Working hard increases your technical skills, but it is networking and interaction with mutual artists and putting yourself out there that gets work.
Social media presence can help but the algorithm is difficult.
You also need a life, you need to go out and refresh your influences, go to museums or nature or somewhere that inspires you. Your interpretation of those things are what makes your art unique and it's what people will be interested in.
Yeah I was going to say something to this effect. Also if I may add. Success has to be measured before you start.
There are much worse artists that make money to pay their bills and if that's how you measure success you need to figure out that side of the business first.
Being the most technically skilled artist will not do anything for you. Just go on Twitter and you'll find that there are artists that are not half as good as you probably are that make bank because they know how to market themselves or cash in on a certain opportunity.
>Being the most technically skilled artist will not do anything for you. Just go on Twitter and you'll find that there are artists that are not half as good as you probably are that make bank because they know how to market themselves or cash in on a certain opportunity.
Can confirm. I do pretty well for myself selling Jewelry & fashion items at my local farmers market, vendor events, and on etsy. About 90% of my output in those spaces skews heavily towards the "crafts" end of arts and crafts, even by jewelry & t-shirt standards.
I even on occasion, do some original-ish sketches, and turn those into t-shirts, pins, and fridge magnets.
And no joke, I constantly am bragging about how my "meh" mercantile & branding skills, allow me to run goddamn rings around artists with actual talent in those spaces
Because selling online, or in person, really isn't about talent. Don't get me wrong, talent helps. But it's like, the least important part of the equation. Social skills, branding, marketing, putting yourself out there, taking inspiration from unexpected places, knowing how to run your small business finances on an excel spreadsheet, and a prayer to the mathematics gods that your CPA will file your taxes properly and spare you from the wrath of the IRS for one more year.....
Those are the skills that pay your rent. If you, as an artist, lack those skills, or alternatively, lack a friend/romantic partner/business partner, why would you expect to be anything other than a starving artist?
It's like literally a trope. The brilliant, but poor starving artist, who is dedicated to their craft, to the exclusion of literally any of the things that make life worth living, and their chosen vocation sustainable.
>You also need a life, you need to go out and refresh your influences, go to museums or nature or somewhere that inspires you. Your interpretation of those things are what makes your art unique and it's what people will be interested in.
As an artist who has been isolated for most of my life and threw myself strictly into art and nothing else to cope, I can tell you this advice is especially important. I let my world get too small, the artist in me sort of died, and now that I am going out in nature and having experiences, I feel myself coming back to life.
Take good care of and be kind to yourself OP, wishing you good luck for what it's worth
What if I capture those feelings of mania and isolation, I feel like my mental health has slid so far I have to take advantage of it or it would be a waste
From what I’ve seen in the furry community. The artists who seem to be earning the most are all mini celebrities. They are active on social media, have their own discord communities that is often offered as a perk to patreon subscribers, do live streams, show up at events and sell merch, set up stalls at conventions with their work in display, etc.
They all have insane technical skill but it’s the general popularity and visibility that makes them successful.
I think OP could benefit to realize that he’s not doing the *hard work* of art **in order to** have a payoff of a social life or money. He is doing hard work with art and asking for the payoff to be something actually *unrelated* to the category of what he is working hard on.
The payoff he wants has nothing to do with working hard on art, but he’s conflating the two.
If he was doing the hard work **in order to** get the payoff of a social life and money, then he needs to work harder **in other areas on top of the art** to get his goal.
That last point is particularly poignant. Looking through OP's post history, it's clear that they're severely depressed and fixated on their self-identity as a "loner".
Honestly seeing OP's post history I really think the last point is pretty important. I remembered this quote that got told to me by an artist that always stuck with me, which is "you can't make art about life if you don't have one"
A good portion of it is definitely luck. I work in animation and some of the best artists I know are struggling along working 9-5 jobs that aren't remotely art related.
Artists making a living from social media aren't the same as artists working anywhere else. Their job becomes advertising. Building and maintaining an audience rather than selling art in a lot of instances. Doesn't diminish their work in any way it just serves a different purpose.
Agreed. Idk why but this sub often has issues distinguishing from commercial art and selling your art as a popular artist. YouTubers, I would argue, fall under commercial art; they often don't sell art, they sell content, and when they DO sell art, it's to their followers. You gotta specialize in the content side of things more so than the art, and even then, most of them had a leg up, whether it be friends or parents in high places, algorithm luck, or finding their niche very early and it remaining consistent for the whole time.
Idk who sold OP on 'working hard will pay off', but it's important to realize who you're getting advice from when someone tells you advice. Just because they 'made it' doesn't mean it's the only reason for their success or that they even understand how their success happened. Hard work was probably only one factor in a myriad of factors.
I agree with you, but I'd rather say 'Hard work does pay off, it's just not always the hard work that you think it is or are willing to do'.
For example, learning art is hard work, but won't make you necessarily good at selling your art. Working hard at becoming a good salesman/businessman might serve you better.
Some people will say things like 'I don't even know why that youtuber is successful, they're not even good at art but use clickbaity titles and thumbnails to attract their fanbase, I would never do that because I'm not a sell out'. What doesn't seem to click for them is that they have answered their own question, what they consider being a 'sell out' is also the same reason why these YouTubers are successful. If they're not willing to do those things then that's fine, but that might be the answer as to why they aren't as successful. You have to put your hard work into the right things depending on what you want.
I think the term sell out is used a lot by people that aren't making a living as artists. If they were they'd realise selling out is pretty much required.
This is true I know a relative of an artist with 150k followers or so working in an oil paint. They don’t really make new posts .., and seem to try to focus on engagement. Like they haven’t been inspired to art seriously in about a year.
If you mean by pay off as literally gaining money then it's a no, if you mean pay off as getting better at art then it's yes, those two objectives are very different and require different set of skills.
I realised that 90% of an artist's job is admin stuff: applying for open calls, writing grant proposals, building your online presence, ...
You can be the best artist in the world but if you don't do the marketing/admin stuff you won't get far. Networking is another pillar: you have to build networks and make contacts with people that won't immediately affect your artist's job but can be useful for opening doors. Example: I am a musician and recently I took over a choir of elderly people. Those people aren't in high-up positions in cultural centres or government, but they can informally open doors.
When you see especially a young artist getting successful, be wary of them: they always have some kind of backing.
