I've tried both. Total failure. I've worked with money men and they are not interested in art they just want more and more money. You need to get baptized, clear your brain and just become detached from your feelings about 'art'. Simplify, work to strict deadline, dont procrastinate, daydream, and wonder off the beaten path. (As uploader says here) I'm just trying to point out all the things I believe have stopped me from getting off the ground.
I jumped out of the animation industry in 2022, after working in it for 7 years, and now I work in education. I get more, work less, low stress, no more ridiculous overtime. And the best of all is that I now just do art for myself.
Former Pixar employee, taken to teaching elementary when my kid was little. Was hoping to pivot to game dev, and maybe teaching game dev, but this has got me scared. My brother has a Master's and pivoted to teaching math at the college level. I don't have a Master's so I can't teach at the college level. Colleges are collapsing anyway. Elementary teachers are paid for crap, and it's very hard work. They don't hire substitutes anymore either, just have everyone cover with their break time.
I'm a twenty-year film and TV vet and we're all in the same boat. A lot of my peers are delusional about the industry bouncing back. Independent is the only way. Maybe in the future we'll have freelance opportunities to jump on a big project here and there but you need to sustain yourself without those opportunities.
yeah man, it's a long road but it's also a long road becoming job-worthy, except in the indie world, by that time you're actually earning something which likely can't suddenly lay you off.
35 year artist here. For the last 6 years I went back to doing oils. Doing instillations for high net worth individuals of abstract oils complete with in situation lighting. Which was co-ordinated before it was done. I was a very good oil painter at the start of my career. I went to the royal academy for this. Before this I’d worked on film design & development. I took retirement at Xmas there. A client I was doing work for who was in the market told me take this fee & anything you have in the bank & buy Nvidia shares. I said I don’t do market stuff. He said do it anyway! - & it might rise 5 years. He was very convincing. So in September 2022 I went all in on Nvidia stock. it’s jumped 7x in value since then. I’m now unironically well off… my wife went from thinking I was crazy & threatening divorce. To thinking I’m a genius. 🤷🏻♂️ Best wishes to the rest of the creative community trying to navigate Ai. I think art departments in 5 years might be 1 art director who decides on tone & key art as communicated by the director. This is all the Ai then will need. But at some point, Even this is gone. not sure how long, but it will eventually just be storytellers working with their Ai to produce full works start to finish.
Same thing man... Been a set designer / illustrator for film and themed Ent for over 20 years and its just been bleak since Covid. I was at Universal C working on Epic Universe and now I m back trying to restablish myself independent... I feel for the young ones.
@@davidg3924 There was a mixer in NYC for a bunch of TV people earlier this week and almost everyone there was out of work. I've heard rumors about things picking up slightly but I think the salad days are gone. Opportunities will still come up but they will be more competitive, demanding, and infrequent. My advice for every creative professional is to side gig or main gig a solopreneur business and hop on projects when they come up. Young people will and are adapting to this reality. They are making their own shows and crushing on socials. Triple-A gaming is doomed, they can't compete with smaller and more nimble studios that aren't reliant on ESG money or consultant firms that will make the game worse.
Any popular job that has a school/training industry mushrooming around it eventually floods the market with too many hopefuls for that career. The glamorous industries everyone wants in on have always been very small funnels of employment to begin with, so even with a glut of true talent there still won't be enough jobs out there. Now artists should take a business course that helps them sell what they do best.
Voice actor here! Completely pushed out of the "industry" by AI. When will it start? It's running at full speed. Andy is absolutely right! I can't assess the situation on social media yet, but the competition is probably getting more and more brutal. Advantage: The basket was already s**t, so getting fu**ed is not an unfamiliar state.
yeah, i reckon if I were you and you have a nice speaking voice, I'd start a channel telling bedtime stories with a theme. They decent viewing hours (as many videos are hours long) and try and turn that into a cool, unique brand.
@@pipeliner8969 I believe the value of a human voice lies in the experience of co-evolutionary interconnectivity between humans and the world in which they live. I see no reason why this should not apply equally to an artificial intelligence. Such an artificial voice, understood in this way, would be just as real, even if it would not necessarily sound human. Regardless of this, the voices that already exist obviously sound real enough for companies to bet everything on them. This may create a new demand for human voices. I'm only talking about voices here, as this is my area of expertise, but I think all of this applies equally to all other areas of art.
My career is not in creative/gaming but this applies to everyone. Job security does not exist, you’re at the whim of your boss and the economy. Seek freedom, in all facets of life. Thanks for sharing!
I work with a job and have to use AI to generate voices and tracks for minutes of content for projects. I hate it. Since introducing my boss to AI, he's basically 'throw AI at everything' to the point we aren't even utilizing some of our art guys in the same way, while acting like time spent using AI tools is dramatically better. Its getting experience, sure, but.......... eh Yes, finding and working with voice actors is another workload, and far more expensive, but ...ahh I'm not going to keep rambling about my frustrations with the situation here.
4:15 Me, based in a third world country and working in a comic for a publisher as I'm listening to you XD Yup, we can cover bills for a year (basic bills + healthcare plan, no food included) with just one comic book issue (24 pages only pencils, something around $4,200). It helps that living expenses are generally lower in cheap countries.
Same here, except I've just started with editorial illustration. I have enough to pay bills and twice as I'd earn in an "average" job on my country. Thankfully we still have opportunities 😅
@@harry486 If your field lets you work remotely, score an agency to hook you up with gigs. That way, you can travel and make money while livin' in a sweet, cheap spot with sunshine, like Thailand (like you were sayin'). The internet's a lifesaver, for real (and a curse sometimes, haha)! Even animators are working remotely today. But if you're in video editing or SFX, you'll need to find a place with high bandwidth for smooth workflow (There's high speed internet in third world countries in the Americas - Central and South, but it's hard to find it in some European 3rd world places... European countries with high-speed connections tend to use the Euro currency, which is bad for saving money.).
@@harry486 If your field lets you work remotely, score an agency to hook you up with gigs. That way, you can travel and make money while living in a sweet, cheap spot with sunshine, like Thailand (like you were sayin'). The internet's a lifesaver, for real (and a curse sometimes, haha)! Even animators are working remotely today. But if you're in video editing or SFX, you'll need to find a place with high bandwidth for smooth workflow.
I’ve been working in the graphics department of a particular art industry for many many years and have also come to the conclusion that artists need to really learn to focus on what makes them a living as an independent artist. Good job laying that out in this video.
cheers man, gettig a few people pushing back either out of some kind of disgust or healthy skepticism. It's kinda like trying to make it as a standup comic I guess. Or at least it's turning into that. If you want to do stand up professionally, and you grind and treat it like a business, you'll at least beat 75% of the competition. At least at the amateur level. And maybe some people just don't wanna.
im switching careers to IT. Tired of working so hard i get sick, if I'm going to work that damn hard, i want to be paid. Being laid off was the last straw.
< Some of the happiest people I know have dropped out only a short distance. They still live in the city and have jobs and pay rent, but they've done something more mentally difficult -- and mentally liberating -- than moving to some isolated farm. They have become permanently content with low-status, modest-paying jobs that they don't have to think about at home or even half the time when they're at work. Yes, these jobs are getting scarce, but they're still a thousand times more plentiful than the kind of job that miserable people cannot give up longing for -- where you make a living doing something so personally meaningful that you would do it for free. > -- Ran Prieur, How To Drop Out (2004)
"Do it for personal fulfillment" you're a drone if you think like thus. The toxic individualist capitalist programming worked. Art is not for "personal fulfillment" its for communication and connection. Because humans THRIVE on human connection. You would surrender that for the "happiness" of a mediocre meaningless job and making art "for yourself". Like yeah Art is safe in your sketchbook but thats not what Art is FOR.
finally someone said it. I jumped out in 2020 and haven't turned back. Working on a graphic novel and I'm loving having it all to myself while I work a day job with the state in the day time. My health has improved 10 fold. Even if the industry comes back, which it won't- I am never going back.
An excellent way to live, stay sane, & still be able to do what you love to do. If you have the spare energy, maybe make a YT channel on time management that shows people/other artists how to do the same successfully. You may be surprised how well it takes off. Time management is a $healthy$, growing$ YT genre.
All artists turning to tutorial sales feels like one big pyramid scheme haha. Good video, thank you for the advice. Learning to edit videos and code python actually sounds fulfilling.
thats exactly what it is, but perhaps in the future art is re-imagined as a hobby and you can sell tutorials not to fool other younglings into thinking they will get a job (instead of just becoming another tutor) but instead for people who just wish to improve at art for art's sake
@@pyrefly7575 I'm no art professional. I'm still learning it in my free time cuz i enjoy doing it but even as bleak the situation looks I'm hopeful I will be able to earn money via it in the future some day.
a wise man said "friends if you know an artist just keep them happy. give to them when in need" i agree with him. art is literally worth more than money.
23:39 reminds me of the Japanese concept of Ikigai which describes the intersection of 1) what you are good at, 2) what you love, 3) what the world needs, and 4) what you can be paid for. I believe it is a useful model for self-reflection.
That hit me hard when you said you and your wife had to move to your mothers because it's gotten that worse. And seeing your portfolio, which is killer, by the way, makes it all the more sad.
Aspiring cartoonist here. I have big dreams of making a cartoon. I was debating if I should go to an art school or not. However many of these school from what I heard are VERY selective and as well as how crap the art industries are these days. Plus you got the big wigs lets just say rather be lazy and use stuff like AI. Despite these challenges I refuse to give up. Though I don't really focus on posting on social media and artstation as a vein attempt to have some employer finding me. I mean it would suck if I put in hard work just to get kicked. Instead I have been spending many ours of the day trying to improve myself and grow. I am looking to find a way to be indie somehow. Like make an indie comic or something. I am saving every penny I made and hopefully raise it for all my dreams. Thank you for making this video as I don't like all these layoffs and AI.
AI is going to take over everything. I wouldn't waste my time with anything related to art or music. I also wanted to be an artist way back in the 80s. I had a few successes, I got a lot of mural work & I did a CD cover for a rock band. But overall I never got anywhere. Now look at this channel. I'm making music with AI & having a blast. I'm not a musician, I quit my piano & guitar lessons back in high school. Now I can make my own music using Suno. And I'm making my own AI art by simply typing a few prompts. You should go focus on a trade like electrician or plumber. Something AI can't do.
@@cyberpunktsunamiI think you might have a point, but I don’t see the point in stopping. AI, amazing as it could be, is still just technology. No matter what it can do, or what it can copy, It’ll never scratch that part of my brain that artistry does…that feeling, emotion, obsession is what got me there in the first place. All things a machine has to be told to have. I’m not gonna discredit you for having fun, or doing what you love- it’s convenient too, so why not? But I’m not gonna give in just cause some dudes with a computer, think they can dominate the human spirit with some code and prompts.
Give up. There's point in life that is great to be stubborn, and there is point when that attitude will get you into dead end. I used to teach, in a private school and I encouraged students to quit and look for other way to make living. I saw the future, and how everything is deteriorating.
you spend your childhood working on yourself and art skills, go through a local art school, learning art online through courses, go into collage for digital art, just to be reminded that it is all for nothing and already in the shitter, great
these days half the problem is that too many people got into it and literally 50% plus are just not interested in actually getting good. They just want to learn blender and start applying. So we're swamped. That said, there's about 20% maybe less who are absolute geniuses who we may never ever be as good as. So better to create an art niche that has some kind of popularity and nail the hell out of it.
There is also a problem I saw in Music and writing as industries. Some of the most technically talented artists are the least creative and they have no grit. This is not a bad thing and it’s not a negative trait, it’s just something that isn’t mentioned in a discussion about Art. Take a virtuoso violin player out of the orchestral industry, or even a master painter, or a highly talented writer, take away the structure of guilds and corporations and marketing, and they don’t know how to make their own way. So much of success in art is not about being the best, its about being able to draw an audience, and more often then not that boils down to personality plus skills, and if no one can see your amazing art then no one will know to look. Again these are the most technically talented people in their field, but they don’t know how to sit down and freelance because so much effort went into technical ability and not enough went into networking or entrepreneurship. It’s really not a dig, it’s just an underlying issue with very talented people. Hyper focused learning in life can lead to a very narrow skill set. A positive attitude and open mindedness to switch paths can go a long way for anyone in any industry. It’s also why we so often see more “middle grade” artists and musicians and writers become the pop star or viral sensation. They had the drive and the grit to keep going and get their art out there despite not necessarily being the best of the best.
@@ghost-user559 most people didn't get into art in hopes of being interpreneurs, some people want to become amazing in their craft and invest all their efforts there and it just sucks that the world doesn't allow for these people to prosper easily as in other fields
I was in this situation from 2016-2018, everyone of my peers, artists i look up to had great jobs and doing great work in the industry, and i was struggling to find work that will break me into the industry. Fast forward to now, 90% of them got laid off and are desperately looking for work even the artists i look up to, but in a turn of event I'm the one having a great job and in a steady studio. It's so sad that i can't share the joy of my work with my peers, feels like i would be rubbing in.
Yeah, like dating a sexy lady when all your friends are single :P But I mean, good job on getting some kind of stability amongst all this chaos! Just keep in mind what I said regarding when that stability ends. Work on creating your own stability. And save like crazy!
Life sure can be a roller-coaster! I just got laid off a couple of weeks ago, but in both 2008 and 2020 - when economies were collapsing - I had two of the best years of my career! There's no rhyme or reason to it, so feel no guilt and enjoy every minute of it! [and definitely save every penny you can!]
