While I was editong I realized how much clearer I could have been so I wanted to provide a basic “TLDR” : No one is entitled to make money with their art/build an audience unless they can provide value to an individual/company/group of people. Easy ways to do this while you are building your skills is to educate others (1) Entertain others (2) or nowadays you can do it all at once + offer a little bit of support and camaraderie through something called streaming (3). If you don’t want to do those, its perfectly acceptable to get a main job to pay the bills in the meantime! Worry less about the algorithms and issues society has at large and do the less pretty work like marketing, research, and promotion if you want to get support for what you want to do. Every other type of job requires some non-fun parts and we aren’t excused from them. Let me know what you think!
Another great video. Off topic question, would you consider doing a video/post about your keybinds and shortcuts? I know that sort of thing is largely individual preference, but I spent three hours setting up my Tartarus yesterday, and I think having an idea of what your go to shortcuts are and how you organize them for effeciency would help a lot of people. It can be daunting with so many options, especially for a beginner
The thing that most artists don’t get is that if they want to make money from their art they have to see their art as a brand. That means that their brand isn’t what they think or say it is but actually what other people feel and think when they engage with their art. Learning about branding and marketing is something that you have to do if you want to make money as an artist. I suggest starting with the Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier.
The meaning of a communication is what is received. What you sent, or meant to send, is irrelevant. Nobody actually LIKES this, but there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.
@Rex S. That's actually not a bad thing - looking back at what you've done can often reveal that your brand is NOT what you thought it was, and that you DON'T really do what you always thought you did. It's okay if your past work isn't what you've been saying it is. Just start calling it what it is. What you have is, after all, your brand.
yes art can be your hobby passion and job but a job is a job And you still have to work or else you won’t get paid. This is like any other job if you don’t want to end up like a starving artist
I've worked as game artist and illustrator for a few years and by some bad luck, I've left the country for an opportunity that didn't materialize and I was kind of stranded in a bad financial situation in London. I've worked as a mobile phone repair technician and as a warehouse worker. The worst days working as an artist were better than the best days in a warehouse. I've lost about 3 years and now I'm relearning and going back through the basics. Honestly, I don't know what expectations people have about being an "artist" but I've heard enough daydreaming to know that pragmatism is severely lacking in most aspiring artists. Talent and "being an artist" are not going to make you a great technician and sustain you financially so people need to be mindful of all the work that goes into being a successful/self sustaining creator of art. I'm a bit worried, myself, about restarting my so called career and about how lucky I'm going to be this time around.
Hi Orin. Did you see the comment by @PurpleFyrus? Maybe focus on "regular work" a part of the year and do your art the remainder. That would help give you some stability, but you *know* you will have a select part of the year to grow in your art. As long as you have the dream and work towards it, all is not lost. :) Hang in there and keep going!!
I personally am getting my bachelors degree in nursing and intend to work hard six months of the year and then spend six months frugally doing full time art. The best part is I can help people with my full time job AND practice anatomy while doing it!
That's a very good point PurpleFyrus. I think we artistic types often forget it is ok to have passions or work experience outside of something art related. Best wishes on your nursing career and your "half year" in full time art. :) I've found I'm more into systems and organizing after trying new things and work opportunities. I still love my art and colors though. :) I'm considering a career as a professional organizer, but it will take a while to pay for the training program. Friend and fam projects are a way to start and test the waters! I'm considering interior design as well. I see it all as connected and connected to art or creating certain feelings/moods.
This is what I’ve been thinking about a lot recently as I apply to colleges. I’m realizing that I don’t have to go to the most pretisgious animation school that I can’t afford. I might have to take online classes and things like that instead. So I’m starting to feel ok with not going with the traditional route and finding a path that works best for me. Thank you ergo josh for this vid, it was very insightful. Let’s have a great new yr!
Personally, I've learned to discover a lot of things myself. The world is always changing, the online space is always changing. I will see what works and what doesn't, and honestly, that's actually very exciting to think about. It's nice having a side job I know I can fall back on, and the knowledge that I am going to *try* rather than being too scared.
I don't mind drawing by service... I just don't care for people stealing my work, telling me i should do their commission for fun/exposure or artists who only got popular after they pass away. Too many other people are making much more money off the artist, than the artist
I know you said it's an unpopular opinion, but I definitely agree. Making money solely off our art in our current day society is idealistic and somewhat unrealistic-there's nothing wrong with it, or wanting to it, but the path to get there involves a ton of hard work, and in the end might not even end up being something you wanted, or will suck the joy out of it. There's also this weird idea that people need to follow their dreams, or a job isn't worth it unless it's your dream job, but there isn't a single thing wrong with having a job just to have a job, to provide for yourself and those you care about especially if it lets you pursue what you actually want without any stress. There's tons of artists on patreon who make money by offering extra content, process vids, tutorials, etc, and make a pretty decent living off it. Loish I think is the first and foremost that comes to mind, but that's not the reality for every artist and that's totally okay. I ended up going with the route of picking an adjacent career and going into graphic design so that it would give me stability and allow me to pursue art on the side and I know that's just my own personal experience, but honestly, I wouldn't change it. I have value as an employee, get to pursue creativity and grow my professional network, work on some really cool projects with some really cool clients, and at the end of the day I get to go home and draw whatever nonsense I want. It's great! Thanks for the video and for a year of great content, super excited to see what's in store for next year : )
Thank you! The way u put it shows maturity and necessary mindset needed in life. I myself will study 3d art even though i like 2D more, but having job stability would also give me freedom to do what i want
I wish I had shitton of money so I could just pay artists to do what they want, to allow them to work on things they want to make. I can't even imagine how much cool art people would make if they could put all their time and effort into their passions instead of waisting it on meaningless stuff just so they can affort a place to live and some bread.
Theres people who do this! Also groups of people who pool together money to commission artists for their fandom. Its pretty cool and I see some artists able to tap into those communities pretty well.
@@ergojosh I hope my artist friends will meet those people then, would be really cool to see all of them able to draw/write/do whatever they love full time and not have to worry about their future
Yes, sad how there are struggling people on this world that can't get their first pay and yet there are complete illiterates making a fortune off twitch by, bare with me, not even playing games, but showing their buttcracks and chests? How does this even make sense?
Thank you so much for talking about this. I think a lot of people needed to hear something like this, not just artist. Life isn't sunshine and rainbows but its all we got so we need to make the most out of it with the information we have. Hope everyone has a great new year and an even better 2022!
I’ve been thinking about this last couple of weeks and it doesn’t let me breathe. I don’t know if I want to continue with art or not, tbh. I’m so frustrated and tired at this point. Idk. I’ve thought of art as something that is supposed to take care of me once I’m old, and dying. I’ve thought of it as something that I’ll need in the future, but maybe not right now, but it just makes me feel tired. I love art, I love peace, but it’s just tiring. I don’t know what I want.
You know, maybe you are focusing on the wrong part of art. For example, I felt like that when I was drawing comics, and almost quit art at some point... but turns out, I just didn't really enjoy doing comics that much. I do enjoy doing illustrations a bunch though, and apparently some animations occasionally. It made a whole lot of a difference, try to broaden your Art horizons a bit. It's not unusual to force ourselves to do something we THINK we like and want to do.
A few years ago I tried streaming and since I was so focused on the money I feel like I never enjoyed it as much as I should have that making me not as good as I could have been. I think the same is true with art that in the purest form he should be done as a hobby first and if it makes you money that’s a bonus. Great video Josh.
These days I've been realizing that I'm rushing myself in improving on art, my drawings turns out to be not that great because i was being impatient. All i wanna say to those artist that pressure themselves on improving take your time and don't rush because you're not in a race.
I'm not an artist, but you can see this entitlement issue in writers too. They struggle so hard because they simply don't get it. There's a staggering amount who refuse to adapt with today's realities, wanting to make their bougie .txt files (ebooks) and that's that. Writers who "get it" are trying their hand at content creation to put their names out there, they're collaborating with others in projects or using different skills (programming, art, etc) to help them stand out.