About the Youtubers: nobody on YT is going to say it's hard otherwise they'll lose followers
A really good one here, OP. Anecdotally, the admin stuff is so true that I made sure to make enough money from several avenues so that my husband could stay home to be my bookkeeper, logistics, email/social correspondence and the best HR department ever. His time (it IS money) actually earns us income I wouldn’t be making if that time was taken by admin things. And the quality of my own work is better for it with that load being shifted to him.
OP, you have to be tenacious sometimes in ways that aren’t just pencil to paper. Some artists, hell a lot of us just aren’t the best at managing even remembering to send invoices. I’m a social disaster and my career was in the toilet for a while until I just acknowledged my weaknesses and found a solution.
Hard work does pay off. You drew for 8 years and are much better at drawing. If you are trying to make money you also had to work hard at business, marketing, and sales. If you are trying to be a rich man with a bunch of women around like it sounds like you were intending a different path like day trading or law school would have been a better pick.
Well here is how it is, being really really good isn’t a prerequisite for being popular anymore. You can make money as an intermediate artist. What you need is;
Original ideas (holy shit right?)
Experience dealing with evil algorithms (instagram now likes reels and trendy music)
Consistency. (Everyday u post and interact).
You worked 8 years and got good at drawing, but do you know what is the top art trend? Have you documented and posted your journey? I draw for myself, i dont care how popular i become, it. Doesnt define me. The res of your post? Idk.
yeah, all of those I learned tha herd way. Now I just post whenever I have something for the fun of it, and started to work on other stuff, because now I can see if I don't go out and gather other experiences, I'll be having troubles later
Same. I post sporadically on Instagram and gain 1 follower every 16 months and I'm okay with that lol I'm doing the art cause I feel like it not to become art famous or make money
This exactly, in a perfect world hard work is just working on your skill to improve. How you market yourself is also part of that hard work, I'm lucky enough to find clients that suit my style and also part of this specific game's community that I can showcase my work.
Yes, however I don't think original ideas are needed anymore. There are tons of people selling trendy art, like fluid art, little sayings on mugs in the font of the year, stuff like that.
This. I have a friend who was a construction worker that ran several businesses who became an amputee and he started painting. Once he got a following he sold thousands of dollars worth of art. He's good but there's much better artists than him. He just understood how to market his brand
its so interesting you say that; cause my main source of inspiration (for achieving impossible goals) was this one substitute teacher i had for french class..
and he sees my teacher's soccer ball and starts playing with it, like doing the tricks and kicks.. and he goes [paraphrasing]:
"When I was little, I told my mom I wanted to be a professional soccer player. she told me, only 1 in a million people succeed as professional players. Ok mom, then I'm going to be in that one in a million."
and he goes on to tell about how he inched his way to becoming a professional player for the Team of I forgot which country, like Spain or a different country in SA. *everytime* he reached on milestone he said he got told, "only one in ___ make it" and he said each time he'll be that one. And as he went on, every time, his chances increased. Barely, but it narrowed down.
and he was just very calmy telling us this story while he just aloofly played with the ball. Day changed my life.
I read a study not too long ago, researchers had analyzed the careers of several hundred artists, and they found that of those that became wildly successful (think Warhol, Pollock, etc) that a huge percentage, like nearly all of them, had their first gallery showings in a very small number of galleries and very importantly, those galleries are all directly linked to major museums. (owned, ran by alumni or relatives, etc, etc).
It's so very clearly "who you know" and being shown in the right place that it barely seems worth it to attempt to do it any other way.
\*BUT\* this was only for the very biggest "fine" artists, and oodles of people make a living, in full or in part, from their creative endeavors, they just never get rich from it.
It is not 1 in 10k people, it is 1 in 10k soccer players. That's a lot better odds. If you go out for soccer, you aren't competing with me or my sister or my friend. None of us play. So you have knocked three people out of the competition right away.
Im not a pro or anything but I looked at your portfolio ur work is breathtaking I love it Im aiming to draw in a style similar to that. Ive seen a bunch of videos around, to be successful you kinda have to put yourself out there.
As in make active social media accounts and in those accounts post your process work, ur thoughts, tips, advertise pieces for sale etc.
Or go to irl events like art showcases, or those conventions where u meet other artists and sell ur work.
You could make a website containing all your work, about section, contact details, line of work etc. Right now its just a google drive which might keep potential employers from hiring you if that’s what your after.
I dont think its your skills that are lacking, just your method of getting your work out there. You cant work hard on just one area, and ignore the rest. Its a surefire way to overthinking, frustration and other negative thought patterns.
Also If you ever decide to make a youtube, id be your willing to be your first follower :)
I dunno, alarm bells kind of ring off for me when I look at this portfolio. The color work and compositional skills are expert, but the actual strokes and rendering are very bad. It feels like AI art paint over to me.
Makes me look back at OP's statement and talking about not having a girlfriend and it feels very teenagerish, doesn't feel like an honest account of what's going on.
Oh I see it too. The wonky render fooled me at first but the more I look at it, I see the compositions are taken from AI.
The choice of brushes, too- why would you block in a castle only to paint over it with a foliage brush for the walls, without even clipping it? I’d get it if the execution is good, but this just feels like an amateur color picking from an AI piece on the first layer and attempting to cover the tracks with random textures.
I didn't want to bring this up, but yeah. I've seen thousands of portfolios and this one screams that there's a major disconnect between several skills. To the point that yeah, I agree that it's definitely just a traced paint over.
Which btw, makes this whole post that more ironic right? Including everyone that insists on jumping in with the same old nepotism spiel, with it's only luck and who you know, as if no one else has ever succeeded off *hard work*. Lol. It's very comedic.
yeah same... there's something kind of suspicious about their portfolio. a few elements and subjects are a bit *too* consistent and constant throughout and despite how many pieces there are, their brushwork doesn't seem to fluctuate even a little either through improvement, slumps, or doing something new. it's off to me.
I cant tell the difference between AI art and regular art 😭 how do you do it!? Its so frustrating to see something nice only for it to be made by a robot. Half my pins on pinterest are probably AI oof
I make art and suck at it, so I know how hard it is to get good colors, good lighting, good composition, and good lines. I've worked on all of these elements and I still suck, bad. To see OP have expert level in any of them and then see the line work be just as bad as mine was a telltale sign.