In fewer words, adopt an entrepreneurial mindset. Create a brand about you, define it, also define who your ideal target audience is. AI or not becoming more mainstream is irrelevant. Just think about the film Dune 2, do you think Denis is threatened by AI? This is a serious question, and once you get it, you'll have a healthier mindset about your work ;)
I've come to roughly the same conclusion in the past month. I was the exact type of artist that didn't like promoting myself and was quite clueless about marketing, so there's hope for people like that to come around. I just hope I have enough time to get something off the ground before I'm hit by any layoffs.
This is precisely why I keep art as a hobby on social media and focus my attention on getting a job in computer science. I'm not building a brand, I'm not worrying about posting a sketch every day, etc. Having to keep up a social media presence, commissions, learning new skills, marketing is mentally fatiguing and takes the joy of art away from me, personally. I think artists need to find jobs in other fields (engineering, trades, accounting) before the entire field collapses. Art can still be rewarding, we just have to enjoy art for the creative process itself.
So bleak. AI engineers beat us up with our own fists, now artists stop creating. What's worse, you cannot post online without feeding into the machine- but there's always talented idiots that will keep doing this.
Really interesting video Andy. The situation is similar in the film industry, so it's been great to hear your thoughts on it. Building out assets/original IP continues being reliable even though its benefits only start picking up after a while. Another tip is setting up partnerships instead of having clients. The artist works together with the partner at providing unique solutions. Offer these to the market, solving problems and stimulating commerce.
@@AndyWalsh Very true Andy! Like you said, some people have stated the industry will go back to normal. But this "normal" state was already fundamentally flawed as a business model. These will be hard times, but I'm optimistic we will all come out of it for the better. Cheers, Leo
I think the layoffs will start to peter out over the coming months, and the industry will start to stabilise somewhat {The games industry I'm talking about}, its not going to instantly bounce back, but it will stabilise. Freelancers in this climate will always be the hardest hit. There's been a bunch of new studio's starting up which is cool to see, but the biggest problem is the sheer amount of people looking for jobs, not even talking about people that have been laid off, the market is just saturated.
yeah this was what I said a little in this video but more in my video 'is it over for concept art' where I mentioned that even before all this it was practically impossible to get a job. During those years I tried to give up 2-3 times. So even if the layoffs level out, there's till going to be tens of thousands of hungry unemployed out there fighting for scraps, plus the massive influx that you see in any industry that isn't boring - people desperate to earn a living while not hating it.
Might be the Ai has taken most of the jobs this current iteration can. But the insane pace will mean in 1-2 years tops it will start again. & the jobs gone aren’t coming back alas.
I was a 3d artist working for a company that Nickelodeon owned. I didn't like being cooped up in an office, with my supervisor looking over my shoulder. A couple of years later I got a stable UNION job working for my local school district. It feels great to have a steady predictable schedule. I also like the steady pay, and the full benefits. As time went on I realized that I really like being on my feet walking around. As the economy gets tougher and tougher, I would recommend to folks in the States to get a union job, or a government job. If we face a storm of an economic depression (as some economists are predicting) it would behoove everyone to get a "safe" job, and then do art on the side.
Social media is a double edge sword for artists all kinds of. On one hand done right it gives you exposure on the other hand it makes you extremely vulnerable. Especially when you have to deal with cancel culture 😢😢😢
10 years of experience as a 3D modeler here - looking for a job for 5 months now. I thought I am alone in this... I am starting to create my own brand as well, this is the best option. Feeling sorry for you and your wife, I wish you both the best!
I am working in game dev from 3 years, and I am not afrain about being kickoff, I am afraid that company which I am working on will dissapear from the market or investors will not pump more money in company. Because game is just product after all, product which not bring profit for 1,2, 3 years. And when there is beautiful publishing day it can appear that it will even not cover production cost.
Just got laid off from my 3D artist job, was an awful salary but I enjoyed it, this is such a great video it’s given me a tonne to think about and a lot of options to try out, thanks!
@@AndyWalsh Thanks man! Been 3D printing for a year now so I’ve been thinking the same thing, maybe selling 3D assets and packs too. Again great advice in the video, thanks!
Thanks for sharing the insights of the game/concept art industry. I totally agree with now is the best time to work on your personal brand. Early this year, I took a break from running my motion design animation studio to pursue RUclips and build personal brand due to the state of the industry. I don't know where this road will take me but I think I made the right decision. Only time will tell :)
I've tried to argue this with people for years. As a creative, getting a job isn't stability. Stability is having a network of opportunities and open doors in different industries and avenues of creativity that you've nurtured and cultivated so it's available to you when you want or need it.
Let me tell you, the animation industry isn't any better. Layoffs everywhere, whole studios going under, and no recovery in sight. I've decided to chip away at a graphic novel on the side because it's something I think AI would be hard pressed to replicate (it's really bad with consistency and continuity).
Christ, man. It's just something no one could ever foresee. At this stage I don't even know why any more. Before it was like, oh yeah, Covid. Now it's just like there's a creative jobs cancer that's out of control.
Thanks my man. This is a great, honest look at things. I do good with art, but it's because I got good at marketing. I'm not the best artist (make no mistake, i am quite good and I had to work to get there) but the marketing and the time commitment are things artists are going to have to dig into if they want to have success. The sooner we realize it, the better, because I gotta say -- it's an enjoyable existence to say "I am paying the bills with my own stuff". Better than wearing out at some of the jobs that were murdering me, despite paying very well. Way better.
@@berugart7620 Sure thing - I have a general breakdown of how to start an art business: First of all... Do something of quality, for long enough, and someone is going to take notice. You first have to have quality of product (good art), and then you have to lave laser focus to keep going with that project. So that's number one (and easiest to forget as we all will start with a trickle and not a gush). Next thing is do stuff for free. I'm big on giving things away for free to gain and build an audience. I have a whole comic series online that's free because tha goal is getting readers. I know if I have readers, they'll love the story or the art or both (because I am doing something of quality, consistently - see point 1) and I'll have them for the life of the series, right? That's more important than a five-second pitch to *anybody walking by my booth* at a comic convention. Real readers will then pay for things. Randos who bought my comic because they happened to be walking by? Not always. Last thing is, keep your out-of-pocket as close to $0 as possible, always. Post your WIPs and maybe some exclusive content on Patreon to get patrons (because you have been doing steps 1 and 2 now should be on the path to have some readers, right?), and sell digital PDFs of things (full comics, printable hi-res stuff, etc). The point when you want to print things -- get as much paid for up-front as you can. I don't even move into physical products until I have the money to print them. So I do preorders, preorders, preorders. They are a test (and that's all marketing is -- testing). You say, "Hey, audience (you don't need a big one - a dozen people who really like your stuff is more than enough to try this on)... Would you like to buy *whatever* in print for $20?" and if they all buy the pre-order, then you make the print order. If not, you call the printer and say "sorry man, we didn't make the goal" (it's like your own mini-Kickstarter with no fees) and wait to try it on the next thing. Right now I really like Noah Kagan's "Million Dollar Weekend" because, while it's not an "art" book, I think Noah has a lot of the same philosophy I have. I think you could do a lot of the steps above, for anything. Just do something well, do it consistently, and then don't pay for it until you've proven it'll sell. :) Hope this helps, mate!
Luckily i do art as an hobby as oppose to a profession. I never thought it was worth it base on what I wanted to do as and artist and what I will have to do. I am not interested in doing art for money. i am more interested in my artistic expression which bring me true fulfillment.
Same . I can feel you. I was a bit shocked when I first saw some Ai painting while I was planning to join the art academy . I didn't even know what digital art was . 😢
I'm 21 and just starting out making my own animated show on RUclips. As you said, I'm in the mom's garage building up my skills and definitely here for the long run. I've only made one short and I was thinking of taking things slow, taking my time to polish each episode, but now I'm having second thoughts. Maybe I could make a couple of fun animated shorts for YT and Instagram showcasing my characters?
some good advice, but I think tutorials are still down-stream from industry jobs and will get hit. While there is a sizeable portion of tutorial watchers who are hobbyists/just enjoy creating, the portion of viewers who purchase tutorials hoping that it will pay off with a job or career will likely decrease. For example, outside of the aforementioned enthusiast population or perhaps those who can put their art on physical goods to sell, I couldn't imagine many people investing in tutorials for digital painting as that has become the most ubiquitous displays of AI takeover in the art-world.
Problem is the tutorial/gumroad/youtube "market"is already oversaturated too. I don't think it's a good solution to try to become an entrepeneur now, maybe 5 years ago would've still been good to start that whole youtube/selling tutorials thing etc. There is already so much content out there by the top dog artists, it would be tough to even get one sale in. I think the best futureproof solution is just to try to keep improving as much as we can and also keeping in touch with other people from studios/art directors etc. Keeping your network alive. I think isolating yourself more and trying to become a "salesman" as others have pointed out in the comments is not a healthy way, imo. I really do sympathize with your statements about the industry as a whole tho. It is definately getting tougher. But at the same time I think there will be a shift again in the future were there will be new studios founded by people that are passionate about games and about art and artists who will create good opportunities for artists again. People are already getting tired of these soulless games being created by big developers, this will all come crashing down and make room for new smaller studios. All the best to you tho!
well, if there's no hope for jobs and no hope for independent artists, we should all just go home now. There is no future in jobs, of that I'm certain. AI is here and it WILL only get worse. You can still occupy a niche in the indie scene.
I started with art, went on to photography, graphic design, video production and etc. made resumes for all them and they’re all professional with professional portfolios with large skills I’ve developed and I still don’t have an income, I’ve made some money in contract but never got a stable income to actually survive. I think the creative industry as a whole is a sinking ship and it’s best to leave now. I’ve literally created resumes with years of experience and professionally made portfolios with professionally developed skills with professional qualifications for all kinds of creative parts including, graphic design, photography, video production, concept art and etc and still don’t have a full time job with an income to be able to live. I’ve all done all hacks/tricks, got to a professional level to only be sinking with the ship that is the creative industry
really sorry to hear that, I guess part of it is just over saturation. Selling a product could still be a way. Tutorials etc. but maybe not enough to make a decent living. I bet there's something you could do with your skills though to bypass the jobs and go straight into providing a service or product.
@@AndyWalsh @AndyWalsh For Freelance you need to work 3x harder and you'll get less pay than a normal full time job. Like you can sell services and tutorials but you have to have recognition or followers or learn marketing and bussiness and go deep into it just to get there in the first place Ive done that, ive bypassed jobs to go straight into providing services, and you get paid the same as being a freelancer. Its not enough to even make a living, like the pays not even enough for a weeks rent. Companies dont see art as an actual job, sure they see art as an asset they can pay for, but its not something they recognise as a full time job. if you get into art or branding and design you'll only ever get to freelancing, and thats not enough to make a living Even if you try getting a job in the design and branding world, its competetive, you'll need years of experience and in its goanna disapear in the longterm because of AI taking over. Like i bet companies will start asigning things like "know how to use AI design tools" for marketer roles. Like art as a full time job now is gone, freelance is getting affected now becuase of AI taking over the services. If the machine is broken, the skills you learnt for that machine are useless. After being a Creative Director, Photographer, Graphic Designer, Concept Artist, Video Producer and etc, Im going to now get into a trade job and get money that way
My idea is that we need to start a movement towards the indie-artist. So people still want to learn how to paint. The entire tutorial industry isn't just tutorials on how to get a job. I myself know of a few artists where I'd love to know how they painted those trees or that landscape so I can get better. There will still be client work too, that's different from a 'job'. I'm rallying against the full-time in-house job market.
Why are artists not collaborative like other fields? We need our unions to counter this layoff shit.I am not even a passionate artist but it pisses me off when I see creative people struggle.
@@JisuDrawsYt well film and I think animation might have a union. But it's an age old issue. Unions are the enemy of the capitalist. Watch Peaky Blinders for examples of that. Hey, that might be the solution we all need though. Not just for layoffs but for AI.
This hits way too close to home. Im 25 from eastern europe. I wanted to be an artist since i was 16. I went to the best art school in the country , but it was very bad. I dropped out of university and did some freelance . It was quite ok for some time , but i became quite depressed, because i had to constantly market myself and spam social medias. Then ai hit , small freelance jobs dissapeared. The local branches of western studios never hire new people and my only option was to get into the casino game industry an an artist. I got into one of those and i hated it so much i become severely depressed . I left the job and now im learning to code and working on my solo game and working part time and will be going back to uni. Im glad i left the industry so early
eesh, it's cut-throat. There's no 2nd place in this industry. You're either 1st or homeless. So how is the game project going? are you expecting to make a decent income from it?
Thanks for this andy! Another great video i love your honest no nonsense approach with this kind of topic. I feel too many youtube artists have no idea what the real world is like for the majority of us creatives and its brutal! But i feel you have the right attitude and we have to think independently and become the product and stop begging for work from people who do not appreciate us! Thanks again man great stuff!
My friend is a luthier. He's been making guitars by hand for over two decades. You can drive to Guitar Center down the road and buy a $200 guitar made in a factory or go to him to pay $10k for a guitar made by the human hand. This is the difference between AI and human artists: factory production or high-end boutique quality. Keep the hand craft strong and people will come to you for the human touch. Sure, massive companies will offload production to AI, but there will always be a desire for the human element; so be ready when the market comes looking for it.
it will be interesting if that happens e.g. AI becomes the norm, but then there may well be a point where you see an article on a large platform that talks about the first signs of people rejecting it and missing the old ways. Will that happen? Hmmm, hard to say.
Excellent video and thanks for making this. The game dev industriers at the moment being slaughter, and it going to get worse. i am walking my own path, 100% even if the road share no success at the end, well, at least i did something then apply to 1000 jobs there is no way in hell i will get.
Like I keep telling people, we're on our own now. No more jobs. We have to be self-sufficient somehow. Sell products, and in the meantime, if those creative products are grabbing people's attention, maybe a bit of work will come of that too, to help supplement the income. Grow something.