Honestly, thank you for this. I'm currently on a struggle with improving and feeling like I'm not doing enough, but still wanting to be good enough to maybe make some cash from my art. It can be really stressful at times, which even led to me just, letting my art account die in away. Your videos are always super helpful and I love the honesty you have!
I'm really glad you're back. I enjoy your content so much. Some artists who gain an audience start to feel like their putting on a show or grow a false ego. You stayed humble and genuine which I truly appreciate. I hope you had a nice holiday and best of luck in this year going forward.
Ergo josh: This is may be an unpopular opinion Also ergo josh: If you want to sell art, other people have to like it Me: That... that's an unpopular opinion???
A lot of artists don’t sell what they enjoy. Most of the time they’re selling the popular fandom to get attention or NSFW as it’s the most paid, and some artists aren’t huge fan of NSFW
@@Your20droid Definitely true! I think society in general has perpetuated the idea that artists who make money are some ethereal being who aren't actually just people doing there job. I think it actually comes hand in hand with the starving artist trope. It's either "artists don't make money" or "artists are lucky people who just draw what they want and people throw money at them"
This for sure. I guarantee you the most popular artists known for doing 1 thing are doing things on the side we don't see. Ilya for example draws tons of short haired girls but he's stated publicly at a time he prefers to work on a team on feature animations.
Great video. This really applies to everyone. Be it an engineer, doctor, or artist. It's important to realize that your value is measured by what you can provide other people. You have to earn that, regardless of what you do for a living. The key is you have to do something for a living, and it has to be something other people want, not something you want. As mentioned, it's ideal if you can find something that not only do you want, and are good at, but other people want and find especially valuable. But it doesn't always work out that way. Some skills have it a little easier in delivering service to others (like a doctor), others it's less tangible (like a comedian). Then there's the trick of getting that value to people so they can recognize it and reward you for it. Some people join a large business to help shuffle their value to customers (perhaps an engineer or construction worker). Others try to handle it all on their own ( a freelancer or independent doctor). But in order to get that money in, your value needs to reach those people, somehow. Even the smartest engineer is worthless to the world if they refuse to work with others or can't present their ideas well. And when it comes to monetary value, some skills are just skewed, unfortunately. It's easy to see the huge impact teachers have, much like a doctor, only they're certainly not on equal footing when it comes to salary. That's always going to be a tough one to crack, but it is often connected to urgency. More urgent skills are paid more. If you need a solution immediately, you can see why people pay more. Doctors are often dealing with critical, urgent problems, so get paid a lot. Doing commissions? Being slow to deliver means people won't be so eager to pay as much in the future. Even artists can make huge money solving big art challenges for a client very quickly. In the end, remember that your value is based on what others perceive. The more you can establish that you provide something they want, and the better you can deliver that to a large enough audience, the more value you will receive.
What made the most difference for me was when I realized that my goals as an artist are not the same as a professional artist. My journey as an artist is probably a lifetime one, but that doesn't mean that I have to struggle my whole life time to live from art. So I have clear goals as a professional and that sustain my personal dream. They feed from each other, my passions give me fuel to do the boring work stuff and the work stuff gives sustainability to my passions
I'm just doing art because I want to do it. Though... I won't lie and say I wasn't thinking of making some money off it, somewhere down the line. BUT, I am at the beginning stage of my art journey, so I've got a long way to go. So much to learn. So much to draw. I just hope next year, I'll be able to draw on a consistent basis. Whether it be completed works or sketches ~ while completing a drawing or two here-and-there. I just want to grow as an artist.
I've been struggling with this for months now, as I finished high school this year and I have no idea of what to do. Thank you for making this video. Hearing this from you, an artist, helped me understand what my parents have been telling me for a looong time, and my vision is a little bit clearer, thank youuuu✨✨✨
5:09 so true. 😫 It’s also interesting how we as growing artists want to be at a point already where we are comfortable and successful making things that provide us happiness, but a lot of the journey is often the opposite. We still create but in order to get to a point in continual growth, our foundations seem to be built upon creating for others more so than ourselves. Like companies/corporations big or small, client work, commissions etc. I like talking about this topic b/c it is a tough realistic one that needs to be discussed. Thanks for bringing it up.
You may not be entitled to making any money as an artist. But I can tell you from experience that you sure as Hell have a better chance than you will making money as a writer.
As a writer, I agree with this. In traditional work, you're probably going to suffer and wither as a writer. The job market is largely toxic and difficult with little payout, from everything I've heard over the past 5-6 years. But in non-traditional work, I've been very encouraged by seeing so many people succeed; in things like crowdfunded projects, RUclips channels, enterpunurial work, and the like. If you are a imaginative, pragmatic, self-starter type, then I feel like this is the way to go nowadays, and the way I want to go, personally. Most colleges are outdated and not educating people about this. But I would recommend having other skills besides writing in your arsenal, such as art, or more technical skills. Also, having a non-writing job while doing writing on the side or as a hobby is totally acceptable too. Hopefully this helps and encourages someone!
@@oracle_8947 Good luck finding a writer who doesn't have, or never had, a non-writing job. It's almost mandatory unless your name is King or Rowling, etc. There are certainly more non-traditional opportunities out there depending on what sort of writing we're talking about. Purely in terms of writing fiction...Good Luck! It's possible, but you tend to have to be 1) a great networker 2) an incredible marketer or 3) very lucky. Maybe those things are also crucial to succeeding as an artist as well, but people can see and process your images almost instantly, where getting anyone from an agent to an editor to a fan, to read these days is an uphill battle.
Josh seems to be highly aware of his situation, and the greater environment that currently exists of art. He really gets intimate with his deeper feelings about art a lot. I appreciate that a lot.
I think it’s also worth saying that what artists like is sometimes different from what the general public wants. When I was apprenticing in a tattoo shop pre-Covid, I realized that a lot of people can’t fathom that an artist can draw something that is not in their portfolio….and to be fair, I suppose it’s a little presumptuous to think they should understand that artists look at a face, flower or landscape as essentially the same thing (forms shaped by light, and shadow). Some people can see you draw the human figure without reference and still need you to literally prove that you are capable of copying a picture of Mario. Tbh I feel pretty cynical about everything these days, and I also think it’s a sad time when people are willing to fork out thousands to get an NFT of some stupid squirrel sniffing it’s own ass or a banana taped to the wall-and I’m not one of those people that exclusively worships realism-I know and like Duchamp! I just can’t get on board with the idea that people prefer all these re-makes and marvel movies-it’s just that they aren’t offering anything else, there is no other mainstream choice.
This is why I don't believe in the saying "Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life.", this phrase just makes it sound like if your dream job will be perfect with no negatives, only positives. The easiest example is comparing playing a video game for fun VS as a career (youtube, esports...), there will be times where you'd rather play a different game than the one that is currently helping you pay the bills. And the same can happen with art as a career, I would dare to say even many other careers out there as well. In my opinion the best thing is to not associate the word "Work" with negative feelings of laziness, stress, etc, but to try to search your passion on the process, the journey, regardless of the final result that may come out of it (this case being, trendy art, studio projects and such). I think you can love your job and have a passion for it, while still understanding that this is work. Which is exactly what I'm getting from your video Josh, great content as always!
