I have to take gripe with your anime comment. I am living in Eastern Asia. I draw anime influenced art. I get employed just fine. You should have pointed out that your advice is only on applying for western game industry.
I agree with pretty much everything except one point: Having anime/manga art in your portfolio might generally not be a good thing but if you want to work for a Japanese game studio etc. it's definitely not a mistake! Of course you should also be able to draw other things such as realism and have strong fundamentals. Just felt like commenting this because a lot of people seem to forget that there's a whole industry for this kind of stuff.
Pretty good video :D Its really good that you clarified when you talked about anime because at the start of that I was like "What about the character designer of Overwatch? What about Alexis Rives?" and then you explained that is different from just straight up anime art. Quite a lot of pro's that say stay out of anime forget to clarify that and it confuses and pisses of quite a few students that see successful concept artist make it with that kind of style.
#2 I dunno, I feel life drawing is different. Rembert Montald said that one of the sketches that caught RIot's eye the most in hiring him, was a sketch of a child and their mother on a train- because it was the simple life drawings like that in which told the most story; and they wanted someone who could tell stories. He got hired as a storyboard artist. I feel like some of these, circle back to number one the most. Know what you are applying for. Some life drawings might actually help you in getting a story board artist job, but it likely won't help you for a concept artist design position.
Thank you for the info about life drawings in my portfolio! I had a teacher give me the exact opposite advice and say "when in doubt, add your best life drawings." I did not know that it comes across as padded fluff. Thank you again for the insight!
I think this is geared more towards 2d artists.a 3d artist job is to basically copy a concept. A 3d artist portfolio can obtain a little bit of everything because what’s expected of them is the ability to execute a proposed design,put some of their own twist to something, a foundation of fundamentals especially for character artists,and technical know how. A life drawing or two is helpful because if it’s a good piece, it shows that the artist have a solid grip on anatomy which they require in the job description. Fan art is fine as long as it’s minimum. Everything else mentioned definitely apply to 3d artist as well. Fan art and life drawings can work for 3d artists as long as they meet the more important requirements and it’s minimum. Most professional 3d artist have life drawings and a fan art piece along with 3d pieces derived from concepts.
Thanks for these tips Adam, though I do have one question on the topic of anime-influenced artwork for portfolios. Provided that it's an original design, and not fanart of a series or a DTIYS challenge piece, would an artstyle that's very much anime-based, but still follows the fundamentals of art (colour, anatomy, composition, etc.) be accepted?
Thanks again for an excellent video! I am aiming for a fantasy RPG focused portfolio since my goal is to work for Wizards and make Magic/D&D cards. I just don't know if the position for freelance artists will be eternally available because I think It'll take me at least 2-3 years to reach the level of professionalism that those artists there have.
Hey Adam. I see the majority of 3D artists, either character artists or environment artists, mostly working off of other 2D artists concepts. Barely do they come up with their own compostions and concepts which they execute. What's your oppinion on this? I'm defenetly with you on your point about fanart and portfolio. But I always see Artstations and portfolios of professionals are flooded with this stuff which does confuse me. Whenever you see a Character piece , most of the time you can be sure that the author adds a "based on the wonderful concept of xxx" in the description. Do you think its different in the 3d field than in 2d ?
Great video! I just have one question about the fanart bit (even though you said no fanart xD). If a portfolio has a single piece of fanart and it's more in the artstyle of the artist (so not in the style of the show/anime/movie/game etc) would that be ok? Or is it still a big no?
I wish I could learn to draw and to digital art. I am 35 years old. I program games and draw UI Interfaces, also I create 3D models. But my greatest disappointment in life is not taking my drawings to the next level. =/ Adam, do you think it's possible to learn and do great digital art starting late? Love your work!
Every great artist i follow never says it's too late to start drawing. Consistent and focused practice is probably the answer just 1 hour or half every day can be incredibly powerful if you just stick to it
imagine this its allready so increadible hard to see that you are completelly computer generatet, now just pulse the brain of the participant and you can have from him her what ever you like.
