How do you become a Professional??

[LazyReaper]

To those professional artists out there, I just wanted to ask how I could get to be where you are now.

I mean I draw alot, and I definitely want to have my future in Art in some way. Mostly in Animation and Graphic Designing. But I want to know what I should exactly do to get there. How do I know if I'm good enough? My parents keep saying that there's not that much money in it, unless you're completely succesful.

I'm really not sure. How often do you think I should draw? I usually draw atleast one or two pictures in my sketch book everyday. But they're usually drawing of cartoons and stuff. I could post some of my drawings. But is it a successful career? Can I make a living out of it?

I mean I can do a few things. I can animate 2D stuff (I'm trying to learn 3D Studio Max right now.), I'm great with web designing and editing and composing flash videos. I can create decent stuff on Paint Shop Pro. I get about 80% in my art class. I can't draw very good portraits, but I can draw fictional characters. I mean.. uh!

I'm very confused with this.

Sorry, if I'm not making any sense here. I just got my course selection for my last year in high school. I'm confused. I just needed to write it out.

[Zoddman]

It really does depend on what you want to do for a living, but if you REALLY want to work in art in some way, do the following:

GO TO ART SCHOOL.

If you really want to work in the graphic design or animation field, you need a degree in art to go to a specialized art school. The fact that you did go to school to learn you're trade looks great on a resume to potential employers, or just as part of the track record.

Now, since you want to work in animation, you really should be buying anatomy books and still-life books. These will help you study the form and shape of people and objects. Also, really study perspective, learn about distance and the horizon line, etc. this stuff is absolutely needed for animation.

You also need to be versatile, to be able to draw and work in different styles and/or mediums. You'll probably start working as a grunt-animator on a project, so you need to understand the director and animation director's style to make the frames YOU drew look exactly like something they would draw.

If you work in graphic design however, you really should find a style all your own. Look at all sorts of art, from comics to classical to post-modern and pop to see what artists inspire you to create. also think of what medium you want to work in. Do you want to paint? Air-brush? Use a computer? These are all things you need to decide and experiment with.

Good luck! I hope you become a billionaire!

[Zoddman]

P.S.: Could you post some artwork? I'd be willing to do an honest critique.

[LazyReaper]

Originally posted by Zoddman
P.S.: Could you post some artwork? I'd be willing to do an honest critique.

Yes! I'll definitely be putting up some of my artwork online. I'm trying out a few things with inking and stuff right now. My scanner doesn't seem to be working very well, and it's scanning my pencil drawings very lightly. I'm gonna try to ink and colorize some of my drawings on the computer. It's something new I want to try out But yes, I'll try to post some of my stuff ASAP.

And thank you for replying back. You've been a very big help to me. Thanks


-Aximlli-

[Doob]

I think you're on the right track with your drawing. Branch out & do some realistic things. The best drawings I ever did was in a life drawing class. It gives you an appreciation for the human form. Books on anatomy help too. Comics & cartoons are exaggerations of the real world. You can expect to exaggerate well what you can't draw normally. Set your goals toward an art degree. Get to know the computer art programs. Paint shop pro is nice but Photoshop & Illustrator rule the roost. Also, tell your folks there's quite a bit of money in design. Comics aside, tell them to look at the Coca Cola logo, the McDonalds logo. You get the idea. Corporate identities rely on designers to create an identifiable image to relate to the public. Those companies pay very well for the designs. It's hard work but not a waste of time. I deal mostly in logos & promotional materials (t-shirts, pens, mousepads, etc.). I'm not a millionaire but I own my own business, set my own hours, own a nice two story house & drive a nice Jeep grand Cherokee. I also have time to draw, create and develop. I hope to be pitching an animated series to a couple of studios in the next few months. I'd say that was a "good living".

Hope this helps.