IT USED TO BE EASIER TO BE AN ARTIST?

[@zeroakuma6935]

Before watching the video, my answer would be - it is easier to learn to become an artist, due to the amount of free tutorials and all kinds of stuff available for us today. But it's more difficult to suceed due to a lot more competition/higher quality standarts.

[@subterranean327]

Art isn't getting harder, it's just going indie. Basically, it's harder now to be an artist that has health insurance.

[@churros724]

or the fancy word , freelancer

[@banjiromasati4907]

The same with manh jobs(computer engeniering, busness etc...)

[@oscarchavezart]

You hit the nail on the head with artists being creative and finding new areas of art that are barely blooming or have not yet bloomed. And that artists should not be brooding over what is saturated and flooded and not being depressed and giving up. This same topic I discussed with someone here on youtube telling me that with the A.I it was not going to be a phase and that the artist was out dated. I told them that those studios is their own business to do what they want with their business because it is their business, not the artists business. What the artist should do is art, and play with cats and dogs. But on another topic, it is easier to learn, but what makes it hard is filtering all the information, and getting the right information, there is misleading info out there. Your videos are not misleading, they are a great cornerstone for guidance. Currently what I am learning is making comics, HA, I used to make comics as a kid, and now after having done this art, and tried this art, comics feel the most fun when doing the planning and drawing.

[@1meen1]

I agree. I find all these tools overwhelming, AI included. I tried to use an AI image as a reference point and still felt like it wasn't exactly the reference I needed 😂. However, AI isn't definitely a phase. The propositions are just long ways from what is being proclaimed. The Internet was in the same state, and now we're here. Artists won't ever go away though; there will be a new breed of artists however, and yes, jobs will go, however, it's nothing out of the ordinary. Jobs always come and go.

[@booleah6357]

I mean the money in AI is already starting to get pulled out. Nvidia stocks dropped drastically and the progress of AI despite what it's advocates might claim is starting to slow pretty drastically too. Mainly because they already scraped everything so all that's left is other AI as it all degrades.

[@oscarchavezart]

@@booleah6357 They must have seen the future of being bankrupt, and problaby the company disapearing, cause maybe another company would not wan't to buy them. Yeah it's over the top with the A.I. On social media there are A.I influencers. Now that is crazy.

[@oscarchavezart]

@@1meen1 yup new jobs will come and go. New artists, and new industries. Maybe from A.I something old will be cool again. Like how the movie Deadpool and Wolverine has made NSYNC popular again.

[@jullcepts8780]

art is far more appreciated now than it was before. The thing is that today the competition is bigger, a lot of artists (myself included) tend to face decision paralysis a lot because of how many cool artists I want to become like as an artist myself. But in the modern world the "becoming an artist", the "making" of art is way more easier. There's WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more accessible information thanks to the internet when art used to be this mystic/mysterious/occult/magical thing that only a few selected ones could achieve almost by training themselves without a guide and stuff. And it still is a very mystical and beautiful thing, but now it's open to anyone who wants to try.

[@eddysgaming9868]

Getting exposure to a larger audience today is a lot easier than 30-plus years ago. I can confirm that. Always appreciate hearing your viewpoint, Trent.

[@zinzolin14]

I think it's time artists find ways to make opportunities happen. If there're not enough work, then the next best thing is to make work for ourselves. Create projects and build our skills, as Trent is doing.

[@Le1cho]

Thank you for the video, I really needed it now! It's really difficult to break into industry, it's frustrating and exhausting, but watching a video likes this inspires you to continue the journey and do the hard work

[@TrentKaniuga]

more people will take the "easier" path, leaving more opportunities for those who love the work. Stay the course!

[@nikolnorthwind]

What made my start very difficult in art was the abundance of information available, and not knowing who is bad at teaching. Many artists jump right to release tutorials, step by step, mentoring with little to no experience in the industry. I call them "The Charlatans", because they do great harm to beginners, helping them embedding bad ways or habits. Beginners cannot distinguish what is bad quality; how could they? And big names are dangerous too! Not all experienced or ultra popular artists have the skills to pass down knowledge. It was game changing to find your channel, Trent, and some others like Marco Bucci. I narrowed down my sources to a good handful, tailored for my needs.

