/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

This is my favorite painting ever. Just feels right. Moebius.

My favorite.

>>3651733
>What kind of companies do you email?
I had some success reaching out to editorial businesses (magazines, journalism, etc) since that's a field I really want to get into. If there's a type of business / industry you want to work for, just email them. It really can be that simple. If you're not seeing results from reaching out to the top dogs in a particular industry, try aiming a little lower at first. For example, a lot of folks here want to work for Wizards of the Coast - they're an industry leader in the realm of fantasy & sci-fi illustration. However, they're not the only ones. Try reaching out to some of their smaller competitors - it will be easier to get work from them.

You have to put yourself in the shoes of others and really analyze where your style of work best fits. Who can use what you're selling? It'll be a little bit different for everyone.

>Also any advice on portfolio building?
Your portfolio is what you're selling as an illustration business - it's your 'promise' on what you can deliver to potential clients. A few key tips:

1.) The most important thing you can do is develop a strong, unique style - something that becomes your "thing" and sets you apart from everyone else. Your style is your brand, and illustrators get hired for their particular look & feel to solve problems.

2.) Going off #1 (and equally as important) is stylistic consistency to your portfolio. Cohesion in your portfolio is critical. A good way of looking at it is like this: Does all the work in your portfolio look like it was made by the same artist? If not, you have a problem with your stylistic identity that you need to resolve.

3.) Ditch weaker work, or work that stands out too much from everything else. This sucks to do because you feel like you spent time on something that you might have enjoyed, but remember that a portfolio is not a gallery of everything you've ever created, but a curated & cohesive collection of your work.

Hope that helps!

>>3600572
This is really sad.

I don't really know how the Japanese are when it comes to relationships, but what's stopping him from finding a partner? It seems like he has nothing in his like except his work - no friends, no S.O, stays inside most of the time (expect for his long walks). He's been like this for decades.

When he speaks about how he's happy with his isolation, I don't buy it. There's a touch of sadness to everything he said. It's the same lies I tell myself - that I'm okay with my loneliness and isolation, but in reality I'm not - and that's coming from someone who still has friends and is in a long-term relationship.

More:
>>3516675
>Passive revenue sounds to be where its at for artists
It really is a wonderful thing. For me, it acts as a base income to cover all my living expenses while I focus on freelancing.

>>3516942
I can't really comment on adult work - I just simply don't know. I think if you're doing erotic stuff, then you have to rely on your own means of driving traffic and sales, since RB won't promote it or show it in searches. In that case, you'd be better off using your own store + Printful for your fulfillment - it's slightly more setup but carries better margins.

>>3518164
>what should I do to protect myself
Not a dumb question at all. There's little you can do to prevent DMCAs if the copyright holder decides to issue one. It's really not a big deal, and you have to be a serious offender to get your account terminated.

Not sure about using the same paypal if your account got terminated. I think that ban might carry over to the new account with the same paypal.

>>3518197
There's quite a list of IP's I would avoid, and are fairly well known and easy to circumvent. OBEY parodies are a big no-no, and have been for a long time. It's one of those things that you wouldn't know until it hits you, but you can also listen to others and avoid things they got banned for.

>I personally think it's complete fucking bullshit
It's a hard pill to swallow, but the defense of parody and fair use are relatively weak. The whole thing is a grey area, but it's all relative to how the IP holder feels. If they feel your work is close enough to their own, then can issue a DMCA and the site (and you) are forced to roll over and take it. There is no use in trying to fight the takedown unless they literally had no reason to do so. That sucks that it wiped most of your store. It's one of the reasons I try not to make more than one design per IP. You've gotta diversify your designs a little bit to minimize the risk of losing everything at once.

>>3481933
This is just sad. If you think the entire world of professional art revolves around:
>sci fi / fantasy illustration
>concept art
>fast-food style commission sheets for "OC"
>furries
>porn commissions
>lewd Patreons

Then you are a quintessential example of a naive /ic/ poster lost in an echo chamber of ignorance and misinformation, and in this ignorance, you've built up this delusional concept of "the industry" and what it means to be a professional artist.

This thread is surprisingly full of really useful and insightful info. Especially the /biz/ stuff.

gud thred

I'm currently in medical school, so my problem is I want to make art, but inside I tell myself it's wiser to spend that time studying.
Since art isn't fun when you draw like a 3rd grader, it's hard to get over that first hurdle.
It's hard to get into something that'll take years to master when you know it'll take even longer for you due to time constraints.

I think I'll try again, and see what happens.