Yep, I agree with all of this. I just started my own RUclips and gearing up for the rough ride. Can't agree more with client work can diminish your personal work.
Luckily in 2d animation in the uk ai is not being used for the art, a lot of people think there is only dreamworks Disney or Pixar, when there are a lot of smaller companies to work for. The only thing is animation design is mainly contract based I don’t think some folk realise this, you don’t get hired as a permanent employee or very seldom, it’s mostly contract or freelance. I have got 12 yrs in mainly character design tho it could be hard for new people as there ain’t to many jobs atm. The only way I’ve seen ai used was on a cg show as a mood board and they say do something like this but original, that said im sure it’s coming very worrying times. I do need to start putting work out more online, but my only worry is the online space for artists is very oversaturated and you just get lost between the cracks
Thank you very much for this, so much wisdom and truth in your words. This video come in the perfect time for me since I´m reflecting a lot about how much time I spent (and get consumed my life) for being hireable or "interesting" for companies instead off really flowing with my art or enjoying it. Definitively the last push I was needing for un-plugg myelf from that sintony and keep it up man! The best wishes for you and your wife.
The jobs that end up paying the most are the ones that are the mundane and boring - even unpleasant. Take one example: One guy I know is an engineer......for commercial refrigerators. Didn't that just send you to sleep? .😴🛌 But he is cash rich and stress is low.
Hey Andy. I've been seeing your stuff on Artstation for a little while, I think what you do is amazing! You mentionned you haven't worked on concept for games in 6 months, is that by choice or is there this little demand right now ? I'm a 3D artist (I do environment art for games), I have seen some of my collegues get laid-off recently, but overall, if you have a really good portfolio, it's not impossible to get a job. Is concept art getting hit harder than other departments ?
yeah I haven't been offered any work at all in 6 months. Just a little nibble from animation and film/advertising. Concept art is the worst profession in the world to get into for job abundance, so it was bad to begin with and now with the job-pocalypse and AI it's just game over for that profession unless you're among the top 100 in the world.
@@AndyWalsh Wow, ok... it's worse than I thought /: You're not exactly an ''unknowned'' artist if you know what I mean, I think you get quite a bit of traction on your stuff, that's why it surprises me even more! On an other note, out of curiosity... I have been working on my own passion project indie game and, eventually, I'll need a few concepts for the environments. It's still early, but, I'm wondering if I should get a concept art course online and try to learn concept better (done a few in school, wasn't very good at it...) Or, maybe I should just pay a professional concept artist and know I'll get something solid, whilst focusing on what I'm good at (3D game art). Do you know how much I should expect to pay for an environment concept made by a professional in a realistic style? Not you necessarily, but in general!
@@marlaoutatsgamingcollectibles hey there. I wouldn't want to punish your bank account by having you pay me lol. Oh man, see this is the predicament. It would be so much easier in you situation to use AI. Coz one doesn't just walk into Mordor - I mean, one doesn't just 'learn' concept art like learning Unreal Engine. It's minimum 5 years of 12 hours a day pain. So then you say, ok then how much can I pay someone else to do it, well pros charge thousands. So there's no way you'll be able to afford that. If you pay a junior, you'll get shitty concepts. All I could say is, maybe use AI just to seed a few ideas but maybe apply it on a 'local' basis i.e. don't have it come up with the whole solution (like a whole enviro painting) but maybe for trees, a certain prop, a piece of a character, and then do tons of research on Pinterest and sort of collage your ideas together with crude photo-bashing. You'll at least have real-world reference to draw upon.
@@AndyWalsh Hmm I see.. I'd only need 5-6 good concepts, the rest I can deal with. Might be worth spending the money... Thing is, it's very high concept. I already gathered refs on pinterest and the internet, I get the broad idea of it, but it's hard finding what I want. For example, one of the locations is meant to represent evolving confusion, terror followed by void in the mind, and the other is an island of peace and bittersweet calmness. Not sure how the AI would do haha... Anyways, it's still early, I'll see later.
@@marlaoutatsgamingcollectibles Hi we may have a talk if you want a collaboration for your indie game project. I am in charge in an indie game project for art direction and concept art. Currently i have time slot for a new project. Please look into my RUclips Art Channel for contact. Pardon @Andy Walsh if i am doing this here.
Im 14 and about to go into highschool with hopes of becoming a concept artist , but should I even go into arts ? I can go into one of the best art highschools in my country , but is it even worth it ?
don't get into concept art unless you want pain and suffering for the first half of your adult life. But, if you're an artist through and through and you must do art then please do this: study the HELL out of business as it relates to art. Which routes can bring you the most financial success in combination with personal satisfaction. Aim ultimately to not be a job-seeker but rather create something big like Spongebob or Harry Potter or the next big thing. Have a plan and start asap because at your age you have a massive advantage. In 5 years you could have built the foundations of something big, and you'd still be very young.
With ai already here, you must either be top tier god artist, or you will simply not be needed or paid minimal wage. 3d artists are going to be alive though i think, somebody has to put everything together, ai doesn't do all of the work and for commercial models it does it poorly, although for 2d its already dead its perfectly detailed and honestly better than most artist's works. You dont need to pay an artist just pick a model and prompt thats the future
@@piotrek7633 concept art is the final frontier. Unfortunately there aren't enough jobs to go round. But isn't touching concept art right now except for maybe blue sky phase of projects. It can only spit out random cool shit at the moment. It'll take a few years before it can do more than that. So in that regard 3d is also good but either way, a person who can take specific direction will beat AI that can't nearly get close to an art brief. I've tried it. I ended up giving up it was so far off what I needed.
Here is my experience in this career if it helps: I wanted to make a comic/game as a kid and it drove me for 10 years into the art industry. I got a degree in art and spent 5 years trying to break into games. I never made my own comic or game. I don't feel the desire to do that anymore now in my late 20s. If I really wanted to do it, I could have as a hobby/ for fun before now. Art school and jobs actually killed my personal projects and now they are pretty much dead for good as I've moved past that stage in life. Recently, I got a full-time job doing graphic design and I found out I could take all the energy I would be wasting on unpaid overtime and creative burnout in the game industry and split it between graphic day jobs and my own freelancing brand/business (still fantasy/creative work). It's so much more sustainable and business/graphics/printing knowledge is transferable to other industries/careers. I feel very fulfilled this way, and I don't need the glory of games or film to feel happy in my career. I worked in film and had opportunities to work on games. I only went down this route because my family has generational wealth I can fall back on in a crisis (like Andy here. We can live with our parents!). I don't think entertainment is a good industry to get into unless you are an artistic genius or very technical or connected/rich. If you are artistic-minded and based (as in, your family home) in an expensive country, you still need to do something that makes enough money if your family can't fund your lifestyle your whole life. DO NOT go into the arts if you need to be (or want to be) independent your whole life. So, I would say, if you are not super rich or a genius, go ahead and do another thing that makes you money and is kind of less creative, and then put the money and creativity you have saved up into your own personal art baby! It's so much more fun this way. If you won't feel fulfilled until you break into entertainment (I know the feeling. I wasn't truly happy until I worked on Disney/HBO/Dreamworks stuff), then make that your second career or side hustle in your 20s! It only takes a single job to fill that emotional need I think.
I will say... an art high school with some added-on community college classes might be fine. Just DO NOT go to art school or get a college degree in art unless you are 100% supported and sure. Get your degree for money, especially if you are going to have a lot of debt. Or go into the trades! The trades cross over super well with traditional arts and crafts! Mural painting is basically a trade (although a nearly-dead one don't make that your career). CAD and Blender cross over!
90 Percent of art jobs are trade skills. Most people will have to get a job at a "grocery store." If they were actually creative types they'd have done it already. Everyone can paint. Bob Ross proved that. It's a skill. And the "art schools" have been pumping out more tradespeople than the industry can handle. Robert Rodriguez said it best. "If you want to make movies, make movies. If you want to work on other peoples movies, go to film school." The same can be said about animation and games and any other art form.
interesting. So you have to create a thing rather than trying to get a job working on a thing. That's kinda what I've been saying too. It's just that there is a good chance that you'll create that thing and then not get paid for it at all. So the goal should be to create a thing that, as a consolation prize, could bring you work if it doesn't sell.
The issue is games are just plain boring these days. Production, visuals are better but games are just the same recycled ideas mostly. AI is not going to fix that, just flood the market with more of the same faster. When people tire of it all, then we can probably have creatives come back... But they will not have the skillset... Then the world ends so it doesn't matter 💥
Getting international commissions is still hard. I’m From a developing country and this is my opinion. AI is coming for us too. Me personally I’m trying to get into the food business (I’m very lucky that I have some land) and by business I mean selling locally not becoming a vegetable business mogul. I will still paint and create but I will not kill myself trying to cater the industry. At least vegetables can’t be replaced by AI yet 😅 my advice would be, get a job that can’t be so easily replaced sadly. 😢
Mother company of ours layed of and closed most of their so called "assets" and they are bold enough to ask in annual survey if we are happy about the restructional program (laying of people and closing studios). Industry offers great jobs, but dont trust it. Atleast not for long term. See what you can create yourself in the meantime.
thanks man. Regarding your other comment on starting a game. It's something I've thought about as the wife is a programmer and we've talked about it. But it would be financial suicide. We'd sink years into it, burn through all our savings and then what if the game doesn't sell? We're in a difficult predicament now where she's an immigrant into the UK and I'm her sponsor, so we need to make X amount of money or she goes home.
Yeah I deleted it cause I wasnt sure if u work in gaming or animation stuff. Anyways I've heard similar experiences and they regard it as "Leap of Faith". Tho they just knew their ideas were strong enough so unless u have one I guess why not? What if it sells? Edit: Good luck to ur wife as well. Also if the idea's strong enough u can market it here on RUclips and then gather Patreon supporters, or even document the process as another vid.. I'm sorry it's just I saw ur other vids and ur talented😂
I started off in arts, got my education in that area, then moved onto learning 3d. done that for years, did a bit of game work, ad work, movies, tv shows, etc. went through 3d modelling, rigging, some scripting, and getting more into coding. i think the point is not to stop learning and expand on your skillset. I have colleagues that have been losing work left and right, but since I can move from one department to the next, I been very safe. Also it helps to learn some niche skills that are highly desired. You just have to look at the current trends, and industry needs. Look at sales numbers, where the money is flowing and try to be ahead of the game. Don't get me wrong, It's not easy, but success isn't meant to be easy, and it you can lose it if you stagnate. funny enough Recently I have been getting back into drawing, inking, colouring to strengthen my unused skills. just so I don't lose what I had. I want to get better and keep what I had, and not move from one thing to the next while getting rusty and getting worse at the skills I was good at.
I'm wondeirng how that would work in this industry. The only similar example I saw was a the guy who I mentioend in this video who realised the new 3d software Plasticity was starting to take off and made about 100 tutorials in a year. But I think that's kinda rare. But yeah maybe something along those lines. A few top concept artists these days are showing Unreal Engine games they're working on, or UE short animations. So I guess courses in that would work well.
What's your stance on doing stuff like nsfw art commissions to fill the income-piechart as an independent artist? For example having two separate accounts. One for sfw art and one for nsfw. I've been experimenting with it. And it's both encouraging and discouraging seeing how quick a nsfw art account can grow, compared to a sfw one. It does make it feel like making sfw art for the sake of growth on social media is playing it on hard mode. Tho I can see some draw backs with a explicit nsfw account too. One of them being that the audience is only there for the spesific nsfw art. And posting anything else will loose you followers. Or at best get zero engagement. Another alternative maybe would be to do a more risqué art account. But nothing explicit. But that can be found on patreon. Either way, would love to hear your thoughts on this. If you have any. Really great video. Have made me think alot about my future
I already feel a lotta this when it comes to school like I’m learning a bit but it feels like all my time is being spent on other folks projects n all that energy to create is being used for things I don’t wanna make n will continue to have too I’m not gonna give up but I can already see the problems u talk about in this rising but yah if there’s any chance at getting my series on air I gotta take it because I know it’s what will make me happiest even if I gotta put up with 6-12 years of school n job hopping to build a resume. Nothing is set in stone for what u gotta do to earn a show but if ur smart even without work in the industry u could be taking ur degree n making money one way even without it. But that’s where I know u gotta end up building a portfolio of ur own art to show and ur so busy doing art for everyone else u forget to work on ur own projects when that’s all it’s about is that u have a good series that is 10 mins a pop or whatever and it’s clean made from the ground up and professional but when ur so slogged down by others projects it cuts into ur own creativity time n it’s a tough thing to balance but yah it’s kinda the line we gotta take.
@@DingoAteMeBaby You're way off base. I'm a digital artist myself and use traditional art aswell so I'm not anti digital or anti AI either and this is just an observation..... Just out of interest, are you an artist yourself? Do you have any links to your artwork?
thanks for the refresh honest review. Pretty much it matches my and others situation these "days". Can't imagine doing else but creative wotk myself. Sending applicatiins for jobs and building good portfolio as a base won't hurt but I agree pushing in the wrong direction is not worth it. I personally believe if you love it you do it. Moreover we all know the craft was over abused by many individuals driven to do the job for just the profits. I have had many coleagues through the years not willing to develop their own style, platform, or use such in order to contribute, reshape, inspire... As you have suggested. So I little bit of cleanup was meant to happen soon or later. And there are a lot of possitives that will come with that. Those deeply dedicated to the crafts should prevail with a little bit of teamwork and luck and of course throwing that ego out of the window. Because that is what I was hit by in the studios I have been working with. No matter small or corporate big there are tons of ego and selfishbess till no sheeps have left but wolves among wolves and sheppards long gone.
cheers man! I actually missed the damn thing as I was so busy with a commission! And in answer to your other question, yeah we're already seeing some artists go trad like Greg Rut. Which would be cool coz a) when you sell the prints you can say it's not even digitally painted and b) you can sell the original :)
@@AndyWalsh I think a kind of 'Dune-esque' Butlerian Jihad is on the way where people will go back hard into the traditional and I think we're seeing signs already - using digital only as a 'delivery system' for their art. As I've said before, I'm not anti Digital or even anti AI, I just think a bifurcation is happening creatively and will continue as time progresses. In my humble opinion.