[@Niko_3D]

It was easier to break into the industry before for sure, but it's much easier to learn nowadays especially last few years. I personally spent three years learning on my own back in 2016-2019. I'm currently self-employed and have worked with over 100 different clients. Would I mind being employed full-time by Blizzard or Riot? Not at all. While many people complain that 'it's hard to be an artist nowadays,' there are many others who just grind it out, suck it up, and push forward and try to find their own luck. Last few months I started to learn solidworks, CAD and I want to switch a bit from working in game industry to automotive/engineering world (place where AI won't take over- take this with grain of salt). And out of these 100+ clients I worked with around 10 000 told me I wasn't good enough, many didn't even answer my applications etc. It's about how hard you are willing to work for something. I love art, I would still do it even if I wasn't making any money out of it.

[@lunarfifthstudios]

Things are getting much better for artists, AI will just distract the ones without the passion to strive for originality, authenticity. Great video, and thanks for still giving us these nuggets while you are obviously super busy finishing TM!! 🙌🎸🙏

[@eddysgaming9868]

A talented creator can still make the most out of this new tool. Not lazily present the generated output as the finished work.

[@lunarfifthstudios]

​@@eddysgaming9868​ I hear what you are saying, but to be fair, talent doesn't exist. The person in your example would have therefore put in the effort to stand out, and be original. Nothing wrong with using tools, but I would not expect a cookie-cutter approach to be easier to morph into something useful than simply understandimg the fundamentals to begin with.

[@1meen1]

This. It doesn't negate the talent of the Creator. This is almost akin to people who draw digital vs pen and pad. ​@@eddysgaming9868

[@ClumsySquid]

@@eddysgaming9868 no self-respecting artist would be using unethically sourced AI dataset.

[@demondeity9816]

​@@ClumsySquid I'd have to agree, even if some people defend it's use as only for "reference"

[@1meen1]

A bit too long for me to read, but Web developers and graphic designers were already dealing with stuff like this and new tools coming about (ie Wix). The same with photographers and video editors. Just focus on what you do EDIT: Meant to respond to a comment lol. However, yes, I work in optical currently, and we have to compete with Cheap online glasses. The finer details of optics don't really matter to folks, and what can you really do if it still helps.

[@blameblaize159]

I have been struggling with the creative process of making things. Although I did start out in the concept design area when I left uni, I'm now pursuing tattooing but I'm struggling more now to be original with creativity and making things and making people excited about see my work. I enjoy all forms of creating but I'm stumped on what to make nower days and being original is hard.

[@thedabblingwarlock]

This is just my two cents. I'm not a professional artist, but I am a web developer with a computer science degree and a bit of a polymath. First, you can glean something useful from almost anything, even if it's not related to what you want to do. It can be a way of thinking about things, a mental process, an idea, or just about anything really. If you start asking yourself questions when you watch something like a tutorial or a process video, you'll probably be surprised with what you come up with. Second, AI is very much artificial and not very smart. It can be a useful tool, but we are nowhere close to it being as capable as a human. Don't listen to the doom and gloom squad out there nor the tech bros. The former are either looking for clicks or are the kind to people that aren't happy themselves and want to bring others down with them. The latter are trying to sell you a bill of goods or they drank the kool-aid. In any of those cases, they aren't worth listening to. Yes, it's going to be harder to justify being paid what you're worth to some suits in charge, but you shouldn't have to justify that anyone worth working for. Third, look outside of the niche you're most interested in. You'll probably find opportunities that you didn't even think about. I'm not saying look into things you have no interest in or actively hate doing, but if you look at things that are adjacent, you'd be surprised what you might find. Fourth, build it and they will come. It can be terrifying to do this, but if you aren't finding a job with one of the companies in the field you're in, let's say video game concept art, take a serious look at making a game or whatever other media you're looking into yourself. There are plenty of resources out there on how to make games, comics, videos, and other sorts of media. If you don't have the time, energy, or will to learn those skills, find someone to partner with. Show them what you bring to the table, what your idea is, and ask them what you need to do to help make this a success. You may not succeed, but we learn more from our failures than our successes. Fifth, don't be afraid to do something outside of your comfort zone. I'm not saying compromise your morals or do anything illegal, but if you are used to doing one style or making one thing, switch it up. Do something different. Try a complete different style or genre. If you mainly do concept art and digital illustrations, invest in some painting supplies, find the prettiest spot that's close to where you live, and do some plein air painting. Try charcoal drawings or pastels. Play around with a different medium, subject, or size. Art is about self-expression and having fun. Anyone that tells you art has to be deep or have meaning is just gatekeeping. Finally, you don't have to follow whatever plan you come up with to live a successful and fulfilling life. A career is just a way to make money. It's relationships and memories and people that make a life fulfilling. Success is relative. If the size of your bank account balance or getting a job at some company is how you're measuring success, then I'm afraid that you're going to be disappointed. I don't know what the best measure of success is. I don't think anyone knows, but I think as long as you have food in the fridge, a roof over your head, and friends and family that love you and want and wish the best for you, well, I think that's a pretty good place to be. It's okay to be content with what you have. And if you have issues finding a job as a concept artist, a 3d artist, or anything else, don't be afraid to take a leap of faith and do something else. Maybe you'll find you have a passion for furniture making or that you really do enjoy more technical work, like welding or machining. Life really is a journey, and the milestones we often see as goals are really the beginnings of new journeys we take. Sometimes our path just happens to wander a bit more than others.

