Freelance Art Tips and How I Failed with a Hollywood Director - Art Industry Talk

[@TrentKaniuga]

In this case, I really don't think that you did anything wrong. Some clients are poor communicators, don't know what they want, or don't respect their artists. You're lucky that it wasn't a longer contract. Many artists lock themselves into multi-year contracts of soul crushing work where they are left to pick up the pieces after years of abuse, because they didn't want to "pass up an opportunity with a famous studio/director". You went through 2 weeks of it? You lucky SOB! Also... You've got a great channel here Marco. Nice artwork and excellent storytelling.

[@LazyVideosGAME]

Had one client two weeks earlier ask me "What do you actually bring to the team? Are you just going to paint around or are you doing actually intellectual work?"

[@doubleasworkshop1692]

I signed up to a small studio that left me with tons of works and no pay for 4 months. I left after 4 months when I should've left on the second. I didn't care for being professional. I fired myself. When I graduate and create my own studio, imma make sure I pay my employees properly

[@anggarar1995]

Uwahhh... One of my favorite artists comment on my other favorite artist..

[@slurp3194]

Double A's Workshop very ambitious u better have the work and business knowledge to back it up.

[@dailywarcraftreforged9816]

@@anggarar1995 Just the comment I wanted to leave lol

[@sinixdesign]

Great painting, great story, great video! I freaked out a moment when you started the stranger things spoiler, but luckily it wasn't anything major, hah.

[@marcobucci]

Thanks! I somehow edited out the part where I said 'spoiler alert', haha. I guess all I can do now is add a note on the video description :\ But yeah, thankfully, it was just minor.

[@RSidd]

OMG it's Senpai!

[@AmethystCrow-js2hk]

Sinix I fucking love you! 😘 I love seeing that other artists watch eachother too.

[@riccardomoscatello2030]

I mean hiring directly you and then lamenting about the style being too cartoony... doesn't make any freaking sense

[@marcobucci]

I was puzzled by that too. That's exactly where I should have stepped up and began a conversation. Good communication really is a skill a freelancer needs, equal if not greater to art skill. I had to learn the hard way.

[@riccardomoscatello2030]

Yeah, definetly.. need to get better at that myself eheh Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!

[@aamu3]

they might have known how difficult it would be to finish a job like that in 30 days and didnt find anyone else?

[@RomainDelmaire]

Something I learned is that you can't expect a director to make sense. Most of the time, they wait for you to find what they want.

[@tsdobbi]

Thats what I dont get. Someone having a specific style and niche. Then asking for something outside of it.

[@at5203]

Damn, what a crushing story. Thanks for sharing that. Sometimes when I look at pros they seem to have done everything right, that I can't fail if I want to be like them. These kinds of stories remind me that everyone struggles and makes mistakes, and that it never gets easy.

[@marcobucci]

Thanks for watching. I had the same misconception when I was starting out. You nailed it!

[@keithartworker]

The brilliant part is, from the ashes of this story, Marco made this incredible painting! I kept thinking of "Name Redacted" watching this and contemplating some personal development in communication.

[@alyssaburton6765]

yeek. i felt stressed out FOR you listening to that story 😂

[@TimoKanal]

Same lol

[@esco.digital3746]

I learned a new word today

[@superstringcheese]

As an artist and a programmer, I've dealt with this my entire adult life. Nothing as high profile as this, but definitely high profile enough to warrant some risk. I think the only real mistake you made was failing to ask for clarification early on. That whole "nah, try again until you randomly stumble upon what I want" is really common, and it's up to us to establish the parameters we need in order to deliver. I love your art man; good luck to you.

[@elswijktom]

exactly what I was thinking, a big part of the job is getting the client to give a good briefing, but I can imagine that your judgement was clouded by your nervousness. Conclusion; it's the girlfriend's fault.

[@toasted-kitten]

"yeah we think your style is great for the job" *does a painting* "nooo not the style we wanted"

[@brokencreationlordmegatrol3037]

... I know this feel :U

[@nismogo869]

My god I know this feeling

[@MCRAVENATOR2222]

Yeah someone refunded me cos of that.. Its very frustrating

[@PaladinHeart]

I can completely understand this going both ways. It's also frustrating when you like an artist's style, you commission them, and then what they give you doesn't look like their usual work. I mean, how does that work? xD But that's why I always look for artists with lower priced options. If you can give me a sketch for $10, then I'm going to carefully test the waters before diving in head first, EVEN if your previous work is something I like. And the funny thing is, you can find a great artist that is perfectly suited to what you need for as little as $10 a piece (and they constantly work with you to fix any changes needed), or you can find someone who's end results are very "hit or miss" and even if you don't like the end result they are very obstinate or get upset about changing anything, AND they can charge upwards of $70 to $150 or even has high as $700+ (nope.. nope.. just.. no).