@@tearsinrain8002 It's so hard to predict really. Coz the artist doesn't get to decide, the consumer does. So even if we see a mass exodus of digital art converting to traditional, it doesn't necessarily mean that's what the masses want. They might just fall in love with the infinite detail of AI. I mean, imagine film makers saying: I think we all need to go back to early Martin Scorsesse and make movies with substance vs all this Marvel shit. All the other film makers would be like, yeah! obviously... it's just so clear what needs to happen. Meanwhile, the masses are like: wuuut **shoves popcorn in dumb face**
@@AndyWalsh you do have a point! However, as a digital artist myself, and also having worked with acrylics and oils over the last 40+ years personally and professionally, I can see this happening. You know what it’s like yourself don’t you - digital art is fantastic and even some of the AI stuff is mind blowing however, everyone that I talk to and everyone that I see commenting online about traditional art, have a real genuine love for it, which I don’t see for digital. It really is as if you get more soul through traditional art, and not through the digital, which can be a little cold. Anyway, it doesn’t necessarily have to be in either or, but I think long-term, I think there is going to be a “going back“ to the old way of doing things, especially as we continue to go into unknown territory in art, and also in civilization. When things become unfamiliar, people always want to go back into the past into what they know and love. Anyway, that’s take. Keep up the good work.
@@tearsinrain8002 well, I at least hope so. You're right in that ALL digital painters adore traditional oils and the like. And most of our big big heros are painters. In fact, we try hard to replicate that 'look' in our work. Maybe we could do more traditional but also keep the digital that at least resembles digital, like some of the nice painterly digital art out there. Coz most AI is just photo-real with depth of field.
Back when I was going to university to study illustration, with a combination of games design and graphic design the next year, I thought I had going. Until I booted myself cos I thought they weren't teaching me something of value. I have dabbled on digital painting for years but since I've upgraded to an iPad Air during the ''2020 crisis'' I've delved into Clip Studio Paint. Many of my favourite artists from comic books to concept artists, were self-taught. And many of them did work in the industry and later on became independent (if there fans support them in the long-run), I've shouldn't have done what they done just by developing my skill and get into the door in the industry years ago, and/or go independent myself I would never knew years down the line that AI can have an impact in the creative field, guess that automated robotics could've been the red flag on what's to come. I've never ever worked in the gaming industry myself but right now I am working on opening a small online store and start selling merch ( stickers, custom mouse mats, ect) and make a ton of profit that way ( when AI comes along to destroy artists living)
When you do it for money then you have to live with doing it for frames. Like your „you are now the pirate guy“ example. If you just do it for the art you are free to do whatever you want. I call that my „chaos room“ where I hang out to widen my experience. Chaos because it can also drive me crazy. If I just had this chaos room I would despair. So I put my experience and knowledge from this room into my economic room which is filling the frames of customers in what they need in their given frames. If I just had this economic frame I would dry up like a flower without water as these customers frames often just touch the surface of how i want to express my artistic self. But also it gives me stability and income on the other hand. So for me the most important thing is to level the time I spend for chaos and economy to evolve in chaos and be stable in the same time. I found out for myself that 5 hours of work for customers 5 times a week is perfect time to still be able to have time and energy for my chaos.
and hey, maybe start two social media accounts. May as well start the ball rolling. Few years time, maybe you'll see what happens with one or the other style.
@@AndyWalsh thank you for your motivational words!🫶🏻 yes I am working on it already. Also trying to find out how to use my creative output for different kind of presentation concepts in a way of what works on which platform. But I am still in my chaos room experimenting and planning. The book „How big things get done“ really helps in that approach.
Okay this is a little debbie downer. Things usually resolve themselves, we just need to adapt with the times. Ive been working pretty often, but im in film world.
Bectu says 68% of people in film and TV haven't worked in 3 months. Lots of people Ive spoken to have confirmed they've never been as quiet as the last few months...
It is unfortunate and something we need to take seriously. That being said, much like what was going on at Twitter, I also suspect going on in the gaming industry. Where a ludacris amount of employees are on the payroll without really adding much value. Zero offense or disrespect is intended with that statement. It is time to truly stand out. Not follow trends or the hype of the week.
5 месяцев назад
Another great thing to consider is doing more traditional stuff, like freelance illustration, book illustration, maybe try to find opportunities in your local city for artl ike murals, etc. My point is to go offline, not just think of making passive income through the web.
in my experience, the pay for that is awful. People are turning to AI for book illustration these days. I'm part of an invite only illustrators job board thingy and I used to get about one enquiry per month or so, now it's one every 6 months or more.
These are good for beginner artists to fill up a resume, but most people looking for this kind of work won't pay industry rates. Also, murals carry a lot of liability and extra expenses, so unless you are part of a mural group it can be even less profitable. (I did a lot of these types of jobs when starting out). I would say an exception would be selling art AND the copyright to indie devs and publishers in a high-demand style (D&D style), but that's getting overrun with AI right now so it's slim pickings.
Indie games are the future, IMO. Talented artists with game dev experience should be banding into small studios and making their own excellent, creative games. The AI based sludge EA will be pumping out is going to suck and have no innovation to it; arguably their games have been boring and generic for years already. Either that or start a creative enterprise that you own. I'm doing that at the moment with freelancing and model packs. It's very hard work, but at least I own the business.
The amount of stress you people put yourself through, why not just become doctors or coders or finance people? Then you'll have time + money for art and not have to deal with clients.
Maybe if you were an artist you'd understand. It's like, a person who is an arist is absolutely obsessed with creating something imaginitive and feels like absolute death when they have to do something mundane like study numbers. It's very tangible. If I do something non art related, I can almost hear my brain malfuncitoning.
Hey there. I’m liking your concept of no excuses. Almost done with the video, but I think you said something unintentionally false. You basically said after you build a fan base you can branch out to do more creative endeavors. I believed that too. I thought of the Beatles and Radiohead. They started pretty tame and moved into experimental and the audience followed. The way it works now is that if people follow you for the mainstream thing you do, once you branch out, the audience will no longer see it because the algorithm tests your content on the people who followed you for mainstream. They may not react well to the new idea at first so it kills any exposure. My point is, with social media you cant easily branch out once you’ve established yourself doing one thing. I think I know from experience. I made Miyazaki fan art on Instagram, then when I started branching out into more provocative content, the reach dropped like a rock. I only point it out because it is my big gripe with social media, the concept of the follower is more and more of an illusion. Jack conte the CEO of patreon just did a talk about the death of the follower. Thanks for your hopeful never give up spirit, though!
Interesting, I'm gonna watch that video and see what I can learn about it. It is a bit weird. I have 22k followers on insta and I post my art with a mention of the print being available. No one EVER buys them. So I wonder if followers these days actually mean anything, other than maybe more likes. And when you do branch out, it kinda has to be somewhat on-brand vs completely changing direction. Which makes sense. Like I love doing horror, but it never hits at all. So I instead do moody, atmospheric stuff, painterly etc. and that hits and then I feel I could do horror again, as long as there are logical steps in between. So maybe going from A to H, you do A, C, E, F, H kinda thing.
@@AndyWalsh Yeah, I think that would be a possible approach, like boiling the frog, except in a positive way. The one thing I don't like about the Death of the Follower video is that he is promoting the idea of the true fan who will subscribe on patreon. I have nothing against that in principle, but the way he makes it sound is that you need to make yourself available to your fans as a person. For example, you have to interact with them and almost be their friends. I mean there are so many examples of youtubers getting harassed by their audience, why would artists want to take that risk?
@@MarvelousMediaEngine hmm, I don't think that's too likely to happen to artists. Artists aren't quite idols or rock stars. And I'm not sure how to really nail down what he means by cultivating those 'true' fans. You put your stuff out there, interact a bit, I dunno. I guess you have to open up into your personal world or something. But then there's the supposition that you're interesting :P
I support the fact that you’re sharing an honest point of view on the matter, but occasonally you throw in there far-fetched predictions and strong claims that are VERY hard to substantiate, and in fact you do not add any elements to support them. Saying that “the industry is gonna stay like this for at least a couple of years and then AI is gonna take over and end it” for example, how are you substantiating this very strong claim? What is it based off of? How did you come up with this estimations? In my opinion you should still report your thoughts and do not be afraid to bring up the negative aspects of the situation, but making stuff up to make it seem even worse runs the risk of being more of a disservice than anything else to be honest.
Thanks for the feedback. I'll try and include more supporting evidence. I'm going off a few viewpoints I heard directly from industry veterans. To be honest, one of those veterans said it would be a year from now that it would all be over. So I'm actually more optimistic than him. It might be fairly obvious though is the other thing, and maybe why I didn't feel too compelled to substantiate. Like, a year ago AI was just scary, now it's actually taking jobs and manifesting in the destruction of well known brands like Etsy and DeviantArt. So it's not far fetched to imagine that, given the sheer demolishing of the jobs market over a 2 year period, that it will take a good two years to recover, but even then it was over saturated to begin with, and then when you add AI into the mix, it's absolutely reasonable to predict such a scenario.
When you talk about styles, for me I know subject matter I like mainly fantasy or sci and I like drawing characters but it’s more the actual art style I struggle to decide on, im pretty versatile after working in animation I have had to be as normally you have to adapt to the style that they already have or want. So I get stuck deciding on that like do I go more realistic or manga or cartoony or graphic, painted or line based , I like all these styles so I find it hard to chose as im not bad at either.
it's the hardest thing for anyone. I would just say to treat it as a priority or it'll end up just sitting in the background forever. I mean, you can shift around slightly but at least pick something that is your brand, be it theme or style but ideally both. As part of the selection process, you could put up various styles on your social media and see if anything gets traction and if you happen to also like that style a lot, then you've found a winner!
Well it isn’t just the insecurity it’s that they can train AI on your work then kick you 😂 we can only hope for an AI crash but seems likely concept art and artist along with illustration really gonna struggle and companies won’t care about slop if it just good enough. I think animation still got some legs.
13:08 That's exactly what I'm gonna do. I have this channel for AI generated music & my other channel is for all kinds of toy customizing. I have a few videos up on that channel & around 157 subscribers. Now I'm gonna to start focusing on tutorials.
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The moral lesson is trying be a entrepreneur instead just an artist , because it will help in long terms .
Yes but it's hard because we're conditioned through school to become an employee
@@ibvegger I agree. That`s definitely our "comfort zone"
They're not mutually exclusive.
I've tried both. Total failure. I've worked with money men and they are not interested in art they just want more and more money.
You need to get baptized, clear your brain and just become detached from your feelings about 'art'.
Simplify, work to strict deadline, dont procrastinate, daydream, and wonder off the beaten path. (As uploader says here)
I'm just trying to point out all the things I believe have stopped me from getting off the ground.
I jumped out of the animation industry in 2022, after working in it for 7 years, and now I work in education. I get more, work less, low stress, no more ridiculous overtime. And the best of all is that I now just do art for myself.
And they're already cutting jobs because of AI. It's just going to get worse for animation getting into the industry.
great stuff. It's nice to hear that you escaped AND you're happier.
Does this mean you're teaching art?
@@Najebanski In a way. I sell my own tutorials and will be teaching soon, but less to industry-prep and more to just improve fundamentals.
Former Pixar employee, taken to teaching elementary when my kid was little.
Was hoping to pivot to game dev, and maybe teaching game dev, but this has got me scared.
My brother has a Master's and pivoted to teaching math at the college level. I don't have a Master's so I can't teach at the college level. Colleges are collapsing anyway.
Elementary teachers are paid for crap, and it's very hard work. They don't hire substitutes anymore either, just have everyone cover with their break time.
I'm a twenty-year film and TV vet and we're all in the same boat. A lot of my peers are delusional about the industry bouncing back. Independent is the only way. Maybe in the future we'll have freelance opportunities to jump on a big project here and there but you need to sustain yourself without those opportunities.
yeah man, it's a long road but it's also a long road becoming job-worthy, except in the indie world, by that time you're actually earning something which likely can't suddenly lay you off.
35 year artist here. For the last 6 years I went back to doing oils. Doing instillations for high net worth individuals of abstract oils complete with in situation lighting. Which was co-ordinated before it was done. I was a very good oil painter at the start of my career. I went to the royal academy for this. Before this I’d worked on film design & development. I took retirement at Xmas there.
A client I was doing work for who was in the market told me take this fee & anything you have in the bank & buy Nvidia shares. I said I don’t do market stuff. He said do it anyway! - & it might rise 5 years. He was very convincing. So in September 2022 I went all in on Nvidia stock. it’s jumped 7x in value since then. I’m now unironically well off… my wife went from thinking I was crazy & threatening divorce. To thinking I’m a genius. 🤷🏻♂️
Best wishes to the rest of the creative community trying to navigate Ai. I think art departments in 5 years might be 1 art director who decides on tone & key art as communicated by the director. This is all the Ai then will need. But at some point, Even this is gone. not sure how long, but it will eventually just be storytellers working with their Ai to produce full works start to finish.
Same thing man... Been a set designer / illustrator for film and themed Ent for over 20 years and its just been bleak since Covid. I was at Universal C working on Epic Universe and now I m back trying to restablish myself independent... I feel for the young ones.