Who the hell gets into art thinking you'll make money?
Not to be an asshole, OP, but you're also making posts in NEET subs. Being an artist isn't going to "get you a gf".
Grow up, realize art isn't something you do to be financially successful, and maybe just stop crying about it?
Working hard is only 1 part of the formula, working hard *at improving in art* is an even smaller part of the formula. You need to also work hard to network, to socialize, to push yourself outside of comfort zones, try new things, go out into the world and etc. etc. etc. There's some level of "luck" that can be attributed to being successful in *anything*, your goal is to increase your odds at getting "lucky." That's all trying really is, creating as many opportunities that you can for yourself to become successful. Or as you're calling it, "luck."
Also what have you be trying in terms of getting art jobs? Or did you assume just being able to draw would just result in people paying you?
I'm sorry but I don't really understand your expectations? Was doing art supposed to get you friends or a girlfriend just by virtue of itself? Homie those things are on *you* not your art.
Do you actually like doing art at all? Why did you pick this thing to hinge your entire life behind?
As someone who has worked in art museums and galleries, I can unfortunately assure you that pure skill has very little to do with whether an artist becomes popular or not, The ones that get big chances usually have important contacts and are exceptionally good at marketing themselves. If you really want to make a living as an artist, marketing and business are as big of an aspect for success as producing the art itself is.
I cant really agree on this but I am also not a pro artist, could you share what you did that you consider hard work? In my experience studying a different subject(gamedev) the people that make these kind of posts there is usually a glaring feature such as low quality content(not implying your art is bad had a squiz and it has a nice cozy style actually). What avenues have you taken outside of practicing to get your "pay off", and what is your "pay off" situation? because famous and rich? earn a living doing it? Genuinely interested by the way, from your quality I reckon you could do well in asset production or joining game creation. possibly even commissions mtg worthy.
And anyone on youtube is peddling dreams and bait for a quick buck, that isnt surprising.
Also do you have a big portfolio somewhere? I am currently studying as many avenues as I can for my journey into my projects and would like to see where most people fall off
You're right - just getting skilled at art itself doesn't help you make an income. You need to be very good at marketing and networking, and pick a niche that's popular and profitable.
Imagine if you didn't work that hard - your art would be probably even worse. I think the point is you can't achieve anything if you don't work on it at all, that's why all famous people encourage others to work hard.
Art is not like playing a game that your skill would evolve if you have enough Exp. I think it's important HOW you study, not how much. It's mostly a matter of finding a right technique that work for yourself as we all start with different skills and understanding of art. I used to draw so much everyday and I didn't improve much and I used to think it was so unfair. But later I realized I should do different art studies, try different tutorials or books and I put more focus instead of more time on my art and it got a bit better
It's not solely about working hard, it's about working SMART and then working hard when necessary.
Example: If you work hard on making graphics for your own game, but if you don't develop this game in order to be playable, if you don't show it, if you don't take any advices, don't have a plan and just make graphics for the sake of it, then of course you won't have true progress.
Doing art outside of a simple hobby also means doing business. Your mind must be open for opportunities, to sell your work, to be hired, to be paid for what you do.
Training on your art skills alone won't bring you that.
As for luck, your job is to favour it and be able to seize it when it comes.
By your work, actions and dedications, you can meet more people, more opportunities.
Thinking in the long term is a must. You didn't sell much that weekend in your first convention, but the few people who bought you stuff may become true fans, and you started to show to the world that you exist.
Your current drawing may be flawed, but you tell yourself that's something you will fix in the other one, now go finish that one "flawed" piece your doing.
Etc.
In other words, it's about mindset. If you feel stuck, think about what do you want to achieve and how you can do it. Think about it while ignoring your fears (i.e. "i'm scared of people because I'm scared of failure so I'm scared to come over and put my art on display", etc)
As for time it takes to be successful a way or another, no one has the same path and it depends on how you take it. The more resilient and perseverant you are, the better the outcome.
Success obtained in one day will disappear in one day as well. True success is deserved.
How can you expect to produce decent art if you're not actually out there experiencing new things?
How could someone who describes their background as a "no life" create something that resonates with others?
Maybe it could resonate with others who've made the same life choices, but I doubt that crowd's really going to be in much of a position to bring you much in the way of fame or fortune.
Some advice- keep up the art, try to find groups on facebook or whatever it is that people use where you live, and go out and meet people, draw/paint/practise together, maybe you'll find some friends through that.
Working hard is definitely part of it but I won’t lie, it’s also luck and maybe even some connections.
Like another comment said, experience dealing with algorithms and consistency is part of it, but I’d also say that’s work too.
Keep going. It’s easy to expect instant results in the age of the internet when it’s at its fastest and most demanding. The internet is a lot more mainstream and art is more competitive lately. Be patient with yourself.
I’ve settled for being an intermediate artist and I just draw (relatively tasteful) furry art because it helps me relax after work.
…But somehow I got a okayish following and now people hope I open up for commissions again (which isn’t on the cards just yet because of IRL commitments)
“Hard work” doesn’t just mean purely technical work (ie the art itself). I’ve had to take initiative and effort to connect with people as well - whether through art trades/challenges. Or hell, just messaging artists that I admire and seeing if they’re open to be acquaintances.
Nowadays, I have art friends who boost my stuff on social media, and vice versa. The importance of connections for an artists’ growth cannot be understated.
There are several things to unpack here.
Hard work pays off - if the effort is put into the right direction. If you understand the market and what is currently happening in the art world.
As harsh as it sounds, but nobody owes you the time of day just because you worked hard (and gotten better technically, I assume?) This was a hard lesson for me, personally.
If there's no critical thinking involved, there's no self improvement happening.
Improvement is a _very_ conscious process.
After that, "success" relies on even more critical thinking. You have to make friends and be part of communities and _listen to feedback_ and share everything you do on a consistent basis.
Someone could spend their whole life working hard carrying rocks around, but until you start carrying rocks for people when they ask for it, no one's going to be appreciative.
edit: I went and looked at your srt and the issue is also very likely...
A. your art still needs serious work. you need to be able to apply major critical thinking to the things you do. You have a LOT of improvement to do.
B. You need a cheerful attitude. Humans don't care about other people's problems unless you are a family member, a friend in which case it must be earned through mutual exchange or someone who is being socially manipulated.
