Dear Art Graduate Part 2

September 3, 2017

Dear Art Graduate,

Make a series.

Now that you're waiting for employment, what are you going to do with all that time on your hands? This is a good problem to have. You can stay proactive with your job search and still be invested in your personal projects.

Post-graduation, my personal projects spanned a gamut of themes and narratives. Some pieces were developed for contests and others were just for fun. All were valuable in providing artistic growth, but they lacked memorability. If you want to be a commercial artist, memorability is essential to standing out among an ocean of highly-skilled fishes.

Think of your favorite artist (or any "famous" artist) and you will find that they occupy a certain niche. They are not limited to one subject or medium, but they make a lot of one thing: Monet's lily pads, Mucha's swirly-haired women, Keane's big eyes, the list goes on. Once that clicked for me, I realized the potential that a series of related pieces has. A series is far more memorable, especially if your stand-alone art typically runs the gamut like mine does. Furthermore, a series gives you more exciting monetization options: art books and zines, collectible card decks, postcard packs, and more!

You can start fairly small with a series. One of my more successful series is just three pieces. The idea started with my Monocle Mantis illustration, which achieved a fair amount of memorability on its own. I enjoyed the painting enough to create three more anthropomorphic insect humanoids. The enjoyment factor is huge because a series can burn you out otherwise. My Gentlebugs combined my love of insects and victorian fashion. The steampunk aesthetic doesn't hurt either, which made the artwork more marketable at conventions and art shows.

If you are having trouble finding where to start, look at your sketchbook first. If your sketchbook is lacking, you can look at your existing body of work and see what content pops up most frequently. This is also the point to decide what the end-product will be. Think of the application for your series and how you might need to format your artwork accordingly. Next, set yourself a deadline and get started!

Here are some illustrators who are seriously killing it with their current projects. Watch them like a hawk and learn their ways:

Stephanie Law's Descants & Cadences (You can learn her secrets here)

Peter Mohrbacher's Angelarium

Wylie Beckert 's Wicked Kingdom Deck

Iris Compiet's Faeries of the Faultlines

Chris Seaman's Cameo Creeps

Just Browse the "Most-Funded" Section on Kickstarter

Dear Art Graduate Part 1

July 31, 2017

Dear Art Graduate,

It will take a while.

"Patience" from my Virtues series. It bears repeating: patience is a virtue.

One piece of wisdom I received from an illustrator mentor was that it would take about 5 years to establish a freelance art business after graduating from college. I thought, ambitiously, it would take me less time--maybe 2-3 years. Since I had graduate school under my belt and some experience with private art commissions, I thought I would start gaining clients. As long as I maintained my website, social media presence, and regular submissions to art annuals, I thought I was on the path to success. Rarely does life go according to plan.

It took me about 2 years to find a day job. By "day job", I mean an hourly position that pays the bills as I develop my freelance illustration career. At this point, my personal/freelance artwork does not provide a source of income. I wanted to beat the 5-year trajectory for establishing a freelance business. I went into a master's program believing it would be a fast pass to employment, but such is not the case. For me, building a freelance career boils down to employment experience. I dove straight into graduate school from undergrad and put my priority on academics, portfolio-building, and school-related activities. I ended up with a Master's degree, but my ability to find employment was far from mastery.

The struggle for employment is a reality for many, many recent graduates, but it can still feel like you're the only one failing at employment. I would like to show you some of my own statistics, which I hope won't be depressing for young job-seekers, but rather provide a realistic outlook:

Candice's 2015-2017 Somewhat Accurate Employment Statistics

Percentage of Application Rejections/No Response:

95%

Percentage of Applications Resulting in Interviews/Art Tests:

11%

Percentage of Applications Resulting in Employment:

Total Number of Job/Internship applications: 102

Application Positions Types:

Graphic Design/Illustration: 66

Food Service/Retail: 15

Concept Art/Production Art: 9

Teacher/Faculty: 5

Internship: 5

Art Director: 2

Looking at these statistics and knowing what I know now about job applications, I would give this advice to my younger, recently-graduated self:

