Commercial Art 101 - The Portfolio! - Part 2

In the last post I talked about leading with your strongest piece and closing with a great piece - but how do you know what’s strong and what’s great? I went over this some in my last post. This is where online critiques can be of enormous value.

I took my rep’s advice seriously, and restructured my portfolio based on his comments. At the time all the work in my portfolio was work I’d done in college.

Note: I’ll discuss formal education versus being self-taught later on, but for now it’s worth noting that one advantage of formal education is that you will, in the course of your academic pursuit, build a body of work.

I have some suggestions on building a body of work for your portfolio whether or not you already have some existing pieces. 

If you produced pieces in college, use that work - but be very judicious about it. A sad truth is that clients don’t really care to see much college work. What they would most like to see is work that you’ve done for other clients.

Okay, but you’re just starting out so you don’t have a portfolio filled with work from actual commercial projects.  What do you do? 

Apply all the points laid out in the previous post. Start to replace college work with actual commercial work as soon as possible but only if the commercial work is good.

A lot of beginning artists make some large mistakes here. They realize that showing commercial work - work that someone has actually paid to have created - is a better option than showing college work, but fail to evaluate the work very carefully simply because it is commercial.  Just because someone paid for it doesn’t mean it belongs in your portfolio.

I’ve done many a piece in my career that I was paid for, but would never put in my portfolio. Not because it was bad but because it wasn’t great. The purpose of your portfolio isn’t to demonstrate that someone has hired you to do work - It’s to demonstrate that you can, and have produced great work.

When you’re starting out you will not have a large body of great commercial pieces in your portfolio though, so how do you create a strong portfolio with this limitation?

You create self promotion pieces!

In theory, these pieces won’t be any more ‘commercial’ than college generated work, but a significant difference is that you have complete control in the direction of their creation. The strategy would be to create pieces that target the areas you would like to work in. If you’d like to do product illustration work, for instance, do your research on product illustration.  Find some great examples, pick some products and do some illustrations. Voila!

Some advantages of self promotion pieces:

• There are no restrictions or deadlines to meet. You can put as much time and effort into them as you like. Bear in mind though, that spending months on a piece is a luxury that you won’t likely have with a real commercial project.
• Since you are picking the subject matter, you can target your pieces very precisely to fit your prospective clients.
• A client always likes to detect motivation in a prospective artist. Creating self promotion pieces demonstrates a willingness to take on extra effort.

Note: A fair number of self promotion pieces that you see were originally created as one of several options for a specific project.  It was just not one picked by the client.  The artist liked it well enough, though, to want to include it in their portfolio. If this is the case, don’t be deceptive and imply that it was part of a commercial project.  It is unlikely that clients will ever ask, but If questioned, be sure and let them know the actual motivation for it.

Whatever the origin of your work, it’s mostly going to be based on the strength of the pieces themselves. So make them great!

Commercial Art 101 - The Portfolio!

Let’s assume you’ve read everything I’ve written up to this point - and you still want to pursue Commercial Art.  You know what categories you’d like to work in, and you have some favorite styles you believe you’re good at. What now?

                  Briefly – you make money in this industry when someone hires you to create artwork for them. Usually, they’ll want to see some artwork you’ve already done.  Then they can decide whether or not you’re a good fit for their project. So the next step is to develop a portfolio.

A portfolio is simply a collection of your work. Years ago artists would carry a leather case – called a portfolio – with them to show their work.  That’s still done today, but now the portfolio is more apt to be digital. That’s true even if the artist is a traditional media artist - using paints (acrylics, watercolors, etc), inks, pencil drawings, or any of several other media.  He or she is creating physical art, but representations of it can be stored and distributed - or carried around digitally, on a laptop or tablet for instance.

Digital portfolios have numerous advantages. The main ones:

• They can be sent to prospective clients digitally as in a PDF (Portable Document File) via email.
• You can post your work online on a web or blog site, and send prospective clients to your site to review your work.
• It is possible to post your work to forums and other venues where you can have it reviewed by others - which is a great way to get feedback from people who have no personal connection to you.

Let’s talk a little about the portfolio itself, the work, not the leather case.  What should be in it? Obviously your work; but what work? All of it right? Wrong!

This is actually where unbiased opinions can help you a lot. Why? Well, let me tell you a little story.