[@andrewv.157]

Happy to see that i am not alone in this world :)

[@lilSapphireFox]

What a rude person. First of all I wouldn't have been apologetic if I ignored THAT email. It's business, he can't just contact you like a 13 year old troll. And as you said, he liked your art but wanted you to bend it all the way? Did he even look at your artwork? His deadline seems fine for a team of artists, but you are one person , you can't just parallel your work. I think in that time you just should have told him the timeframe was not realistic with you having more than his project.

[@lilSapphireFox]

makes me just angry some people act all high and mighty...... I hope I will never work with such a person

[@jeffwells641]

All true statements, however it is definitely your responsibility to say "hey, there's no way I can do that in 30 days" and "so what is it about my style that makes you want to use me for this project?" Your client likely doesn't know nearly as much as you do about what is required to complete a project, so they often won't be able to set appropriate parameters without your help. Unfortunately, the less they know about the process the more they probably think they know about the process, so you need to be sure you don't accept something you can't deliver on. Hard lessons to learn, but they are important.

[@steinistein8611]

@@jeffwells641 well the thing is, as a Hollywood director he probably has enough money to find find someone who'll throw everything else out the window and do it...

[@gonzaloarvietti4920]

disney hires only pedophiles is the first request

[@mycollegeshirt]

I dont understand why someone would hire you to paint outside your style, and give you no reference, maybe that's a live director thing where they think it's rude not to give them a line, line reading yknow.

[@dizeart]

Didn't realize how long this video is because the story was so good

[@jakejimsonfigueroa1828]

I really learned a lot with your story, as a newbie being a Freelance artist I'll be more careful with the decisions that I will make. Thank you so much!

[@blendedplanet]

Totally relate Marco, I had a similar looming "client from hell" situation last quarter and despite it being quite lucrative, chose to pass on the project before getting buried in a major commitment I felt I might regret. Later information emerged confirming that was the right choice. Very important as artists to trust our gut, it seldom fails to give us the right warnings and no client, no matter how "big", should ever prompt us to go against our instincts. Parenthetically, if you actually look at the lifestyles of artists that are doing so-called "major" work (meaning on hollywood films etc. like the project you describe) they are usually living pretty miserable lives lol, with loooooong hours of toil, then they appear on the DVD behind the scenes featurettes claiming it was the most "exciting, fantastic experience EVER!"... Yeah right.... The freelance path you are on is best, and I speak from experience having worked for myself, by myself, for 26 years ;)

[@DrVein]

This is uplifting and touches on a struggle I think all artists go through. I feel encouraged by this video, I hope you know that. Thank you.

[@Hadoken.]

Marco, I'll attempt to sum up what you're saying in this video... You let the client and the situation dictate your business, simple as that. You let them tell you how to be an artist from a technical and artistic standpoint and it was your fault because inexperience, presumptions and the romanticization of being an artist made you capitulate, you didn't stand your ground as a professional. You're an artist when you're in your studio doing work on your own only...in every other instance you are a business person, period! This means educating a client to your process even if it's the same process with every other artists, negotiating terms, money and time (and always add more time even if you're certain you won't need it! Don't be a fool!). Doing this makes things clear for both parties from the start. But I can understand how the incitement to say yes, the splendor of a project etc can distort things. Which is why people ought to make it a habit of thinking this way in every project from early on. Great story.

[@marcobucci]

Amen to that. And well put. It's something many artist, myself included, seem prone to learning the hard way. If my video (and your comment) can help artists starting out, it'll help us all.

[@Teih.]

Wow, what a story. I work as a manager, and I wouldn't be doing my job if I gave my employees such vague instructions. It would end in disaster and waste precious time. Odd situation.

[@marcobucci]

Thanks for the comment! Yeah, I didn't mention this in my story, but I was totally puzzled at the lack of art direction from such a prominent name. But again, it was my own fault for not being the one to open up the conversation.

[@artsideoflife]

What I learned was that sometimes you have to 'babysit' the clients as well. It's not about who has the upper hand, but more of a collaboration in sense of making the project better and adding value that will pay off later ...

[@MehKona]

Thank you so much for this video and talk! I'm a student going on about 5 years of art education through various schools and workshops, and these kind of stories don't come up often enough in the learning environment. Knowing that time and happiness should be as valuable (if not more) as being paid is a huge deal and I agree wholeheartedly. Side note: Excited to see you as an instructor for The Art of Color and Light class from CGMA as well! Wonderful art demo in this video.

