[Chapel]

I'm currently working as an email administrator for a VERY large company, but my job is dull as hell. I want to pursue a job that is in a digital art field. (i.e. games, comics, web design..) But I hear that once you are getting payed and given deadlines to draw then it is just like any other job. Does anyone on this forum who is in the field have any comments?

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-Chapel
Brian Reber
http://www.geocities.com/chapel_t9/

[Spitfire]

Chapel. I wouldnt know about pure illustration since i only do that on occasion, but webdesign is a job like all others. Why are webdesign and illustration still my hobbies? because at home i can make whatever i want, and explore the fun side of my occupation. I'd still choose this kind of work over anything else, any day.

*dead* 3V!L h@x0r : Spitfire j00 sUx0rZ! w00t!

[Frost]

Chapel.

A job is a job is a job... you'll never have the creative and time freedom you would have on your own projects doing your own stuff.

CONS:
- Deadlines (therefore, pressure to submit both in quantity and quality)
- Less artistic freedom (aka. Art Director)
- Going home and being dead tired - no personal projects
- Can sometimes be boring as hell on some projects


PROS:
- Paid to (generally) do what you like
- Getting your work/name out there
- Getting invaluable knowledge and experience (aka. Art Director =)

Hope it somewhat helped.
frost.

[Chapel]

Yeah, I figure there will be cons. I'm just wondering if the pros out weigh them.

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-Chapel
Brian Reber
http://www.geocities.com/chapel_t9/

[Frost]

In my oppinion. YES. =)

[predator]

I think a job is a bit more than a job in this case (personal opinion). One of the big reasons I got into this field was because it was something I loved doing. If you can't be happy in your job it's time to start looking for a career change. I've had a blast working on some big projects. The "a job is a job" statement has some truth in it. It is hard sometimes to come home from a long day at work to start personal projects. Though once you get to a senior artist and above, you can start to explore creativity within the projects your working on, that's when it get's fun. I for one think the pro's far out weigh the con's. In the end you get paid to do something you would be doing in your spare time.

[Joachim]

I must say I disagree about that a job is job no matter what thing. Me, Mikael and many other artist have worked together for a many years on different gameprojects and other artistic stuff. And, the place I feel that I can learn the most is in an industry, because then you are expected to give a certain quality. And this of course relfects your personal work as well, which makes it all much more fun.....-to see your own quality increase.
Also, in my opinion, I think you can make fun out of everything, as long as you look at it as a challenge to become better, instead of a job.

I guess I've been lucky, since so many look upon their illustration job as boring, but as I've experienced it, we at my company sit constantly and draw, animate or 3d modeling and have "total" creativly freedom within boundaries. Noone tell us how thing should look, just that they want us to make something good. Also, I think it's more challenging to make something out of a task than always draw the first and soemtimes the things you are most used to paint, which is often someting you don't learn much out of doing.


Hmm, don't know if this made sense ?!?




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Joachim
web: http://home.sol.no/~jbarrum/

[Frost]

Hey Joachim. =)

(note: this msg is about MY only ONE experience in the gaming industry, with a game company that was not at it's best on a personal level with its employees. read at your own risk!=)

Yes, I totally understand what you're saying, and, yes, I think you're slightly lucky to be in the position that you have been exposed to.

I for one was working at a VERY large game company where I was slightly more than an artist among 150 (below-par) others... I was given special tasks once in a while since I was slightly above average. All game and graphic ideas were decided elsewhere by designers, directors and even producers, so creative freedom was not exactly a thing I lived on a daily basis. Overall, I did enjoy the work experience, and I don't regret it! -- it gave me invaluable experience, not only in art, but also in dealing with others (a biggie there!) and deadlines, etc.

I must also say that I'm from North America, and I think the market here is slightly different, where people move a lot more, where there seems to be less appreciation unless you're a God as Spooge might be. Work tends to be VERY specific, and stepping outside your artist box to animation or character design territory might get you slapped. =)

If your studio is small yet filled with competant, talented people where you get to design, texture, light and animate freely, then by God, you are lucky. =)

I'm no God, and I know my art suffers a great deal from lack of creativity and 'smoothness'... for instance, I couldn't be part of YOUR development team because I probably wouldn't be good enough..., which is probably why I might not have been given a job that I would have preferred at that company. The moment where you are just an average artist at a company, you're just going to do the low-end boring jobs, as sad as may be -- bottom line : you need to kick ass to have the fun! =)

I really don't want to give the impression that a job as a graphist in the game industry is bad...it isn't. It CAN be greatest experience in the world if you've got the right company, right team, and the talent to push ahead. Just don't expect that at every turn.

I'm saying a lot of negative things here, but, doing this work is great, and I loved it. I wouldn't imagine myself working in ANYTHING else but game art, even though you don't have total control over it.

Chapel, if you can find such a place to work in, I suggest you go for it. You'll have lots to gain from doing so!

--
"To order your hard-covered copy of this book, please call one of our phone attendants at 1-800-LA-FERME." =)

eh. sorry. =)
frost.

Actually, this might also have to do with the thread some time back about 'going to school' to get the GOOD jobs...

I should just probably stop posting altogether. Anyway.

[This message has been edited by Frost (edited March 27, 2000).]

[Drunken Monkey]

[ June 23, 2002: Message edited by: Drunken Monkey ]

[Chapel]

Frost: That makes sense. I think I'll go for it, so that means I'll be posting alot of pics while I work on my portfolio.

Drunken monkey: Just to make sure you understand. I'm an Exchange Administrator for a large company (one that builds missiles and shuttles.. hint hint.) I get payed pretty well, but I doubt I would get paged at 3am in the morning to draw a picture.

Jaochim: Any openings? I'm willing to relocate.

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-Chapel
Brian Reber
http://www.geocities.com/chapel_t9/

[Chapel]

Web design is probably the last art position I would take, but I'm to a point to where I am open to anything. I've been researching for most of my adult life.. just trying to get an opinion from the folks who are already doing it.

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-Chapel
Brian Reber
http://www.geocities.com/chapel_t9/

[[Shizo]]

I wanna be an Art Director! :p

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Russia is power. You dont agree --> we nuke you!

[Drunken Monkey]

[ June 23, 2002: Message edited by: Drunken Monkey ]

[Fish]

Chapel,

I work in web design and whether it's fun or not depends on who you're working with and what the project is.

Sometimes it is boring as hell, but must of the time it's a laugh.

It's a high-stress industry. People expect instant results, so if you don't like working under pressure it is best avoided.

Basically, if you don't like your job, change it.

Good luck!

[Mix]

Yeah, what fish said.

Seriously though, I've been on both sides of the web design field. I used to work at a client-driven eb house, where I was given impossible tasks with impossible deadlines and no resources, all while being paid next to nothing. Now I work for GameSpy Industries, getting paid to work on cool projects and with great people who share my interests.

It's all about where you work, not always what you do.

[Francis]

It is NOT like any other job. I'm a designer at a game company - before that I was an architect, and that was definitely a daily grind type of job. The hours definitely can be hard, but I think it's worth it. The main difference (IMO) between doing web design and making games is that web design often seems to be about doing client work, whereas game design allows you to create a lot of original content (in most cases). Of course, this all depends on the project, your publisher and the nature of the team you're on.

Francis

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