way get you a step closer to your goals.

To me too specific goals are a bit of a hindrance. I never aspired to work at DISNEY or something. “I want to work and evolve as an artist” that was and still is my path and I love that it can stay that way and excite me.

Weekly practice

My deer from last week:

And here some of your practices <3 <3 <3

by Giulia Boscolo, Tamara Dijkstra-Gómez & Emma Johansson

This week I’ll be sketching these 5 squirrels

Will you join me? If so tag me on Instagram. I will share some in my stories <3 #schmoescosyartclub

Feel free to suggest topics we can practice together!

Love,
Schmoe <3