Hey Adam, you touched in a point that I'm very much interested in, I have a difficult time implementing people's techniques that I like into my own work. Usually the ideas are not what I'm interested in, it's more about some shapes or the hatching of a particular sketch, the composition, the brushwork, this kind of stuff. How would you approach incorporating different techniques from a bunch of different artists without getting lost in the process? I understand tha this can be a long answer so maybe this gives you an idea for a video with examples on your own work or something like that. Other than that just good luck staying productive with the new video game hahah, keep it up man!
The most ideal solution is to take time and do a study of said piece you like. Paying careful consideration toward the aspect you want to learn the most (i.e. hatching, composition, shapes etc). A study is not a 1 to 1 though. It is trying to breakdown and understand the work itself. Just copying 1 to 1 you aren't actually retaining the knowledge. It's just copy, paste, forget. That said, if you're short on time or are just in a hurry, you can always take the piece of work you like and plop it next to your current piece you're working on and do a mini study of the exact aspect you like. However, make sure you're not just copying. Make the effort to transfer that aspect you're learning/love about the original piece cohesively into your piece. Paying attention to value, scale, proportions and any an all fundamentals regarding your piece. For examples sake, if you're in love with Artist A's rendering of an ornate white goblet but where you're placing said goblet in your scene would be too high contrast. Don't just copy the white goblet over, change the value so that it more naturally sits within your work. Random example but it gets a point across. Hope this helps some. I know it can be daunting to implement other's work into your own but it is doable. Just remember you don't want to just be another clone of an artist you admire. You want to be you. Speak with your voice, your style!
Jon Lau thank you man! That's a great piece of advice! Yeah I truly don't want to be a copycat, After All I just want techniques to apply to my own ideas and art. But this studies tip is awesome, I almost never did studies because I was always seeing people trying to reproduce every little inch of an image and that's never worked for me. When I study pictures is usually a matter of really looking and analyzing it, taking notes even. guess I need to do the same with artists that I like then . Again, thank you very much man!
Great video! I went to a "Graphic Design School" (dunno what the english word is) in Germany for 3 years and like 70% of the students there applied to the school because they're into comic and manga. Our teachers tried their best to talk them out of it but I'm afraid many of them are still gonna stick that shit into their portfolio and never get hired.
Ianuko of course, it’s a powerful influence in many of the lives of younger artists - once they get proper pro training them they start to find the confidence to branch out into more diverse venues
Does this apply to environmental concept design too? And when it comes to fanart, does creating an original idea based on an existing world consider a fanart?
Interesting points Adam, just a question about this, if I making a 3D art from a concept art of some great artist, this still counts like copycat for my portfolio or in this cases is alright because this is the job of 3d artist for most of time? I wanna follow de carrer of 3D art, if you have more advices I will be grateful!
Professional 3d artist say that you should reach out to the creator for permission.if you make the piece with permission or not, credit the artist.most of the time they have no problem when you ask.
i really like this topic, especially with the anime part. i was in my 20s when i just learn about art and stuff, and at the moment i was really attached to anime stylized art. probably it is the right time for me to learn more about the fundamental stuff, to expand my reach on the industry. thank you for this. sorry if my word has some misunderstading, english not my native language
Hahaha oooh god, I admit I have a pair of fanarts on my portfolio, as well as a "cartoon anime kawaii! ✨💖" work too, because I think they're ones of my best pieces. I suppose I must to do new better pieces! 💪
If you're looking to get hired by a company doing jrpgs or other anime style games, i think it's fine to have it there but most western companies will likely ignore because of it
Haha thats 100% the only reason i would get a ps4. i recently watched a streamer play bloodborne so i could study the art from the game without spoiling it . Hope you wont resort to guides for the game. good luck......