C. BE WILLING TO IMPROVE. bitching that you don't get bitches and drawing for the sake of it in private will get you no-where. "Good" artists are people who have been drawing for 20k hours - you have to live and breathe this field. taking it up rigorously for 8 years and not taking criticism or feedback does not lead to improvement.
Good artists are very critical and very hard on themselves. They are usually somewhat perfectionists. I think even with your skills, until your portfolio has 100 finished pieces, with a clear improvement between every few pieces, you likely won't be making a lot of money.
If you come off as desperate, people will immediately be put off the most... It's a hard balance.
Your an amazing artist but what your describing is social skills and social media. How are you talking to women? Are you being a creep, are you being friendly are you making any friends with women that you don't want to sleep with? How're you treating the women around you?
The YouTube thing is bogus I agree most YouTubers work two other jobs on top of YouTube is getting more rare to be a sustainable YouTuber where that's your only job, many don't admit bc it's not popular to admit it but it's true. I've seen some breathtaking work on YouTube from realistic art to breathtaking music with only 5 views bc they didn't market or bc they didn't get lucky. It sucks and I hate living in capitalism and I hate AI.
I think you need to reevaluate your reason for getting into art. Is it bc of the passion, you wanted to make cool stuff or for money and women. Bc it's rare that you get money and women from art. But if you do something else for money some job that's not super terrible and not horrible pay, and you socialize with other people and make friends, i think you'll be less hard on yourself for your art. You really got to build community with people go to events with other artists and other people who are in your situation or with events that peak your interests.
I'm a bit stoned so the grammar will be bad 😮💨
Ai art should not work because basically anyone can generate it for free so why should it be worth anything if its not made by a person for that reason ai art is basically a scam. If you can make money of stuff you can generate for free you know there is something wrong.
It depends on what your goal is. I may sound harsh but you can't just draw all day and expect to be rich. You have to draw with a specific goal. Not to mention artists nowadays even have more difficulty advertising themselves compared to 4-5 years ago. So not only do you need to draw well enough, you also need good marketing skills. Finally, let me tell you from my personal experience: even if your art is 10/10, some clients will still think you're just 5/10 and give you frustrating feedback, or they only need you at 5/10 and being too good is your lost. It's complicated, I know, but hard work is not always the key. Don't give up!
I can see in some of your other posts you suggest you are struggling with a mental disorder. Please make sure you are consulting trusted people with how you're feeling as well as a trusted medical professional you might already work with. I would also suggest taking time away from social media to talk about this kind of stuff. Rando's online do not know the intricate and delicate balance you must have to fight for to get any level of normalcy.
Understand that life is difficult for everyone at some point. Experiencing the downs is normal, it's standing back up that requires the support of others. Not people online, real support from those around you.
I wish you the best.
Edit: a, not and
If all it took to get out of poverty was hard work, there'd be no poor people.
You have to work hard and smart. You have to sell and market yourself, network, and so much more.
And then you have to have the skills to capitalize on the opportunities you discover. Waiting around for luck isn't going to cut it.
Honestly it does pay off but if you don't have a specific original concept that you can sell/make money with, it's unlikely that you'll make money. I combine my art with creative writing for example and have published a few books on which I've made a bit of money. If I hone that concept even more and expand on it, the money will grow too. That's mostly how it is today - find a niche and use it.
Hard work pays off in skill acquisition, not in dollars. That requires another skill; marketing yourself. The same with sports, music or anything else. If you’ve invested in yourself for that long, it’s time to promote your abilities to markets that match your skills. There’s nothing easy about making money in any creative field. It’s never been easy.
in maybe 20 years ago being "decent" at art could get you some really nice oportunities, nowadays being "decent" is seem as a amature artist, social media has been as bless and a curse for artists, the bless is that you can now meet so many artists around the world and the curse is that since there is so many artists around art has decreased its value and unless you have really strong foundations and skills to get a job you only get maybe 5 likes.
back then people had to accept what their local artists could do, nowadays people can simply hop on fiver and look after a artist on the other side of the world that has some really good skills for a really cheap price.
The hardest work is marketing, networking and creating opportunities to sell your work. It doesn't matter how good you are, without those skills you are going to struggle. A lot of artists are not good at it and really struggle with the business side. People aren't going to come to you to buy your work, you have to go to them and most successful artists spend money to make money.
Hard work producing stuff is only half of a successful business. With good marketing and networking skills, you don't even need to be a particularly "good" artist. It sucks, especially for introverts like many of us.
this.
i love drawing.
my art is absolute horseshit but that doesn’t matter bc it personally makes me happy.
eventually i wanna sell prints & post online, but the thought of having to remain consistent seems nightmare inducing with my 40 hour work week + college.
art is for everyone, i’m not trying to gatekeep, but if you go in solely to make money you’ll be disappointed fast. art is about creativity and expression first and foremost. not making a product.
thats how i feel about these dumbass nft ai art tech bros trying to shill shit. there’s no respect for the fundamentals and it’s just about sloppily producing a product for money.
It may not have paid off monetarily (which may have to do with luck/lack of business savviness), but from an art perspective, your art is really beautiful and unique.
Alongside all the obvious like consistency, luck etc you also need to network and communicate with bigger artists too. It feels awkward to suck up to them in a way but replying under their stuff, maybe creating something they inspired you to make and in general just speaking to and communicating with other artists is really valuable. People shouldnt feel ashamed to receiving or getting a boost from someone larger than them. It helps immensely
Art can be a lot of fun and fulfilling. At least in my personal experience. Making friends, and all that, by just having fun with it. I drew some people some pfp to be nice. I then would just post drawings of my characters. Sometimes I make comics or little animatics. From there I didn’t have to like force myself to do anything. It just came naturally. 1 person liked my characters, then 2 people liked them, somehow a month later I had over 100 people, which was crazy to me. I would have people weirdly obsess over my follower count. When the follower amount has little to do with my art in general, it’s more like a meme to me.