So... I'm gonna graduate high school soon lol and quite honestly, I'm extremely nervous and apprehensive about what my future will look like. I don't even know which college I'm gonna attend to and to be quite honest there have been times over the past year where I have wondered whether I'm choosing the right. Honestly, I chose art because I wouldn't find any other job enjoyable or personally successful. If I had known better, maybe I could've gone and chosen a major that would require both art and non-art related skills but would allow me to work in a way where I could make enough money to pay bills but also would allow me to do what I really like. Maybe it's not too late to change my mind, I don't know. I just feel like I'm at the point in my life where if I go one route, I can never recover and return. I feel like I've made a lot of progress with my art over the years but I have such a long way to go. I've come from a family tree where an art career was never pursued before and because I'm the first one to do this kind of thing in my family, hell even out of all my friend and peer groups and I have no one in person to look up to and ask for help. Not even my art teacher knows much about the line that I want to go to(being animation/digital art and maybe pursue a business minor in case everything else fails miserably) and I just feel so lost. I have art goals and ambitions but if I have nothing to stand on in the next 6-7 years and I can't employed at a good job, then what's the point? I'm probably not going to art school either(I cannot afford to be in heaps of student debt) and I may just pursue a regular education at a university but beyond college though... everything is a mystery. I'm still struggling to find out what line of art is best suited for me because quite frankly the industry is so spanned out. Maybe I'm thinking too far in the future and it's early to tell, but with how teachers and counselors put so much pressure to find out immediately what to do in the future, I'm scared...
I realized this 2-3 years in doing art full time, so i’m currently taking a bachelor in interactive game design and i’m planning to have a side job to actively be able to put time into my art on the side, the goal is of course to improve my craft and make it appealing to studios, which i’m willing to drop alot of years into, hell i’m already 5 years in, still need to learn a bit tho :D
When you're a starry-eyed child with an affinity for whatever your art form is, nobody tells you you have to think of your art as a business and learn to market properly; no, they just hype you up, tell you you're a god among men, and you get to drink in images of big time artists' success, thinking that's gonna be you someday. You go into the world thinking your skill/talent is enough to make it -- because it apparently was for the greats, right? -- only to get the rude awakening that you are nothing special. Not even close. Enter existential crisis, stage right! Young artists nowadays, though, have a distinct advantage over us millennials: easy, free access to hundreds, THOUSANDS of other artists who've made it, such as you, Josh, who can share their secrets and tricks of the trade. Whether by watching RUclips videos or joining Facebook groups, they can learn from the best and potentially avoid having their dreams crushed. Of course, there will always be the more hubristic artists who will insist they don't have to listen to anyone, but they'll just have to learn the hard way. It has been a hard pill to swallow that I most likely have another decade or so of doing grueling labor in order to support myself, but I have come to terms with it. I've learned from my past mistakes and will do better the next time I try to put myself out there. In the meantime, I'll continue honing my crafts and learning to market myself better (and perhaps sacrifice a goat or something, hahaha). It's okay to dream about making a living from art alone; but we very much need to be in touch with reality.
While I like to believe that many people have fair returns for the value they put into their jobs, there are those who do not receive proper compensation for the value they offer. Either they are unlucky or society itself does not value them enough monetarily. Just look at the many grade school, middle school, and high school teachers and think about what they deserve verse what they receive Not to say that just because someone feels this way doesn’t mean they’re in this situation. Or that they should just submit themselves to circumstances. I just think it’s important to acknowledge and to do what we can to help others when we’re able.
This is so important to understand early on, and basically in any field, in order to not burn out from feeling mad. The intersection of "Thing you love", "Thing you're good at" and "Thing the world needs" is what you should be doing if you want to live off of your craft.
Maybe the only video on the internet that tells de true about making money from art. I tried for years making money trying to do something that I love, but never got anything, until I realized that need to make something that generates value to other people to make money, but this do not means that I need to do something that I don't like, just had to rethink my art to fit other people taste.
well it doesn't matter already for me, because i'm already accept my destiny and just waits to my death, i'll throw away drawing and dream becomes a beautiful artist, drawing ruined my life and destroyed myself, i curse the day when idea of become an artist popped in my head, i'm not the type of person who have some strength and "will" to do something, i'm always have been like that my whole life, no hobbies, no goals, not any understanding of what i want to do in this life and who i want to be, i never enjoyed to do anything in this life, i don't understand why i'm ever existing, so i'm just going to wait till my suffering would end and i would never suffer from needs to do anything and being not good and be a "person" not an empty vessel ever again.
Thank you Ergo Josh for your words of wisdom. Reality can be a tough #&%# at times. What I'm learning through my art experiences is how to maintain a sane mind when it comes to creative freedom, social media and finding that right clique. I was thinking about what I can do bring more value to my work is to teach what I had learned to others and be more interactive with my supporters. 🙂
Last year I really thought that I could earn money without getting a day job 🤦🏻♀️. I tried to get a bigger crowd on my social media but struggled with keeping up with my weekly schedule. Forced myself to watch tutorials and how-to-sell-on-Etsy videos. Of course, I’ve been miserable and was a financial burden for my family. In August, I finally got a job which is okay enough as long as it pays the bills. As for now, I’m thinking about transitioning to a different non-artistic field that would be my main career and doing art as a hobby. Who knows, maybe someday I would draw professionally. But it should be a smoother and happier process that a situation I’ve put myself through(I’ve might been a bit harsh on myself, considering that it was 2020, and everyone was stuck at home) Edit: Also, there a thing is that although my art looks decent I still have some areas to improve(I am self-taught and want to become an illustrator). Do not jump into business before improving your artwork
I'm 39 about 40 this is something i realized long ago. I wanted to just be an artist but eventually i had to become a writer, a multimedia specialist and a computer technician before i could get close to achieving my dreams. I realized that "Branding" gives value to art. No matter the skill level, others will pay small and large amount of money if you're artwork is tied to a popular IP. I'll be happy finding limited success selling to a niche market that enjoy my work.
tbh i used to study animation for a year but i really did not enjoy animating it is so extremely time consuming and so draining, i wanted to do it bc i thougth that was one of the art jobs with the most prospects and stability for the future. but while doing it i completely lost my passion for art and so far it hasn't really returned. so i intend to study something else, just for a normal job, and then if my passion returns just keeping it as a hobby. i've realised that money and stability is just really important and for majority of artists it is an extreme struggle to just make the bare minimum and then you need to constantly improve, for me i always felt not good enough and my art skills aren't enough for me to get employed by big companies
I also think that some artists romanticize the reality and make it look like making art full time is the most easy thing when it's pretty difficult to achieve! Thank you for this video!
YES!!! LAST 1000TH LIKE OF THE YEAR!!! Seriously, tho many thanksfor the content you put out, and sharing your words! Wish you a happy and safe Holidays as well as a Fortuitous New Year!
Another video I really needed to hear! This was something I was thinking about a few days ago. Thank you for giving me more things to consider. Thanks again Josh!🔥🔥🔥🔥
Just one note about the Disney stuff like yes people love the 3-D stuff but they are given any options with what to consume. I think there’s a reason why these days and artists will post a 30second 2 minute smooth to the animation and people lose their mind. Talking about how amazing it is and that studios should hire the artist and just very intense accolades. I think part of the reason for this is that you don’t really see a lot of 2-D animation anymore that isn’t Toon boom. And people who are teens now didn’t grow up with a lot of the 2D stuff you and I grew up with so for them 2D is different
100% true. We can't really fully specialize on anything if we want to be independent, we must at least do 2 things: 1) Produce something of value (If it has value for you, it will probably have value for someone else), solve problems, develop a solution 2) Make other humans aware of your solutions, objects, services. The awareness of other human beings and guiding that awareness, the impact, is what's called Marketing. You might not like it, but if you want to be truly independent, you must follow these rules. And don't worry, eventually you'll like it, because who the f doesn't like independence?
I'm aiming to give value via entertainment, I want to draw art that makes people happy, interested, or entertained via fanart. I've been doing the hard work and taking advice from lots of social media arts (you included) and I am still at point 0. This made me stop posting for a while on IG to reflect on what I need to do to get my work seen. I can't give value if no one is seeing my work.
this was.. somehow a bit demotivating. I've had this realization a few weeks ago and it motivated me to go through all these hard times cause there's a goal I wanna archieve. but this video.. idk it makes it seem like its impossible to even have the goal of being an independent artist. ive gotta think about this more..
