2014 to 2015: My Year Making Focused, Time-Efficient Art Pt. 5
Read part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4.
Show your art around
So, now that you have devoted time studying and have come up with a body of work that has consistent quality throughout, it`s time to show your work around and put it in front of the right people. If you`ve been attentive to the content of this text so far you have probably figured out that the right people to show your work to must be people related to the industry you want to get into. A good practice is to set out a list of Dream Jobs with the companies you want to work with and people who have already worked for that company. Some of those companies will have an art submission email that you can send your work to, if not, try to research the Art Director`s email address or phone and cold email them. In my experience, there is no other way around it. When doing so, always be concise, objective, courteous and thank them a lot for finding the time to check out your work (these are super busy people).
Another good way to get your work seen out there is submitting entries to annuals like Spectrum, IlluXcon and Society of Illustrators. A lot of Art Directors buy the annuals and read through it so, as in your portfolio, only submit your best work. There is usually a fee per entry that depending where you are from can be a big deal. But do save up during the year for that and, if you can, also attend their respective conventions. It is a great way to network and meet new people. Lastly, you can submit your work to popular magazines. I have submitted my work to a Brazilian magazine called Zupi and I was thrilled when they published my art. I also submitted some work to ImagineFX and, again, I was published. I feel this not only boosts your self esteem but it`s also very nice to have something physical to show your work printed on.
There are a lot of upsides to submitting your work to annuals and magazines, but few people recognise the down sides of it. I myself only realised it after reading Peter Mohrbacher’s article about it. The judges on those annuals, like it or not, are filtering what is today considered “good art”. This is a phenomenon that has been happening throughout art history. The best board of judges will still rely on their personal taste to choose the accepted submissions, especially with something as subjective as art. So I`d say that if your work is not accepted into one of those annuals, it does not mean it is “bad art”. There is no such a thing. There is technically inaccurate art, but never bad.
Another good way to show your work out there is to do video tutorials (or tutorials of any kind). Think of producing content that is relevant to the audience you want to create. For example, artist Sakimichan focused on doing fanart and selling it. Although not recommended, through it she has built a fanbase strong enough to support her today. Many artists are following this professional route so I thought it would be nice to mention as well. You don`t have to work for a big or small company to “make it” out there. Through building a fanbase you can do all sorts of things: run a crowdfunding campaign to support one of your ideas as did Dan LuVisi; produce prints and other materials… the list goes on. One way to start increasing your fan base is to identify a public and match it to whatever you like doing. Is is portraiture? No problem, pick a theme that resonates with your public and you`re done. Is it fantasy art? Better yet, do a redesign or new version of a public domain IP. The possibilities are endless.
I hope this little bit of information helped you and I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter! Stay tuned for part 6!
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