I mentioned in an earlier post in this series that I have a rep (Artist Representative). I actually met with this particular art rep several years before he started representing me. I’d received his contact information from another artist, and gave him a call. He told me at the time that he would not be able to take me on because he was already representing as many artists as he could handle.  He also said that he already represented someone doing the style of work I did. He did agree, however, to take a look at my work and give me an honest critique. That turned out to be an eye-opening experience!

It was, without doubt, the most honest – almost brutal - critique I’d ever received – and one of the most useful! Bear in mind - this guy’s business is connecting clients with artists, so his reputation rides on his having a critical eye. He let me have it. The good, the bad and the ugly, and he did it in an amazingly short period of time!

I don’t remember word for word what was said but it went something like this.

“First of all, you have way too many pieces in here. I’ll look through it, but don’t ever show this much to a client. They don’t want to go through this much stuff. They aren’t going to love your work as much as you do.

“This one’s okay.

“Lose this one…and this one too.

“In fact lose all of these. It’s not that they’re bad, but there’s no market for this kind of stuff. I can’t sell it anyway.

“This one’s not bad. I could pitch this as a product illustration.

 “All this abstract stuff is useless.

“This one’s pretty good. Do more pieces like this.

“Lose this one, and this one too,..”  And so forth.

By the time he got through - probably in less than fifteen minutes - he’d weeded out two thirds of my portfolio. Of the pieces remaining, some were slightly less than adequate stand-ins for better and more focused versions that I should be creating as their replacements. I was most surprised that, of the pieces he liked the best, none were my favorites!

You might be thinking that, at this point, I was very discouraged. You would be right. When I got home that night I went through my work again. I spent a lot of time looking over the pieces that he actually liked and thinking about his comments. It became apparent that the pieces he liked the most were the ones with the most commercial application.

Up to this point I’d had my own reasons for liking some pieces more than others but then I’d never looked at my own work from the viewpoint of a prospective client, or with the idea of trying to sell it in a commercial environment!

You can find tons of information on how to set up a portfolio but here’s the general gist:

1)     Set up your portfolio to target your intended clients. Digital portfolios make this easier to do. If you work in several categories and styles, it’s worth the effort to set up multiple pages or even multiple sites, each catering to a specific category.

2)     Always lead with a strong – possibly your strongest - piece.

3)     Don’t show a lot of the same imagery. If you have done a series of images for a company, don’t show the whole series. Even if they are all great, no one wants to see twelve different soda cans, or six different wrenches, or multiple images of anything. Pick the best one – possibly two if they’re different enough - and leave the rest out.

4)     Don’t show too many pieces. Six to eight is usually enough. Twelve to fifteen is probably tops. If they want to see more, send them a link to your website.

5)     Don’t show anything that isn’t at least very good! If you don’t have a lot of work to show, it is better to show fewer pieces than it is to show more that includes some weak pieces. Your portfolio is only as strong as your weakest piece. Don’t put any weak pieces in it.

6)     Close with a great piece.

Curt

Commercial Art 101 - Getting Started!

The first three posts in this series were an overview of the Commercial Art profession.  What it is, what it entails - and things that you need to be aware of - but maybe haven’t thought about. All of these issues will need to be addressed should you decide on such a career, and some will be addressed in more detail in following posts.

                  This post however, is specifically aimed at the new comer - the person who wants to build a career in Commercial Art but is not quite sure how or where to begin. 

As a general disclaimer: There really is no set of directions to follow; no specific instructions that must be adhered to; no checklist of steps to work through. You can go about it anyway that seems right to you. I have been in this business more than a quarter century, and I’ll tell you what I’d do if I were you.

It’s important to understand that there are many categories of Commercial Art. Most of them can be done in many different styles. You can change or add to the categories you want to work in, and work in as many styles as you wish, but it’s useful when starting out to target one or two specific categories and develop one or two styles that suit those categories.

So what are some categories?

• Technical  Illustration
• Medical Illustration
• Botanical & Wildlife Illustration
• Architectural Illustration
• Product Illustration
• Editorial Illustration  
• Nautical Illustration
• Fashion Illustration
• Comic Illustration
• Cartoons
• Sports Illustration
• Caricature illustration
• Book Cover Illustration
• Children’s Book Illustration
• Text Book Illustration
• Maps
• Sci-Fi & Fantasy illustration
• Aeronautical & Space illustration
• Automotive illustration

There are doubtless other categories, but most illustration work will fall into one of the above. Some of the categories overlap and many of them have numerous subcategories.

Here are some brief descriptions of some of them.