@@seancharleshowell thank you.. I can't afford art school unfortunately so my goal is to just.. do it on my own I guess. I just got out of highschool and am searching for internships and what not, but I'm unsuccessful. I know my art looks decent and I did commissions for a while, but I cant afford a life with it cause I barely have any followers on any social media. My art looks okay, but I'm awful at all this internet stuff ugh.. thank you for your nice comment and good luck to you too!
i just draw for fun mostly, to express my love for some anime/game characters. but sometimes there are people who want to pay me to draw their waifus. i work a full time job so the commissions act as extra cash i can use for my other hobbies
so yeah the reason why disney or other animation studios go for 3d in some sense was that it made the process cheaper in the long run and in some senses it did stream line the process, the reason why market does X or Y has a lot to do with the suppliers well a lot more with them other then the demand.
Hey Josh! First off I love your content and always like to sit with a snack while i draw mindlessly listening to your voice, its very soothing and grounds me as i work. ^^ I Agree with your video, but I wanted to ask if you have any advice for people who cannot easily fill the roles of entertaining people with art? The very real and sad thing is: a TON of people who feel entitled to making money off of art are people who are often severely disabled and incapable of working or receiving disability checks. Ranging from family issues to just living in a tough state. These people legit have no other way of making money then to sell art or beg people online to give them money. I do not blame them. When you are chronically ill or very disabled, your limitations are pretty dang huge, a lot of artists have constant needs to be met and medical emergencies that they cannot afford to be entertaining or provide MORE then just art. This isn't to say that they HAVE to be paid, or that its anyone's fault that they are stuck like this. I personally don't blame anyone. But I do want to know your opinion on this, or if you have any ideas on how to grow that don't involve streaming or being entertaining or teaching, much of which a lot of disabled artists cannot do. This comment is not meant to guilt trip anyone, I hope this didn't come off in such a way, I just wanted to provide a window to the other side of an opinion. On behalf of myself and many artist friends I know personally who are suffering too. I hope your day is going lovely and cant wait to see the next video!
your voice is so satisfying, especially at the evening. one question, why do you switch between your iPad and your pc for drawing? have a great start in the new year.
Thanks bro. I personally wanna work on comics and such. For I love storytelling and I feel that comics as many ways to tell a story and have it themes stanched into both it’s writing and design of it’s characters and setting but paneling as well. As shown a lot by jitsu Kaisen and from time to time in berserk.
I find if funny when people find out that I draw, they will always ask to see and sometimes I get a comment saying "omg u could sell this or be an artis"... the truth is this video, I love drawing and painting as my hobby but as Josh says it's not all painting and drawing, there is competition, marketing ect... this is something I don't want to add to what makes me so happy.. so I'm gonna keep it my hobby 😊
I don’t know if i do want to make money with my art, that’s kind of why i went and did the whole “get a degreee and a job” thing, cause I don’t know if i can play the social media game…
thank you so much for this video, it was really reassuring. i currently have to work a full time job to be able to even think of affording college next year and i felt really guilty about it, seeing all my classmates be in college while i push around boxes all day is not the best. but i still try and draw my comic despite all that with hopes of one day making it as an artist, even if i'll be 45 years old by the time i have my first month totally funded by art
Earning money is not dependant on success, but demand. I'd love to have a doctor that cures me, but I already visited over a hundred and none of them did a single thing. They still get paid tho, and even if their reputation drops below 0, they still will have customers, cause the market is undersatisfied and waiting times are long. Another example would be brokers: what exactly are those doing for humanity? Reality isn't as easy as you make it look like, and you can easily earn money without being of any use. By scrapping other people's are and illegally selling prints, for example. I mean, you make money so you're super useful, right? It just feels like artists are constantly put down for doing something they love, they're passionate about and that makes them happy, when in reality, that should be what society should support even more: giving people a safe base to find out about what is their calling. It's how we get out of stagnation, by using human ressources where they're best fit. Most artists don't even want to be rich, they just don't want to kill themselves because they're getting trapped in a system that makes them physically and mentally sick. Most people saying art is not of use don't even realize where it's used in their every day lives. There would be no movies, books would have no covers, every supermarket product would be sold in a bland gray box. Art is a very fundamental of our world, it builds houses, realizes new technic, and sometimes just serves us to relax for a minute. But if you're able to live off of it depends on your success. But to get successful, you have to start somewhere, and that's where most artists fail. They're independant, and don't know how to make money from their measly art skills, that could maybe result in something really big if given the time. But they don't get the time.
If you don't mind I would love to know which of your procreate brushes are you using for the line art in procreate? Also what canvas size are you working on? Thanks!
new subs malaysia , thanks im 29 and i want achieve that kind of goal entrepreneur art, need to start somewhere oh man scary as shit need to beat laziness and fear, dont stop empower us sir btw love arcane
It's easy to recognize something made by an artist who like what he do, and not. Lot of social media artist fall in this trap and now "slave" to their audience.
Yep. I spent years of my life desperately trying to make myself do things in art that I really don’t enjoy just because they’re ‘popular’. And you know what? I got absolutely nothing from it. No followers, no money. Sure, I passed my degree by the skin of my teeth, but I was so burnt out I didn’t pick up a pencil for a year afterwards. I’m now 26 and actually indulging in the art I enjoy, including making tactile things like jewellery (which ties to a huge interest of mine which is costume design), and suddenly I’m making money. I do commend those artists that can very easily hop on trends and be fulfilled, it’s just very easy to pick out when someone’s heart’s not in it, and it’s really damaging to people’s creativity to say that the only way to make money is to do what’s popular…. Especially when there’s a lot of artists doing tonnes of things outside of the ‘norm’ that are doing extremely well for themselves.
I just want to make enough money to get myself out of the money hole I'm in. Art is making no money at all so I might have to get a second job I hate to make ends meet because cost of living is high. I might have to give up art according to my parents just to make ends meet.
But can you really distinguish between an artist with amazing skill vs an artist with such good visualization to the point that they are essentially just tracing?!
While I was editong I realized how much clearer I could have been so I wanted to provide a basic “TLDR” :
No one is entitled to make money with their art/build an audience unless they can provide value to an individual/company/group of people. Easy ways to do this while you are building your skills is to educate others (1) Entertain others (2) or nowadays you can do it all at once + offer a little bit of support and camaraderie through something called streaming (3). If you don’t want to do those, its perfectly acceptable to get a main job to pay the bills in the meantime! Worry less about the algorithms and issues society has at large and do the less pretty work like marketing, research, and promotion if you want to get support for what you want to do. Every other type of job requires some non-fun parts and we aren’t excused from them.
Let me know what you think!
editong the spelling too?
thank you
Another great video. Off topic question, would you consider doing a video/post about your keybinds and shortcuts? I know that sort of thing is largely individual preference, but I spent three hours setting up my Tartarus yesterday, and I think having an idea of what your go to shortcuts are and how you organize them for effeciency would help a lot of people. It can be daunting with so many options, especially for a beginner
The thing that most artists don’t get is that if they want to make money from their art they have to see their art as a brand. That means that their brand isn’t what they think or say it is but actually what other people feel and think when they engage with their art. Learning about branding and marketing is something that you have to do if you want to make money as an artist. I suggest starting with the Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier.
Thanks for this!
The meaning of a communication is what is received. What you sent, or meant to send, is irrelevant. Nobody actually LIKES this, but there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.
Yup.
@Rex S. That's actually not a bad thing - looking back at what you've done can often reveal that your brand is NOT what you thought it was, and that you DON'T really do what you always thought you did.
It's okay if your past work isn't what you've been saying it is. Just start calling it what it is. What you have is, after all, your brand.
Smart boy
yes art can be your hobby passion and job but a job is a job And you still have to work or else you won’t get paid. This is like any other job if you don’t want to end up like a starving artist
Yep. But working smarter is wayy too often bashed as cheating or something similar with art for some reason.
