Is an art career TOO RISKY?
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
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An art career doesn't have to be risky... if you plan with precision and intention. Here's why I think you should give it a shot and how to limit your risk factor. If you follow the advice this video, and you put in the effort, you will have a much greater chance of success at a career in art.
PO BOX - Aquatic Trent 26895 Aliso Creek Rd, B1031 Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Intro song #1 = "Salgre" by Jimmy Fontanez
Intro song #2 = "Blue Moon" by JVNA
Games I've worked on -
Fortnite (Environment concept art)
Overwatch (Environment concept art + Sprays artwork)
League of Legends (Character design + Environment concept art, UI + Icons)
Diablo 3 (Character design + Environment concept art)
Hearthstone (Illustration)
Burning Crusade(Character design + Environment concept art)
Wrath of the Lich King (Character design + Environment concept art)
Indivisible (Environment concept art)
Final Fight Streetwise (Voice Acting + Character Design + World Design + Cutscene Direction + Co writer on script)
He Man GBA (Pixel Art)
Terminator 3 GBA (Art Direction + Pixel Art)
CannonBallers (Character + World design)
Ikeda: The Scrap Hunter (Programming + Art + Design)
Goblins and Gnomes (Concept Art)
Books available-
CreeD Re:Imaginary (2021) - 2 part Comic series
Twilight Monk - Return of the Ancients (2021) - Illustrated Novel
Twilight Monk Secrets of Kung Fulio (2020) - Illustrated Novel
Escape from Giants Crown (2019) - Illustrated Novella
World Of Twilight Monk Vol 1 (2019) Art Book
The Man and the Moonken (2019) - Illustrated Novella
The Beast of Tuksa (2018) - Illustrated Novella
Twilight Monk (2012) - 2 Graphic Novels
Nova Colony (2009) - 1 Graphic Novel
CreeD (1993-2007) - Comic Book Series
Ghost Rider (2000) - Comic Book Series
The Fuzz (1997) - Comic Book
Burnout is the killer of all dreams, and it spawns from zealous, prideful ignorance to reality. Small projects are awesome advice for obscure artists: meek, humble acceptance to the only thing we can control- our response to the call of creativity.
I was a little jaded because I really wanted to get right into an art career after high school. Now I've been in the military for about 24 years and soon I can retire from this and work comfortably on art projects without having to have another job. In hindsight, I have found that I've been able to completely self study and participate in workshops to keep my skills up while on active duty and I've got a lot more life experience than I did at 19.
May God bless you!
Sounds like you've got your life straight, i wish i can say the same as you when i grow up, best of luck on ur art!!
Great video dude, Relatable for sure. You can reduce your risk by being consistent for sure, study, practice, I had a teacher once that said: "Every minute you waste, is a minute someone else is becoming a better artist than you" I spent about 8-12 hours outside of classes a day doing studies, sculpts, just to break into the game industry...paid off when I got recruited right out of college on my senior year at Activision. So the hard work pays off and comparing yourself to your favorite artists and constantly getting better reduces your risks.
I love the part where you said: "Do small projects"
(Looks at Calendar...been working on this indie game for 3 years now...) Big risk on my part.
Good advice. I'm literally doing the risky "change your career at 40" thing but I feel good knowing I have the same mindset that you talk about in here concerning the audience. And starting simple and quick. Learning how to get a product to market takes a few tries. But yeah once that's ironed out then I can invest more time into more elaborate projects. Not in the gaming industry at all but I always appreciate your talks Trent.
That’s wild. I’m kinda doing the same thing. I’m 37 and finally trying to get more into the concept art world. It’s not a total change though. I’ve been tattooing and painting for 18 years and own a small shop with my wife. So I have some wiggle room to make a pivot. I wish you well.
its a good sign when having followers on Instagram and artstation is the last thing on my mind. but im lucky in that Im focused on concept art, not artsy fartsy stuff.
Every time I buy smth from a visual artist, I care only about three things: art style, artist's personality and price. If I want to support an artist and I can afford that, I'll buy anything, no matter in what genre it is or even whatever it is (t-shirt, print, painting, sculpture, postcard, artbook). Not trying to say that genre or type of product are not important, just sharing my personal point of view, so maybe it will help you or someone else. If I can recognise whose work it is without seeing credentials, those things don't matter for me. The art style is kind of glue that keeps it all together. A genre gets more important though when it comes to smth more specific like comic book or game, I guess. There's probably also another important thing I forgot - consistency. I mean if I buy smth from an artist, I want to see more artwork in the future, and if I don't see it, why would I buy smth again.
