In the mean time, here is a “traditional” interpretation of a Maiasaura: a large duck-billed dinosaur genus that lived in the area currently covered by the state of Montana in the Upper Cretaceous Period (mid to late Campanian), about 74 million years ago.

]]> http://www.conceptopolis.com/?feed=rss2&p=1102 0 http://www.conceptopolis.com/?p=1090 http://www.conceptopolis.com/?p=1090#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:26:41 +0000 Aaron http://www.conceptopolis.com/?p=1090 Please enjoy this illustration for Sony’s PoxNora game called Strategic Retreat.

We also wanted to show the elf wizard by himself. You know, because he’s so cool! This also gives you an opportunity on how we build our layers in Photoshop. Enjoy!

The Spectrum 20 Artist List — Spectrum Fantastic Art – http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com.

The easy answer is: It depends. There is no “one size fits all” portfolio, as art directors/editors will all have different needs. You have to get in your head that the person in a position to hire may be looking for something specific. If the work that is being shown is great, it still doesn’t mean they will hire you then, but the key is leaving enough of an impression with them when the time comes.

The sometimes harsh reality: You may show 15-20 pieces in your portfolio, but only 1 or 2 may actually be remembered. That is OK. Some art directors will simply flip through, keeping eye contact with you and never actually look at your work after a few pages. That’s OK too, as it’s a clue they’re not interested. They’re just being nice…time to wrap up and move onto the next review. The key is getting their contact info and make sure you leave them with a business card. If you don’t, then it’s simply a waste of time (for both of you). You have to look at awkward/funky portfolio reviews as a challenge. The fact is that personalities do come into play and you have to be the professional sometimes.

Don’t dismiss a person giving a portfolio review, or ever take it personally. It took me years to learn this. These art directors/editors have looked at tons of portfolios that day. Their eyes are tired and they probably only have a few artists in mind after looking all day. How well do you work being jet lagged? See? Many may be distracted more about the potential for ‘con crud’, or that they missed their opportunity for lunch a half hour ago. They may be frustrated, or may be wondering if they will find anyone for a project in mind. By the way, there’s always a project in mind, especially if they like your stuff.

My advice when building your portfolio: Ask yourself, “What problem am I solving for THAT art director/editor”. Research ahead of time what they are in charge of, or what company they work for. Match your work to what will meet their needs. If you have a wide range of art styles, simply narrow it down to those specific types of work if you can. This goes over well and shows them you’ve done some homework…gold star for you.

If you have a ton of work, try to get it down to 10-15 finished pieces to show. It really only takes about 2-3 pieces in reality to determine if an artist is qualified, but they will want to see a history if possible. Think ahead what questions will be asked and have some answers ready. This is where the trust comes into play. There should be no surprises…and keep in mind that these questions are being asked, because you’re now at the stage of being considered for a project.

Good luck and I wish you all the best in getting a very cool art gig.

Here’s how to order:

Visit http://www.conceptopolis.com/store.

Enter 72f8b1f0 to redeem the coupon. minimum order subtotal of $30.00 required for discount.

Kyrisa – Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki, Kyrisa – SWGTCG.jpg.

The surprise for us was how we went from a few hundred views to a little over 3000 views in less than a week. That’s pretty incredible and goes to show that fans are excited. It allowed us to build our Facebook page as well, so it’s been a fun 10 days and hope to carry on with the momentum and get more art fan involvement. Thanks again everyone!
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From our deviantArt page:

Thanks for the comments everyone. Keep in mind this is concept art and very exploratory. Our task was to take previous designs spanning 30+ years and come up with some new ideas that would work together, so there’s nothing set in stone. In fact, you’ll probably see many more iterations of everything you see here. WoTC is listening for sure. We thought fans would like to see some behind-the-scenes work and you’ll see much more – not only from us, but from other artists as well. We illustrate with many styles and thought it would be nice to show this type of art to D&D fans.

I was personally thrilled to work on this, as I’ve been playing D&D myself since 1st edition and into 2nd edition and most recently 4th edition. Don’t believe me? I have the tattoo to prove it haha. In fact, I learned how to draw by copying the picture of Warduke on the blister pack from the toy, so yeah…It’s a dream project for sure and we knew going in that there would be varying opinions on just about everything we worked on, but we took on that challenge without hesitation. We love working on well know brands like D&D, Star Wars, GI Joe, Hot Wheels, Spider-Man, etc. Companies know they’re in good hands, so we appreciate the support from the fans of those brands also.

Regarding the proportions on some of the designs: those were intentional (and once again…exploratory), with the idea of each item to stand on its own without the need to show the typical comparison, such as standing next to a human to tell how large or small something is. Think of each silhouette and if they would work on their own and be able to identify “that” as a halfling (for example). Do they work? Some do, and clearly, some don’t. But we still wanted to show everyone what some of the process was like.

We hope you enjoyed seeing some of it and I hope that helps explain a little bit. Thanks again! 

Answer: For us? Yes, quite often actually. The key thing though is that it’s our job to illustrate what is needed for the project and get in the head of the art director and “see” what they want and execute that. That’s the simple truth of being a pro in this industry and artists need to know when and where to make suggestions on pieces. If you’re combative (or elitist) on every art job from the start, you’ll find yourself looking at a different career path for sure. As you develop a relationship though (and if there is time on a project), you’ll know when it’s time to suggest, or take a chance on some pieces if there is an opportunity. The main thing is to follow the task as assigned and then start the process of working your own ideas in if it allows for that. What really helps is that they hired you for a reason, yeah? So hopefully there isn’t a huge gap from the start because of the skills you offer them.

As an artist, you have to be courageous enough to ask questions. If an art director is annoyed at that, then I think it’s safe to say, they may be overwhelmed, or lacking in some social areas, etc….it happens. Don’t take it personally. But many art directors appreciate those questions, as it helps dial in the art better – ultimately making them and the company they work for look better. Many times an art director doesn’t have the ability to really convey what they want, so it’s difficult at times to get on the same page. The flip side to that is that you get so much detailed info on a job that there’s little room for error in their minds. That’s OK too, but you have to be comfortable with that when you take on the job. The idea is to feel each other out and establish that rapport. Are you getting enough info? Do you have too much info where you are second guessing yourself? Once you get into the job, you’ll know when the time is right to ask, “Have you thought about this?”.