@@ergojosh exactly and then get written of as not a real artist… Like taking shortcuts with your work doesn’t make you any less of an artist at all
I've worked as game artist and illustrator for a few years and by some bad luck, I've left the country for an opportunity that didn't materialize and I was kind of stranded in a bad financial situation in London. I've worked as a mobile phone repair technician and as a warehouse worker.
The worst days working as an artist were better than the best days in a warehouse. I've lost about 3 years and now I'm relearning and going back through the basics. Honestly, I don't know what expectations people have about being an "artist" but I've heard enough daydreaming to know that pragmatism is severely lacking in most aspiring artists. Talent and "being an artist" are not going to make you a great technician and sustain you financially so people need to be mindful of all the work that goes into being a successful/self sustaining creator of art.
I'm a bit worried, myself, about restarting my so called career and about how lucky I'm going to be this time around.
Hi Orin. Did you see the comment by @PurpleFyrus? Maybe focus on "regular work" a part of the year and do your art the remainder. That would help give you some stability, but you *know* you will have a select part of the year to grow in your art. As long as you have the dream and work towards it, all is not lost. :) Hang in there and keep going!!
I personally am getting my bachelors degree in nursing and intend to work hard six months of the year and then spend six months frugally doing full time art.
The best part is I can help people with my full time job AND practice anatomy while doing it!
Thats awesome Purple. Best wishes to you!
That's a very good point PurpleFyrus. I think we artistic types often forget it is ok to have passions or work experience outside of something art related. Best wishes on your nursing career and your "half year" in full time art. :) I've found I'm more into systems and organizing after trying new things and work opportunities. I still love my art and colors though. :) I'm considering a career as a professional organizer, but it will take a while to pay for the training program. Friend and fam projects are a way to start and test the waters! I'm considering interior design as well. I see it all as connected and connected to art or creating certain feelings/moods.
Bro I am literally going to do the same thing (except replace nursing with IT and Object orientated programming)
How about to share the link to see what you do
This is what I’ve been thinking about a lot recently as I apply to colleges. I’m realizing that I don’t have to go to the most pretisgious animation school that I can’t afford. I might have to take online classes and things like that instead. So I’m starting to feel ok with not going with the traditional route and finding a path that works best for me. Thank you ergo josh for this vid, it was very insightful. Let’s have a great new yr!
Im so glad others have resonated with your comment thank you!
Personally, I've learned to discover a lot of things myself. The world is always changing, the online space is always changing. I will see what works and what doesn't, and honestly, that's actually very exciting to think about. It's nice having a side job I know I can fall back on, and the knowledge that I am going to *try* rather than being too scared.
I have a few drawings I like just need the courage to actually post stuff 😅
I don't mind drawing by service... I just don't care for people stealing my work, telling me i should do their commission for fun/exposure or artists who only got popular after they pass away. Too many other people are making much more money off the artist, than the artist
I know you said it's an unpopular opinion, but I definitely agree. Making money solely off our art in our current day society is idealistic and somewhat unrealistic-there's nothing wrong with it, or wanting to it, but the path to get there involves a ton of hard work, and in the end might not even end up being something you wanted, or will suck the joy out of it. There's also this weird idea that people need to follow their dreams, or a job isn't worth it unless it's your dream job, but there isn't a single thing wrong with having a job just to have a job, to provide for yourself and those you care about especially if it lets you pursue what you actually want without any stress.
There's tons of artists on patreon who make money by offering extra content, process vids, tutorials, etc, and make a pretty decent living off it. Loish I think is the first and foremost that comes to mind, but that's not the reality for every artist and that's totally okay.
I ended up going with the route of picking an adjacent career and going into graphic design so that it would give me stability and allow me to pursue art on the side and I know that's just my own personal experience, but honestly, I wouldn't change it. I have value as an employee, get to pursue creativity and grow my professional network, work on some really cool projects with some really cool clients, and at the end of the day I get to go home and draw whatever nonsense I want. It's great!
Thanks for the video and for a year of great content, super excited to see what's in store for next year : )
Thank you! The way u put it shows maturity and necessary mindset needed in life. I myself will study 3d art even though i like 2D more, but having job stability would also give me freedom to do what i want
I wish I had shitton of money so I could just pay artists to do what they want, to allow them to work on things they want to make. I can't even imagine how much cool art people would make if they could put all their time and effort into their passions instead of waisting it on meaningless stuff just so they can affort a place to live and some bread.
This, I feel exactly the same
Theres people who do this! Also groups of people who pool together money to commission artists for their fandom. Its pretty cool and I see some artists able to tap into those communities pretty well.
@@ergojosh I hope my artist friends will meet those people then, would be really cool to see all of them able to draw/write/do whatever they love full time and not have to worry about their future
Yes, sad how there are struggling people on this world that can't get their first pay and yet there are complete illiterates making a fortune off twitch by, bare with me, not even playing games, but showing their buttcracks and chests?
How does this even make sense?
medici family's most revered role during the renaissance in italy, simplified in a yt comment
Thank you so much for talking about this. I think a lot of people needed to hear something like this, not just artist. Life isn't sunshine and rainbows but its all we got so we need to make the most out of it with the information we have. Hope everyone has a great new year and an even better 2022!
I’ve been thinking about this last couple of weeks and it doesn’t let me breathe. I don’t know if I want to continue with art or not, tbh. I’m so frustrated and tired at this point. Idk. I’ve thought of art as something that is supposed to take care of me once I’m old, and dying. I’ve thought of it as something that I’ll need in the future, but maybe not right now, but it just makes me feel tired. I love art, I love peace, but it’s just tiring. I don’t know what I want.
@@seancharleshowell thank you so much.. you’re right.
You know, maybe you are focusing on the wrong part of art.
For example, I felt like that when I was drawing comics, and almost quit art at some point... but turns out, I just didn't really enjoy doing comics that much.
I do enjoy doing illustrations a bunch though, and apparently some animations occasionally. It made a whole lot of a difference, try to broaden your Art horizons a bit. It's not unusual to force ourselves to do something we THINK we like and want to do.
@@theonlyefraim What did sean mean? Could u please explain what he's trying to say
A few years ago I tried streaming and since I was so focused on the money I feel like I never enjoyed it as much as I should have that making me not as good as I could have been. I think the same is true with art that in the purest form he should be done as a hobby first and if it makes you money that’s a bonus. Great video Josh.
These days I've been realizing that I'm rushing myself in improving on art, my drawings turns out to be not that great because i was being impatient. All i wanna say to those artist that pressure themselves on improving take your time and don't rush because you're not in a race.
I'm not an artist, but you can see this entitlement issue in writers too. They struggle so hard because they simply don't get it. There's a staggering amount who refuse to adapt with today's realities, wanting to make their bougie .txt files (ebooks) and that's that. Writers who "get it" are trying their hand at content creation to put their names out there, they're collaborating with others in projects or using different skills (programming, art, etc) to help them stand out.
Honestly, thank you for this. I'm currently on a struggle with improving and feeling like I'm not doing enough, but still wanting to be good enough to maybe make some cash from my art. It can be really stressful at times, which even led to me just, letting my art account die in away. Your videos are always super helpful and I love the honesty you have!
I'm really glad you're back. I enjoy your content so much. Some artists who gain an audience start to feel like their putting on a show or grow a false ego. You stayed humble and genuine which I truly appreciate. I hope you had a nice holiday and best of luck in this year going forward.
Ergo josh: This is may be an unpopular opinion
Also ergo josh: If you want to sell art, other people have to like it
Me: That... that's an unpopular opinion???
I can imagine it being a tough pill for some people to swallow, especially if they're not being pragmatic.
A lot of artists don’t sell what they enjoy. Most of the time they’re selling the popular fandom to get attention or NSFW as it’s the most paid, and some artists aren’t huge fan of NSFW
@@Your20droid Definitely true! I think society in general has perpetuated the idea that artists who make money are some ethereal being who aren't actually just people doing there job. I think it actually comes hand in hand with the starving artist trope. It's either "artists don't make money" or "artists are lucky people who just draw what they want and people throw money at them"
At least not in the art community on Twitter/Instagram from certain events Ive seen this year.