[@1meen1]

@@thedabblingwarlock A bit too long for me to read, but Web developers and graphic designers were already dealing with stuff like this and new tools coming about (ie Wix). The same with photographers and video editors. Just focus on what you do

[@thedabblingwarlock]

@@1meen1 Oh I know about Wix, Weebly, and the like. I'm a web developer for my day job. Let me tell you, those things are only good if you don't want to customize things beyond what they let you customize. The second you step out of the sandbox they have set up, things get really messy. And that's not even getting into how terrible the code those things spit out is. I will almost always prefer being able to edit the markup by hand over having just the wysiwyg editor. The thing is, AI's more likely to put me out of work than anyone who makes art. Sure, those image generators have gotten better, but when you look at the time it takes to get the image you actually want and doing any editing you need to do on it, you'd have been better off drawing or painting it. That's one of the things I've heard about those AI code generators that some have been touting. By the time you're done debugging, you haven't really saved any time.

[@1meen1]

@@thedabblingwarlock yeah. They're good for coding frame work, assistance, and the like, but nothing magical. Same with image generation. Will it get there, eventually sure, but not as soon as everyone is thinking or proposing. We probably have another 20 years or more 😂

[@thedabblingwarlock]

@@1meen1 My bet's closer to 50 years or more.

[@Paladin_Maar]

As I've matured into my career both as a person and as an artist I've found myself understanding your advice more and more and I can't thank you enough for your insight Trent. I'm a creature artist, really nich specialty, but the work is starting to pick up -- working on a bestiary for an artist's comic series and it's been a blast. I'm getting tired of seeing the same fantasy world or fps stuff rehashed a bunch of times. I saw a show a couple of weeks ago called Scavenger's Reign and THAT'S the kind of thing I want to be a part of-- making a truly unique and creative world. We need more of that these days. Also the trailer for TM looks really cool, looking forward to getting it for my Switch! :)

[@TrentKaniuga]

Lucky that you get to design creatures!

[@marek_tarnawski]

I got some projects planned. I am slowly getting into doing very simple walking simulator exploration games in Unity. I think it started with Thief: the Dark project which wasn't exactly walking simulator but navigating through atmospheric environments was huge part of this game. Then I found I am really into such games like Kairo, NaissanceE, Tacoma, Gone Home, Dear Esther and Firewatch. My latest discovery was Ode to the Moon which is unfinished at the moment but the demo made big impression on me. In the past I was a lot into painting environment concept art but now I see it would be cool to push the immersiveness even more and make places you can walk through and interact with. Also thanks to all sorts of shaders you can give 3d many different styles so there are many possibilities here.

[@theoddegg8462]

Hey Trent! I couldn't agree more with your video! Currently I'm attempting to inject something new into the comic book market by making a fully colored manga (because I'm a masochist what can I say?) using cheap paper to keep things affordable while providing a free version on platforms like WebToons to increase exposure. The story is about a space Augmented super soldier turned Bounty Hunter as he navigates a terrible contract that puts him in the crosshairs of some very shady people. I've been using the first book in the series (which is a short story of about 315 pages following his old flame, the second main character or perhaps the biggest supporting character haven't figured out which yet lol, as she takes on a contract to simply pay the bills and keep her secluded bar on top of a desolate hill in business.) Things have been rough, it's taken me a long long time of juggling and being tossed around from one place to the next while working on this. But I can honestly say that all the frustration has been worth it because even though the sketches aren't up to par with what I can currently do, I enjoy seeing the progress of where I started versus where I currently am (even in the first one hundred pages!) If you are ever curious, the first book is called Xeno-Gen: Razor's Edge and can be found by typing in the title of the search bar on WebToons. I haven't updated it in some time just because I've been working hard labor and have had to move and deal with family drama just to be stable again, BUT all of that is taken care of now and I am expecting to post the next episode sometime within the next month (I'm going on a bit of a drawing spree as I want to really really get this done so I can finally move on to the ACTUAL first book in the series)

[@carlosquall15]

Art is hard, period. And that's okay. That's why it's worth pursuing, that's why it's exciting.

