Hello :).
My dream since I was a kid was to work in the games industry. I studied Interactive Media and graduated with B.A. last year. Unfortunately I am not good enough to land a job yet, because 3D and art were just 30% of the study and the rest was technical stuff like programming which I didn't like and just powered through. The second problem is that I have many interests. I like digital painting, 3D, photography, making music... and because I want to do everything my skill is split up among these ^^'. I realized that when I want to reach the skill level which is required to work for a company, I will have to focus on one, but I don't know if I should choose 2D or 3D.
I have uploaded some of my works from both categories to my profile gallery. What do you think? Where do you see more potential? What will be more likely to work out in the end ,if I pour hours of training and effort into it?
Sorry for my bad english btw. I hope you understand me.
Hi cerubim , I had a look at your gallery projects,
To be honest,
I think you have the talent to do 2D or 3D or both, very impressive.
The choice on which to focus on is all down to you, which would you prefer to do? What do you enjoy most?
If you wish to create concept art for games then 2D is the way to go, otherwise its 3D.
Have you applied for work and been told your not good enough or is this your own assumptions?
I will tag @theluthier and ask for his input,
The knowledge you seek he has.
Hi Adrian, thank you for the kind words and for your help.
I actually applied to many companies (3D) but got rejected by all :(. The requirements in many of these job offerings are very tough, for example, 3-5 years of work experience in this field. Even on junior positions, they have so many high expectations, someone who just graduated simply can't fulfill. The other thing is, that here in Germany aren't that many job offerings in the game industry in general, because Germany ignored games, when it comes to development, for many years. It slowly gets better now with public schools that teach game design, but there is still a lack of companies.
2D and 3D both have pros and cons. I like to create, design and invent new stuff, so maybe concept art would be better, since 3D is more about the realization of the concept arts. On the other hand, 3D seems more 'easy' because you don't have to shade everything yourself, you don't have to paint all materials and textures by hand necessarily, and it is flexible if you have to make late changes.... but! It is more work to finish a complete scene, and it has these sometimes complicated technical aspects (good topology, UVs...) especially when it comes to low poly/ hard surface modeling.
As a plan B, I had the idea to learn unity and make my own games. Maybe my skill is not good enough for a AAA studio, but maybe to be an indie dev ^^. Haha...
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!
Hi theluthier,
thank you for your honest opinion and the detailed answer.
The 'clarify your goals' tip is very helpful. Also the advice regarding the fantasy things just everyone does.
I have to start thinking outside the box.
It is like I have mentioned before. I am not good enough yet... but as this new 'Game Over-screen' stares at me, I get back up and try to improve further.