This for sure. I guarantee you the most popular artists known for doing 1 thing are doing things on the side we don't see. Ilya for example draws tons of short haired girls but he's stated publicly at a time he prefers to work on a team on feature animations.
Great video. This really applies to everyone. Be it an engineer, doctor, or artist. It's important to realize that your value is measured by what you can provide other people. You have to earn that, regardless of what you do for a living. The key is you have to do something for a living, and it has to be something other people want, not something you want. As mentioned, it's ideal if you can find something that not only do you want, and are good at, but other people want and find especially valuable. But it doesn't always work out that way.
Some skills have it a little easier in delivering service to others (like a doctor), others it's less tangible (like a comedian). Then there's the trick of getting that value to people so they can recognize it and reward you for it. Some people join a large business to help shuffle their value to customers (perhaps an engineer or construction worker). Others try to handle it all on their own ( a freelancer or independent doctor). But in order to get that money in, your value needs to reach those people, somehow. Even the smartest engineer is worthless to the world if they refuse to work with others or can't present their ideas well. And when it comes to monetary value, some skills are just skewed, unfortunately. It's easy to see the huge impact teachers have, much like a doctor, only they're certainly not on equal footing when it comes to salary. That's always going to be a tough one to crack, but it is often connected to urgency. More urgent skills are paid more. If you need a solution immediately, you can see why people pay more. Doctors are often dealing with critical, urgent problems, so get paid a lot. Doing commissions? Being slow to deliver means people won't be so eager to pay as much in the future. Even artists can make huge money solving big art challenges for a client very quickly.
In the end, remember that your value is based on what others perceive. The more you can establish that you provide something they want, and the better you can deliver that to a large enough audience, the more value you will receive.
What made the most difference for me was when I realized that my goals as an artist are not the same as a professional artist. My journey as an artist is probably a lifetime one, but that doesn't mean that I have to struggle my whole life time to live from art. So I have clear goals as a professional and that sustain my personal dream. They feed from each other, my passions give me fuel to do the boring work stuff and the work stuff gives sustainability to my passions
I'm just doing art because I want to do it. Though... I won't lie and say I wasn't thinking of making some money off it, somewhere down the line.
BUT, I am at the beginning stage of my art journey, so I've got a long way to go. So much to learn. So much to draw.
I just hope next year, I'll be able to draw on a consistent basis. Whether it be completed works or sketches ~ while completing a drawing or two here-and-there.
I just want to grow as an artist.
I've been struggling with this for months now, as I finished high school this year and I have no idea of what to do. Thank you for making this video. Hearing this from you, an artist, helped me understand what my parents have been telling me for a looong time, and my vision is a little bit clearer, thank youuuu✨✨✨
5:09 so true. 😫
It’s also interesting how we as growing artists want to be at a point already where we are comfortable and successful making things that provide us happiness, but a lot of the journey is often the opposite. We still create but in order to get to a point in continual growth, our foundations seem to be built upon creating for others more so than ourselves. Like companies/corporations big or small, client work, commissions etc. I like talking about this topic b/c it is a tough realistic one that needs to be discussed. Thanks for bringing it up.
Well....this is a hard pill to swallow. But thank you so much for the take, Ergo. Wishing you a happy new year and I'll use this toward my growth
I should have drawn something Matrix related instead of Jinx huh
I really needed this advice
You may not be entitled to making any money as an artist. But I can tell you from experience that you sure as Hell have a better chance than you will making money as a writer.
As a writer, I agree with this. In traditional work, you're probably going to suffer and wither as a writer. The job market is largely toxic and difficult with little payout, from everything I've heard over the past 5-6 years. But in non-traditional work, I've been very encouraged by seeing so many people succeed; in things like crowdfunded projects, RUclips channels, enterpunurial work, and the like. If you are a imaginative, pragmatic, self-starter type, then I feel like this is the way to go nowadays, and the way I want to go, personally. Most colleges are outdated and not educating people about this.
But I would recommend having other skills besides writing in your arsenal, such as art, or more technical skills. Also, having a non-writing job while doing writing on the side or as a hobby is totally acceptable too. Hopefully this helps and encourages someone!
@@oracle_8947 Good luck finding a writer who doesn't have, or never had, a non-writing job. It's almost mandatory unless your name is King or Rowling, etc. There are certainly more non-traditional opportunities out there depending on what sort of writing we're talking about. Purely in terms of writing fiction...Good Luck! It's possible, but you tend to have to be 1) a great networker 2) an incredible marketer or 3) very lucky. Maybe those things are also crucial to succeeding as an artist as well, but people can see and process your images almost instantly, where getting anyone from an agent to an editor to a fan, to read these days is an uphill battle.
Josh seems to be highly aware of his situation, and the greater environment that currently exists of art. He really gets intimate with his deeper feelings about art a lot. I appreciate that a lot.
Thank you for all of your advice. Happy New Year.
I think it’s also worth saying that what artists like is sometimes different from what the general public wants. When I was apprenticing in a tattoo shop pre-Covid, I realized that a lot of people can’t fathom that an artist can draw something that is not in their portfolio….and to be fair, I suppose it’s a little presumptuous to think they should understand that artists look at a face, flower or landscape as essentially the same thing (forms shaped by light, and shadow). Some people can see you draw the human figure without reference and still need you to literally prove that you are capable of copying a picture of Mario.
Tbh I feel pretty cynical about everything these days, and I also think it’s a sad time when people are willing to fork out thousands to get an NFT of some stupid squirrel sniffing it’s own ass or a banana taped to the wall-and I’m not one of those people that exclusively worships realism-I know and like Duchamp! I just can’t get on board with the idea that people prefer all these re-makes and marvel movies-it’s just that they aren’t offering anything else, there is no other mainstream choice.
This is why I don't believe in the saying "Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life.", this phrase just makes it sound like if your dream job will be perfect with no negatives, only positives.
The easiest example is comparing playing a video game for fun VS as a career (youtube, esports...), there will be times where you'd rather play a different game than the one that is currently helping you pay the bills. And the same can happen with art as a career, I would dare to say even many other careers out there as well.
In my opinion the best thing is to not associate the word "Work" with negative feelings of laziness, stress, etc, but to try to search your passion on the process, the journey, regardless of the final result that may come out of it (this case being, trendy art, studio projects and such).
I think you can love your job and have a passion for it, while still understanding that this is work. Which is exactly what I'm getting from your video Josh, great content as always!
So... I'm gonna graduate high school soon lol and quite honestly, I'm extremely nervous and apprehensive about what my future will look like. I don't even know which college I'm gonna attend to and to be quite honest there have been times over the past year where I have wondered whether I'm choosing the right. Honestly, I chose art because I wouldn't find any other job enjoyable or personally successful. If I had known better, maybe I could've gone and chosen a major that would require both art and non-art related skills but would allow me to work in a way where I could make enough money to pay bills but also would allow me to do what I really like. Maybe it's not too late to change my mind, I don't know. I just feel like I'm at the point in my life where if I go one route, I can never recover and return. I feel like I've made a lot of progress with my art over the years but I have such a long way to go. I've come from a family tree where an art career was never pursued before and because I'm the first one to do this kind of thing in my family, hell even out of all my friend and peer groups and I have no one in person to look up to and ask for help. Not even my art teacher knows much about the line that I want to go to(being animation/digital art and maybe pursue a business minor in case everything else fails miserably) and I just feel so lost. I have art goals and ambitions but if I have nothing to stand on in the next 6-7 years and I can't employed at a good job, then what's the point? I'm probably not going to art school either(I cannot afford to be in heaps of student debt) and I may just pursue a regular education at a university but beyond college though... everything is a mystery. I'm still struggling to find out what line of art is best suited for me because quite frankly the industry is so spanned out. Maybe I'm thinking too far in the future and it's early to tell, but with how teachers and counselors put so much pressure to find out immediately what to do in the future, I'm scared...