@@davidg3924 There was a mixer in NYC for a bunch of TV people earlier this week and almost everyone there was out of work. I've heard rumors about things picking up slightly but I think the salad days are gone. Opportunities will still come up but they will be more competitive, demanding, and infrequent. My advice for every creative professional is to side gig or main gig a solopreneur business and hop on projects when they come up. Young people will and are adapting to this reality. They are making their own shows and crushing on socials. Triple-A gaming is doomed, they can't compete with smaller and more nimble studios that aren't reliant on ESG money or consultant firms that will make the game worse.
Any popular job that has a school/training industry mushrooming around it eventually floods the market with too many hopefuls for that career. The glamorous industries everyone wants in on have always been very small funnels of employment to begin with, so even with a glut of true talent there still won't be enough jobs out there. Now artists should take a business course that helps them sell what they do best.
This really puts it in very simple (and true!) terms actually. Thanks for the efficient insight!
Voice actor here! Completely pushed out of the "industry" by AI. When will it start? It's running at full speed. Andy is absolutely right! I can't assess the situation on social media yet, but the competition is probably getting more and more brutal. Advantage: The basket was already s**t, so getting fu**ed is not an unfamiliar state.
yeah, i reckon if I were you and you have a nice speaking voice, I'd start a channel telling bedtime stories with a theme. They decent viewing hours (as many videos are hours long) and try and turn that into a cool, unique brand.
AI voices still don't sound real, I am shocked
@@pipeliner8969 I believe the value of a human voice lies in the experience of co-evolutionary interconnectivity between humans and the world in which they live. I see no reason why this should not apply equally to an artificial intelligence. Such an artificial voice, understood in this way, would be just as real, even if it would not necessarily sound human. Regardless of this, the voices that already exist obviously sound real enough for companies to bet everything on them. This may create a new demand for human voices. I'm only talking about voices here, as this is my area of expertise, but I think all of this applies equally to all other areas of art.
My career is not in creative/gaming but this applies to everyone. Job security does not exist, you’re at the whim of your boss and the economy. Seek freedom, in all facets of life. Thanks for sharing!
I work with a job and have to use AI to generate voices and tracks for minutes of content for projects.
I hate it. Since introducing my boss to AI, he's basically 'throw AI at everything' to the point we aren't even utilizing some of our art guys in the same way, while acting like time spent using AI tools is dramatically better. Its getting experience, sure, but.......... eh
Yes, finding and working with voice actors is another workload, and far more expensive, but ...ahh I'm not going to keep rambling about my frustrations with the situation here.
4:15 Me, based in a third world country and working in a comic for a publisher as I'm listening to you XD
Yup, we can cover bills for a year (basic bills + healthcare plan, no food included) with just one comic book issue (24 pages only pencils, something around $4,200). It helps that living expenses are generally lower in cheap countries.
Same here, except I've just started with editorial illustration. I have enough to pay bills and twice as I'd earn in an "average" job on my country. Thankfully we still have opportunities 😅
@@ferd3007 Everything thanks to the internet :) Without it, it'd be impossible to work remotely.
I would love to be able to work remote from Thailand or Philipinnes...somewhere hot and tropical....
@@harry486 If your field lets you work remotely, score an agency to hook you up with gigs. That way, you can travel and make money while livin' in a sweet, cheap spot with sunshine, like Thailand (like you were sayin'). The internet's a lifesaver, for real (and a curse sometimes, haha)!
Even animators are working remotely today. But if you're in video editing or SFX, you'll need to find a place with high bandwidth for smooth workflow
(There's high speed internet in third world countries in the Americas - Central and South, but it's hard to find it in some European 3rd world places... European countries with high-speed connections tend to use the Euro currency, which is bad for saving money.).
@@harry486 If your field lets you work remotely, score an agency to hook you up with gigs. That way, you can travel and make money while living in a sweet, cheap spot with sunshine, like Thailand (like you were sayin'). The internet's a lifesaver, for real (and a curse sometimes, haha)!
Even animators are working remotely today. But if you're in video editing or SFX, you'll need to find a place with high bandwidth for smooth workflow.
I’ve been working in the graphics department of a particular art industry for many many years and have also come to the conclusion that artists need to really learn to focus on what makes them a living as an independent artist. Good job laying that out in this video.
cheers man, gettig a few people pushing back either out of some kind of disgust or healthy skepticism. It's kinda like trying to make it as a standup comic I guess. Or at least it's turning into that. If you want to do stand up professionally, and you grind and treat it like a business, you'll at least beat 75% of the competition. At least at the amateur level. And maybe some people just don't wanna.
im switching careers to IT. Tired of working so hard i get sick, if I'm going to work that damn hard, i want to be paid. Being laid off was the last straw.
< Some of the happiest people I know have dropped out only a short distance. They still live in the city and have jobs and pay rent, but they've done something more mentally difficult -- and mentally liberating -- than moving to some isolated farm. They have become permanently content with low-status, modest-paying jobs that they don't have to think about at home or even half the time when they're at work. Yes, these jobs are getting scarce, but they're still a thousand times more plentiful than the kind of job that miserable people cannot give up longing for -- where you make a living doing something so personally meaningful that you would do it for free. >
-- Ran Prieur, How To Drop Out (2004)
"Do it for personal fulfillment" you're a drone if you think like thus. The toxic individualist capitalist programming worked. Art is not for "personal fulfillment" its for communication and connection. Because humans THRIVE on human connection. You would surrender that for the "happiness" of a mediocre meaningless job and making art "for yourself". Like yeah Art is safe in your sketchbook but thats not what Art is FOR.
finally someone said it. I jumped out in 2020 and haven't turned back. Working on a graphic novel and I'm loving having it all to myself while I work a day job with the state in the day time. My health has improved 10 fold. Even if the industry comes back, which it won't- I am never going back.
An excellent way to live, stay sane, & still be able to do what you love to do. If you have the spare energy, maybe make a YT channel on time management that shows people/other artists how to do the same successfully. You may be surprised how well it takes off. Time management is a $healthy$, growing$ YT genre.
All artists turning to tutorial sales feels like one big pyramid scheme haha. Good video, thank you for the advice. Learning to edit videos and code python actually sounds fulfilling.
thats exactly what it is, but perhaps in the future art is re-imagined as a hobby and you can sell tutorials not to fool other younglings into thinking they will get a job (instead of just becoming another tutor) but instead for people who just wish to improve at art for art's sake
@@pyrefly7575 I'm no art professional. I'm still learning it in my free time cuz i enjoy doing it but even as bleak the situation looks I'm hopeful I will be able to earn money via it in the future some day.
a wise man said "friends if you know an artist just keep them happy. give to them when in need" i agree with him. art is literally worth more than money.
23:39 reminds me of the Japanese concept of Ikigai which describes the intersection of 1) what you are good at, 2) what you love, 3) what the world needs, and 4) what you can be paid for. I believe it is a useful model for self-reflection.
That hit me hard when you said you and your wife had to move to your mothers because it's gotten that worse. And seeing your portfolio, which is killer, by the way, makes it all the more sad.
Aspiring cartoonist here. I have big dreams of making a cartoon. I was debating if I should go to an art school or not. However many of these school from what I heard are VERY selective and as well as how crap the art industries are these days. Plus you got the big wigs lets just say rather be lazy and use stuff like AI. Despite these challenges I refuse to give up. Though I don't really focus on posting on social media and artstation as a vein attempt to have some employer finding me. I mean it would suck if I put in hard work just to get kicked. Instead I have been spending many ours of the day trying to improve myself and grow. I am looking to find a way to be indie somehow. Like make an indie comic or something. I am saving every penny I made and hopefully raise it for all my dreams. Thank you for making this video as I don't like all these layoffs and AI.
Definitely avoid art school at all costs
AI is going to take over everything. I wouldn't waste my time with anything related to art or music. I also wanted to be an artist way back in the 80s. I had a few successes, I got a lot of mural work & I did a CD cover for a rock band. But overall I never got anywhere. Now look at this channel. I'm making music with AI & having a blast. I'm not a musician, I quit my piano & guitar lessons back in high school. Now I can make my own music using Suno. And I'm making my own AI art by simply typing a few prompts. You should go focus on a trade like electrician or plumber. Something AI can't do.
@@cyberpunktsunamiI think you might have a point, but I don’t see the point in stopping.
AI, amazing as it could be, is still just technology. No matter what it can do, or what it can copy, It’ll never scratch that part of my brain that artistry does…that feeling, emotion, obsession is what got me there in the first place. All things a machine has to be told to have.
I’m not gonna discredit you for having fun, or doing what you love- it’s convenient too, so why not? But I’m not gonna give in just cause some dudes with a computer, think they can dominate the human spirit with some code and prompts.
Give up. There's point in life that is great to be stubborn, and there is point when that attitude will get you into dead end. I used to teach, in a private school and I encouraged students to quit and look for other way to make living. I saw the future, and how everything is deteriorating.
you spend your childhood working on yourself and art skills, go through a local art school, learning art online through courses, go into collage for digital art, just to be reminded that it
is all for nothing and already in the shitter, great
these days half the problem is that too many people got into it and literally 50% plus are just not interested in actually getting good. They just want to learn blender and start applying. So we're swamped. That said, there's about 20% maybe less who are absolute geniuses who we may never ever be as good as. So better to create an art niche that has some kind of popularity and nail the hell out of it.
There is also a problem I saw in Music and writing as industries. Some of the most technically talented artists are the least creative and they have no grit. This is not a bad thing and it’s not a negative trait, it’s just something that isn’t mentioned in a discussion about Art. Take a virtuoso violin player out of the orchestral industry, or even a master painter, or a highly talented writer, take away the structure of guilds and corporations and marketing, and they don’t know how to make their own way. So much of success in art is not about being the best, its about being able to draw an audience, and more often then not that boils down to personality plus skills, and if no one can see your amazing art then no one will know to look. Again these are the most technically talented people in their field, but they don’t know how to sit down and freelance because so much effort went into technical ability and not enough went into networking or entrepreneurship. It’s really not a dig, it’s just an underlying issue with very talented people. Hyper focused learning in life can lead to a very narrow skill set. A positive attitude and open mindedness to switch paths can go a long way for anyone in any industry. It’s also why we so often see more “middle grade” artists and musicians and writers become the pop star or viral sensation. They had the drive and the grit to keep going and get their art out there despite not necessarily being the best of the best.
@@ghost-user559 most people didn't get into art in hopes of being interpreneurs, some people want to become amazing in their craft and invest all their efforts there and it just sucks that the world doesn't allow for these people to prosper easily as in other fields
I was in this situation from 2016-2018, everyone of my peers, artists i look up to had great jobs and doing great work in the industry, and i was struggling to find work that will break me into the industry. Fast forward to now, 90% of them got laid off and are desperately looking for work even the artists i look up to, but in a turn of event I'm the one having a great job and in a steady studio. It's so sad that i can't share the joy of my work with my peers, feels like i would be rubbing in.
Yeah, like dating a sexy lady when all your friends are single :P
But I mean, good job on getting some kind of stability amongst all this chaos! Just keep in mind what I said regarding when that stability ends. Work on creating your own stability. And save like crazy!
@@AndyWalsh yeah i'm working on that now keeping close in mind with the advice you've given so thank you!
Life sure can be a roller-coaster! I just got laid off a couple of weeks ago, but in both 2008 and 2020 - when economies were collapsing - I had two of the best years of my career! There's no rhyme or reason to it, so feel no guilt and enjoy every minute of it! [and definitely save every penny you can!]
In fewer words, adopt an entrepreneurial mindset. Create a brand about you, define it, also define who your ideal target audience is. AI or not becoming more mainstream is irrelevant. Just think about the film Dune 2, do you think Denis is threatened by AI? This is a serious question, and once you get it, you'll have a healthier mindset about your work ;)
great advice
"do you think Denis is threatened by AI?"
Maybe in like a Skynet sort of way lol
I've come to roughly the same conclusion in the past month. I was the exact type of artist that didn't like promoting myself and was quite clueless about marketing, so there's hope for people like that to come around. I just hope I have enough time to get something off the ground before I'm hit by any layoffs.
This is precisely why I keep art as a hobby on social media and focus my attention on getting a job in computer science. I'm not building a brand, I'm not worrying about posting a sketch every day, etc. Having to keep up a social media presence, commissions, learning new skills, marketing is mentally fatiguing and takes the joy of art away from me, personally. I think artists need to find jobs in other fields (engineering, trades, accounting) before the entire field collapses. Art can still be rewarding, we just have to enjoy art for the creative process itself.
So bleak. AI engineers beat us up with our own fists, now artists stop creating. What's worse, you cannot post online without feeding into the machine- but there's always talented idiots that will keep doing this.
Really interesting video Andy. The situation is similar in the film industry, so it's been great to hear your thoughts on it.
Building out assets/original IP continues being reliable even though its benefits only start picking up after a while.
Another tip is setting up partnerships instead of having clients.
The artist works together with the partner at providing unique solutions.
Offer these to the market, solving problems and stimulating commerce.
yes, it could be that out of necessity we need to form smaller, more stable studios!
@@AndyWalsh Very true Andy! Like you said, some people have stated the industry will go back to normal. But this "normal" state was already fundamentally flawed as a business model.
These will be hard times, but I'm optimistic we will all come out of it for the better.
Cheers, Leo
I think the layoffs will start to peter out over the coming months, and the industry will start to stabilise somewhat {The games industry I'm talking about}, its not going to instantly bounce back, but it will stabilise. Freelancers in this climate will always be the hardest hit. There's been a bunch of new studio's starting up which is cool to see, but the biggest problem is the sheer amount of people looking for jobs, not even talking about people that have been laid off, the market is just saturated.