Apply to local positions as much as possible
- This is especially true for walk-in applications.You have a far greater chance getting a temporary position locally than on job board websites where your application could get lost among the thousands that apply.
Send more Thank-You Letters to Interviewers
- Seriously, I got two commissions out of sending a thank-you letter with an envelope that had a little illustration on it. More importantly, interviewers are people too.
Apply to more portfolio-only applications
- While it is important to submit a carefully crafted cover letter, look for applications that only require emailed portfolio submissions or a "One-Click" application. If you have a solid portfolio, you will find more success with those applications since the position will depend more on your ability than on your job experience, which you simply don't have if you are like me. Also, these applications are super fast. Once you have an account set up (and filled out), websites like Linkedin and Ziprecruiter often have one-click apply options. Of course, make sure to read all of the application guidelines to see if a cover letter or resume is required for a given job.
Think of a day job as your first step toward a freelance career.
- There are plenty of artists who quit their day job and lead successful freelance careers. This is reasonable for those who have been working their day job for at least 3-5 years and have a decent following for their art outside of their day job. I would not advise this for recent graduates. I think any job experience is good job experience. For me, a handful of part-time jobs and being currently employed with a day-job is bringing me closer to my goal of a self-supporting art career. I'm learning valuable skills that can transfer to running my own business when the time comes.

What was your post-graduate employment experience like? How long did it take you to find a long-term position or are you still searching? Feel free to leave a comment below!

Steampunk Shenanigans

March 1, 2017

This past month I had the pleasure of holding a workshop at The Orange Space in Redlands where I talked about concept ideation and composition. The recently opened space is host to rentable work tables and monthly guest talks by creatives and entrepreneurs. It's a cool place to stop by after you've grabbed your à la minute ice cream.

There are two upcoming adventures this month for the time traveler and art collector! The first is the Iron Horse- Family Steampunk Carnivale on March 18-19 from 10am-5pm. It is on the grounds of the Orange Empire Railway Museum, which houses many a historical locomotive, including ones you can ride during the event. There will be live entertainment and Victorian-inspired vendors, which is where you will find me! I will be bringing signed prints, originals, and other collectible items. Both modern-dressed and Steampunked civilians are welcome!

Just a week after will be the bi-annual Downtown Redlands Art Walk on March 26 from 12pm-6pm. The art walk is always free to attend and continues to grow in size. It's a great time to grab a bite to eat and peruse the local artists on State St, Citrus Ave, and 5th St. I will be among several artists exhibiting indoors at the Cope Building, so come inside and find us!

CTNX vs Designer Con: The Aftermath

November 22, 2016

My quest for new, local convention venues brought me to CTNX and Designer Con 2016 this past weekend. I attended for enjoyment, educational value, and to scope out future exhibiting venues.

I went to CTNX on Saturday with a 1-Day Exhibit Floor Plus Pass, wanting to see some demonstrations without paying the higher price for access to panels and workshops. With that said, this ticket is twice the cost of a 1-Day Exhibit Floor Only Pass. Was it worth it? Lets see shall we...

When I arrived in Burbank, I parked at the Metrolink Station, expecting to find a CTNX shuttle that would take me to the Marriott. I couldn't find the shuttle schedule online, so I reached out to my friend I knew was a CTNX volunteer, who happened to have the shuttle times. With the lack of shuttle information online, my expectations weren't too high, but it was still a let-down to find no sign of life at either the Metrolink or the nearby shuttle stop at Nickelodeon Studios. The shuttle may or may not have been running, but the lack of shuttle-stop signage suggested the later.

After my morning workout, I found my way to the Burbank Airport parking lots. I wasn't quite sure where to go for on-site parking (one reason I didn't park closer), but I did see a formidable line of cars that may have been for on-site parking. In retrospect, I could have paid the same price for closer on-site parking as I did at the remote airport parking lot, but I decided not to risk a potentially long wait for parking.

I made my way over to registration and was happy to find no line. I picked up my wristband, but was surprised to find that a lanyard was not included. I thought I was crazy and accepted my no-badge fate, but later checked the What Does My Admission Include? .pdf, which clearly lists "Wristband and Designer Badge" for my ticket type. No badge wasn't a bid deal as long as I got the same access, but I was looking forward to putting my badge design in my lanyard. I made a design as part of the "Design Your Badge" contest, which may also be host to some last-minute changes. The voting period for the contest should have opened almost a week ago, but no entries have yet been posted for public voting.

The morning's experience was a little disconcerting, but I was still pumped to visit some friends in the Exhibit Hall and behold the amazing artwork. Vendors included artists, art schools, animation studios, and artist supply brands like Copic. This was clearly the heart of the convention where aspiring artists met face-to-face with seasoned and emerging professionals in the entertainment industry.