I realized this 2-3 years in doing art full time, so i’m currently taking a bachelor in interactive game design and i’m planning to have a side job to actively be able to put time into my art on the side, the goal is of course to improve my craft and make it appealing to studios, which i’m willing to drop alot of years into, hell i’m already 5 years in, still need to learn a bit tho :D
When you're a starry-eyed child with an affinity for whatever your art form is, nobody tells you you have to think of your art as a business and learn to market properly; no, they just hype you up, tell you you're a god among men, and you get to drink in images of big time artists' success, thinking that's gonna be you someday. You go into the world thinking your skill/talent is enough to make it -- because it apparently was for the greats, right? -- only to get the rude awakening that you are nothing special. Not even close. Enter existential crisis, stage right!
Young artists nowadays, though, have a distinct advantage over us millennials: easy, free access to hundreds, THOUSANDS of other artists who've made it, such as you, Josh, who can share their secrets and tricks of the trade. Whether by watching RUclips videos or joining Facebook groups, they can learn from the best and potentially avoid having their dreams crushed. Of course, there will always be the more hubristic artists who will insist they don't have to listen to anyone, but they'll just have to learn the hard way.
It has been a hard pill to swallow that I most likely have another decade or so of doing grueling labor in order to support myself, but I have come to terms with it. I've learned from my past mistakes and will do better the next time I try to put myself out there. In the meantime, I'll continue honing my crafts and learning to market myself better (and perhaps sacrifice a goat or something, hahaha). It's okay to dream about making a living from art alone; but we very much need to be in touch with reality.
While I like to believe that many people have fair returns for the value they put into their jobs, there are those who do not receive proper compensation for the value they offer. Either they are unlucky or society itself does not value them enough monetarily. Just look at the many grade school, middle school, and high school teachers and think about what they deserve verse what they receive
Not to say that just because someone feels this way doesn’t mean they’re in this situation. Or that they should just submit themselves to circumstances. I just think it’s important to acknowledge and to do what we can to help others when we’re able.
Depressing but necessary. Thank you, it's very helpful :)
This is so important to understand early on, and basically in any field, in order to not burn out from feeling mad. The intersection of "Thing you love", "Thing you're good at" and "Thing the world needs" is what you should be doing if you want to live off of your craft.
Maybe the only video on the internet that tells de true about making money from art. I tried for years making money trying to do something that I love, but never got anything, until I realized that need to make something that generates value to other people to make money, but this do not means that I need to do something that I don't like, just had to rethink my art to fit other people taste.
well it doesn't matter already for me, because i'm already accept my destiny and just waits to my death, i'll throw away drawing and dream becomes a beautiful artist, drawing ruined my life and destroyed myself, i curse the day when idea of become an artist popped in my head, i'm not the type of person who have some strength and "will" to do something, i'm always have been like that my whole life, no hobbies, no goals, not any understanding of what i want to do in this life and who i want to be, i never enjoyed to do anything in this life, i don't understand why i'm ever existing, so i'm just going to wait till my suffering would end and i would never suffer from needs to do anything and being not good and be a "person" not an empty vessel ever again.
I felt this comment on a spiritual level
I AM OBSESSED WITH UR JINX DRAWING WOWOWW
I HAVE GOT TO GET BETTER AT ART (I literally just started learning how to draw) 😭😭😭
Thank you Ergo Josh for your words of wisdom. Reality can be a tough #&%# at times. What I'm learning through my art experiences is how to maintain a sane mind when it comes to creative freedom, social media and finding that right clique. I was thinking about what I can do bring more value to my work is to teach what I had learned to others and be more interactive with my supporters. 🙂
Great Video Josh! Excited for whatever is in store for you next year!
Last year I really thought that I could earn money without getting a day job 🤦🏻♀️. I tried to get a bigger crowd on my social media but struggled with keeping up with my weekly schedule. Forced myself to watch tutorials and how-to-sell-on-Etsy videos. Of course, I’ve been miserable and was a financial burden for my family.
In August, I finally got a job which is okay enough as long as it pays the bills. As for now, I’m thinking about transitioning to a different non-artistic field that would be my main career and doing art as a hobby. Who knows, maybe someday I would draw professionally. But it should be a smoother and happier process that a situation I’ve put myself through(I’ve might been a bit harsh on myself, considering that it was 2020, and everyone was stuck at home)
Edit: Also, there a thing is that although my art looks decent I still have some areas to improve(I am self-taught and want to become an illustrator). Do not jump into business before improving your artwork
Wow this was so informative! I’m glad someone with your experience is giving people this advice! Stay strong fellow artists u got this!!!
I'm 39 about 40 this is something i realized long ago. I wanted to just be an artist but eventually i had to become a writer, a multimedia specialist and a computer technician before i could get close to achieving my dreams. I realized that "Branding" gives value to art. No matter the skill level, others will pay small and large amount of money if you're artwork is tied to a popular IP. I'll be happy finding limited success selling to a niche market that enjoy my work.
it's incredible how I happen to watch your videos exactly when I need to hear an opinion on certain topic, I just talked about this with my mom today
tbh i used to study animation for a year but i really did not enjoy animating it is so extremely time consuming and so draining, i wanted to do it bc i thougth that was one of the art jobs with the most prospects and stability for the future. but while doing it i completely lost my passion for art and so far it hasn't really returned. so i intend to study something else, just for a normal job, and then if my passion returns just keeping it as a hobby. i've realised that money and stability is just really important and for majority of artists it is an extreme struggle to just make the bare minimum and then you need to constantly improve, for me i always felt not good enough and my art skills aren't enough for me to get employed by big companies
I also think that some artists romanticize the reality and make it look like making art full time is the most easy thing when it's pretty difficult to achieve! Thank you for this video!
YES!!! LAST 1000TH LIKE OF THE YEAR!!! Seriously, tho many thanksfor the content you put out, and sharing your words! Wish you a happy and safe Holidays as well as a Fortuitous New Year!
Thank you Josh, I really needed to hear this. Now I can go into 2022 with the right mindset!
Another video I really needed to hear! This was something I was thinking about a few days ago. Thank you for giving me more things to consider. Thanks again Josh!🔥🔥🔥🔥
I ended up deciding to not do art for money but for fun and the joy of improvement
I'm loving these recent videos that you are putting out! Happy New Year, Josh!
Thanks for this, really needed to remind myself that...your art process is awesome too
Just one note about the Disney stuff like yes people love the 3-D stuff but they are given any options with what to consume. I think there’s a reason why these days and artists will post a 30second 2 minute smooth to the animation and people lose their mind. Talking about how amazing it is and that studios should hire the artist and just very intense accolades. I think part of the reason for this is that you don’t really see a lot of 2-D animation anymore that isn’t Toon boom. And people who are teens now didn’t grow up with a lot of the 2D stuff you and I grew up with so for them 2D is different
100% true. We can't really fully specialize on anything if we want to be independent, we must at least do 2 things:
1) Produce something of value (If it has value for you, it will probably have value for someone else), solve problems, develop a solution
2) Make other humans aware of your solutions, objects, services. The awareness of other human beings and guiding that awareness, the impact, is what's called Marketing.
You might not like it, but if you want to be truly independent, you must follow these rules. And don't worry, eventually you'll like it, because who the f doesn't like independence?
So valuable. Thanks
Thank you… thank you so much. Like the amount of love I have for this video…..thank you
As someone that wants to be an digital artist, this helped a lot to clarify my doubts, still want to do it tho. Thanks
Very thought provoking vid! I gotta agree! Half the battle for me personally is trying to find a way to bring value to my art for a big audience.
I'm aiming to give value via entertainment, I want to draw art that makes people happy, interested, or entertained via fanart. I've been doing the hard work and taking advice from lots of social media arts (you included) and I am still at point 0. This made me stop posting for a while on IG to reflect on what I need to do to get my work seen. I can't give value if no one is seeing my work.