[@Sissadora]

Ahhhh the moment you agreed to 30-day deadline for 12-week project... my stomach dropped. It only went downhill from there. Holy crap. Great lesson learned though! :D

[@r.j.slagter3112]

Hey Marco, Thanks for making this video! Normally I do not comment on videos but I want to let you know that I am grateful for the time you spend on telling this story to us. There is a valuable lesson in all this!

[@marcobucci]

Thanks, Roy!

[@leticialaezza19]

Thank you for sharing your experiences, honestly, with every e-mail you quoted I could feel the anxiety and with the last one, the relief that even if you failed, it was over. You did what you could, you tried with all you knew back then, and came out of it a better person, professional and artist. This "fear" of failing is something I'm struggling with and have been struggling with for some time, in a way is hereditary and taught, very hard to unlearn and very unhealthy to the point it paralyzes me. Hopefully your experience will help me snap out of this paralysis phase I'm going through. Again, thank you.

[@robob3ar]

remember this story from a while ago, it still echoes in my brain, hearing it again now feels even better, you’re a great story teller and have a pretty solid understanding of how the world works, thanks for this

[@terig8974]

This is pretty typical of people in LA in general. People don't have to be celebrity level directors to behave like this. Most people who hire you here have this attitude. I'm glad it worked out for you, but trying to get work from a bunch of people like this is a nightmare. Adding the "trial period" after the signing of a contract is very illegal. Being famous is no excuse from rudeness. They should've been smarter about hiring you. Most of this is his/their fault. It's also very common for these people to dangle the carrot of exposure and relevance in front of people. It's extremely rare that this actually plays out at all. Everyone in Hollywood is in the game of using other people. They perfected the art of seeming kind and professional. That's it. Like I said, I'm glad this played out well for you as a lesson, but this sort of behavior from these egotistical, smiley, two-faced douchebags makes me so mad. I had to vent.

[@Tygenja]

Thank you for sharing this with us! From feeling like something is a dream job, putting people on plateau to setting boundaries and expectations - it’s really helpful and insightful to listen to this unfold. It’s hard to remember in the moment sometimes that ‘we ‘are being hired, not just our drawings. Cheers!

[@jfilesgraphics]

I'm so glad you posted this. This reflects many experiences I face as a freelancer. It's good to know that I'm not in this thing alone and I learned a lot from this. Thank you.

[@iandorian611]

I love the longest email you git was the one that fired you! Sooo trueeeee! I have been through similar experiences! You explain the thoughts emotions and challenges perfectly. I hear ya brother! In the past few years I’ve turned down great paying gigs because I could sense and even smell the future of the end of those projects. I did forward the jobs to others I felt were more suited for the positions. Thanks for sharing glad you and “Name Redacted” for your separate successes! -Ian

[@ronaldkreimel8501]

'Name Redacted' must have and most likely still does absolutely love Your work. It would kinda be like an artistic Sci-fi director wanting to get John Berkey on board to do illustrations for his project. I am sure 'Name Redacted' calculated in the possibility of ways parting, hence the 30 day limit. But Your work is just so athmospheric, he simply had to give it a shot. Despite the outcome this story made me appreciate the artistic sensibilities of both parties involved even more. Your conclusion however is vital in many ways and of great value for my own approach to such situations. Thanks for sharing ☺️

[@wisonhendrik5855]

This defintely great story. Thank you for sharing with us. You did the right thing of termination. I think self termination during project will gives us bad reputation because some art industry would feel we are easily giving up or lack of responsibility. If we refuse to take project from the start as we not see fit, it will not harm our reputation.

[@finalrenderanimationstudio]

Hey there Marco. I just want to say thank you for sharing this insider tip, I did a lot of Business studies and experience training to engage myself as an Indie artist managing a team(in animation), and you insight has now helped me to prepare better in dealing with a client I'm now tackling and negotiating with. Thanks again, man!

[@AhriOfAstora]

This was so comforting, thank you for reassuring me.

[@loadingtekno]

This story is so relatable to me. It feels good (don't get me wrong here) to know that even amazing and incredible artists like you go through this some times. Makes me feel more at ease to know that this actually happens to all of us and that doesn't mean that we are worse artists, less talented or less capable.

[@HasAnAccount]

I just wanted to say that your story was really inspiring and helpful. I'm a green-horn as far as freelance, and it has been a real struggle sometimes when it feels like the artistic voice I really want to share may never be wanted by anyone to where I can really make a living doing what I love. So, to hear from someone with your skills and your successes, that clients and jobs can still not 'work out', and that even if you're an AMAZING artist, a client can STILL not be a good fit... it's really motivating. Thanks for sharing that! :D

[@artanimalsinspiration75]

Thank you for this video. I just love the conclusions you came too, which are rare....the way you took responsibility for your own experience and took so many lessons for your life and the rest of your career from it. Very inspiring! Congratulations on that!