The market is saturated and Triple A is getting crushed by smaller studios. The bottom might be lower than you think
yeah this was what I said a little in this video but more in my video 'is it over for concept art' where I mentioned that even before all this it was practically impossible to get a job. During those years I tried to give up 2-3 times. So even if the layoffs level out, there's till going to be tens of thousands of hungry unemployed out there fighting for scraps, plus the massive influx that you see in any industry that isn't boring - people desperate to earn a living while not hating it.
Might be the Ai has taken most of the jobs this current iteration can. But the insane pace will mean in 1-2 years tops it will start again. & the jobs gone aren’t coming back alas.
and even if Ai *can't* replace some industry roles, there's still the problem that many funders and key decision makers believe that it can.
I was a 3d artist working for a company that Nickelodeon owned. I didn't like being cooped up in an office, with my supervisor looking over my shoulder. A couple of years later I got a stable UNION job working for my local school district. It feels great to have a steady predictable schedule. I also like the steady pay, and the full benefits. As time went on I realized that I really like being on my feet walking around. As the economy gets tougher and tougher, I would recommend to folks in the States to get a union job, or a government job. If we face a storm of an economic depression (as some economists are predicting) it would behoove everyone to get a "safe" job, and then do art on the side.
Social media is a double edge sword for artists all kinds of. On one hand done right it gives you exposure on the other hand it makes you extremely vulnerable. Especially when you have to deal with cancel culture 😢😢😢
the call of McDonalds still echoes in my mind. sometimes I head that clown in the dead of night whispering at the window "wagie wagie get in cagie "
10 years of experience as a 3D modeler here - looking for a job for 5 months now. I thought I am alone in this... I am starting to create my own brand as well, this is the best option. Feeling sorry for you and your wife, I wish you both the best!
appreciate the sympathies man. Best of luck in your creations!
I am working in game dev from 3 years, and I am not afrain about being kickoff, I am afraid that company which I am working on will dissapear from the market or investors will not pump more money in company. Because game is just product after all, product which not bring profit for 1,2, 3 years. And when there is beautiful publishing day it can appear that it will even not cover production cost.
Just got laid off from my 3D artist job, was an awful salary but I enjoyed it, this is such a great video it’s given me a tonne to think about and a lot of options to try out, thanks!
aw man, sorry to hear that. At least it was an awful salary, hopefully you can match it in some other way by yourself. 3D prints maybe. Good luck!
@@AndyWalsh Thanks man! Been 3D printing for a year now so I’ve been thinking the same thing, maybe selling 3D assets and packs too. Again great advice in the video, thanks!
Thanks for sharing the insights of the game/concept art industry. I totally agree with now is the best time to work on your personal brand. Early this year, I took a break from running my motion design animation studio to pursue RUclips and build personal brand due to the state of the industry. I don't know where this road will take me but I think I made the right decision. Only time will tell :)
best of luck!
I've tried to argue this with people for years. As a creative, getting a job isn't stability. Stability is having a network of opportunities and open doors in different industries and avenues of creativity that you've nurtured and cultivated so it's available to you when you want or need it.
Let me tell you, the animation industry isn't any better. Layoffs everywhere, whole studios going under, and no recovery in sight. I've decided to chip away at a graphic novel on the side because it's something I think AI would be hard pressed to replicate (it's really bad with consistency and continuity).
Christ, man. It's just something no one could ever foresee. At this stage I don't even know why any more. Before it was like, oh yeah, Covid. Now it's just like there's a creative jobs cancer that's out of control.
Thanks my man. This is a great, honest look at things. I do good with art, but it's because I got good at marketing. I'm not the best artist (make no mistake, i am quite good and I had to work to get there) but the marketing and the time commitment are things artists are going to have to dig into if they want to have success. The sooner we realize it, the better, because I gotta say -- it's an enjoyable existence to say "I am paying the bills with my own stuff". Better than wearing out at some of the jobs that were murdering me, despite paying very well. Way better.
Would you share some tips with the marketing stuff? Like a course you took, what would you focus on, any general advice...?
@@berugart7620 Sure thing - I have a general breakdown of how to start an art business: First of all... Do something of quality, for long enough, and someone is going to take notice. You first have to have quality of product (good art), and then you have to lave laser focus to keep going with that project. So that's number one (and easiest to forget as we all will start with a trickle and not a gush).
Next thing is do stuff for free. I'm big on giving things away for free to gain and build an audience. I have a whole comic series online that's free because tha goal is getting readers. I know if I have readers, they'll love the story or the art or both (because I am doing something of quality, consistently - see point 1) and I'll have them for the life of the series, right? That's more important than a five-second pitch to *anybody walking by my booth* at a comic convention. Real readers will then pay for things. Randos who bought my comic because they happened to be walking by? Not always.
Last thing is, keep your out-of-pocket as close to $0 as possible, always. Post your WIPs and maybe some exclusive content on Patreon to get patrons (because you have been doing steps 1 and 2 now should be on the path to have some readers, right?), and sell digital PDFs of things (full comics, printable hi-res stuff, etc). The point when you want to print things -- get as much paid for up-front as you can. I don't even move into physical products until I have the money to print them. So I do preorders, preorders, preorders. They are a test (and that's all marketing is -- testing). You say, "Hey, audience (you don't need a big one - a dozen people who really like your stuff is more than enough to try this on)... Would you like to buy *whatever* in print for $20?" and if they all buy the pre-order, then you make the print order. If not, you call the printer and say "sorry man, we didn't make the goal" (it's like your own mini-Kickstarter with no fees) and wait to try it on the next thing.
Right now I really like Noah Kagan's "Million Dollar Weekend" because, while it's not an "art" book, I think Noah has a lot of the same philosophy I have. I think you could do a lot of the steps above, for anything. Just do something well, do it consistently, and then don't pay for it until you've proven it'll sell. :) Hope this helps, mate!
Luckily i do art as an hobby as oppose to a profession. I never thought it was worth it base on what I wanted to do as and artist and what I will have to do. I am not interested in doing art for money. i am more interested in my artistic expression which bring me true fulfillment.
Same . I can feel you. I was a bit shocked when I first saw some Ai painting while I was planning to join the art academy . I didn't even know what digital art was . 😢
I'm 21 and just starting out making my own animated show on RUclips. As you said, I'm in the mom's garage building up my skills and definitely here for the long run. I've only made one short and I was thinking of taking things slow, taking my time to polish each episode, but now I'm having second thoughts. Maybe I could make a couple of fun animated shorts for YT and Instagram showcasing my characters?
some good advice, but I think tutorials are still down-stream from industry jobs and will get hit. While there is a sizeable portion of tutorial watchers who are hobbyists/just enjoy creating, the portion of viewers who purchase tutorials hoping that it will pay off with a job or career will likely decrease. For example, outside of the aforementioned enthusiast population or perhaps those who can put their art on physical goods to sell, I couldn't imagine many people investing in tutorials for digital painting as that has become the most ubiquitous displays of AI takeover in the art-world.
Interesting point. So you reckon enthusiasm for art and creativity itself is going to drop because it's just being overrun by the machines? hmmm.
Problem is the tutorial/gumroad/youtube "market"is already oversaturated too. I don't think it's a good solution to try to become an entrepeneur now, maybe 5 years ago would've still been good to start that whole youtube/selling tutorials thing etc. There is already so much content out there by the top dog artists, it would be tough to even get one sale in.
I think the best futureproof solution is just to try to keep improving as much as we can and also keeping in touch with other people from studios/art directors etc. Keeping your network alive. I think isolating yourself more and trying to become a "salesman" as others have pointed out in the comments is not a healthy way, imo. I really do sympathize with your statements about the industry as a whole tho. It is definately getting tougher. But at the same time I think there will be a shift again in the future were there will be new studios founded by people that are passionate about games and about art and artists who will create good opportunities for artists again.
People are already getting tired of these soulless games being created by big developers, this will all come crashing down and make room for new smaller studios.
All the best to you tho!
well, if there's no hope for jobs and no hope for independent artists, we should all just go home now. There is no future in jobs, of that I'm certain. AI is here and it WILL only get worse. You can still occupy a niche in the indie scene.
For sure developing alliances is important with your coworkers. I mean you can do game jams.
nice point about not to isolate yourself 👍
I started with art, went on to photography, graphic design, video production and etc. made resumes for all them and they’re all professional with professional portfolios with large skills I’ve developed and I still don’t have an income, I’ve made some money in contract but never got a stable income to actually survive. I think the creative industry as a whole is a sinking ship and it’s best to leave now. I’ve literally created resumes with years of experience and professionally made portfolios with professionally developed skills with professional qualifications for all kinds of creative parts including, graphic design, photography, video production, concept art and etc and still don’t have a full time job with an income to be able to live. I’ve all done all hacks/tricks, got to a professional level to only be sinking with the ship that is the creative industry
really sorry to hear that, I guess part of it is just over saturation. Selling a product could still be a way. Tutorials etc. but maybe not enough to make a decent living. I bet there's something you could do with your skills though to bypass the jobs and go straight into providing a service or product.
@@AndyWalsh @AndyWalsh For Freelance you need to work 3x harder and you'll get less pay than a normal full time job. Like you can sell services and tutorials but you have to have recognition or followers or learn marketing and bussiness and go deep into it just to get there in the first place
Ive done that, ive bypassed jobs to go straight into providing services, and you get paid the same as being a freelancer. Its not enough to even make a living, like the pays not even enough for a weeks rent. Companies dont see art as an actual job, sure they see art as an asset they can pay for, but its not something they recognise as a full time job. if you get into art or branding and design you'll only ever get to freelancing, and thats not enough to make a living
Even if you try getting a job in the design and branding world, its competetive, you'll need years of experience and in its goanna disapear in the longterm because of AI taking over. Like i bet companies will start asigning things like "know how to use AI design tools" for marketer roles. Like art as a full time job now is gone, freelance is getting affected now becuase of AI taking over the services.
If the machine is broken, the skills you learnt for that machine are useless. After being a Creative Director, Photographer, Graphic Designer, Concept Artist, Video Producer and etc, Im going to now get into a trade job and get money that way
Why sell tutorials when you know there’s no job market for those skills?
My idea is that we need to start a movement towards the indie-artist. So people still want to learn how to paint. The entire tutorial industry isn't just tutorials on how to get a job. I myself know of a few artists where I'd love to know how they painted those trees or that landscape so I can get better. There will still be client work too, that's different from a 'job'. I'm rallying against the full-time in-house job market.
Why are artists not collaborative like other fields? We need our unions to counter this layoff shit.I am not even a passionate artist but it pisses me off when I see creative people struggle.
@@JisuDrawsYt well film and I think animation might have a union. But it's an age old issue. Unions are the enemy of the capitalist. Watch Peaky Blinders for examples of that. Hey, that might be the solution we all need though. Not just for layoffs but for AI.
Okay I will watch it. Still a lot to know about the real world I guess.
This hits way too close to home.
Im 25 from eastern europe. I wanted to be an artist since i was 16. I went to the best art school in the country , but it was very bad. I dropped out of university and did some freelance . It was quite ok for some time , but i became quite depressed, because i had to constantly market myself and spam social medias. Then ai hit , small freelance jobs dissapeared. The local branches of western studios never hire new people and my only option was to get into the casino game industry an an artist. I got into one of those and i hated it so much i become severely depressed . I left the job and now im learning to code and working on my solo game and working part time and will be going back to uni. Im glad i left the industry so early
eesh, it's cut-throat. There's no 2nd place in this industry. You're either 1st or homeless. So how is the game project going? are you expecting to make a decent income from it?
@@AndyWalsh i dont care tbh, I'm doing it for fun. I found coding quite enjoyable and I'm having good fun rn
Thanks for this andy! Another great video i love your honest no nonsense approach with this kind of topic. I feel too many youtube artists have no idea what the real world is like for the majority of us creatives and its brutal! But i feel you have the right attitude and we have to think independently and become the product and stop begging for work from people who do not appreciate us!
Thanks again man great stuff!
Cheers man, appreciate the feedback!
My friend is a luthier. He's been making guitars by hand for over two decades. You can drive to Guitar Center down the road and buy a $200 guitar made in a factory or go to him to pay $10k for a guitar made by the human hand.
This is the difference between AI and human artists: factory production or high-end boutique quality. Keep the hand craft strong and people will come to you for the human touch. Sure, massive companies will offload production to AI, but there will always be a desire for the human element; so be ready when the market comes looking for it.
it will be interesting if that happens e.g. AI becomes the norm, but then there may well be a point where you see an article on a large platform that talks about the first signs of people rejecting it and missing the old ways. Will that happen? Hmmm, hard to say.
Hey Andy, what do you think about Feng Zhu's new video on his channel titled "What AI Cannot Do"?
I'm eager to see more emergent teams of indies! Standing in solidarity.
I feel the same way, thank you for the motivation! Its time to cut the cake ourselves
Excellent video and thanks for making this.
The game dev industriers at the moment being slaughter, and it going to get worse.
i am walking my own path, 100% even if the road share no success at the end, well, at least i did something then apply to 1000 jobs there is no way in hell i will get.
Like I keep telling people, we're on our own now. No more jobs. We have to be self-sufficient somehow. Sell products, and in the meantime, if those creative products are grabbing people's attention, maybe a bit of work will come of that too, to help supplement the income. Grow something.
Yep, I agree with all of this. I just started my own RUclips and gearing up for the rough ride. Can't agree more with client work can diminish your personal work.
