These illustrative Journals are my way of sharing tips and tricks and knowledge that I've acquired over the last few years in the illustration industry. I'm simply sharing it with you all in the hopes that it helps somebody. If you too would like to offer some tips and tricks, please note me and I'll include it. This is for those who wish to learn after all.



Sorry for the delay here, I wanted this up early Monday, but I had a last minute deadline to hit and it was far more important than this was to me . I doubted that you'd all mind.

It's very difficult for some people to make the transition from hobby artist to production artist. And by production I mean anything encompassing graphic design, illustration, sequential... basically anything that you would do as a product artistically.

There are several reasons why this is difficult. The most obvious in my mind being that there are two types of art in our minds. The art that we like to create and the art that we like to see. It's two different processes mentally.

We look at a gaming book, we see a picture that accompanies a piece of text, and as such we see a full statement between written word and image. It creates a package of sorts. An elf illustration sits beside a paragraph noting the properties of the amulet he wears, before the amulet was nothing – but now you see it for what it is... while that is held in your memory, you will always see that picture as something more than whoever did not read that paragraph. Naturally, viewing this image brings no stress relief.

On the flip side, you create this illustration for the work order given to you by some really cheap dude who likes elves and wants it in his gaming book. Now, either you're really turned on by this description or you're not. There's never much of a gray zone – it's fairly black and white as far as if you like it (we do all know what we like to look at right?). Suddenly, either you really want to do the picture or you really don't. Still with me? It's fairly basic, I'm just covering all of my bases here.

So not all art is equal here. And many people as they join the industry aren't really aware that the art that they really want to look at isn't really the work that they'll be doing. And as a subtext – sometimes we don't always want to create the stuff that we enjoy staring at.... kinda like learning the secret to a magic trick you saw somebody do on TV. It loses significance suddenly. I, for example, while quite enamored with Jon Fosters work – would hate to know how to paint just like him. I would have less appreciation for his work suddenly.

Where is this taking me?

It brings me to the point of following your heart and inspiration as an artist. Learn from those who will teach you and guide you – but never let it push you in a direction that is not your own. Don't do something that I tell you in here if it doesn't feel right. But don't let that independent inspiration guide you away from common sense either. There is a lot of dangerous stuff out there in the art industry – people that will use you and hang you up like a damp towel. I just want you all to be aware of not only your own limitations but of what to expect out there.

There is also the subject of “artistic freedom”. I've seen from many teens, fighting the process of artistic freedom in schools. Let's face it, don't go to school if you want to reinforce your creativity. Now, you can learn a lot about creativity at these schools – but if you can't stand giving a little.... don't bother attending. Time and time again I hear of students getting all pissy because they took the concept of their assignment and then run straight out the back end of this concept, flip it around, dye it green, add a little sparkle and then wonder why they failed. If you're being taught something, be taught something. Don't impede that lesson for the sake of fulfilling your artistic freedom.

Schools aren't only here to teach you the foundations (and your creativity can mask this very often), they're here to get you ready for society. Now, if an art director asks you for a demon and you give him a long toothed bunny to satisfy your creativity, what do you think he's going to do with your picture? After he inserts it up some orifice of yours not worth mentioning – he'll inform you that you're not getting paid. Creativity is good..... losing the foundations and meaning of the concept is another thing. Pay attention to the purpose of your pictures, go outside the box when there's room for it. But don't pretend that the art industry in a professional setting is all about your artistic vision more than the client having an image to sell their product. I'll tell you now: They don't give a rats arse about your artistic freedom. So don't illusion yourself. This isn't what art was for you 20 years ago when you were using finger paints..... it'll never be the same thing.

With this aside, lets talk more about schools. I was asked by ~Gamerhomie last week some schooling questions.

First of all I gotta say I'm not the best to come to on school issues. I was not a 4 year university scholar. I went to a community college only for the classes that would fill in the gaps of my work. These were life drawing oriented and color oriented. Beyond that I was unable to justify spending that much money for a piece of paper that I don't necessarily need at this point in time.

With this in mind. I won't tell you that schooling isn't important. Art school is (from my perspective) something you look at from a “what do I need and where am I going” mindset. What are you goals? Do you just want to be a freelancer? A teacher? A conceptual designer? A 3d animator? These are important questions. Also, you have to ask yourself what is it you lack? Are there gaps in your ability? Can you teach yourself any faster than they could teach you?

As a freelancer you can self teach your way just about anywhere you need. It's all repetition and consistency – if you can get a gig, you work your hardest for a bit, save a few pieces for your portfolio; you get another gig out of that, do it again, and build and keep rebuilding and so on. Eventually you've rebuilt your portfolio about 80 times and you have an ever growing upward slope of progress. This, is your resume. You don't need a degree for that.

Now, for many studio full time gigs – they want some insurance that you can deliver. A degree tells this person that you, as an artist, wasn't flaky to the point of dumping out of school, it tells them that you stick with things, you'll have developed a good entry level portfolio easily, and you can likely come out with a recommendation or two from some instructors. That right there speaks heavily to an employer. Not to mention many studio jobs – say with a video game company – use specific software that's really difficult to afford outside of school. So you're more likely to not only get this software through school, you'll get training for it. This is an instant sell. Try doing that without the degree, it's hard. It will set you back a ways. But you caaan do it. The question is, can you do it without the school? Or with it? The answer is different for everyone.

The question that I had to ask myself was based on skill. I have no intentions of going to an art school for a few more years now – because I want to freelance. I saw no point to spending 15k (on the low end) for a year of life drawing when I could get just as good of lessons at the local community college.

Now, two things I've heard from other illustrators that I would not have known otherwise:

1: The majority of professional artists that I've spoken to who went to school have never been asked to show their diploma. They got along just fine without it.

2: They almost always learned the majority of their professional abilities outside of school. They did get a perfect foundation out of this.... but they didn't necessarily learn the things that they wanted to.

Did they regret going? None at all. Many of them enjoyed the process heavily. But it wasn't a necessity.

Art school is hardly like any other career's schooling. This is one of the few careers where you have a fantastic choice on if you want to be a scholar or not. You can survive without it – it can be a difficult road, but you can do it.

I personally will be going back in a few years to pursue a teaching degree. This is something I would need school for. But if you just wanna make pictures? You have a choice.

Research. Nothing I can tell you is an official determination – the answers are only in you. Perhaps the info above will give you a few questions for yourself though. And that's what I'm here for.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. See you next week.