Adriaan Ater definitely not - that comes after I clear it - I’m all about the exploration side of the game I think I’ve taken about 5000 screenshots already - I’m overwhelmed with the beauty of the game
I only have one issue with this list and I don't seem to be the only one. I know this video needs to be concise and without tangents but the "anime" issue needed to be phrased differently in order to convey what I feel was your intention when you said to not include anime in your portfolio. Anime is too broad a term. That's just like saying don't put cartoons in your portfolio. If you are applying to be a cartoonist then making a variety of cartoons could be a flex on your versatility. It just depends on where you are applying and for what position. I think your use of the word "anime" is too similar to how you use "fanart" earlier in the list. Big eyes small mouth isn't what turns people away. Eastern influences don't put your portfolio in the trash. However, painting or drawing a character that looks EXACTLY like they could belong to the Dragon Ball cast of characters will signal some red flags. It falls under the same category as fanart. Your employer doesn't want to see your Sailor Moon oc, they want you to make something original. Coming to a studio with a bunch of "New Fire Nation" characters that look like Zuko's children would only be useful in one scenario: applying at Nickelodeon to work specifically on an Avatar sequel. Even then, it wouldn't be very impressive unless you already knew how to make your own original work and concepts.
One thing I didn't hear you talk about is if Anime style is ok. I've seen quite a few games using anime style, so I know it's ok to show off that style to those kind of developers, but is it ok for a normal portfolio, or should I leave it out?
I have to take gripe with your anime comment. I am living in Eastern Asia. I draw anime influenced art. I get employed just fine. You should have pointed out that your advice is only on applying for western game industry.
I agree with pretty much everything except one point:
Having anime/manga art in your portfolio might generally not be a good thing but if you want to work for a Japanese game studio etc. it's definitely not a mistake! Of course you should also be able to draw other things such as realism and have strong fundamentals. Just felt like commenting this because a lot of people seem to forget that there's a whole industry for this kind of stuff.
8:44 people who can snap fingers like that scare me
Pretty good video :D Its really good that you clarified when you talked about anime because at the start of that I was like "What about the character designer of Overwatch? What about Alexis Rives?" and then you explained that is different from just straight up anime art.
Quite a lot of pro's that say stay out of anime forget to clarify that and it confuses and pisses of quite a few students that see successful concept artist make it with that kind of style.
6:06 Adam died a little inside.
#2 I dunno, I feel life drawing is different. Rembert Montald said that one of the sketches that caught RIot's eye the most in hiring him, was a sketch of a child and their mother on a train- because it was the simple life drawings like that in which told the most story; and they wanted someone who could tell stories. He got hired as a storyboard artist.
I feel like some of these, circle back to number one the most. Know what you are applying for. Some life drawings might actually help you in getting a story board artist job, but it likely won't help you for a concept artist design position.
Thank you for the info about life drawings in my portfolio! I had a teacher give me the exact opposite advice and say "when in doubt, add your best life drawings." I did not know that it comes across as padded fluff. Thank you again for the insight!
5:53 - 6:15 was so fucking hilarious! XD
I think this is geared more towards 2d artists.a 3d artist job is to basically copy a concept. A 3d artist portfolio can obtain a little bit of everything because what’s expected of them is the ability to execute a proposed design,put some of their own twist to something, a foundation of fundamentals especially for character artists,and technical know how. A life drawing or two is helpful because if it’s a good piece, it shows that the artist have a solid grip on anatomy which they require in the job description. Fan art is fine as long as it’s minimum. Everything else mentioned definitely apply to 3d artist as well. Fan art and life drawings can work for 3d artists as long as they meet the more important requirements and it’s minimum. Most professional 3d artist have life drawings and a fan art piece along with 3d pieces derived from concepts.
bloodborne is SO dope, you'll love it.... oh .... and thanks for the info :)
Absolutely gorgeous and honest content. Thank you Adam.
Looking forward to this becoming a Bloodborne play through channel
Love your channel Adam, I'd be/will be sharing some of it in my freelancers group from time to time.
Haha the anime art made me crack up. Manga artist should apply at manga studios or become published mangaka like My Mangaka life. But omg I’m dying🤣
Great message in this video. Also... You had me at Bloodborne. The Dark Souls series and Bloodborne are my favorites.
its not stealing its teamwork, data getting processed by other programms
Very very insiteful, thank you so much
could you please continue doing BTS Adam!