While the quality of work was stunning, the same can not be said for the structure and layout of the exhibitor tent. Floors were uneven in places, creating a funhouse experience while walking through packed aisles. As much as I enjoyed talking with the exhibiting artists and perusing their lavish sketchbooks, the crowded areas made it uncomfortable to stay in any one spot for too long. Perhaps most concerning was reports of leakage and power failures during the rainy weather on Sunday of CTNX.

At the indoor demonstration area, I watched a little bit of digital painting and traditional animation. During two of my "breaks" at CTN, I sat at each of the life drawing stations, which function as little oases for overwhelmed, introverted souls (like me).

The most engaging demonstration I saw during my short visit was for SyncSketch. The online program is like Skype for animators and provides a basic set of tools to draw on top of the frames of an animated sequence for critiquing purposes. I don't see myself using Syncsketch personally, but I liked the fact that the critique was open to the public. Within just a short amount of time, I learned vicariously through the participant whose animation was on display. It made me wonder why other studios and exhibitors weren't doing the same thing. No doubt, they come across scores of student portfolios with the same technical and conceptual weaknesses. By selecting a few portfolios of different ability levels, studios can provide more in-depth critiques that a host of attendees can watch and benefit from. This may also provide more time for studios to do private portfolio reviews for the top candidates. Live paint-overs could work similarly, showing with just a few strokes the difference between "student" work and "professional" work.

Public critique with Michal Makarewicz at the SyncSketch booth.

My day ended with a mesmerizing demonstration by drawing master Kim Jung Gi whose brush pen prowess caused the spontaneous combustion and miraculous re-generation of my internal organs.

Demonstration by Kim Jung Gi at the Talent-Opolis area of CTNX.

Overall, my CTNX experience was worth a first-time visit, but the high ticket prices, challenges with accessibility, and organizational issues will probably keep me from attending in the future. With that said, CTNX is one of few opportunities to meet in-person with studio representatives and will continue to draw crowds of eager students.

Designer Con was a whole different ball game. It should be noted that Designer Con's exhibiting artists target a different audience and industry. Most exhibitors at CTNX were looking to attract the attention of animation studios, while exhibitors at Designer Con attract individual consumers and collectors. There were just a few studio-oriented character designers at Designer Con, which may grow as the convention continues to expand. Most artists had fully-fledged brands and original IP that they applied to prints, toys, accessories, and apparel.

Sunday morning I encountered a small hiccup while parking near the convention center. I planned on parking at a lower rate in the Paseo Colorado parking structure, but it appeared closed. Instead, I followed signs for event parking and paid the $12 fee for on-site parking. I paid a little more than what I did at CTN, but the process was smooth and the walk to the convention hall was a breeze.

Stepping into the exhibit hall was like stepping into Jim Henson's Labyrinth. There was a new curiosity on every corner blending equal amounts of cute and creepy. The spacious aisles allowed for leisurely browsing and ease of conversation with exhibiting artists.

Valency Genis and her creations.

Artwork by Valency Genis

I found myself stopping at every-other booth and met some artists that I had been familiar with through social media. Valency Genis was one of them and kindly answered my questions about her sculpting process. With several artists at Designer Con, I asked about their relationship between 2D and 3D artwork. This was valuable information for my current artistic process, since I'm exploring ways to use my 2D illustrations for other applications, including collectible sculpture.

The degree of creativity at Designer Con was unparalleled. Every artist had a strong voice and displayed unique products that appeal both to art lovers and the average consumer. I would love to see workshops and panels at the event, but close interaction with exhibitors still allowed for an educational experience. I'm pretty sold on exhibiting next year at Designer Con!

Here is a quick comparison of my expenses for CTNX and Designer Con as an attendee. It does not reflect all of the options available for ticket types and parking, just the ones I went with personally when I attended:

Comparison Chart: My Expenses

CTNX vs. Designer Con

November 17, 2016

There are two California conventions taking place this weekend in close proximity: The Creative Talent Network's Animation Expo, and Designer Con. I've made the crazy decision to attend both.

Designer Con is relatively new and one of the fastest growing shows in the design industry. While it can be seen as a rival to CTN, it clearly represents a different facet of the commercial arts. CTNX caters more towards the entertainment industry (animation and concept art for film and television) while Designer Con features art and design for physical products (toys, art prints, apparel, etc,). My plan is to experience both as a casual attendee and compare the two in terms of educational value, vendor interaction, and general observations.

Let the show begin!

If you're looking for my Triptych blog, you can still find it at https://triptychtrio.com/.