Same! I enjoy supporting others especially if I'm a fan of the style and the artist! When I have it, my money goes to them! Sometimes my mother asks if I'm doing this, are they doing it for me? And it stings when she asks that but I brush it off by saying "they don't know who I am so they can really support me if they don't know me"
The alternative to a “risky career” is a life of unfulfillment and wondering what if you took the risk. I’d rather risk it all then never living my dream at all. I already regret not getting into it sooner
@@zomberkay what exactly is he gatekeeping and how has his advice ruined "carriers"?
@@zomberkay everyone who takes UA-cam videos 100% seriously is not right in the head, but listen what anybody has to say its not a bad thing either
@@zomberkay so he turns people off from pursuing art, yet people still love watching him? Sorry, but hes only made me confident in pursuing art. Working for Blizzard and Riot is like the crown jewel regardless of your opinions on them falling off. I will admit that the very first Trent video I watched came across as a bit harsh, but hey Im a big boy; cant take everything super personal. Watching Trent for 2 years now, I recognize he is more money oriented than others but Im not gonna dump his views in the trash just because the way he pursues art isn't a 1 to 1 blueprint about how I think I should do it. If you have any real evidence of his evilness and intention to disuade competition, Ill be happy to listen, but I really doubt you have anything other than emotion-driven conclusions. If someone is turned off by something because Trent tells them its hard, it might not be worth pursuing after all.
@@zomberkay i agree on that yes
@@zomberkay i follow a serious senior concept artist here, he rarely uploads any videos, but when he does its totally on spot, there are many people, personally i take from anyone different things, and i dont follow for the obvious reasons that they themselves even may think
To be honest I find "Highly Competitive" a good news. Great in fact. Personally anything worth pursuing shouldn't be easy, and worth fighting for. I've been a hobbyist most of my life, but for a while I had a burning desire to pursue an Art career. I understand that at 35 years of age my premises aren't bright, but I'm using it as another reason to keep pursuing it to show people that age in fact is an advantage rather than holding you back. I also see clearly that my art needs a lot of work by comparing with industry standards. Although intimidating at times I feel a greater motivation to push through next levels. Following the advises of great artists such as yourself and your tips and tutorials is helping greatly. I'm blessed to be alive in an age where I don't need to spend my lifetime savings to train myself on my craft. Everything is on internet by very special highly skilled people. So thank you so much for all the knowledge you share, and I'll make sure to put it on good use!
I'm an artist straight out of highschool yet I have thoughts about this. I find this video very hype for my future journey! Thanks Trent, good advice!
i've just graduated highschool and i'm about to start studying graphic design at university in about two weeks - and i have no idea if i want to. i've been offered a small scholarship, and my whole family is so proud - but i can't help but feel like concept art is what i should be doing, and that i'm settling for the 'safe' option. my whole life i've loved video games and art, and have wanted to work as an artist in games. where i'm from, the video game and entertainment industry is close to non-existent and there are little to no education options for it here, and the ones that are available are incredibly expensive. i have considered being self-taught, but my concept art skills are so elementary i don't even know where to start. everyday i study the fundamentals, and i'm trying to make some sort of start. i feel lost and as though i'm losing time to make a decision about my future. i am considering studying in canada at syn studio, even though the diploma program will cost almost double what i'll be paying for my graphic design degree, and i don't even know if i could get in. i have no clue what i should be doing, and my family isn't in a position to support me if i decide to move to canada. i just don't want to make the wrong decision, and get into an industry that i'm not truly passionate about. i don't know why i'm talking about it in this comment section, or what decision i'll end up making, but your videos have provided me with some clarity over these past few months, so i appreciate them a lot trent :')
I’ve learned way more from you than my 4 years in university for graphic design. We supposed to learn marketing too but what you teach here is way more valuable than what they tried to teach. Thank you so much! I’m so so happy to find you! 💜
I'm a small freelance artist/illustrator, but I love doing portraits, pet portraits, and other designs because it fulfills a need. Without even advertising myself too much, people who aren't sure how to find or hire an artist hear about me from word of mouth. Sometimes that's enough to get started with a career. Just offering services to neighbors and friends, and being a reliable worker who cares about the customer can help u put yourself out there, and soon you'll have your own website etc. Like you said, finding a need in the market can be fun for any artist. Its great to feel like your skills are needed. The way I grew was by saying yes to any project even if I wasn't sure how to do it. And when you learn more you can take on the projects that make you feel fulfilled
My problem is that I tend to want do do all of the jobs, jack-of-all-trades style. I even completed a degree in Game Art and Design, which contained the usual drawing, texturing, modelling, and level design courses, but also added business, geology, marketing, and other design pipeline skills. Now I feel like I am somewhat good at a lot of things, but not stellar at any one of them. I also have a job that pays more than double what entry level game devs get in my area, so it's just a hobby for the foreseeable future.