Luckily in 2d animation in the uk ai is not being used for the art, a lot of people think there is only dreamworks Disney or Pixar, when there are a lot of smaller companies to work for. The only thing is animation design is mainly contract based I don’t think some folk realise this, you don’t get hired as a permanent employee or very seldom, it’s mostly contract or freelance. I have got 12 yrs in mainly character design tho it could be hard for new people as there ain’t to many jobs atm. The only way I’ve seen ai used was on a cg show as a mood board and they say do something like this but original, that said im sure it’s coming very worrying times. I do need to start putting work out more online, but my only worry is the online space for artists is very oversaturated and you just get lost between the cracks
LOL the movie clips at the beginning were hilarious
Thank you very much for this, so much wisdom and truth in your words. This video come in the perfect time for me since I´m reflecting a lot about how much time I spent (and get consumed my life) for being hireable or "interesting" for companies instead off really flowing with my art or enjoying it. Definitively the last push I was needing for un-plugg myelf from that sintony and keep it up man! The best wishes for you and your wife.
many thanks! and glad you got something out of the video. Best of luck with yourself also!
Andy Walsh quickly becoming a favorite
None of the industries are showing any signs of positive growth. All of them seem to be on a downward trend.
The jobs that end up paying the most are the ones that are the mundane and boring - even unpleasant. Take one example: One guy I know is an engineer......for commercial refrigerators. Didn't that just send you to sleep? .😴🛌 But he is cash rich and stress is low.
To get best value from this just watch the first 30 seconds. Definitely inspired me, and I'm not a concept artist, more of a conceptual artist 😁
Hey Andy. I've been seeing your stuff on Artstation for a little while, I think what you do is amazing!
You mentionned you haven't worked on concept for games in 6 months, is that by choice or is there this little demand right now ?
I'm a 3D artist (I do environment art for games), I have seen some of my collegues get laid-off recently, but overall, if you have a really good portfolio, it's not impossible to get a job. Is concept art getting hit harder than other departments ?
yeah I haven't been offered any work at all in 6 months. Just a little nibble from animation and film/advertising. Concept art is the worst profession in the world to get into for job abundance, so it was bad to begin with and now with the job-pocalypse and AI it's just game over for that profession unless you're among the top 100 in the world.
@@AndyWalsh Wow, ok... it's worse than I thought /:
You're not exactly an ''unknowned'' artist if you know what I mean, I think you get quite a bit of traction on your stuff, that's why it surprises me even more!
On an other note, out of curiosity...
I have been working on my own passion project indie game and, eventually, I'll need a few concepts for the environments.
It's still early, but, I'm wondering if I should get a concept art course online and try to learn concept better (done a few in school, wasn't very good at it...)
Or, maybe I should just pay a professional concept artist and know I'll get something solid, whilst focusing on what I'm good at (3D game art).
Do you know how much I should expect to pay for an environment concept made by a professional in a realistic style? Not you necessarily, but in general!
@@marlaoutatsgamingcollectibles hey there. I wouldn't want to punish your bank account by having you pay me lol. Oh man, see this is the predicament. It would be so much easier in you situation to use AI. Coz one doesn't just walk into Mordor - I mean, one doesn't just 'learn' concept art like learning Unreal Engine. It's minimum 5 years of 12 hours a day pain. So then you say, ok then how much can I pay someone else to do it, well pros charge thousands. So there's no way you'll be able to afford that. If you pay a junior, you'll get shitty concepts. All I could say is, maybe use AI just to seed a few ideas but maybe apply it on a 'local' basis i.e. don't have it come up with the whole solution (like a whole enviro painting) but maybe for trees, a certain prop, a piece of a character, and then do tons of research on Pinterest and sort of collage your ideas together with crude photo-bashing. You'll at least have real-world reference to draw upon.
@@AndyWalsh Hmm I see..
I'd only need 5-6 good concepts, the rest I can deal with. Might be worth spending the money...
Thing is, it's very high concept. I already gathered refs on pinterest and the internet, I get the broad idea of it, but it's hard finding what I want.
For example, one of the locations is meant to represent evolving confusion, terror followed by void in the mind, and the other is an island of peace and bittersweet calmness.
Not sure how the AI would do haha...
Anyways, it's still early, I'll see later.
@@marlaoutatsgamingcollectibles Hi we may have a talk if you want a collaboration for your indie game project. I am in charge in an indie game project for art direction and concept art. Currently i have time slot for a new project. Please look into my RUclips Art Channel for contact.
Pardon @Andy Walsh if i am doing this here.
And by the way putting your art on Art Station is just like feeding Beast( AI).
Im 14 and about to go into highschool with hopes of becoming a concept artist , but should I even go into arts ?
I can go into one of the best art highschools in my country , but is it even worth it ?
don't get into concept art unless you want pain and suffering for the first half of your adult life.
But, if you're an artist through and through and you must do art then please do this: study the HELL out of business as it relates to art. Which routes can bring you the most financial success in combination with personal satisfaction. Aim ultimately to not be a job-seeker but rather create something big like Spongebob or Harry Potter or the next big thing. Have a plan and start asap because at your age you have a massive advantage. In 5 years you could have built the foundations of something big, and you'd still be very young.
With ai already here, you must either be top tier god artist, or you will simply not be needed or paid minimal wage. 3d artists are going to be alive though i think, somebody has to put everything together, ai doesn't do all of the work and for commercial models it does it poorly, although for 2d its already dead its perfectly detailed and honestly better than most artist's works. You dont need to pay an artist just pick a model and prompt thats the future
@@piotrek7633 concept art is the final frontier. Unfortunately there aren't enough jobs to go round. But isn't touching concept art right now except for maybe blue sky phase of projects. It can only spit out random cool shit at the moment. It'll take a few years before it can do more than that. So in that regard 3d is also good but either way, a person who can take specific direction will beat AI that can't nearly get close to an art brief. I've tried it. I ended up giving up it was so far off what I needed.
Here is my experience in this career if it helps:
I wanted to make a comic/game as a kid and it drove me for 10 years into the art industry. I got a degree in art and spent 5 years trying to break into games. I never made my own comic or game. I don't feel the desire to do that anymore now in my late 20s. If I really wanted to do it, I could have as a hobby/ for fun before now. Art school and jobs actually killed my personal projects and now they are pretty much dead for good as I've moved past that stage in life.
Recently, I got a full-time job doing graphic design and I found out I could take all the energy I would be wasting on unpaid overtime and creative burnout in the game industry and split it between graphic day jobs and my own freelancing brand/business (still fantasy/creative work). It's so much more sustainable and business/graphics/printing knowledge is transferable to other industries/careers. I feel very fulfilled this way, and I don't need the glory of games or film to feel happy in my career.
I worked in film and had opportunities to work on games. I only went down this route because my family has generational wealth I can fall back on in a crisis (like Andy here. We can live with our parents!). I don't think entertainment is a good industry to get into unless you are an artistic genius or very technical or connected/rich. If you are artistic-minded and based (as in, your family home) in an expensive country, you still need to do something that makes enough money if your family can't fund your lifestyle your whole life. DO NOT go into the arts if you need to be (or want to be) independent your whole life.
So, I would say, if you are not super rich or a genius, go ahead and do another thing that makes you money and is kind of less creative, and then put the money and creativity you have saved up into your own personal art baby! It's so much more fun this way. If you won't feel fulfilled until you break into entertainment (I know the feeling. I wasn't truly happy until I worked on Disney/HBO/Dreamworks stuff), then make that your second career or side hustle in your 20s! It only takes a single job to fill that emotional need I think.
I will say... an art high school with some added-on community college classes might be fine. Just DO NOT go to art school or get a college degree in art unless you are 100% supported and sure. Get your degree for money, especially if you are going to have a lot of debt. Or go into the trades! The trades cross over super well with traditional arts and crafts! Mural painting is basically a trade (although a nearly-dead one don't make that your career). CAD and Blender cross over!
90 Percent of art jobs are trade skills. Most people will have to get a job at a "grocery store." If they were actually creative types they'd have done it already. Everyone can paint. Bob Ross proved that. It's a skill. And the "art schools" have been pumping out more tradespeople than the industry can handle. Robert Rodriguez said it best. "If you want to make movies, make movies. If you want to work on other peoples movies, go to film school." The same can be said about animation and games and any other art form.
interesting. So you have to create a thing rather than trying to get a job working on a thing. That's kinda what I've been saying too. It's just that there is a good chance that you'll create that thing and then not get paid for it at all.
So the goal should be to create a thing that, as a consolation prize, could bring you work if it doesn't sell.
The issue is games are just plain boring these days. Production, visuals are better but games are just the same recycled ideas mostly. AI is not going to fix that, just flood the market with more of the same faster. When people tire of it all, then we can probably have creatives come back... But they will not have the skillset... Then the world ends so it doesn't matter 💥
If u live in a third world country go for the industry, is totally worth it!!
Not worth it here either. There is a non existent local market, at least where I live. People don't want to pay for work.
if you use internet u can have clients from USA and its worth
Me and I’m not stopping
Nice to see you here Joaco !
Getting international commissions is still hard. I’m From a developing country and this is my opinion. AI is coming for us too. Me personally I’m trying to get into the food business (I’m very lucky that I have some land) and by business I mean selling locally not becoming a vegetable business mogul. I will still paint and create but I will not kill myself trying to cater the industry. At least vegetables can’t be replaced by AI yet 😅 my advice would be, get a job that can’t be so easily replaced sadly. 😢
Mother company of ours layed of and closed most of their so called "assets" and they are bold enough to ask in annual survey if we are happy about the restructional program (laying of people and closing studios). Industry offers great jobs, but dont trust it. Atleast not for long term.
See what you can create yourself in the meantime.
cheeky fuckers. Here's your shit sandwich. Now take a survey telling us if you were happy with your shit sandwich.
@@AndyWalsh exactly
Im cheering for u bud, Im ur new subscriber. Hang in there
thanks man. Regarding your other comment on starting a game. It's something I've thought about as the wife is a programmer and we've talked about it. But it would be financial suicide. We'd sink years into it, burn through all our savings and then what if the game doesn't sell? We're in a difficult predicament now where she's an immigrant into the UK and I'm her sponsor, so we need to make X amount of money or she goes home.
Yeah I deleted it cause I wasnt sure if u work in gaming or animation stuff.
Anyways I've heard similar experiences and they regard it as "Leap of Faith". Tho they just knew their ideas were strong enough so unless u have one I guess why not? What if it sells?
Edit: Good luck to ur wife as well. Also if the idea's strong enough u can market it here on RUclips and then gather Patreon supporters, or even document the process as another vid..
I'm sorry it's just I saw ur other vids and ur talented😂
It's weird that people expect jobs in an industry where the market value of products produced is fundamentally uncertain.
Thank you for this!
most welcome!
I started off in arts, got my education in that area, then moved onto learning 3d. done that for years, did a bit of game work, ad work, movies, tv shows, etc. went through 3d modelling, rigging, some scripting, and getting more into coding. i think the point is not to stop learning and expand on your skillset. I have colleagues that have been losing work left and right, but since I can move from one department to the next, I been very safe. Also it helps to learn some niche skills that are highly desired. You just have to look at the current trends, and industry needs. Look at sales numbers, where the money is flowing and try to be ahead of the game. Don't get me wrong, It's not easy, but success isn't meant to be easy, and it you can lose it if you stagnate. funny enough Recently I have been getting back into drawing, inking, colouring to strengthen my unused skills. just so I don't lose what I had. I want to get better and keep what I had, and not move from one thing to the next while getting rusty and getting worse at the skills I was good at.
I'm wondeirng how that would work in this industry. The only similar example I saw was a the guy who I mentioend in this video who realised the new 3d software Plasticity was starting to take off and made about 100 tutorials in a year. But I think that's kinda rare. But yeah maybe something along those lines. A few top concept artists these days are showing Unreal Engine games they're working on, or UE short animations. So I guess courses in that would work well.
What's your stance on doing stuff like nsfw art commissions to fill the income-piechart as an independent artist? For example having two separate accounts. One for sfw art and one for nsfw. I've been experimenting with it. And it's both encouraging and discouraging seeing how quick a nsfw art account can grow, compared to a sfw one.
It does make it feel like making sfw art for the sake of growth on social media is playing it on hard mode.
Tho I can see some draw backs with a explicit nsfw account too. One of them being that the audience is only there for the spesific nsfw art. And posting anything else will loose you followers. Or at best get zero engagement.
Another alternative maybe would be to do a more risqué art account. But nothing explicit. But that can be found on patreon.
Either way, would love to hear your thoughts on this. If you have any.
Really great video. Have made me think alot about my future
I already feel a lotta this when it comes to school like I’m learning a bit but it feels like all my time is being spent on other folks projects n all that energy to create is being used for things I don’t wanna make n will continue to have too I’m not gonna give up but I can already see the problems u talk about in this rising but yah if there’s any chance at getting my series on air I gotta take it because I know it’s what will make me happiest even if I gotta put up with 6-12 years of school n job hopping to build a resume. Nothing is set in stone for what u gotta do to earn a show but if ur smart even without work in the industry u could be taking ur degree n making money one way even without it. But that’s where I know u gotta end up building a portfolio of ur own art to show and ur so busy doing art for everyone else u forget to work on ur own projects when that’s all it’s about is that u have a good series that is 10 mins a pop or whatever and it’s clean made from the ground up and professional but when ur so slogged down by others projects it cuts into ur own creativity time n it’s a tough thing to balance but yah it’s kinda the line we gotta take.
I predict that there will be a renaissance in traditional 2D art - thoughts?
cope
You think there will be a renaissance is non-digital art??
I think there will be renaissance for indie games
@@DingoAteMeBaby You're way off base. I'm a digital artist myself and use traditional art aswell so I'm not anti digital or anti AI either and this is just an observation..... Just out of interest, are you an artist yourself? Do you have any links to your artwork?