Absolutely. If thats what you want at the end of the day, you’ve got to make your art visible outside your home or local harddrive.
Great vídeo Josh
Truth! Are there any particular trends you think aren’t worthwhile or avoid?
Absolutely agree.
this was.. somehow a bit demotivating. I've had this realization a few weeks ago and it motivated me to go through all these hard times cause there's a goal I wanna archieve. but this video.. idk it makes it seem like its impossible to even have the goal of being an independent artist. ive gotta think about this more..
@@seancharleshowell thank you.. I can't afford art school unfortunately so my goal is to just.. do it on my own I guess. I just got out of highschool and am searching for internships and what not, but I'm unsuccessful. I know my art looks decent and I did commissions for a while, but I cant afford a life with it cause I barely have any followers on any social media. My art looks okay, but I'm awful at all this internet stuff ugh.. thank you for your nice comment and good luck to you too!
i just draw for fun mostly, to express my love for some anime/game characters. but sometimes there are people who want to pay me to draw their waifus. i work a full time job so the commissions act as extra cash i can use for my other hobbies
so yeah the reason why disney or other animation studios go for 3d in some sense was that it made the process cheaper in the long run and in some senses it did stream line the process, the reason why market does X or Y has a lot to do with the suppliers well a lot more with them other then the demand.
Hey Josh! First off I love your content and always like to sit with a snack while i draw mindlessly listening to your voice, its very soothing and grounds me as i work. ^^
I Agree with your video, but I wanted to ask if you have any advice for people who cannot easily fill the roles of entertaining people with art?
The very real and sad thing is: a TON of people who feel entitled to making money off of art are people who are often severely disabled and incapable of working or receiving disability checks. Ranging from family issues to just living in a tough state. These people legit have no other way of making money then to sell art or beg people online to give them money. I do not blame them. When you are chronically ill or very disabled, your limitations are pretty dang huge, a lot of artists have constant needs to be met and medical emergencies that they cannot afford to be entertaining or provide MORE then just art.
This isn't to say that they HAVE to be paid, or that its anyone's fault that they are stuck like this. I personally don't blame anyone. But I do want to know your opinion on this, or if you have any ideas on how to grow that don't involve streaming or being entertaining or teaching, much of which a lot of disabled artists cannot do.
This comment is not meant to guilt trip anyone, I hope this didn't come off in such a way, I just wanted to provide a window to the other side of an opinion. On behalf of myself and many artist friends I know personally who are suffering too.
I hope your day is going lovely and cant wait to see the next video!
I'm doing food delivery jobs till I get back to school, so I feel that.
Hello! Love your work, it is a really interesting concept you’re talking about.
Definitely need to hear this!
Amazing Jinx btw
YOOOO IM SO EARLYYY THATS WASSAP
your voice is so satisfying, especially at the evening. one question, why do you switch between your iPad and your pc for drawing? have a great start in the new year.
Thanks bro. I personally wanna work on comics and such. For I love storytelling and I feel that comics as many ways to tell a story and have it themes stanched into both it’s writing and design of it’s characters and setting but paneling as well. As shown a lot by jitsu Kaisen and from time to time in berserk.
Thank u kind sir
I find if funny when people find out that I draw, they will always ask to see and sometimes I get a comment saying "omg u could sell this or be an artis"... the truth is this video, I love drawing and painting as my hobby but as Josh says it's not all painting and drawing, there is competition, marketing ect... this is something I don't want to add to what makes me so happy.. so I'm gonna keep it my hobby 😊
I don’t know if i do want to make money with my art, that’s kind of why i went and did the whole “get a degreee and a job”
thing, cause I don’t know if i can play the social media game…
man your art slaps
just had to say that ;)
Thank you!
what is the app on the left that he uses for the photo reference board???
How do I delete someone else's video?
Hey, thank you for this video!!!! Just one question. What is the app with references? 😁
Pure Ref for PC/Mac - Vizref for Ipad!
thank you so much for this video, it was really reassuring. i currently have to work a full time job to be able to even think of affording college next year and i felt really guilty about it, seeing all my classmates be in college while i push around boxes all day is not the best. but i still try and draw my comic despite all that with hopes of one day making it as an artist, even if i'll be 45 years old by the time i have my first month totally funded by art
Japanese artists need to learn that
Earning money is not dependant on success, but demand. I'd love to have a doctor that cures me, but I already visited over a hundred and none of them did a single thing. They still get paid tho, and even if their reputation drops below 0, they still will have customers, cause the market is undersatisfied and waiting times are long.
Another example would be brokers: what exactly are those doing for humanity? Reality isn't as easy as you make it look like, and you can easily earn money without being of any use. By scrapping other people's are and illegally selling prints, for example. I mean, you make money so you're super useful, right?
It just feels like artists are constantly put down for doing something they love, they're passionate about and that makes them happy, when in reality, that should be what society should support even more: giving people a safe base to find out about what is their calling. It's how we get out of stagnation, by using human ressources where they're best fit. Most artists don't even want to be rich, they just don't want to kill themselves because they're getting trapped in a system that makes them physically and mentally sick.
Most people saying art is not of use don't even realize where it's used in their every day lives. There would be no movies, books would have no covers, every supermarket product would be sold in a bland gray box. Art is a very fundamental of our world, it builds houses, realizes new technic, and sometimes just serves us to relax for a minute.
But if you're able to live off of it depends on your success. But to get successful, you have to start somewhere, and that's where most artists fail. They're independant, and don't know how to make money from their measly art skills, that could maybe result in something really big if given the time. But they don't get the time.
If you don't mind I would love to know which of your procreate brushes are you using for the line art in procreate? Also what canvas size are you working on? Thanks!
new subs malaysia , thanks im 29 and i want achieve that kind of goal entrepreneur art, need to start somewhere oh man scary as shit need to beat laziness and fear, dont stop empower us sir btw love arcane
What is the best way to stay up to date with trends? I feel im really bad at that ;(
The face structure is a bit off in the mouth-nose area, also the lower jaw doesn’t match the ear placement.
I like the explanation why Doctors ears less than Media stars. Very clear point. Thank you.
YEAH BOY! It's a brand new video! 😄
I don't agree with doing things that you don't like. If you're unhappy with the creation of art, you should not be making art.
It's easy to recognize something made by an artist who like what he do, and not. Lot of social media artist fall in this trap and now "slave" to their audience.
Yep. I spent years of my life desperately trying to make myself do things in art that I really don’t enjoy just because they’re ‘popular’. And you know what? I got absolutely nothing from it.
No followers, no money. Sure, I passed my degree by the skin of my teeth, but I was so burnt out I didn’t pick up a pencil for a year afterwards.
I’m now 26 and actually indulging in the art I enjoy, including making tactile things like jewellery (which ties to a huge interest of mine which is costume design), and suddenly I’m making money.
I do commend those artists that can very easily hop on trends and be fulfilled, it’s just very easy to pick out when someone’s heart’s not in it, and it’s really damaging to people’s creativity to say that the only way to make money is to do what’s popular…. Especially when there’s a lot of artists doing tonnes of things outside of the ‘norm’ that are doing extremely well for themselves.
I just want to make enough money to get myself out of the money hole I'm in. Art is making no money at all so I might have to get a second job I hate to make ends meet because cost of living is high. I might have to give up art according to my parents just to make ends meet.
The best way to find success in art is to not make a career in art. Simple 🗿
fr. i know if i tried to rely on art as my job itd make me hate it for sure
But can you really distinguish between an artist with amazing skill vs an artist with such good visualization to the point that they are essentially just tracing?!
Big love🖤
What is called the app he uses to organize his references ?
how can he have his sub view with many references pictures ?
what app is that on the left used to see the reference? id like to know please ^^
PureRef for the PC & MAC and Vizref for the ipad!
@@ergojosh :0 he himself replied im blessed, also thanks for replying haha ill use it well!
Great vid!