I find myself in the same boat. I do contract jobs for game dev, so my indie games get put on hold.
The title of this video read my mind better than amazon's ad algorithms.
The tips you have shared in this video can be applied to many other industries/hobbies. Thanks a lot, Trent! :)
I think it depends on what you want to do, but there are still a lot of avenues for even the OK artist to get in and make a living. I believe you only need to be the person who draws 16 hours a day to maintain the sharpest lines if you want to work for someone like Bethesda, Riot or CD Project Red. There are a lot of success stories of independent artists pushing through and becoming wealthy enough live off and even retire on while not being the best at what they do.
While it would be a bad idea to quit a $150k a year software developer job to start a YT art career, doing the art for a TCG then launching it while working that job would be a great way to get into the industry at a "pay the bills" level.
The Best in the Business.!!
Darren Harry.! Compound Baby.!
Keep chipping Away.! 👊😎
Has always fantastic advice,love the videos.At moment me and my cousin(both in the second half of our forties)are starting a comic strip,both have done odd indie comic strips,and we now believe we have a story to tell.So thanks for the vids,there keeping me motivated
this makes me put my economics classes to a new perspective, how i can use that information taught for myself instead of just those exams. thankyou trent, you really give me the talk i need.
For me the niche market I think I could do well in is vr Indie games
I stared to love art the more as i enterted the world of graphic design, while still lack a lot of skill, I intend on getting a bachelor in graphic design in order to find a job in wich i could further imrpove in. I was learning music for years before that, without the thought of money, so when the pressure started to come in i dropped out. But now I try to balance it. While I hardly saw myself as a musician, I feel more like an artist by the day. and My perpuse is to do what i love while not being a burden to anyone around me. Its really hard to find motivation to learn something new while being a bit older. But I will never give up(insert song). Never sto learning and learn to lover learning. Whaterver happens another door will always open at the right time!
Amazing video as always, Trent. Thank you so much for the insight. This is the video I needed right now as I have recently been having doubts about going into the art industry. However, your advice has always made me realize that even though its not an easy path, the art career path is what is best for me. Also, I just picked up one of your books from Amazon and I'm very excited to read it! Thanks again! :]
Looking forward to reading your review of the books! Thanks for the support!
Good buissnes solve problems, art as a business is an opportunity to solve problems using a method you love, everything has ups and downs, but it's better to walk to success than to run into disaster
Appreciate you Trent, absolutely opened my eyes towards how I been looking at my art
Thanks for this Trent! Freakin amazing video as per usual
If I had gotten advice like this at the start of my art career it would have really saved me a lot of time and grief
"don't stop because it's hard.." made me automatically think of that one Tom Hanks line from "A League of their own". Excellent advice. I'm still surprised that some sort of business course wasn't a requirement for my art degree. Also what is the deal with Creativity being a night owl?
Solid advice
Hey Trent, can you bring some traditional stuff, from time to time? Thanks man! 👍🏻
Hard truth, thank you for saying it so candidly, as usual. Thx a lot Trent :)
I really love your videos, thank you for making them :)
This is solid business advice. Do you think it’s worthwhile to experiment with what you love for a period of time before transitioning to what you know will sell?
I always do the 80/20 thing. 80% what works, and %20 what I'm experimenting with.
