whitenoise

I left off last time telling you to work for free a few times because it could prove to be valuable to you in the future. So now I’m going to elaborate on that point as well as a couple others in tip number 6 on landing a freelance gig.

Tip #6 Networking

Now I know that artists can be somewhat introverted weirdoes who like to romanticize their inner angst, but whatever. This is the internet bitches. Everyone is 20 feet tall, fearless and a total badass, so you should be also. Remember the internet allows mousy little people to be social hermits. That means you can talk to the world without uttering a single word or leaving your room. It’s perfect for you pasty types who would fry by just looking at a picture of the sun. It also works great for perfect people like myself.

So you see? You have no excuse! Now hop over to the forums that I suggested and create a thread showcasing your work. Don’t forget to mention that you are open for work and be sure to comment on job openings instead of simply emailing them in private. By doing this you are creating yet another way for people to see your work. Plus it shows your eagerness to the forum that you want to work.

Trust me. I’m telling you the truth because I have done it myself and it works. If it doesn’t work then my name isn’t Jason McLellan, who is an artist specializing in concept art, character design and fantasy illustrations.

See what I did there? That is one awesome SEO friendly sentence right there. See what a whore I am? And just think…you can also be a whore just like me. Maybe even bigger.

Until next time this is artist Jason McLellan sharing his tips on landing a gig.

Damn I’m good.

Hello all, sorry I was unable to post tip number 7 yesterday due to personal reasons. The personal reason being I’m lazy, but it’s ok because I’m sexy. I mean like really sexy. For example if a normal person were to sprawl across their sofa and watch television in their underwear you would be repulsed by the vulgar laziness and exposed ugly. But when I do that (as I did yesterday) it arouses people’s mind, body and soul stirring them with erotic fantasies made even more real since I’m doing such a common mundane task. It’s like that Megan Fox video at Esquire, but hotter. Way hotter.

But enough about me let’s talk about you and how I can help you land a job. Shall we?

If you have been following along so far you know the best way to build a site to display your work, where to look for work and how to approach a potential client. Now it’s time to discuss pay rates. Ah yes now I have your interest. Don’t I junior?*.

I know that everyone expects to be paid top dollar for their efforts and I couldn’t agree more with that statement, but that isn’t the way it works. Remember you are a no name. No one cares about you. Hell, I probably wouldn’t even like you myself. So what now?

Simple you have to make people like you. You have to make editors care. You have to have a thick skin, nice personality and no ass because you worked it off. Ok that last line was pretty dumb but you get my point. When you first start out, your job is to make an impression and make people like you. You do this by turning in jobs early, keeping the editor in the loop and most importantly producing high quality work even if the pay sucks. And let me tell you in the beginning it will.

I’m still a nobody but I do get consistent work and I’m working my way up to the big boys, I hope. Sure there are people who start off at Marvel comics when they are 16 but the majority of the stories out there aren’t like that, so stop dreaming and start working.

Anyway back to my point about pay. Again let me let say again that in the beginning your pay will suck. For example my first paid gig online was $10 for a single illustration however, one of my last projects it was $250 an illustration. But I had to build up to it, just as you will.

The best advice I can give you is to swallow your ego and take a cheap job in the beginning. I say this because it will give you a real world work experience and allow you to truly find out if producing quality work under tight deadlines is something that you can do. It will also lend insight into how things work and what to expect because I can talk about it all day long but you really have to do it to truly know. Because odds are that your gig will more than likely involve something you have never drawn before and that alone is enough to freak most artists out. But it’s something you have to do and become good at in order to become a successful artist.

One last thing I want to touch upon before you run out and get underpaid for a gig. I suggest you read it because this is a secret that will stop you from getting underpaid. That’s right I saved this until the end so that those of you who stayed until the end would avoid being underpaid on your first gig. Ready? Ok here it goes.

Do a free job.

I know crazy right? But I’m serious. Now I know there are a ton of people who go ape shit crazy when I say something like that but whatever. Fuck ‘em. The way I look at it is if you love drawing and you want to take on something you have never done before while creating an awesome piece for your portfolio why not help someone out while you do it? Plus when you are ready for a paid gig the person you helped out can return the favor by putting in a good word for you. See that’s a little thing I like to call networking and believe me when I say networking is how most jobs are obtained, regardless of the business.

Ok that does it for now hope to see you back here tomorrow as we go over tip number 6.

*Should be read with a Sean Connery accent.

I mentioned a few posts back that I would be posting my top ten ways to get a freelance gig in the esteemed genre of Fantasy art. I say the “esteemed genre” because let’s face it. If a hot chick in a chain mail bikini fighting a dwarf with a battle ax isn’t classy then I don’t know what is. .

In all seriousness though, I do think that my tips will help you get a gig or at least your foot in the door. But if my tips don’t work out for you, then post a comment here or contact me because I would like to laugh at you for not getting a gig. No wait. I mean I would like to see what you did wrong because my tips are guaranteed to work* and if they don’t I will give you one hundred dollars.** Plus I can help you figure exactly what it is that is hindering you from getting a gig.

Ok on to my first and probably most important tip.

#10 GET A PROFESSIONAL LOOKING WEBSITE!

Did you get that? I hope so because there is no, I repeat, no reason why you should not have a professional looking website. None, nada, zilch, no reason. Five years ago I would not have said that, but today you have no reason. Since the advent of blogging software, such as WordPress, Blogspot, Typepad, there really is no reason to not have a good looking site.

I personally recommend WordPress, which is the platform I use for the amazing blog you see before you right now. WordPress is free, easy, and oh yeah did I mention free and easy? Now you may say “Nuh-uh Jason. You have to have a hosting to use WordPress” To which I reply “No not really”.

Sure I have my site hosted with Godaddy and host my blog there, but you can also simply go to wordpress.com and register for a free blog if you are really strapped for cash. As mentioned before you also have the options of blogspot, typepad, and others that I can’t think of right now.

I would still recommend WordPress above all others simply because it gives you the ability to created pages and galleries. For example if you want to have a contact page in WordPress just create a page then add the link to your sidebar. Done, that’s it! However in Blogspot/bloggger/whatever the hell Google calls there blogging software, you must create a post and link to that post because it simply doesn’t give you the ability to create a static page like WordPress.

Now I’m not saying that blogspot is bad because it isn’t. First let’s remember it’s free and it’s also easy to use. Also much like WordPress there are several free templates out there to allow you do a quick and easy overhaul of your blog. Also let’s not forget that since its hosted on Google it will have potentially better rankings. Yes I believe that. I also don’t think Oswald shot JFK while we’re talking conspiracies.

I would also like to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a standard HTML site, so don’t think that I am trying to push blogging software on anyone. But I do know that you can have your site done much faster and it will probably look better using a blog format.

Whatever platform you choose, let me take time now to tell you what links you need to have most prevalent. Ready?

Gallery and contact.

I know pretty hard right?

Seriously you would be surprised how many people out there don’t think to make these links obvious. I’m sure some great artists have missed opportunities because an art director couldn’t find how to contact them or had trouble finding their work. You have to remember the art director is there with a purpose and if it takes him or her more than 8 seconds to find your contact link or gallery they are going to bolt.

Ok everyone I think that does it for my first tip and I hope that those of you who don’t have a site will create one soon so that you have an online gallery for potential clients to view. A website will make you look more professional, dedicated and appealing. Trust me.

* Tips are not guaranteed to work however the opposite sex my find you more attractive
** Ha! A hundred bucks my ass! I might help you if you’re female and hot but even then you’re not getting a hundred bucks. The only thing I can say for sure is that I will laugh at you; behind your back and in secret of course.