[@hamidabasifar4306]

Marco i learned a lot from this video. it is a fact that being a deep well is better than being shallow ocean, that i myself recently have overcome.

[@wolfenpixels]

What an amazing tale of an artist's struggle dealing with others who are not clear on direction of the way a project needs to go. I could listen to you all day! Thank You for the awesome story and I love your style of work.

[@AdriaN12500]

Great advice! Somehow these kind of topics in videos aren't as common as one would like, but certainly they're a needed a lot. Not all professionalism should be reflected in tecnical quality (sure, one's work should be good to get hired) but the way you treat your clients/approach the projects reflect in a big way how reliable you can be, and that brings confidence in both ways, to the artist and the client.

[@henriquedldart1676]

I was watching the old videos in loop. thank you so much!!

[@marcobucci]

Thanks!

[@jimmydilley9138]

I love your art talks! I do set design and concept art for amusement parks and recently had a large park approach me with a unrealistic deadline and this talk popped into my mind and in the end turned down the job. turning down work is the hardest part of freelancing but is something you need to learn as a artist. in the end stress can rip you apart and no mater how big the job could be, it is never worth your happiness.

[@blue-R39]

Thank you for another great talk. Reminded me of the importance of going back to square one when times are tough and value the things that are more important to us.

[@zeljkostanisavljevic4665]

Good communication involves understanding requests, asking questions and relaying key information... U are great!

[@iyadart]

Thank you for the video! Totally agree, it took me 15 years of grinding till I realized this fact... It's funny that only one hour ago I politely rejected one offer for the same reason. The fact that I've been trying to reach this one client for the last 3 months made me question myself if that was the right move... What a relief and great timing to hear you talking about the exact same issue... Love all of your videos, keep up the great work!

[@Tajiri1986]

Hey Marco, I love your stories and the things you teach me about life and art. I love your artwork and i think i wanna go in the direction of your artwork, i know you once said that explore and find your own style and i want to find my own art style but i just dont know how to find the beginning of the rope.I really love your art style its colorful and complex but i get the message, it just rests my eyes and makes me happy when i look at it. I couldn't get accepted to the college for 3 years. I tried different places i went through lots of unfortunate events and it kept even worse every year and i was really sad and i was starting to think that its too late to be an artist and almost lost my hope untill i found you. I just want to say from the deepest of my heart, Thank you sir.

[@Ilusionist_loopy]

just want too say that your videos are solid gold for freelance artists just starting out, thanks for doing what you do!

[@arsalan03xx62]

This is beyond excellent. Every artist who finds themselves in a similar spot, need look no further than hearing this video on how to navigate in a such a situation. Bravo Marco, especially on your spectacular orating abilities.

[@EnosMaker]

Name Redacted: ...30 days. Me: Don't do it! You: Okay. Me: NOOOOOO!

[@JNKcd]

My takeaway: your voice is so amazing for radio… It helps me focus on my art

[@ferdikadatu687]

Thanks your story make good advice for someone who jump in this kind job. One thing i get is be clear between ourself and client for making quality product. Nice sharing experience.

[@vivianeb90]

This is great life advice and not only for art work. And don't feel bad, with this experience you were able to teach so many others what not to do. You learned your own lesson and I probably would have reacted the same as you in your situation. Thank you for sharing this so honestly.

[@marcobucci]

Thanks Viv!

[@vivianeb90]

@@marcobucci You're welcome. Btw I work as a writer and editor and I think we could use your skills as an artist or even as a voice over actor because you have a very nice voice. Let me know if you are interested.

[@marcobucci]

@@vivianeb90 Thanks again! I do make myself available for freelance work, and am always interested to hear about potential projects. I'd also love to try some voice over stuff! Feel free to contact me further at [e-mail].

[@Nezuko_yoyo]

Your attitude is just delightful. 4 years ago i made a mistake with a project where I probably would have been the main artist. I"m sure the client wasn't as high profile as the one you're describing, but regardless they were special to me and even today I am still thinking about it and coping with it. its comforting to see that it doesn't seem like you're too upset. that means i shouldn't be upset either. the good news about my experience is that it's catapulted me into achieving my art goals. This year I resolved to fiiiinally start saving up so I can quit my job. I am working 10 hours a day and its difficult to draw so i'm going to save up maybe a couple grand, shift to a part time job, and then finally quit that part time job when i have enough clients and a solid portfolio. i just tell myself to focus on myself and not compare myself to others too much. What really matters is that I know what I want and that I will not stop until I get it. Lovely video. makes me feel like i wasn't alone.