[@asddasasdful]

Resources are more widely available, tools are better and there are more specialized schools, but that also means there's more competition. Meh, it's the same it's always been, you work harder then the other guys in your class, you'll usually end up with the job.

[@meganbites4944]

I've been living the last 2 or 3 years off art and I only wish I had started a bit earlier. Only time I can think it was easier is maybe the late 2010s? Maybe just because of general economic reasons. The internet and going digital has made it possible for me to not be a lawyer(what I studied) and do this instead Good video

[@Jhhankg]

Always love listening to that trailer music at the end of your videos :) so hyped for the game!!

[@TrentKaniuga]

It won’t be long now! 6 more months

[@Ilsh_144]

thanka for always sharing knowladge with us sir! trent!

[@reltcstone2]

Great talk. Also yeah, i'm about a year into working on my own metroidvania called spirit thief. Love seeing the progress on your game. :)

[@mcbaltz]

Oh! Very mikemignolaish this one. Awesome, Trent.

[@markeshenoma5576]

My niche I'm trying to blow up is slice of life comics for that person who appreciates visual tones complimenting whatever adventurous chapter of their life they're going through.

[@chillarttalks]

easier to learn, but the floor is that much higher

[@TrentKaniuga]

TRUE!

[@trippettfamily4686]

Thank you so much for this video

[@Crick2x9]

It's complicated... Nowadays art tools are cheaper and more accessible than ever. Getting exposure is easier, but this translates into WAY more people trying to do the same thing. So while easier, it is also harder. If that makes sense...

[@1meen1]

@@Crick2x9 correct. As with everything, the barrier of entry is getting lower. We're communicating and discussing about this now on a platform that people watch for tons of DIY guides rather than attending a trade school or whatever.

[@R0undbrush]

Getting exposure is easier? its easier now than is was 3, 5, 10 years ago? I don't think so.

[@CorralSummer]

Aspects are harder and others are easer. If you look at the art in games and such in the early 2000s and even to the 2010 the skill level in them is just much, much lower than what you see now. For a lot of jobs u just have to be that much better. (there were some exceptions - insanely skilled artists have existed for hundreds of years) Tho on the other hand... it's also waaaay easier to learn now as you said. I've seen a lot of people under 18 being insanely good, you just didn't see that when I was younger. Like you said tho, there's more than just games.

[@heiispoon3017]

Love the bit on 13:46 (What do you love? What do you really want?)

[@KristianNeeTV]

game looks awesome dude

[@gordiart]

Almost first one, that's first time for me 😮 Love your content, man, long time supporter :)

[@TrentKaniuga]

looks like the bots beat you to it! hah.

[@gordiart]

@TrentKaniuga I have never seen your video as "posted 53 seconds ago" though, so I'll take it as a win anyway 😅. A lot of points that I agree with in the video)

[@EkaterinaSTADNIKOVA]

I didn't plan on drawing. I found an artist for my project... but he couldn't keep up with my pace of work so much that I had to let him go. But the problem remains. So I had to dust off my skills.

[@life_motived_corey]

Would the learning curve be longer now verses back then?

[@TrentKaniuga]

Far shorter. Back then, you couldn’t just Google the fundamentals. These days, the information is readily available, but obscured by diversions and marketing.

[@Riste.R]

My daily dose of positivity acquired 💖

[@myronballard1520]

I'm wondering if this is one of those situations where those who worry about things being harder are more vocal about it than those who find it's much easier. I always ask the question of 'who is the person talking about these issues?' before I believe the accuracy of their statements. (Not to say they aren't going through real challenges). I just don't always believe those worries truly reflect reality, if that makes sense.

[@thescribblemedia]

maybe from a first-world artists' pov can get access or delve into new avenues in the art industry, but from a third-world country we do and follow the same old trend since we don't have access to the latest trends, it's not viable in our own market since we are so primitive we are behind 20 years. Unfortunately, we don't have access to tools, education, or industry(jobs) like the first-world artists do, but we still love art.

[@TrentKaniuga]

Oh. You don’t have the internet where you are? How are you writing a comment on a 2 day old KZbin video if you don’t have access to new trends?

[@thescribblemedia]

@@TrentKaniuga Unfortunately not everyone has access to the internet here, we even have rotational electricity and for a couple of hours, we will have blackouts. And even if you have access to the internet not every website is accessible.

[@BradmyrEdits]

It's tougher now since the standard for artist is "are you better than AI?"

[@TrentKaniuga]

Not in my field.

[@BradmyrEdits]

@@TrentKaniuga thank goodness. That's comforting to know then. 😊🙏