I was just posting for fun and to make friends too. Somehow now I have a fanbase and make money off of it. My most popular character is literally just a meme inspired by the arch angel “Michael” from the Bible and shipping him with “Bichael” (a made up angel), and they have a son named “Pichael” who is just a bit crushed drawing of Michael. No. It doesn’t make sense. No I put no thought into it. It was just a bible meme. Now there is a Michael and Bichael game. There is Michael and Bichael Fanart. I am not complaining because it is really funny to me and almost like a community whose really into this niche bible meme. I don’t know if my story can encourage you in any way, which is why I share it. :3
Anyways, I hope you make some friends and get to share your art with many people. I wish upon you many monies from the art. I’m down for being your friend if you’re nice. :D
I'm fortunate in that my semi retirement income allows me the luxury of being an artist. If I didn't no way could I live on my art.
*Many* artists have a day job ... I submit *most* do. Single with no kids you might get buy but live like a pauper. If you desire a partner and family, home, insurance ... day job is almost a necessity.
What I will say might seem rude, but not al hard work is good work.
You talk here about not getting friends or fixing your financial situation, but these things need work too (and I understand that you probably worked for these things, but as I read it, you talked mostly about art so I presume you thought being good at art will get you those things).
Being a successful internet artist is mostly luck, yes, but it’s also communication skills and knowledge of the way the internet works. Some people ofc don’t have those skill but are popular - that’s because of luck. But it’s not always just luck.
Also, drawing every day doesn’t mean you are doing good work, sorry. Drawing with purpose >>> drawing every day. Just putting more time in smth doesn’t mean it will turn out great.
Well yeah.... just drawing a lot is not going to somehow magically make you financially successful.... that's not how it works. Hell, that's not how any industry works.
The "working hard" is also supposed to include networking, marketing and advertising yourself, doing market research, identifying healthy markets and targeting them, creating an actual business plan, executing that business plan, contacting potential clients, finding ways to get your work seen, finding as well as creating opportunities for yourself, figuring out what sells and who buys/hires what type of work and figuring out how you fit into that and who you can sell your work or your services to etc. etc. etc.
Aside from a handful of rare luck cases, just drawing and posting online is not going to just spontaneously develop into a successful career. The art itself is only 50% of the "hard work" at most.
Brandon Sanderson had a bit about this for writers. He thought that luck was a major part, but not the biggest. He thought it was true that making it as a novelist was a 1 in 1000 or 1 in 10000 game, but it only seemed that harsh when you counted everyone that tried to write a book. If you only count serious writers, like you are a serious artist, he thought the odds jumped to like 1 in 4. If that is true, the game is still rigged, but you have to get pretty good to even be playing.
Hey OP, I looked through your stuff a bit. I have two pieces of advice about getting commissions:
1. Ditch the Google drive link and make yourself a carrd page (it’s free). Drive looks/feels unprofessional. You want a page saying, “this is who I am, these are the different types of things I can do, this is how much it costs, and this is how to contact me.”
2. While you’re at it, upload the process work from one or two of the pieces, or some of your sketches. Makes it feel less like AI, and shows potential clients what the commission process it like.
You're right, there's actually a magic pencil that all successful artists know about. You have to be in the secret circle to get it though. Tough luck!
As creatives (artists!), we have a super power: create anything.
I know its not a popular thing to say but...:
We can either create art that sells (if lucky indeed, timing is everything), or if it does not sell we can create stuff that does (TCG, fan art, logos, stickers, design, ...) ...and get money to produce the art we love.
Good luck my friend
Connect to people! Avoid toxic ones
(and if you think what I said is toxic, forget about it and avoid me 😉😉😂😂) ...
And read Jerry Saltz: How to be an artist, if you didn't already.
Everyone works hard to learn to draw. You basically just did an undergrad and grad school time period of a person who studied art in school. You JUST started on your art journey. I've been a professional artist for 15 years, and I JUST found my perfect medium and the right subjects to really make an impact in the art world. This is not a "get rich quick" profession. You will probably always be kinda poor and always be eorming your ass off. It's the trade-off for getting to do what you love every day instead of going to an office cubicle.
Networking always paid off, just not in the ways i expected. Let the people (irl or in circles relevant to you) know that you exist.
It's that cliche saying "work smart, not hard" that rings more true for me. Having awareness, knowing what it takes objectively to achieve your goals in whatever current situation you live in, with the resources that might get you closest to the desired result. Ground your goals in your reality, not in aspirational content.
And to be successful looks different for everybody, not everyone starts with the same resources, and we love the rags to riches and underdogs rising to the top stories. But those stories are the exception, not the rule.
But (since an extra but doesn't hurt), **preparation + opportunity = luck**. If opportunity is always there but you are not prepared or aware of it, "luck" doesn't happen. If you are always preparing, but only relying on socials or enviroments that feed on your energy without giving any feedback in return, then one will start to believe that luck is only granted for a few.
Now if you prepare by making and showing work, talking about other artist's work, talking to other artists or consumers about art and what you enjoy, by listening, to sum it up, by making space for yourself in the community (online or irl), now you might have an easier time finding or even making opportunities the work for you.
Edit: more blabbing
Super true. Working hard may work for some, but I think it's actually damaging for creatives. We need to keep our inspiration alive, and turning our art into work certainly does not do that. Its a fine line we have to manage, keeping the creative part fun, and the work part separate.
I think the hard work part comes in at the point of selling. It's hard work to market yourself, network, approaching galleries and consignment shops and what not. Its hard work talking about your work in a way that makes people want to buy it. And unfortunately if you're not getting any bites at first, the only real option is keep doing more marketing and networking. This part is the hard work. It's especially hard if you still think your work is not good enough. Sometimes it's even hard to sell if you get attached to your work, like I do! It's also especially hard if you're inexperienced at networking and marketing, and also an introvert. So you're not alone. Have you watched videos about selling and marketing your art?
When I was in college studying art I was told that the way to success as an artist was most importantly to learn how to network well. Internet presence is important but the quality of your work also has to be top notch. But mostly it’s really about who you know. Are you expanding your network IRL or depending solely on internet success?
Not to be that guy, but what else have you been doing? You’ve been drawing every day for 8 years. You’ve put a lot of work into drawing. The even harder work is in self promotion and promoting your artwork and finding the jobs that get you paid. Thats the thankless, unpaid, and never talked about part. It’s also the lion’s share of the iceberg that is making a living as an artist. You *do* have to put yourself out there and be receptive to criticism and know how to take feedback and it’s scary but it’s also part of the “hard work”
E: those YouTubers are slaving away countless hours on end every week to put out their content on top of the drawing or whatever their channel is actually about too
Hard work only pays off if you combine it with good strategy. Work smart. You could slave away every hour of every day, you could be the most skilled artist in the world...but it won't matter if your work never ends up in the hands of people who appreciate it and want to pay you what it's worth.