[@RSidd]

That was really helpful. I don't want to be imposing,..but can you do a video on how to begin and start getting jobs as a freelance artist? Thanks!

[@marcobucci]

Thanks! My first Art Talk video touches on that a little bit. But I will for sure consider that for a future video - thanks!

[@RSidd]

Thanks a lot! I will check that out immediately. The thing is that I am from a third world country and there's hardly any job in the entertainment art industry here. Therefore,..I am hoping to build up my career by working from home. Just need some guidance about the basic dos and don'ts about this line of work while starting out.

[@TheCameraLuvsMe]

Rishav Siddhanta You mentioned that you're from a third world country and that resonated with me because I'm pretty much in the same boat. Anxiety and lack of preparation has kept me from offering commissions/selling my art. I really hope your art journey goes well

[@RSidd]

Sherrice Lewis Thank You! I've had my fair share of anxiety as well. But don't worry. Keep at it. Persistence is the key! You'll be surprised at how many people are actually in need of your skill. I got offered quite a significant amount of jobs with just minimal exposure,...but they were very irregular and unreliable for a steady source of income. So,.I'm trying to figure out how to properly brand myself. And I wish you good luck on the path. We are all in this together!

[@TheCameraLuvsMe]

Rishav Siddhanta Thank you for the encouragement! I'm slowly working on branding too and it is tricky lol. It's good to get offers at all though. You're on the right path. ^-^ Sadly I had two people try to commission me and never follow up, so when people tell me I should sell my art I'm mentally side eyeing them cause saying it is one thing, but actually being willing to pay for it is another lol. I'm torn between how I should market myself towards my country vs the overseas market that's much easier to understand art-wise x.x

[@kanvasp]

i needed this video... it came at a really good time for me. cheers.

[@LANDAVERDERULES]

I’m in the process of doing something with my creativity and what you talk about here gave so much allowance of myself and wisdom to say no. I recently said no to a project because it’s not what I do as a creative person and I felt relieved because I value my time now and didn’t want to commit to something I was not qualified for. Thank you.

[@tanglingheadphones]

I'm guessing maybe Del Toro. NGL, this was hard to listen to. 30 days for 12 polished paintings is pretty crazy, and then the lack of clear communication afterwards, damn.

[@jokesterthemighty227]

I think Del Toro is in LA though

[@DarkerCry]

He has a place in Toronto, Arc, the studio that helped made trollhunters would get visits from him and what not once in a while.

[@j.2512]

Del Toro already works with Wayne Barlowe anyways so he would ask him (?) . But maybe it makes sense for something related to Trollhunters since its closer to Marco´s style.

[@rybow6750]

"Named redactor likes to be a bit mysterious..." My guess would be Tim Burton. The art kind of points in that direction but then again, he asked for more realism.

[@CC-oe4gc]

No way, Del Toro would not give one line ambiguous texts.

[@abledog006]

I believe that EVERY artist looking to work professionally needs to watch this video and pay very close attention to what you're saying. In some form or another they're likely to experience some aspect of this kind of situation. The unrealistic schedule, the lack of proper info to provide what the client wants, taking on a job that is not necessarily a good fit for you... Oh Lord.. the all nighters & the fear of negotiating! For years me and my professional friends have said how desperately we as artists need to understand business. Now with KZbin there are so many resources for us to at least gain a basic understanding of how to approach it. Shorten the painful learning curve. This video is such a great breakdown of what happens in many circumstances, with a wonderful understanding of how to realistically approach potential opportunities. Thank you for sharing this story!!

[@Alifkbr]

Currently I have two jobs I took in because I didn't get anything for the past two months which was eating me up and getting two offers at the same time, I didn't want to put any one of them off. And now I got stuck in between them and I don't know how to handle the deadline and I do feel like I bit onto more than I can chew and I honestly wish I saw this video before but hey, lesson learned and I have found a gem of a channel. You have a new fan!

[@Smokedship]

Loved that story... It’s just so relatable and it feels so comforting to see other artists go through similar trying times. Bless ya man!

[@thepaintercat]

Spot on man, I've in similar situations and I deeply understand the gut wrenching struggle you probably felt, congrats you earned another loyal sub.

[@ashwin_ramakrishnan]

Great story and insight! It was really engaging to listen along while drawing. Glad you learned from the experience and shared it here.

[@artsideoflife]

Thank you for sharing this story, Marco. It's very beneficial to show the failures as well, everybody from us is human and it's OK to make mistakes. This is not a game of being invincible, but trying our best, sometimes falling, but most importantly standing up again and keep trying. Learning and improving every day!

[@marcobucci]

True that, Iva! (If anyone is reading this, check out Iva's channel for so many awesome talks with artists.)

[@artsideoflife]

Thank you for such a nice comment!!!!

