But since none of us fall into that rare category, I'd say being a 7 but feeling you might only be a 5 gives you the drive to get better still, One also needs a great sense for networking and good karma.
Unless you're dealing with the very gullible from some crazy position of power being more impressed with yourself than you should be in never that good...
But then I believe that if one is not in (or working hard to GET in) the top 5%, why bother?
Hmmm... I generally posit that most people get better at a roughly equivalent rate, assuming they're continuing to do work on a constant basis and they're endeavoring to improve, but I'm a young grasshopper and possibly wrong on that point.
My opinion may be also skewed based on how often I seem to see artists who beat themselves up endlessly, and therefore chicken out of portfolio reviews and networking, getting beat out by people who aren't all that awesome, but have truly excellent social-fu (which is, I suppose, not really the same as overconfidence, and I ought to have framed the original commentary accordingly.)
You are a clever young grasshopper, but I suspect you are a little blinded by the speed of your own progress. Yes, there are self-abusive and self-defeating peeps out there, but successful artists are stubborn as all hell (or twice as lucky as anyone should be). I've seen my pal Adam Gillespie literally lap the field through cleverness, humility and hard work. Some people gots it and some don't (and they often surprise).
I would submit that people don't chicken out of portfolio review because they think they are less good than they are, but rather because they cannot stand the heat no matter their skill level. You by contrast seem to be fighting hard to get where you need to be. :)
Social skills are as important (or more important) than art skills. Doug Beekman told me years ago that Donato is twice the business man he is painter. Where my pal Steve Hickman (who does great work) wasn't asked to work on LotR in part because he's a hermetic sort...
I really like the red glow inside the skull and ribcage on this piece. Fun perspective on the scythe. Fun drapery.
Good question - skill vs. confidence. I took a workshop this summer with 7 top-of-the-field scifi/fantasy artists (Donato was one of the faculty) who all stressed that 'keeping at it' - both in improving your work, and promoting yourself leads to more success than native ability alone. There are plenty of very very good artists out there who never 'make it' because they don't do the promotion/networking thing. I think a lot of things come down to right-place-right-time synchronicities - so you must *be*(promotional material, networking conversation,etc...) in places to have that happen. It may not be so much a question of overestimating your skill, but being willing to promote it at whatever level you are at... Hmmmmm.... Going to think some more.
How was that workshop, by the way? Just curious - it looked mighty expensive, and aimed at traditional mediums, so that's why I skipped it, but I'd be interested to know if you felt you got your money's worth.
Yeah, I suspect stubbornness counts for quite a bit. Effective self-promotion remains one of those really obscure areas to me; I think I have yet to hit on anything truly effective other than facetime with ADs... which makes me occasionally wonder if joining the SoI is worth it, but I haven't yet seen sufficient evidence to make me take the leap.
The workshop was amazing. I was concerned too - I don't paint in oils (watercolor for years) and was afraid it'd be too skewed towards oil painting techniques, but it really wasn't at all. These artists are so good at all the other really important things (design, composition, value, business, self-promotion, etc...) that I felt that I learned a ton across the board. Plus, Scott Fischer is digital most of the time now, as were many of the students. (I'd say over half of the student body (70 total) were professionals in some aspect of the field, from animation to concept art to gaming, etc...) It was pricey - but included over a week's worth of room and board -and it was ART ALL DAY - 9 am - 11pm. I suspect most of us would do it again in a heartbeat
( ... )
Hmmm. I may give it a shot the next time around, then.
Yeah - I have a lingering feeling that Spectrum's a bit of a racket, though. Logically, if you've got the chops to get in, you should already have the jobs you want, and paying them to look at your work when Expose will do it and send you a book if you get in for free... seems fishy. I'll probably give it a go two or three years from now, though.
I live in LA, so I figure there *must* be a way to take advantage of that one way or another. I'm not sure SoI is it, (I think you're right and it's mostly advantageous in NYC) but I'm planning to nose around and try taking a class or two, on the theory that getting to know some more locals can't hurt.
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But since none of us fall into that rare category, I'd say being a 7 but feeling you might only be a 5 gives you the drive to get better still, One also needs a great sense for networking and good karma.
Unless you're dealing with the very gullible from some crazy position of power being more impressed with yourself than you should be in never that good...
But then I believe that if one is not in (or working hard to GET in) the top 5%, why bother?
Reply
My opinion may be also skewed based on how often I seem to see artists who beat themselves up endlessly, and therefore chicken out of portfolio reviews and networking, getting beat out by people who aren't all that awesome, but have truly excellent social-fu (which is, I suppose, not really the same as overconfidence, and I ought to have framed the original commentary accordingly.)
Reply
I would submit that people don't chicken out of portfolio review because they think they are less good than they are, but rather because they cannot stand the heat no matter their skill level. You by contrast seem to be fighting hard to get where you need to be. :)
Social skills are as important (or more important) than art skills. Doug Beekman told me years ago that Donato is twice the business man he is painter. Where my pal Steve Hickman (who does great work) wasn't asked to work on LotR in part because he's a hermetic sort...
Reply
Reply
Good question - skill vs. confidence. I took a workshop this summer with 7 top-of-the-field scifi/fantasy artists (Donato was one of the faculty) who all stressed that 'keeping at it' - both in improving your work, and promoting yourself leads to more success than native ability alone. There are plenty of very very good artists out there who never 'make it' because they don't do the promotion/networking thing. I think a lot of things come down to right-place-right-time synchronicities - so you must *be*(promotional material, networking conversation,etc...) in places to have that happen. It may not be so much a question of overestimating your skill, but being willing to promote it at whatever level you are at... Hmmmmm.... Going to think some more.
Reply
Yeah, I suspect stubbornness counts for quite a bit. Effective self-promotion remains one of those really obscure areas to me; I think I have yet to hit on anything truly effective other than facetime with ADs... which makes me occasionally wonder if joining the SoI is worth it, but I haven't yet seen sufficient evidence to make me take the leap.
Reply
Reply
Yeah - I have a lingering feeling that Spectrum's a bit of a racket, though. Logically, if you've got the chops to get in, you should already have the jobs you want, and paying them to look at your work when Expose will do it and send you a book if you get in for free... seems fishy. I'll probably give it a go two or three years from now, though.
I live in LA, so I figure there *must* be a way to take advantage of that one way or another. I'm not sure SoI is it, (I think you're right and it's mostly advantageous in NYC) but I'm planning to nose around and try taking a class or two, on the theory that getting to know some more locals can't hurt.
Reply
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