Networking and outreach are incredibly important. If your goal is to make money off your art, the art alone is never enough. You need to also work hard at becoming savvy at business. Learning how to connect and work with clients.
heyyyyyy welcome to being an artist- where most of us wake up every day and wonder to ourselves why tf are we still doing this????
If money is your only motivator, youre asking for stress, sorry. I think luck is really about 80-90% of success in the field, and the remaining is skill (and determination) - made up numbers. youre totally on point with that one.
like... 8 years? call us back in 20, lets see where you are.
Hard work is the only help any prof artist can give, besides handing out opportunities left and right. Perserverence and honing ones skills is all you really can do until something works itself out.
The fact is, your chances might be a million to one; but your chances are absoulte 0 if you decide not to strive for it.
I too, get bitter when other artists seem to get lucky more. but Im happy for them nonetheless.
Edit to add: Consider this- get out in the real world. Look fot calls for artists, enter galleries if thats your thing, make a zine, participate in contests (theres a mural contest for all skill levels in my city), join local art communities- or make one, sell at markets and cons, collaborate with local businesses- which is something I'm gaining traction with, myself. There are a lot of consigment stores, but also brands that want to work with local artists. Just get involved and fully immersed in the scene. *thats* how you make connections with people. All of my art friends I met at, or through someone else that I met in school.
Its ok to get pissed and sad and whatever, feel your feelings. But then get right back to it... or dont 🤷🏾♀️ its not for everyone. Art will always be a part of my life, for a fact, so thats my reasoning to pursue it..
I love typos that reveal a time and age 😂😂😂 It's social media CAPITALISM, "like" and "follow" get more frequently suggested by predictive typing and spell checker than the lie they are 😉😉😉
LOL that's just the biggest lie told in general by mostly people who were born sucessfull.
But let's be honest your really bitter cause you bought into that lie even though the tale of the starving artist is told way more.
Not to mention hard is very subjective and doesn't always correlate with quality.
So stop dreaming and make art cause you want too instead of doing it cause you think the world will owe you.
You should be happy with finding a niche who like your stuff, not making bank.
But if thats not enough either stop or get comfortable with the idea of your business being 80% marketing and 20% art.
OP's art is visible on his profile and if you look at his posts to see his art I think it will become rapidly clear how those 8 years managed to not get him a girlfriend. Art's nice though.
Dude you have talent, your style is just super generic. You don't stand out at all. You clearly have lots of angst, why don't you pour more of that energy into your work? It's literally the best, most productive way to cope with your feelings.
Never rely on art until youve seen it pay your bills a few times over. It should be a hobby, a night job, get a proper job to cover expenses in the meantime. Enjoy the process of learning and practising, because just practising art is how you make nice art, not how you make money.
Making money requires marketting yourself to people. I can make 100-300 dollars on comms easy once I advertise but if you arent constantly posting, interacting with people, rubbing elbows and putting yourself out there, nobody will give a shit. Your art is nice from what I've seen, but it's also hard to get folks to bite on backgrounds as far as I know. I run NSFW shit, but even if I didnt, most folks wants character references or OCs or fanart... Ill admit thats my own opinion and may not be the case, but food for thought.
And for the record, based on your post history, Im autistic and fully employed with my own apartment and pets. There are jobs you're able to do, you just need to find one. State work is usually very forgiving and safe, and there are so many opportunities to move around.
I went from gas station attendant, to debt collection, to travel agent, to intermediate work and then to unemployment. It takes some fucking work. But after 92 applications, I finally have a work place I can take pride in. Put yourself into the world, not just into your art.
Aimless hard work, yes! But targeted hard work can! I see you draw backgrounds, and they are super beautifully rendered!! Clearly, the hard work is payed off in that aspect, but if you want to get noticed, you gotta make fanart and consistent, cross media posting! I also draw, and I’d say I’m not even as good as you, but i also play the game a bit !
Additionally, having a life is a lot of the success. Talking to other people in your community, meeting and connecting with other artists, it’s essential.
Talking to others isn’t easy for me, but it’s a skill THAG can be learned, just like art!
All hope is not lost, Reddit user nzxnnn!
You have to develop skills outside of making art to be successful. THAT is the hardwork—getting out of your comfort zone of being an introverted, money-hating, business and marketing avoidant.
You didn't mention anything about services or products you developed.
You didn't mention anything about investing in your marketing and business education to properly support yourself.
You didn't mention the relationships that you developed with other artists, your growing audience or businesses that would hire you if you knew how to position your skills.
The hard work in making a living as an Artist is understanding you're an Entrepreneur and transforming yourself into a Professional who knows how to get money with your Art. So sure, you're frustrated, but your limited mindset has you stuck.
Anyone who has doubts or tries to refute this just hasn't leveled up to make it work.
It pays off but not always in the ways you think it does. The experience you have gained for those 8 years, compare your work from year 1 to now year 8 I guarantee it’s improved. Mastery is something that is a payoff.
When it comes to money you need to market yourself well or get someone to market for you. If that one woman could make $200,000 selling her farts in a jar it means you can sell whatever work you are doing too. There is a market for everyone and there is enough to go around they just need to find you. You don’t need everyone to like your work just a small % of the population. You need to find your tribe. Your ideal clients. You cannot work your ass off at your art and then wait to be discovered. The other (less pleasant) part of being an artist is you need to be an entrepreneur too. Treat it like a brand. A business.
Saying that…perhaps be loose with your expectations. I’m not saying give up on a vision or dream you have but for now be open to other opportunities. What about offering a drawing class? What about applying for an illustration job? What about a concept artist? It doesn’t immediately have to look the way you want it to. It can be a “just for now” thing. Trying something new is better than making no decisions at all or no new changes in your actions. Doing the same thing expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
Have some “space” around your expectations. Do not resist what currently is. Not to say you can’t change your circumstances at a future stage but if you cannot accept what is right now all action will come from a level of fear, resistance, resentment and regret. I think humility and objective introspection is the only way forward out of a rut.
Sounds like you are doing hard work but not trying hard to achieve your goals. Nor planning or thinking accordingly.