I know I'm commenting on a 2 month old video but I'm new and commenting anyways lol 😆
Nearly 10 years ago I started off my "art career" as an independent digital artist in the music business. In the beginning, I wasn't working a job so I was spending maybe 12 hours doing artwork all day everyday, I pushed it as fan art to gain traction, met and made friends with musicians, my first art gig was with a big name nu metal band that I use to listen to growing up (they were reuniting) they hit me up and my business took off from there and I've been doing this field ever since. It sounds great, I established myself as an artist in the music world and dabbled in the film industry, bla bla bla lol Anyways, I'm trying to get out of the music world and I want to explore gaming. I'm taking the heavy knowledge that I got from modern comic book art style, landscape, and portrait illustration work and I want to start using Blender and mixing my world up a bit. I'm an extremely hard worker, quick learner, and I'm hoping to up my art game and style... where it'll take me? No f'n clue but I'm definitely going to do something more, like you said in the end of this video, "Life is short" 🤘
Also, you're absolutely right, you better love your craft cuz you're gunna find a lot of your contract jobs/art gigs to be things you won't enjoy doing... that you really like that paycheck 😂😬
great info trent
I've seen that in the market the product doesn't have to be the best at all, there is a market for almost everything. Marketing and learning how to sale is the key to live of our dreams. The difference between Picasso and van gogh is that Picasso had good marketing. Also failing is one the most important parts of the process because dont know it all and failing is a wayyyyy beeetter tool that success.
I love your colors so much. They are always delicious, like candy)
I think that is a good idea that as an artist we can associate ourselves with somebody that knows about marketing and sales to formulate a system for both to make money.
After several "failed at planning stage" massive personal projects, I learned by accident the "do smaller first". I'm just wondering if the mighty Trent or anybody else had some ideas or opinions about where to publish comics digitally (short loosely interconnected stories)?
tapas, twitter, webtoons, instagram. the advantage is that you can post them anywhere if they're short
@@michemicalromance thanks for the reply 😊 Tapas seems kinda interesting, webtoon also. They're both a bit more suited for the length and format I'm thinking. Length wise the stories will vary from probably 2 to 10 pages. Twitter and instagram for me are more for posting just art. But maybe they'd suit better for motion comic versions. (yeah I tend to ramble)
@@KimmoTheArtist instagram can work for short comics since you can post more than 1 image at a time, but it's better for art and sketches as you said. good luck C:
@@michemicalromance thank you, good luck with your own endeavors :)
people still are surprised that so many of the cartoons of the 80's were just made to sell toys, as a kid i was entertained by the cartoons but now my cynical brain kicks in and i see the tricks they try to pull to sell stuff
small projects are def the way to go before spending ages on something
How important is it for a concept artist to know 3D these days? And do you need it more as an environment or character concept artist ? Thanks Trent, I really appreciate your videos !
Very important. I've heard a lot of people in the industry say that nowadays some concept artists work directly on 3D, it's somewhat faster, kinda like skipping steps of the process. Trent has also enphasized this
Set my mind on a 10 year studio plan over Christmas. If all goes well, ill have a successful small studio by my mid 30s
SO EARLY CARREER HAS TWO R
Thx! Missed that one in the title, but had it right in the thumbnail.
@@TrentKaniuga 😇 love your videos
Thanks for the honesty
Hm, my comments keep getting deleted form your videos, so I guess I'll quit what I've been trying to say & just say you're one of my favorite artists on UA-cam, keep up the great work.
Thank you! I'll check the "held for review" category and approve your comments if they are there. Sometimes YT tries to hide things it thinks are spam, and the good stuff gets filtered by mistake.
Its so hard man I want to go into an art/design career but I just knowI won't standout. I'm not amazing at art. So hard to decide.
If I were only 1% as good as you are at drawing I would do it all day :D
So, you would give up EVERYTHING else?
You gotta make the journey so important for yourself that quitting can no longer be an option.
some of being successful is luck: being at right place at right time with right concept/idea. "you" do well with this untapped market, others hop on bandwagon and do ok, others follow suit and don't do well because of market saturation and wonder why they are not doing as well because they are doing it for wrong reason because it wasn't done from the heart.
In short yes it is. I was a game artist for 2 years and I said duck this shat! I went back to college for cybersecurity and now I can afford all my digital art equipment and just enjoy art again. Drawing as a career ruins the fun of art.
working in general is really tiring, even if you work at something and earn good money to support yourself, you might not have the mental health to keep art as a hobby and get frustrated because improvement is slow, and specially if you can't stop thinking about drawing, the 2 things will clash. it really depends on how well you can balance your life and responsibilities and keep work and hobbies separate. really depends on the person.
80 % luck 20% talent
man i am so scared of my future Dx
eh.. marketing and all that... it's understandable, but there are paths that you don't want to walk, from a moral stand point, and sacrifice your integrity.
At 3 and a half minutes in the question why people buy art. I want to put my answer in before maybe you answer it. I think its because it helps them express who they are as a person. Which means if you’re creating art you’re not creating it to express yourself but to help other people express themselves. I’ll continue the video now and see if you answer the question.