[@jameslemon6523]

What a brillaint story Marco, it was a pleasure to listen to

[@alzarac3d]

I know this video is quite old, but... Wow!!... I am quite surprised by this video because I was not looking for anything special and I enjoyed 30 mins of a cool story. First time in your channel and I really will take a look at your videos to see if I can find some other jewels like this one. Thanks for sharing. Keep the good work. Cheers from Colombia.

[@oscarbergutube]

Just that you put good words to a situation i'm in right now made me happy and motivated. Take care!

[@lads.7715]

This was a great story and a lot of life wisdom. I usually asked up-front for examples before trying any new, creative, or rote, task.

[@dirtyharry1844]

It was John Peters requesting concept arts for Tim Burton Superman Lives.

[@boy_genius]

Very relatable story. Ive never had anything close to a huge client, but ive definitely felt this way on a small scale. Lack of communication always seems to be the root, so glad im not the only one who has felt this way. Thanks for the video, awesome painting too. ;)

[@yogissjkaio]

Thanks for sharing your experience. And Superb render :) Thanks for all quick tips in the End.

[@marcobucci]

yogissjKaio thanks for watching!

[@tianjohn.adventures]

Besides from your personal Story, which I can take a lot know-how from - so thank you for sharing this experience! - I really love the painting! I can really feel the mood and the deepness of it, almost like If I'm there. Like I could smell the air from that moment you have drawn here 😅 so - very well done artwork! Greetings from Berlin!

[@luthienzirael6741]

I love your videos so much. Especially videos like this one that give advice and give us a glimpse of what you face as a professional artist. As an amateur art student struggling with all the learning, the anxiety of failure and the doubts i feel like your advice videos are something every amateur artist needs to listen. They have given me the push i needed to keep practicing harder in times i felt like i will never succeed. They give me the advice and insight i need but never get from my art professors in art university.Thank you! Please keep making more. :)) (sorry for my english mistakes if i made any)

[@marcobucci]

Thanks! (And your English is great.)

[@CelticBotansDigitalArt]

This was an excelent video, even though the story itself was very odd and stressful for you. I am happy that you were able to learn from that, and happy for me in a way, that I was cringing _so much_ at moments like the client being super vague (I hate when they do this, it is like they are expecting you to be some kind of Seer or to have a crystal ball to know what they want), or when you weren't asking them any questions about what direction they wanted your art to go, because I would have asked them these questions and, like you said, asked them to go through my portfolio to see if my art is really what they want, and what examples from it they would like me to use in their commission. I've done this before, and usually it works wonders indeed, to ask for more descriptive / imagery details, it pays off at the art in the end. Anyway, thank you for the video and for sharing your story, I love your art and your vids! =) PS: ................I don't know why but I get the impression it was either James Cameron or Spielberg lol

[@marcobucci]

Thanks! I agree. And I'm enjoying all the guesses at who [name redacted] is :)

[@zxu.tattoo]

This is an amazing story, I learned a lot from it. I had this kind of experience, when the client said no or simple emails said “style is wrong”to me several times, I always replied “got it!”, because I was so scared to ask more questions and then I started to doubt myself if I could be an artist for rest of my life, or should I change my career. After watching this video, I realized that I’m not alone. Thank you so much for making this video!!

[@MephistoRolling]

I am a business person, and i have walked away from some business deals in a similar fashion to yours, but with me cutting the final thread. Some of the best decisions i have made.

[@kitticus9527]

Hi Marco! This story was really interesting. I'm a tattoo artist and I am always knocking back client's due to the nature of the work not being in alignment with my natural style or abilities. Maintaining your integrity as an artist is so important for the career's future and the sake of building a body of work that best represents your natural talents. No amount of money should waver that decision. You are a maintaining your morality as an artist by sticking in your lane and staying true to yourself. Bless you!

[@TheSantifive]

I'm at 14:00 at the time of writing this and, as someone who draws/paints as a hobby, I can feel your panic lounging at me. Thank you so muchfor sharing your experience.

[@malumeog1799]

Im so glad i listened to this, reallyi been battling with the kind of work i want to do vs the boring, monotonous jobs i get, and most of the time been told i am lazy for not wanting some jobs, the constant back & forth, amount of work & pressure on a project with a client who isn't clear or sure of what they want can drain the life out of you.

[@Dangnilo]

Who in their right mind would press that dislike button? I mean, I wonder what they were looking for.. music? tutorials? predictions for the future of art? C'mon people, this is one of the most true to life and honest talks I've ever listened to, I could say Marco should do this talk in TED talks, but almost anyone with a mouth goes there nowadays.