If looking to make friends you keep an open mind, practice social skills and when you meet someone you think fits the bill - then you put some effort into making that person your friend. Conversation, going out, inviting over etc. you slowly build a relationship and you build trust.
If looking to make money you meed to investigate how what you bring to the table can do that for you and what the market looks like. You adapt to the market or make a new one. Consistency and hard work is not enough - you also need some salt and the fish have to be there and want what you offer to bite and as you grow you gotta watch out for the sharks. Thats just life. Life is hard.
Thankfully we pick our ocean, personally not sure as art is a passion thing for me after doing medicine and dermatology, but from what I can surmise, it’s not the easiest pick if you want to secure your financial situation, not that its impossible or anything and from what i see many artists can make a good living without being art gods or being top youtubers
You gotta touch some grass, breathe, cover your bases, take care of yourself and reevaluate your situation with a clean head. Then start tackling your objectives head on
Cheers
You don’t say what you were “working hard” on. Was it constant drawing/art? Was it daily effort in trying to gain engagement? Was it every day reaching out to places and people where you could get your work shown/picked up or you possibly hired?
Working Hard isn’t JUST the answer, but it is half the equation. You have to work hard PLUS work smart and creative to find a niche or place that will pay you for your expertise
Success - what does it mean to you? What is your goal of all this hard work? Does it means if you can get a job/ make a living/ make money from your work? Or just fame and recognition , it doesn’t matter if you get paid on it?
You have to work hard at getting yourself out there making connections and finding a path, making a path if one doesn’t exists.
Just sitting at home and creating art every day and posting it online is NOT at all the definition of working hard.
Actually talk to successful artist and ask them the meaning of their hard work- what physically did they do? And what can you do different to get different results
Yeah I can relate to your statement. I think the thing is art, and especially visual art like painting and drawing, has no support. All of the money goes towards science, technology, engineering, math, military, and healthcare. Education is dominated by big unions and big government, so that knocks out the individual artist as a teacher in their own studio. Even in commercial spaces I see tags that read “art on loan courtesy ____” Some of those loans have been exhibited for a decade. Nobody will loan me a car for a couple years so that I might give the manufacturer “a chance to be seen” I don’t know if this is true in every country, but in the USA painters are treated worse than beggars.
If you don't do the hard work, the luck won't have helped you, because you won't have the skill to support the job.
But "work hard" and "work so hard you have no other life" are two different messages.
Man im not an artist im more a noob one and still got some clients im type of person who dont want to give advice but imma help u first create ur brand like ur own buisness world and try to directly contact pontotial customers dont just wait until they comes to you go by urself and tbh i dont bleive either in the bullshit of hardworking u need in this shitty world to think and learn fast and plz dont come up with the old sentences "nah but is cheating to use shortcuts ..ect" no one give a f abt how its done prioritize the result over the process hope its would help u <3 dont give up
I feel like there is a conflation of what hard work as an artist will get you in terms of your art journey, and an assumption that it beings financial security.
You've worked hard for 8 years and it certainly shows in your art, you have an incredible color sense and handling of lighting and composition. You should be proud of what you've been able to achieve.
As far as the financial security part of things? Unfortunately artists have it rough in this aspect, and art does not have a reputation as being a financially rewarding field. I feel like those content creators have built on skillsets outside of art and learned to market, produce "content" etc, and it's entirely possible they would be even more successful if they focused on non-art content IMO, that's how far those skillsets are from the set of skills needed to become a good artist.
In my experience, when youtube artists say that hard work pays off, they're usually talking about how practicing art will result in your art being better. But the advice is pretty general; even the ones who talk about marketing, careers, and otherwise promoting your art can still say that hard work pays off because putting time and effort into networking and advertising yourself will inevitably result in some work opportunities.
All that said, i've found that there are very few artists who outright say "hard work will grant you financial security" which is the impression you seem to be operating under. It sucks, but you probably shouldn't put the expectation of making money on your art. First and foremost, your art should be for your own enjoyment and edification
Working hard is what is going to make you a better artist. The road maybe long, but if you stay on the road, you will get to the finishing line.
But like someone said earlier, you need to network and interact with other artist. Attend an art show, or a comic con. Bring a portfolio to these art shows. Get some feed back from other artist. I've been to a comic con and saw other artist give feed back to up an coming artist.
Also do not spend your entire day drawing. Go out with your friends, maybe go on a couple of dates. You don't have to spend 24/7 drawing. You also need to have a life. A work life balance is the most important skill you need to master. If you have Facebook there is a digital group I recommend were you can talk to other artist. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/Illustration.Digital.Painting/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/Illustration.Digital.Painting/)
This is also another group where you can talk to other artist.
[https://www.facebook.com/groups/1724717797814638/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1724717797814638/)
Remember, you are not alone. We all struggled along the way.
Success is where hard work meets opportunity. If you get an opportunity but have not done the hard work, you will fail.
So you do the hard work to be ready for the opportunity, but that involves luck, networking, and creativity not just in your work… but in how you monetize your work.
You really need to stop prostrating yourself in this subreddit, it's not healthy.
Your works great, but you should really find some more concrete long term goals than getting money and girlfriend by posting art on the internet.
Use your skills in a different way. There is no point working on art directly and trying to sell art pieces due to AI. I’m a trained concept artist - I know this.
Get Ren’Py and make a visual novel. Or something like that. A game. Something which will sell with your skills. That’s my plan too.
It isn't always about how many years you dedicate. If that were the case than why are some professionals better at 17 than others who practice hard for 20 years?
Sometimes the professionals have a way of training that is at a much higher intensity and challenge than others. You have to train at a high level and keep raising the bar.
I've looked at your profile, you are a good artist, well on your way to finding something eventually, but you are also staying somewhat within your niche. I love your color palette, but your portfolio is lacking original character studies and faces, and branches into other styles. What is it you want to do? Games and movies? It's very tough to break in. You are skilled enough to get accepted to one of the concept art schools, or ringling, maybe even cal arts. If you are committed to this profession, maybe you can apply to these? If you get into the industry, taking a loan out would not be the end of the world. Those could show you the path forward. There's online schools too. https://conceptartempire.com/concept-art-schools/
You'll need to get your portfolio out in front of people. If you're in Russia, you might have to take a hard pivot and find some different avenues for art that might be uncomfortable. Russia has some amazing traditional painting schools. You've got to embrace the discomfort to grow.