Technical illustration has many sub-categories. Everything from the line art used in catalogs, diagrammatic flowcharts used in instructional applications, to full color cut-a-ways of complex mechanical devices. Categories like Automotive and Aeronautical illustration could actually be considered sub-categories of technical illustration – but there is so much work being done in these areas that they constitute their own categories. Some artists have built entire careers doing work exclusively in these fields.

Medical illustration can be anything from anatomical illustrations of the human body to cut-a-way sections of blood vessels and organs. Medical illustration at its highest level may require specific instruction, and perhaps a college degree. It is critical to understand the science involved in order to execute this extremely complex art.

Comic Illustration and Cartooning are not the same things.  Comic illustration is the artwork you see in comic books – such as Marvel Comics.  Work of this type requires a thorough understanding of human anatomy. Cartooning can be anything from the work you see in comic strips used in newspapers, to the single panel cartoons – such as political cartoons – seen in magazines and newspapers.

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Illustration is used a lot in the gaming industry.  It requires a thorough understand of human and animal anatomy – and a great imagination!

Product illustration usually requires very photo realistic work by the artist. Often the artist works from engineering drawings, photographs and sometimes prototypes of the actual product.

Editorial Illustration can be nearly anything. The imagery is often based on commonly recognized concepts or cliches' A lot of stock illustration has flooded the market over the years, and this field has suffered as a result.

Architectural Illustration can be anything from architectural renderings such as illustrations of houses and buildings and their environments - to architectural products.  These could include building panels, doors, windows, etc., and this work could be considered a sub-category of Product Illustration.

Maps can be anything from highly diagrammatic and stylized images of subway and bus routes to very realistic depictions of housing developments, boat marinas and college campus layouts. In some projects, this work is often close to Architectural Rendering.

Book Illustration is another large category. Books aimed at adults usually have only a cover illustration.  Children’s books are typically filled with illustrations of a more light and whimsical nature. Textbooks may use a lot of illustrations depending on the subject and the target age of the reader.

Fashion illustration tends to be more abstract and requires a strong sense of design.  An understanding of human anatomy is also valuable, although usually not to the degree required of a medical illustrator.

I’ve really only lightly touched on various categories here. There are certainly more. Within just the categories listed however you will see many styles of illustration employed.

So what are some styles?

• Realism
• Photo-Realism
• Painterly – loose and tight
• Line
• Graphic
• Abstract

While there are fewer General Styles than Categories, each artist inevitably tends to develop his or her own Personal Style over time. Because each artist is different, there is no end to the number of styles. A hundred artists working within the same style, on the same subject matter to illustrate, and - with the same reference material - will produce 100 different works!  No two images will look the same! That’s the good news. That’s what you bring to the table.

It would be wise for you – as a beginner - to focus on one or two categories of art that interest you, and develop several pieces of artwork in styles that you feel the most comfortable working in. When starting out, it’s better to be very good at one or two things, than it is to be mediocre at many.

Curt

Commercial Art 101 - MIN To Max!

Commercial Art 101 – MIN to Max

Do the MIN to get the Max

From my last post:

MIN stands for

1.     M – Manage

2.     I – Improve

3.     N – Network

I said that in order for my business to grow, I needed to be involved in these processes - continuously.  It doesn’t mean you have to spend every waking moment engaged in them, but whether you’re still trying to launch your career, or well into it, there should never come a time when you think, “Well - I’m done with that one!”

1. Manage

You ought to be managing your life anyway. Live intentionally. Don’t just let life happen to you. If you are going to pursue a career in Commercial Art you need to give ‘managing’ a little more thought than the average person.

Why?

Because you are going to have more to manage than the average person. You will not be responsible for a job. You will be responsible for a business. Many artists are very good at their craft, but get a rude awakening when they start the process of turning their passion into a business.

In addition to creating great art you will need to manage – primarily – time and money:

Manage your Time

This may be the most important thing you’ll need to manage. Nearly every project you’ll ever work on will come with a deadline. Too many missed deadlines - and you’ll be out of business.

Since no one client is likely to send you a continuous supply of work, you will typically be working for several clients simultaneously. That’s fine. In fact, that’s what you want.

A sample work flow:

·       Draft some layout concepts for Client A and send them off. While you’re waiting for a response, knock out those edits that Client B requested. Be thinking about a quote for Client C.