Thanks for these tips Adam, though I do have one question on the topic of anime-influenced artwork for portfolios. Provided that it's an original design, and not fanart of a series or a DTIYS challenge piece, would an artstyle that's very much anime-based, but still follows the fundamentals of art (colour, anatomy, composition, etc.) be accepted?
Thanks again for an excellent video! I am aiming for a fantasy RPG focused portfolio since my goal is to work for Wizards and make Magic/D&D cards. I just don't know if the position for freelance artists will be eternally available because I think It'll take me at least 2-3 years to reach the level of professionalism that those artists there have.
Hey Adam. I see the majority of 3D artists, either character artists or environment artists, mostly working off of other 2D artists concepts. Barely do they come up with their own compostions and concepts which they execute. What's your oppinion on this? I'm defenetly with you on your point about fanart and portfolio. But I always see Artstations and portfolios of professionals are flooded with this stuff which does confuse me. Whenever you see a Character piece , most of the time you can be sure that the author adds a "based on the wonderful concept of xxx" in the description. Do you think its different in the 3d field than in 2d ?
Great video! I just have one question about the fanart bit (even though you said no fanart xD). If a portfolio has a single piece of fanart and it's more in the artstyle of the artist (so not in the style of the show/anime/movie/game etc) would that be ok? Or is it still a big no?
I wish I could learn to draw and to digital art. I am 35 years old.
I program games and draw UI Interfaces, also I create 3D models. But my greatest disappointment in life is not taking my drawings to the next level. =/
Adam, do you think it's possible to learn and do great digital art starting late?
Love your work!
Every great artist i follow never says it's too late to start drawing. Consistent and focused practice is probably the answer just 1 hour or half every day can be incredibly powerful if you just stick to it
good talk duffman
imagine this its allready so increadible hard to see that you are completelly computer generatet, now just pulse the brain of the participant and you can have from him her what ever you like.
Oh man! Enjoy! Bloodborne is my favorite game of probably the past 10 years!
Omg I’m right with you w/ blood borne
Thanks for the info!
Hey Adam, you touched in a point that I'm very much interested in, I have a difficult time implementing people's techniques that I like into my own work. Usually the ideas are not what I'm interested in, it's more about some shapes or the hatching of a particular sketch, the composition, the brushwork, this kind of stuff. How would you approach incorporating different techniques from a bunch of different artists without getting lost in the process? I understand tha this can be a long answer so maybe this gives you an idea for a video with examples on your own work or something like that. Other than that just good luck staying productive with the new video game hahah, keep it up man!
The most ideal solution is to take time and do a study of said piece you like. Paying careful consideration toward the aspect you want to learn the most (i.e. hatching, composition, shapes etc). A study is not a 1 to 1 though. It is trying to breakdown and understand the work itself. Just copying 1 to 1 you aren't actually retaining the knowledge. It's just copy, paste, forget.
That said, if you're short on time or are just in a hurry, you can always take the piece of work you like and plop it next to your current piece you're working on and do a mini study of the exact aspect you like. However, make sure you're not just copying. Make the effort to transfer that aspect you're learning/love about the original piece cohesively into your piece. Paying attention to value, scale, proportions and any an all fundamentals regarding your piece. For examples sake, if you're in love with Artist A's rendering of an ornate white goblet but where you're placing said goblet in your scene would be too high contrast. Don't just copy the white goblet over, change the value so that it more naturally sits within your work. Random example but it gets a point across.
Hope this helps some. I know it can be daunting to implement other's work into your own but it is doable. Just remember you don't want to just be another clone of an artist you admire. You want to be you. Speak with your voice, your style!