[@mattebling4518]

Marco, thank you for this video, it's fantastic. The way you define dream jobs and success really resonates for me, and I greatly appreciate it. I'm still a master's student, but I teach undergrads, and sometimes have to answer questions regarding these topics, and I tell them about your work and instruction whenever I can. All the videos address my favorite topics, so please continue the great work!

[@marcobucci]

Thanks very much! That's hugely appreciated :)

[@Jorigin]

Wow I'm not even in the art industry and nothing more than a beginner. This video just randomly came on in my up next list, but this was super interesting. Sat through the whole 30 minutes while sketching.

[@SebastianSeanCrow]

11:23 usually when an artist is commissioned for something, from my understanding, they’re picked specifically for their skills AND STYLE. So it’s odd he didn’t like the style tbh

[@michellechao0814]

What a (horror) bedtime story for a freelance artist ... and a valuable lesson. Thank you for sharing it.

[@musikalora]

Thanks so much for this. As a beginner comic color artist, this inspires me a lot. Totally agree on what you said about higher paychecks doesn't alleviate the stress you get on trying to beat deadlines all the while risking your professional image on the line if you don't nail it.

[@ThatGuy-zg8ik]

I really love this video! Especially the portion about how you started off trying to be a jack of all trades but transitioned into making a voice for yourself and building upon that voice. Love it. And as a side note, I love the Halloween painting. Not a lot of people do Halloween scenes during the daytime :)

[@denisebergen7532]

Your style is amazing. Thank you for your videos.

[@start1793]

I watch and listen to this video while doing my art. I love your videos. Thanks for sharing Marco.

[@JT-rb9wr]

I feel the same way. I hate commissions because a lot of the time the direction from people is way to vague & it makes you struggle to complete anything they like. Great video.

[@versaille_]

Thank you for the opportunity to learn about your experience as a young artist, I am afraid to get lost in the pursuit of pay and famous employers, having lost my style and suffering from overwork and feeling worthless at the very beginning of my creative path

[@donalone]

Thanks the experience benefit me my day time job is non-related to art but negotiation is indeed important. Never over promise and make sure it's the best I can deliver.

[@luismayor9189]

This story has a lot of value, it gave me a lot of insight and direction. Thanks!

[@catfishrodgers8558]

thanks for sharing the story Marco. This exact thing almost happened to me, got offered a spot as a concept artist in a hot shot triple a studio a while back. The project art direction wasn"t really what i would call my comfort zone, but the prestige and that one in a life time opportunity was there. A couple of days later I"ve got an offer from a smaller studio, that was developing a project that was exactly what i enjoy designing. So, naturally i agreed to make a bunch of test concepts for both companies. The triple a test gave me a hard time, had to really force out the designs, the other went smooth unsurprisingly. both companies accepted me without any issues. Now i had to make a decision. It took me 2 whole days of feeling legitimately sick, trying to pick the right job. and after those two days I've signed the deal with the smaller developer. I am so glad that in the end i went with my gut instinct and rejected the AAA project because if the job would remotely resemble the time I spent forcing test designs for that company i would probably end up burned out and probably fired eventually. Anyway, as always your vids are a blast to watch!

[@ckmoore]

Wow. Needed to hear this right now. Recently turned down a job for people I love, but for a style of artwork I don't do. I still feel bad about it, but I think it was the right decision.

[@sonseraedesigns]

This is such a good talk. I used to be an artist at Disney and other studios. I once worked 6 1/2 years on one movie. I found that sometimes you have absolutely no connection with the client...the audience, and then it just is work at that point. I think the most rewarding part about any job is knowing you are making a positive difference in someone's life. I worked for another large studio where we didn't even get to go to a screening of the movie that we worked 3 1/2 years on but they had invited the kids to see it at the studio. We never got to see the kid's smiling faces when watching the movie. Another example of what I am trying to say is that my brother is a sculptor and works for a big think tank on the East Coast. He has created a helmet that is stronger and withstands explosions and saves lives for those on the battlefield. He has created amazing new prosthetics for vets...but he never ever sees the client...the vet....that is wearing the prosthesis or the vet who's life was saved because of the helmet he created. When a worker has no connection with the client, it just becomes very unfulfilling. The most important and fulfilling part about any job is getting gratitude from the client that really values your work and knowledge that you have made that client happy. I never was able to watch a child watch a movie I worked for 3 years on and see their faces light up and smile. If that element is removed from your job, it doesn't matter how many movies your name has on the credits, it just becomes a place you go to work 16 hours a day...because the movie studios are not the ones that are super grateful for your work. Believe me...you are just a cog in a wheel to them. It's the person watching the movie. It's the kid....and if you never get any connection with the kid, well, who cares. Long story short to me is...after having a 20 year career in animation, working at the top movie studios in Hollywood, the thing I love and enjoy the most is teaching people what I have learned and I love working one-on-one creating art for grateful people who really love and value my work...and I get to personally engage with them. That is the most fulfilling to me over any big name movie studio I have ever worked for.