·       Client A calls back and likes the second concept. Send out your quote for Client C and start on a tight layout for Client A. After lunch Client B says the edits look fine and asks for ‘finals.’ Client C has approved your quote.

·       You wrap up Client A’s Layout and send it off along with Client B’s finals and start on layout concepts for Client C.

·       Client D calls with a new project…

Manage your Money

You’ll need to set time aside to manage your finances and bookkeeping, in addition to the time you actually work on projects. Remember - you won’t be getting a paycheck every Friday. You get paid when the check clears, typically sent around thirty days after the client has received your invoice.  We’re assuming you haven’t forgotten to send out your invoices once a job is complete! That’s part of your bookkeeping.  If you neglect that, there won’t be much coming in thirty days. And don’t forget to update your books once a check comes in. You don’t want to be frustrated with a client because they are late with a check - only to find out they sent it to you, but you forgot to record the payment! Yes, I’ve done that!

You also need to keep an eye on your cash flow in order to make sure you have the money you need to cover your bills when they come due.

2. Improve

This one seems obvious. You always want to be getting better, but there are some things that fall under the ‘Improvement’ heading that may not be so obvious.

You obviously want to continue to improve your current skills to the extent you can. Things like handling or controlling traditional media better, understanding the software better or learning about new digital tools and processes.

You should also consider expanding your skill set. In my own case: When I first started working on the computer most of my illustrations were Photoshop paintings. These had an appearance similar to the airbrushed paintings that I had been doing prior to using the computer. The computer led to a number of new skills. I started creating vector based art, which has a look all its own. From there I began to get into 3D art. Once I began doing 3D artwork, it wasn’t long before I was doing 3D animation. Now I do animation that incorporates 3D and vector based imagery. I’m currently expanding into motion graphics as well.

So while I initially offered airbrushed style illustrations to my clients, I now offer that along with vector based graphics and line art, 3D illustration and animation and - in the near future - motion graphics.

Expanding your skillset improves your chances of staying busy. You simply have more to offer your clients.

Additionally, you should consider continuously improving your communication and negotiation skills.

It’s critical that you understand what the client wants. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I ask more questions now than I did when I was starting out. You might think the reverse would be true. Experience didn’t make me clairvoyant. It simply made me smarter.  I’m now smart enough to know that I’m better off appearing dumb by asking a lot of questions rather than actually being dumb and not asking enough of them. I can end up doing the job incorrectly - or having to call the client back to ask them the questions I should have - when I had them on the line the first time.

As for negotiation skills, one of the greatest challenges of all artists is negotiating compensation. I’ll discuss that later.

3. Network

That’s the name of the game!

You can manage and improve every aspect of your life, but if you don’t network, your growth will be limited.

Networking means getting your name out there, making connections, getting your work seen and marketing yourself. Basically doing all that you can to make sure you and your work are getting exposed to as much of the world as possible - or at least that part of the world that’s relavent to your career.

It helps if you’re not introverted, but some artists are. You can always look for representation.  Art reps and agencies can be useful. I have a rep I’ve been working with for over twenty years. He’s more like a partner than a business connection. A rep can be difficult to obtain.  There are many more artists than there are reps, so they will only take on so many artists.

There are other ways to get your work in front of people, though. The Internet is a great networking resource and one you should take full advantage of. I will dedicate an entire post to the Internet, but for now just know that it’s something you should be investigating thoroughly - if you’re not already.

Get involved in social groups and societies and go to the functions they host. Networking is the primary reason they host events. Take advantage of it. If you have an opportunity to speak in front of any group - go for it! An art teacher once asked me if I would do a small presentation for her elementary students. I was just a college kid at the time, but I accepted. It was a blast, and I ended up getting my picture in the paper along with a small write up. On another occasion, I did a poster of the Voyager Satellite for the Discovery Place and OmniMax Theater in Charlotte, NC. They were having a huge public launch campaign and asked if I’d set up and demonstrate doing some artwork. I set up a small airbrush rig and demonstrated techniques I used when I did the poster. To top it off, they had a stack of the posters right there that I signed and gave away. I got a lot of publicity from that.

Look for opportunities to gain exposure. I didn’t make any money on either of the above activities, but got an enormous amount of exposure.

To wrap things up: Let me emphasize the point of the whole MIN to Max idea. It is true that the primary function of the commercial artist is to produce art - good art - delivered on time! But in order to be a successful commercial artist you will need to do more than create good art. The point of MIN to Max is to keep you aware of all the things that you need to be aware of.

Curt