Wrong prediction.
I just saw your Gnomon Workshop course and had to say hello, if only because in my family there are 20 Andy Walsh's.
ha... really??
thanks for the refresh honest review. Pretty much it matches my and others situation these "days". Can't imagine doing else but creative wotk myself. Sending applicatiins for jobs and building good portfolio as a base won't hurt but I agree pushing in the wrong direction is not worth it. I personally believe if you love it you do it. Moreover we all know the craft was over abused by many individuals driven to do the job for just the profits. I have had many coleagues through the years not willing to develop their own style, platform, or use such in order to contribute, reshape, inspire... As you have suggested. So I little bit of cleanup was meant to happen soon or later. And there are a lot of possitives that will come with that. Those deeply dedicated to the crafts should prevail with a little bit of teamwork and luck and of course throwing that ego out of the window. Because that is what I was hit by in the studios I have been working with. No matter small or corporate big there are tons of ego and selfishbess till no sheeps have left but wolves among wolves and sheppards long gone.
Recession is coming, and artists are getting the cut first.
Good to see you Andy! Keep the conversation going 😎
cheers man! I actually missed the damn thing as I was so busy with a commission!
And in answer to your other question, yeah we're already seeing some artists go trad like Greg Rut. Which would be cool coz a) when you sell the prints you can say it's not even digitally painted and b) you can sell the original :)
@@AndyWalsh I think a kind of 'Dune-esque' Butlerian Jihad is on the way where people will go back hard into the traditional and I think we're seeing signs already - using digital only as a 'delivery system' for their art. As I've said before, I'm not anti Digital or even anti AI, I just think a bifurcation is happening creatively and will continue as time progresses. In my humble opinion.
@@tearsinrain8002 It's so hard to predict really. Coz the artist doesn't get to decide, the consumer does. So even if we see a mass exodus of digital art converting to traditional, it doesn't necessarily mean that's what the masses want. They might just fall in love with the infinite detail of AI. I mean, imagine film makers saying: I think we all need to go back to early Martin Scorsesse and make movies with substance vs all this Marvel shit. All the other film makers would be like, yeah! obviously... it's just so clear what needs to happen.
Meanwhile, the masses are like: wuuut **shoves popcorn in dumb face**
@@AndyWalsh you do have a point! However, as a digital artist myself, and also having worked with acrylics and oils over the last 40+ years personally and professionally, I can see this happening. You know what it’s like yourself don’t you - digital art is fantastic and even some of the AI stuff is mind blowing however, everyone that I talk to and everyone that I see commenting online about traditional art, have a real genuine love for it, which I don’t see for digital. It really is as if you get more soul through traditional art, and not through the digital, which can be a little cold. Anyway, it doesn’t necessarily have to be in either or, but I think long-term, I think there is going to be a “going back“ to the old way of doing things, especially as we continue to go into unknown territory in art, and also in civilization. When things become unfamiliar, people always want to go back into the past into what they know and love. Anyway, that’s take. Keep up the good work.
@@tearsinrain8002 well, I at least hope so. You're right in that ALL digital painters adore traditional oils and the like. And most of our big big heros are painters. In fact, we try hard to replicate that 'look' in our work. Maybe we could do more traditional but also keep the digital that at least resembles digital, like some of the nice painterly digital art out there. Coz most AI is just photo-real with depth of field.
Back when I was going to university to study illustration, with a combination of games design and graphic design the next year, I thought I had going. Until I booted myself cos I thought they weren't teaching me something of value. I have dabbled on digital painting for years but since I've upgraded to an iPad Air during the ''2020 crisis'' I've delved into Clip Studio Paint.
Many of my favourite artists from comic books to concept artists, were self-taught. And many of them did work in the industry and later on became independent (if there fans support them in the long-run), I've shouldn't have done what they done just by developing my skill and get into the door in the industry years ago, and/or go independent myself
I would never knew years down the line that AI can have an impact in the creative field, guess that automated robotics could've been the red flag on what's to come.
I've never ever worked in the gaming industry myself but right now I am working on opening a small online store and start selling merch ( stickers, custom mouse mats, ect) and make a ton of profit that way ( when AI comes along to destroy artists living)
When you do it for money then you have to live with doing it for frames. Like your „you are now the pirate guy“ example. If you just do it for the art you are free to do whatever you want. I call that my „chaos room“ where I hang out to widen my experience. Chaos because it can also drive me crazy. If I just had this chaos room I would despair. So I put my experience and knowledge from this room into my economic room which is filling the frames of customers in what they need in their given frames. If I just had this economic frame I would dry up like a flower without water as these customers frames often just touch the surface of how i want to express my artistic self. But also it gives me stability and income on the other hand. So for me the most important thing is to level the time I spend for chaos and economy to evolve in chaos and be stable in the same time. I found out for myself that 5 hours of work for customers 5 times a week is perfect time to still be able to have time and energy for my chaos.
and hey, maybe start two social media accounts. May as well start the ball rolling. Few years time, maybe you'll see what happens with one or the other style.
@@AndyWalsh thank you for your motivational words!🫶🏻 yes I am working on it already. Also trying to find out how to use my creative output for different kind of presentation concepts in a way of what works on which platform. But I am still in my chaos room experimenting and planning. The book „How big things get done“ really helps in that approach.
Thank you, Andy. This felt thoughtful and authentically helpful.
Cheers Anthony!
A lot of larger studios are owned and run by accountants for shareholders, not to make games or films. Nothing will improve for artists in that world.
As a teenager I really wanted to go into concept art... seemed a bit cutthroat to me even then, tho (early 2010s).
dodged a bullet.
Great vid Andy!
Cheers man!
Okay this is a little debbie downer. Things usually resolve themselves, we just need to adapt with the times. Ive been working pretty often, but im in film world.
this is actually one of his positive videos lol
Bectu says 68% of people in film and TV haven't worked in 3 months. Lots of people Ive spoken to have confirmed they've never been as quiet as the last few months...
This is the only art advice video ive seen in awhile where I actually kind of feel like I know what to do
this is very good talk and honest.
"learning python" lol why? There are no tech jobs.
1. There are tech jobs still 2. I said to learn python to develop and sell Blender addons.
It is unfortunate and something we need to take seriously. That being said, much like what was going on at Twitter, I also suspect going on in the gaming industry. Where a ludacris amount of employees are on the payroll without really adding much value. Zero offense or disrespect is intended with that statement.
It is time to truly stand out.
Not follow trends or the hype of the week.
Another great thing to consider is doing more traditional stuff, like freelance illustration, book illustration, maybe try to find opportunities in your local city for artl ike murals, etc. My point is to go offline, not just think of making passive income through the web.
in my experience, the pay for that is awful. People are turning to AI for book illustration these days. I'm part of an invite only illustrators job board thingy and I used to get about one enquiry per month or so, now it's one every 6 months or more.
These are good for beginner artists to fill up a resume, but most people looking for this kind of work won't pay industry rates. Also, murals carry a lot of liability and extra expenses, so unless you are part of a mural group it can be even less profitable. (I did a lot of these types of jobs when starting out).
I would say an exception would be selling art AND the copyright to indie devs and publishers in a high-demand style (D&D style), but that's getting overrun with AI right now so it's slim pickings.
Indie games are the future, IMO. Talented artists with game dev experience should be banding into small studios and making their own excellent, creative games. The AI based sludge EA will be pumping out is going to suck and have no innovation to it; arguably their games have been boring and generic for years already.
Either that or start a creative enterprise that you own. I'm doing that at the moment with freelancing and model packs. It's very hard work, but at least I own the business.
I live in chile and most of the jobs in the industry I have seen posted in artstation would put me in 1% earning bracket.
The amount of stress you people put yourself through, why not just become doctors or coders or finance people? Then you'll have time + money for art and not have to deal with clients.
Maybe if you were an artist you'd understand. It's like, a person who is an arist is absolutely obsessed with creating something imaginitive and feels like absolute death when they have to do something mundane like study numbers. It's very tangible. If I do something non art related, I can almost hear my brain malfuncitoning.
@@AndyWalsh I hear ya. But man, what a brutal industry! Wish you well!
Hey there. I’m liking your concept of no excuses. Almost done with the video, but I think you said something unintentionally false. You basically said after you build a fan base you can branch out to do more creative endeavors. I believed that too. I thought of the Beatles and Radiohead. They started pretty tame and moved into experimental and the audience followed. The way it works now is that if people follow you for the mainstream thing you do, once you branch out, the audience will no longer see it because the algorithm tests your content on the people who followed you for mainstream. They may not react well to the new idea at first so it kills any exposure. My point is, with social media you cant easily branch out once you’ve established yourself doing one thing. I think I know from experience. I made Miyazaki fan art on Instagram, then when I started branching out into more provocative content, the reach dropped like a rock. I only point it out because it is my big gripe with social media, the concept of the follower is more and more of an illusion. Jack conte the CEO of patreon just did a talk about the death of the follower. Thanks for your hopeful never give up spirit, though!
Interesting, I'm gonna watch that video and see what I can learn about it. It is a bit weird. I have 22k followers on insta and I post my art with a mention of the print being available. No one EVER buys them. So I wonder if followers these days actually mean anything, other than maybe more likes. And when you do branch out, it kinda has to be somewhat on-brand vs completely changing direction. Which makes sense. Like I love doing horror, but it never hits at all. So I instead do moody, atmospheric stuff, painterly etc. and that hits and then I feel I could do horror again, as long as there are logical steps in between. So maybe going from A to H, you do A, C, E, F, H kinda thing.
@@AndyWalsh Yeah, I think that would be a possible approach, like boiling the frog, except in a positive way. The one thing I don't like about the Death of the Follower video is that he is promoting the idea of the true fan who will subscribe on patreon. I have nothing against that in principle, but the way he makes it sound is that you need to make yourself available to your fans as a person. For example, you have to interact with them and almost be their friends. I mean there are so many examples of youtubers getting harassed by their audience, why would artists want to take that risk?
@@MarvelousMediaEngine hmm, I don't think that's too likely to happen to artists. Artists aren't quite idols or rock stars. And I'm not sure how to really nail down what he means by cultivating those 'true' fans. You put your stuff out there, interact a bit, I dunno. I guess you have to open up into your personal world or something. But then there's the supposition that you're interesting :P
@@AndyWalsh There so many bots nowadays, I think engagement is the only metric that counts. 1000 true fans comes to mind.
@@ibvegger The guy mentions that in the 'death of the followers' video.
Artists could shatter the status quo
Always
I support the fact that you’re sharing an honest point of view on the matter, but occasonally you throw in there far-fetched predictions and strong claims that are VERY hard to substantiate, and in fact you do not add any elements to support them.
Saying that “the industry is gonna stay like this for at least a couple of years and then AI is gonna take over and end it” for example, how are you substantiating this very strong claim? What is it based off of? How did you come up with this estimations?
In my opinion you should still report your thoughts and do not be afraid to bring up the negative aspects of the situation, but making stuff up to make it seem even worse runs the risk of being more of a disservice than anything else to be honest.
Thanks for the feedback. I'll try and include more supporting evidence. I'm going off a few viewpoints I heard directly from industry veterans. To be honest, one of those veterans said it would be a year from now that it would all be over. So I'm actually more optimistic than him. It might be fairly obvious though is the other thing, and maybe why I didn't feel too compelled to substantiate. Like, a year ago AI was just scary, now it's actually taking jobs and manifesting in the destruction of well known brands like Etsy and DeviantArt. So it's not far fetched to imagine that, given the sheer demolishing of the jobs market over a 2 year period, that it will take a good two years to recover, but even then it was over saturated to begin with, and then when you add AI into the mix, it's absolutely reasonable to predict such a scenario.
just get a real skill bro ! like changing tires on rims, or installing satellite dishes for tv. it's over !
4:16 truth but, 1680 dollars are basically my yearly income, in in two to four months I can just focus on art
When you talk about styles, for me I know subject matter I like mainly fantasy or sci and I like drawing characters but it’s more the actual art style I struggle to decide on, im pretty versatile after working in animation I have had to be as normally you have to adapt to the style that they already have or want. So I get stuck deciding on that like do I go more realistic or manga or cartoony or graphic, painted or line based , I like all these styles so I find it hard to chose as im not bad at either.
it's the hardest thing for anyone. I would just say to treat it as a priority or it'll end up just sitting in the background forever. I mean, you can shift around slightly but at least pick something that is your brand, be it theme or style but ideally both. As part of the selection process, you could put up various styles on your social media and see if anything gets traction and if you happen to also like that style a lot, then you've found a winner!
@@AndyWalsh intresting and great videos btw
@@matthewbrookeart cheers Matthew!
Well it isn’t just the insecurity it’s that they can train AI on your work then kick you 😂 we can only hope for an AI crash but seems likely concept art and artist along with illustration really gonna struggle and companies won’t care about slop if it just good enough. I think animation still got some legs.
i live in 3r world country and i'ts not getting better here. saddly it's not a solution either.
13:08 That's exactly what I'm gonna do. I have this channel for AI generated music & my other channel is for all kinds of toy customizing. I have a few videos up on that channel & around 157 subscribers. Now I'm gonna to start focusing on tutorials.
Dang. I want a short/TikTok clip of the intro and share it to everybody. 😂👏👍
feel free! I use 4k downloader to download youtube videos for clips :D
@@AndyWalsh 👍 I've never done anything like video cutting or whatever, but you got me motivated! ☺️💪
another temple on sand that is true
there will always be lay offs bro just get use to it
Case in point - Lois Van Baarle
I'm definitely trying to raise my Instagram game.
But what about new hires?
what about them? you mean what if you've just been hired?
time to apply to the supermarket m8
_fart sound_