[@AbeerMalik]

Omg...I can totally relate with your story...and kind of relieved that am not only freelancer who have gone through something like this....Painting is awesome like always..:D

[@rdoetjes]

Oh man this story is so familiar! I did this indy movie about 2 years ago, making some mattepainted set extensions and unlike yours it had to be on a fixed LOW budget. So 3D was off the table so it was all photoshop 2D photorealistic set extensions Whenever I was hired for a studio I had project sheets that were very detailed (the less interpretation sensitive the better) often with very crude sketches of the art department what the wanted to see. I had nothing except for a few lines for each of the 6 shots. Those requests were within my expertise set so I made a very friendly budget request thinking about 1 shot a day. So the plates come in and I expected some detailed shot requests.. but nothing. So a lot of trial and error started trying to cauge the requirements. And frustratingly the kept changing. When I basically blew my profit and I realized that the director had no very clear vision (also because he had never VFX set extensions before) so nothing was shot for VFX making it a monumental task. So when I realized this and I came to accept that I was basically working for cost I just surrendered (luckily I had a paying IT job as well) so we kept this back and forth process and really became joyful for me as a VFX mattepainter/compositor because I basically had card blanche to spitball Ideas and visions and even critique certain cuts (normally that is a death sentence!) It turned out to be the best working relationship after an immense frustrating first 2 weeks of what for me was basically a 6 days project. I spend working in total working 12 days on the 6 shots. And he's happy eventhough I couldn't deliver one shot because I made the stupid assumption they'd shot on RAW and it was a heavily compressed H.264 format so some technical trickery I had devised to solve this shot just didn't work due to the compression. But when this is your sole livelihood you could go bankrupt. So my advise is to demand really good specs and if stuff changes that you can bill by the hour; which is stupid because in my freelance Engineering/IT I demand this.

[@TheYun77]

That was a real good story, with a lot of suspens and instructive things about the job, and the halloween illustration is beautiful !

[@marcobucci]

Thanks!

[@bloc4395]

Man that was a pleasure to watch and listen to. Thanks!

[@PenMarkArt]

Oddly enough, as small of a freelance artist as I feel I am, I actually can relate to this story quite a bit. I've already had several clients where I saw the price they offered/"status" I could gain, and was caught way off guard. This was a very uplifting, reassuring story; Thank you so much for sharing your journey!

[@marcobucci]

Ah yes, the ol' "work you can use in your portfolio!" is a common trap afflicting art freelancing. From my experience, as my client base grew with bigger names, along with my growing portfolio, I heard that line less and less. Nowadays, after about 13 years as a professional, I never hear it anymore. Thank goodness :)

[@vonstrous4869]

just listening to this story makes my anxiety fire up

[@canadiansmarties]

One liners, really vague, lack of communication, always right, never happy, unrealistic deadlines, kind of rude and dismissive. Michael Bay?

[@slurp3194]

Doubt it Micheal Bay asking him to do illustrations would be very odd especially traditional pantings I highly doubt it

[@canadiansmarties]

@@slurp3194 idk lol

[@jas_bataille]

I have a slight feeling that, the art being traditional, it could be Peter Jackson. Why? Peter Jackson *love* traditional art (one of Karl Kopinsky's painting is in his collection according to the artist) and is very particular about the artist. Second thing : Jean-Baptiste Monge, who have a similar kind of semi-realistic cartoon-ish style, was almost hired as a concept artist on The Hobbit. I know this because I know JB personally. He's a veteran and, last minute, cancelled moving to New-Zealand (!!!) for the duration of the project... I never asked him why, but he's pretty darn famous in the industry for drawing faerie style illustrations, and if he refused that job, there WAS a GOOD reason. So that'd be my guess.

[@jayta906]

I wouldn't accuse Michael bay of having a good taste in art lol

[@artistaa511]

Beautiful work and nice story! I'm belongs to fine art collage and fresher in this digital world. I learn lot of thing from this video and i hope other's also learn. Thank's for sharing us your experience .

[@mellodee6198]

Hello, Marco! Thanks a lot for sharing this story and overall for your great content and teaching videos. The painting is very bright and cheerful, as always.

[@marcobucci]

Thank you!

[@JohnyKato]

omg mate. thank you so much for sharing your story. You just gave me a huge boost to my desire to go on with my freelance career.

[@Azuniite]

The ending was amazing, I was taking notes nonstop.

[@blahblah9740]

Don’t sell your soul. Awesome story and painting-thanks for sharing!