Road Map: Concept Artist.

Our last Critical Studies sessions had us look at applying for jobs across the industry and what various skills we would need to attain the jobs, we also looked at the sort of things we would see from the applications themselves and this post will compare a job application's requirements to my current skills. Once done this will also serve as a road map to help me achieve my ideal job role.

My ideal job at the end of the course would be a Concept Artist, being a Concept Artist has been a dream job for a long time now. The first thing I noticed is that there are basically no Junior potions going, I found a Senior CA job role, and 2 middle-weight roles, one of them being from Remedy, the creators of Max Payne and Alan Wake.

I will break down this job application and compare my skills to the required skills.

"Do you have a playful mind accompanied by a high degree of artistic skills? Are you able to produce inspiring and mood setting concept art for projects regardless of their visual style? If so, we would like to hear from you!"

I certainly have a playful mind but this is the only thing in this paragraph I am certain of, my artistic skills are good but they certainly need improving.

• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in creating concept artwork for animation, film, or videogames

This requirement is the only one that is completely out of my reach at the moment and that's because this isn't a Junior role position, this would be more than likely replaced with a grade requirement which is realistically more attainable.

• Good understanding of color, composition, architecture and human anatomy

I have some knowledge of each of these but I would not be confident in them, especially my colour theory. All these need work!  

•  Ability to create believable character concepts from stylized to realistic

I'm confident in my character creation abilities, as I always like to base my designs on reality while trying to avoid the clichés (I hope anyway), however the creation process and the artistic skills required to visualize these ideas are an area I need to improve on.

• Thorough understanding of 2D paint packages

My understanding of Photoshop is quite good, my digital painting ability on the other hand isn't but hopefully this will improve as I do more paintings.

• Clear verbal and written communication in English

I am happy with my ability to communicate my ideas to people, but obviously this can always be improved on!

• Great looking online portfolio

A great looking online portfolio is something I am missing, which is really, really bad. I have a small portfolio from my previous job but it is rather simple hasn't been updated since I came to Uni.

• A bachelor’s degree in arts or relative field (Applications from self-taught candidates will also be accepted)

If I complete the course I'll have this done, +1 to me!

After going through this I now realize how much work I need to do, all my 2D skills need improving in practically every way as well as the process of creating 2D work. Thankfully I've got over 2 years left to improve and I certainly think that's enough time if I use it well. I also need to set up a new online portfolio that can showcase all of the different work I've done which will improve the chance of me getting a job. This will certainly be a tough road map to follow and complete but I really don't know how to give up so there's only one way forward!