TLDW: Concept Art Career Advice from an Art Director (and September's Concept Art Challenge!)

[@davvworldsart]

I'm at that point where I've collected so much partial-skills in too many different styles and have put so much time (10+ years) in taking art seriously, but to no avail, and I am burning out and ready to quit. I'm a grown ass adult, with a wife and a day job and it's getting harder and harder to find the time to build that portfolio to the unbelievably high level required these days. Hardy is truly one of the few things/people keeping me going right now and making me feel like I can get there. Hardy is officially on my bucket list of heroes to meet. Here's to the "keep pushing" mindset and making it happen, fellow artists 🍻

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you so much for letting me know and I wish you success and happiness. I work with quite a few artists in similar positions and I know the stress that you are describing very well. It is certainly a difficult path and there is very little reassurance along the way but it is not impossible. Good luck!

[@mirandadrake3508]

I was in the same boat. Seriously. Mom of 2 in my 30s trying to develop my skills on my own, growing at a snails pace. Then I found CG Spectrum and my art skyrocketed. It’s a little pricey but worth it since you’re paired with a mentor working in the field and have weekly zoom mtgs for critique/questions. I highly recommend it. That educated feedback makes all the difference. Whatever you do, don’t give up. The art world needs you. I wish you well! ❤

[@davvworldsart]

thank you so much for the tip and encouragement!! It's hard not to feel like you're the only one going through it when you don't know anyone, personally, in the same situation. I will look up CG Spectrum and hopefully you see my name in some credits some day! :D @@mirandadrake3508

[@markghammartist]

hardy your skin rendering skills never fails to amaze me! so realistic

[@fowlerillus]

Thanks! I'm so glad that you like it.

[@harmfuler705]

Very helpful and interesting Q&A, thanks Hardy)

[@fowlerillus]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@WldWeaver]

Hello Mr. Hardy, I really like your set of Photoshop brushes. Is it possible to find them somewhere? I would love to buy them :)

[@fowlerillus]

Sure! They are actually available for free in our discord community. You can join here www.digitalpaintingstudio.com/community and check the Freebies channel for the brush pack. Enjoy!

[@WldWeaver]

Cool, thank you very much, I joined@@fowlerillus

[@johnpacheco5404]

I really like this dragon. The posturing, the muscle skin separation. My mind wants to see it move. I get the feeling it jumps like it's light as a feather. I wonder if it looks exactly how you wanted it to or if it you just enabled it's existence. Haha

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you so much :) I really appreciate that.

[@StarfloxStudios]

🎉❤❤❤ First Love your vids :D this is perfect

[@fowlerillus]

Thank you!

[@thegochie]

You must have one of my favorite art styles. I'll have to get a course from you one day.

[@fowlerillus]

That's so cool to hear. Thank you!

[@bobjames6622]

I'm an amateur doodler (I never refer to myself as an artist), and there is one thing I really DREAD doing. And that is starting a new piece of work. Why? Because I feel like I have learnt some basic skills, and that "somebody" has almost "gifted" them to me, even though I do work hard for them. My fear is that I'm actually some kind of imposter and that the few things I've learnt will suddenly be taken from me as I don't deserve them and that in my next piece I won't be able to continue learning and that I'll churn out nothing more than garbage from that point on. Because of that, the very moment I've finished a piece I feel that I MUST start on the next piece IMMEDIATELY. It's almost now like a superstition with me! LOL! I've heard of "imposter syndrome", and from what I've read it seems to be a fairly common thing. But does anybody else out there feel that fear of starting their next project in case that what they have learnt has not been properly earnt, and thus will be taken off them, but yet at the same time feeling driven to start their next piece for the very same reason? Not sure if that makes sense, but it's the best way I can put it. I feel it's just me being a bit weird, so would love to hear the thoughts of others. And don't worry, I do have a thick skin, if you think I'm nuts then please feel free to tell me! LOL!

[@fowlerillus]

Haha. Not nuts at all. Sorry to hear about this - it sounds like a source of stress and kind of a drag on your relationship with your art in general. The idea of not having earned your skills is definitely a twist on imposter syndrome that I have not experienced or heard of before. Actually, if anything I think I wait too long and overanalyze and overplan each piece of art so I have to force myself to simply begin. I suppose one way to come at this would be to sort of force yourself to take a breath and pause a bit between pieces. I have heard that taking breaks between learning experiences (as opposed to just relentlessly grinding) actually helps knowledge really take root. The breaks are as important as the practice. Perhaps that idea could be of some use. However, the point is just for you to enjoy yourself and feel rewarded for your efforts, so keep doing you! Whatever form that takes, if you're enjoying it, rock on. Thanks for the really interesting perspective - I wish you and your art well!

[@bobjames6622]

@@fowlerillus Hi, Hardy, many thanks for your thoughts on this, and taking time out between pieces is not something that had really occurred to me, and it is something that I would find a bit scary to do, that is going for a few days without doing a single thing in terms of art. I always like to do something everyday, even if it's only half an hour if I have other things to take care of. But maybe my problem is that I take it very seriously and should maybe take time out between pieces to just sketch without a thought of where it goes and not minding if it does turn out rubbish. Actually I've found it's when things don't work out that I learn from it as I then have to suss out what went wrong, why it went wrong and how to put it right so I can add it to my library of skills. Having listened very closely to your chat with Mike I've realised that there is one thing that I have never done since I started four years ago; I've always used photos/art references to refer from and have never tried actually drawing from life. For some odd reason that simply never occurred to me and it's something I'm going to start doing, as that sounds like a whole new challenge. In one way I know I'm lucky as I'm purely amateur, and usually don't show most of my art to others as I do it purely for the love of doing it, and on a good day hours can fly by and I can choose what I paint, how long I will take (I'm a plodder, definitely not a fast worker!) and don't have anybody but myself to please, whereas doing it professionally means having to satisfy the client, and not necessarily what you might want personally out of it. Of course there are those days when I also feel like chucking the Wacom through the window but so far have resisted the urge! One thing I have found personally important is this; on the bad days I try not to leave whatever I'm working on until I've drawn/painted at least one thing that I'm happy with. It can be something as simple as a tiny piece or shape that will perhaps not even be noticed very much in the final work. But if I can finish with at least ONE good thing I always feel really motivated the next day to get back to it. BTW, I absolutely LOVE your dragon and that's really inspired me to try and take my work to the next level. Thus far I've taken no tuition at all but I've decided to buy some courses on Udemy and try to channel my efforts into a more structured learning process. Thanks!

[@Raygaldhd]

sooo coool

[@fowlerillus]

Awesome - glad you liked it!

[@Tetheredpencil]

interesting video

[@fowlerillus]

Thanks! Glad you liked it.