Jon Lau thank you man! That's a great piece of advice! Yeah I truly don't want to be a copycat, After All I just want techniques to apply to my own ideas and art. But this studies tip is awesome, I almost never did studies because I was always seeing people trying to reproduce every little inch of an image and that's never worked for me. When I study pictures is usually a matter of really looking and analyzing it, taking notes even. guess I need to do the same with artists that I like then . Again, thank you very much man!
That's a sick hoodie.
Great video! I went to a "Graphic Design School" (dunno what the english word is) in Germany for 3 years and like 70% of the students there applied to the school because they're into comic and manga. Our teachers tried their best to talk them out of it but I'm afraid many of them are still gonna stick that shit into their portfolio and never get hired.
Ianuko of course, it’s a powerful influence in many of the lives of younger artists - once they get proper pro training them they start to find the confidence to branch out into more diverse venues
Does this apply to environmental concept design too? And when it comes to fanart, does creating an original idea based on an existing world consider a fanart?
Hell yeah Bloodborne! One of my loose inspirations.
Interesting points Adam, just a question about this, if I making a 3D art from a concept art of some great artist, this still counts like copycat for my portfolio or in this cases is alright because this is the job of 3d artist for most of time?
I wanna follow de carrer of 3D art, if you have more advices I will be grateful!
Professional 3d artist say that you should reach out to the creator for permission.if you make the piece with permission or not, credit the artist.most of the time they have no problem when you ask.
Wow this really helped me
Should I put my personal projects in my portfolio ? Are there any chances companies will steal your ideas from your portfolio ?
damn! this is accurate about anime.. haha
Gerald Almighty lol yep - I love anime but yeah...
i really like this topic, especially with the anime part.
i was in my 20s when i just learn about art and stuff, and at the moment i was really attached to anime stylized art. probably it is the right time for me to learn more about the fundamental stuff, to expand my reach on the industry.
thank you for this.
sorry if my word has some misunderstading, english not my native language
Hahaha oooh god, I admit I have a pair of fanarts on my portfolio, as well as a "cartoon anime kawaii! ✨💖" work too, because I think they're ones of my best pieces. I suppose I must to do new better pieces! 💪
If you're looking to get hired by a company doing jrpgs or other anime style games, i think it's fine to have it there but most western companies will likely ignore because of it
Haha thats 100% the only reason i would get a ps4. i recently watched a streamer play bloodborne so i could study the art from the game without spoiling it . Hope you wont resort to guides for the game. good luck......
Adriaan Ater definitely not - that comes after I clear it - I’m all about the exploration side of the game
I think I’ve taken about 5000 screenshots already - I’m overwhelmed with the beauty of the game
makes me sad that so few people have seen your anime girl impression 6:06
but but animu...but...
I only have one issue with this list and I don't seem to be the only one. I know this video needs to be concise and without tangents but the "anime" issue needed to be phrased differently in order to convey what I feel was your intention when you said to not include anime in your portfolio.
Anime is too broad a term. That's just like saying don't put cartoons in your portfolio. If you are applying to be a cartoonist then making a variety of cartoons could be a flex on your versatility. It just depends on where you are applying and for what position.
I think your use of the word "anime" is too similar to how you use "fanart" earlier in the list. Big eyes small mouth isn't what turns people away. Eastern influences don't put your portfolio in the trash. However, painting or drawing a character that looks EXACTLY like they could belong to the Dragon Ball cast of characters will signal some red flags. It falls under the same category as fanart. Your employer doesn't want to see your Sailor Moon oc, they want you to make something original. Coming to a studio with a bunch of "New Fire Nation" characters that look like Zuko's children would only be useful in one scenario: applying at Nickelodeon to work specifically on an Avatar sequel. Even then, it wouldn't be very impressive unless you already knew how to make your own original work and concepts.
but i want oi make deep fakes like you are one to squeeze the last drop of money out of the meak
you need GOD OF WAR
One thing I didn't hear you talk about is if Anime style is ok. I've seen quite a few games using anime style, so I know it's ok to show off that style to those kind of developers, but is it ok for a normal portfolio, or should I leave it out?
Well I'm glad to know that as a cartoonist I will never be hired... 🥲