If I want to become a full time illustrator, who does it all: character in an environment yadda yadda, like we see it in LOL, Smite and so on splash arts... Would you say that learning by only creating finished pieces, from the get-go is a good way to learn? Or is it too likely that I'll bite off more than I can chew and give up? My problem is, that I really, really dislike concentrated studies. I don't want to draw 100 noses and 100 arms. I'd rather draw and paint two orks fighting next to a cliff with the sunset on the horizon.
I always wonder why some of the gaming and comic industry make very bad games. If the purpose of making a business is to give the people what they wanted? Why do they make bad games or comics tho... Or even movies! It is becoming blander and blander through the years for the main purpose of just promoting the next movies and the next instalment. Creativity seems to be dying in the big companies...
could you give some advice for art directing yourself when your the only artist on a game? or art directing an indie team for the 1st time?...thank you for all your videos the amount of challenges you covered for us is amazing
Great video trent, I'd really like to see how most succesful artists earn their money. Can you maybe show how you would do a market research on that?
Me still searching for environment after going through character animations lol
Ivwanna do tattooosss
thank you very much for the videos and for the advice, you are like a psychologist for artists, I have been a freelance artist for almost a year and thanks to god I have done well, as in everything there are ups and downs, there are weeks in which I make 500 dollars and others where I must hunt gigs, but I like to live doing what I love, I was advised to apply for a job in some studio, but at the time of filling out the linked profile, or the curriculum I am blank, do you have any advice? I learned everything I know on my own and your tutorials
It's a risk I'm willing to take. Corporate America, which I had been part of for 10 years, sucks.
I have the same mindset here in the UK: worked regular jobs all my life and been in an office working in financial services for almost 10 years now. It’s crap.
Just decided last year I want to do art as a career: I’m willing to take the risk too.
The way I look at it is this: instead of watching Netflix and bullshitting around for hours when I’m not working my day-job, I study and practice art now. It’s a trade I’m happy to make.
How to find out that my audience want to buy my art or anybody wants to buy my art
so, what would you advice someone that almost has finished high school and wants to start an art carrer?
"How much does an Instagram artist make?"
Me: They make money?
"Very little"
Oh, that's why I didn't know.
Hiya, a quick question. I'm aiming for a job in illustration or concept design, and from your video I almost feel like I should study in literature (for writing books) and Business (for marketing and customer study) instead of going for say a diploma in Illustration. Would it be better to go for subjects that relate to what I'm doing that compliments illustration or concept design instead of the actual thing?
if you want to be an illustrator, just focus on learning to paint very well. If you want to learn concept art, you will need to learn concept art. Stay focused.
@@TrentKaniuga I see, thanks for the insight
parents think being a artist as a career is a chance 1 in a billion
and well anything is a risk probably its higher risk to work in a construction job for minimal wage then try and be a artist that no one will even notice
but remember if you think your art is trash theres always space to bash NFTs for good reasons
People always talk about art being more risky but fail to realize there's no guarantees with anything. Anyone could easily lose their job tomorrow especially during these covid times. A construction worker will constantly be losing his job and looking for a new one. This isnt 30-40 years ago where someone just got a job at a company and stayed there till retirement.
@@coarsewood6930 yeah i hate the job industry the most next to politics
job industry get away with a lot human right violation its surprising why karma just does nothing
I have no talent for background art,
Every career is a risk! Yes your to going to compete, WELCOME TO FU@#ING LIFE! If that’s too much for people, McDonalds is always looking for burger flippers.
I
Hi Trent... what do you think about NFT art?
He released some if u missed it
@@user-by4ru5pr1g oh! thanks i definitely missed it
Is it??? 15 years doing art and no gigs paid lol
good advice .that was capitalism and economics for the artist 101 lol. almost expected stock pickings at the end😂
I only invest in S&P 500 index. No gambling.
@@TrentKaniuga i know. u gave so fur solid grounded advice that guides ppl to more awareness understanding of situations manage time and risk taking, responsibility and directing their lives through meaningful consistent directional action . and also draw on the background . the stock part was a jock managing ur surpluses is a different skill in itself .
I do not mean any disrespect, but youve gone from fun enthusiastic and passion famous artist doing his own thing excited about sharing Twilight Monk and fun tips to cynical dad having to break their kids heart telling them that life is a aweful shit-sandwich... i sincerely hope you are doing okay, and all is good, bro
;)
Creative Jobs are not for p***ies for sure
Very discouraging, but in a good way. I should stop wasting my time.