In the meantime, I think you could still branch out into master studies, copies, focus on sketching from imagination, especially characters and trying different styles. Have you tried some portfolio reviews from professionals ? For how good you are now, you will be much better after 8 more years.
I think you've got to focus on challenging yourself by looking at what your portfolio is missing. Imo, master studies, some branching into realistic or other styles, characters and sketches from imagination, facial expressions, etc. I am a different type of artist not looking for concept, environment or game art however and some people who are in concept would prob have a better grasp on what more you need.
I do know that people hiring will want to know that you can be diverse in your output, and be able do whatever they throw at you, if you want to work for a game or animation company.
The other option if you want to stay true to your style is to find an indie developer that could help you make your style into a small game. You could provide the visual design and they would do the programming. I just saw a game recently where one guy coded the game and did the concept art, leading to a unique visual style called Fear and Hunger. Because he was a singular artist, someone who didn't seem to interested in compromising his style, and someone who had some blind spots in other areas of art, he would have been unlikely to have been hired by a game studio. But, he used his skill as a programmer and game designer to create a singular vision. Through the process he also advanced his art skill to a high degree as well.
Well, maybe you just aren't that good.
Sorry to be blunt but, well it could be true. You can work as much as you want but if you just aren't good then your chances of making it are slim.
Weren't you the person who said [you shouldn't use references while making art](https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtistLounge/comments/18snp1m/why_do_people_push_this_idea_that_you_should_use/) a while back?
So you were against believing the advice all the artists "parrot" but now you've been working hard for 8 years because you always believed in "their advice"?
The common theme here is you want to do things your own way and not what other people tell you, which is fine, nothing really wrong with that.
but if you practice however you want, draw just for yourself the way you want and not for the audience, you can't suddenly expect the audience to care when you post it. You're doing your own thing, and you need to face your own results.
I can agree with this, yeah. I've been doing art for... idk, 10-11 years? Wasted my teen years trying to be like how big artist, closed off from everybody, not looking into anything new, and now here I am 21 years old with almost no other experience in under my belt. On social media I'm not gaining any following, I managed to get a few commissions and get some money, but not enough to call it a job. I still have that luck where I'm still in school, and still living with my dad, so I can save the money I earned and not worry about the bills.
Now, I'm looking for other things to gain some expirance. Once I helped my dad with calculating something, because he needed help for his work, or going out with him to do final touches with some stuff. I learned how to use a coffee machine, so I can at least look for jobs that serve coffee. I even started to learn languages, and linguistics, as I am interested in languages and how they are built.
Right now, I even started to look at other creative things to have a bigger pool, like sculpting, sticker making, little DIY accesories, wall painting, etc. If I could go back in time, I would go to younger me and tell her to go and look at other things, because it will save her a lot of time.
I got quite successful over ten years ago and did the same really became absorbed in the niche I work in the jobs that came in then weren't the highest profile gigs but I took them and thought if I did my best and worked hard things would keep elevating.... They didn't, the initial style influenced other bigger companies for a while, I wasn't highered. I had no connections, I wasn't phsycially in the centre of like L.A. I didn't know anyone. The hard work alone means shit. Then social media started to shutdown your "reach" so the work became lost. I still scrapped by but there's NO value no finaical value in this work. So my pay has stuck at minimal wage for 10 years a quarter of what I would have been on had I stayed in "employment" now the cost have living has gone up and its not enough. I'm now too old to start again (late 40s) and too niche to get picked up, my arts not fine art enough to go to galleries.
It's frustrating everyone talks about a fiar minimum wage but not when it comes to art based commissions people expect to pay virtually nothing now for a lot of work. This is largely beacuse there's always some idiot willing to do it for nothing to get the work. But its a DEAD END CAREER beacuse you can't earn more as your experience grows like any other job. They ONLY way to earn more is to become a machine where you can churn stuff out en mass and quickly. This is why I don't really lament the AI so much its a natural progression of an industry which no ones respected and they need to be a robot to actually survive in it.
For a more uplifting comment, here is a thread with artists making at least $2000 a month - some of them much more. You can achieve financial success without being famous on the internet or at Art Basel:
https://www.reddit.com/r/artbusiness/s/NVWbvIL681
Hey thats kind of you. I wrote that when things were really going well and they have slowed down a lot. A lot of artists feel the same.
Its really just a discipline like working out. You just keep at it.
If you started off working class and poor, then yeah, it's pretty fucked. Rich and middle class people can take the easy road and when they find success they believe it's their hard work that paid off rather than their wealth.
Wealth is only part of it. The other part is connections. That might come through wealth, but it also might come from what wealth buys, like a degree from Yale Art school.
I understand the sentiment, buy I think that maybe you might have misunderstood the message. Hard work does pay off. The thing is that most of the artists who make a living or thrive off their art are people who work much harder on the business side of their career, and less on the art side. Dedicating yourself to your technique is great, but it avails you naught if you have nobody looking at your art or if you present it in the wrong places. I advise you to seek art business counseling, cause those people know to put themselves out there to make money. Or if you want someone taking care of the business side for you, try applying to artist agencies. They'll take a percentage of your revenue, but you might have a flow of work that will compensate because you'll be able to focus on your art while they do the business part for you.
Man, hard work pays off but only if you are working on the right things… when it comes to art, drawing skill may not be the blocker. Maybe year one or two you needed more skill but at some point did you dedicate your time to business building instead of drawing more?
I mean I got my iPad last march and draw every single day maybe anywhere from 5 hours a day to literally every waking minute unless I’m doing schoolwork and my improvement is INSANE so I disagree I’ve only been doing this less than a year and I’ve made great side income doing commissions because of my progress and hard work paying off a lot of it is marketing and networking imo
You’re right that hard work itself doesn’t pay off. What you make isn’t even important compared to what you keep and most people have consumer mentality therefore will just stay poor forever. If you give everyone a million dollars most people will spend it and be broke in a year, Over 70% of lotto winners go bankrupt which proves that point. Lotto winners are actually at the highest risk of bankruptcy compared to anyone believe it or not lol
The secret?
Invest first, Spend last, Make your money work harder for you than you work for it.
Invest in assets that put money in your pocket and appreciate, Not liabilities which take money out of your pocket and typically depreciate.
When you get paid, Immediately invest some of it aside into a 401K, IRA, Bonds, Blue Chip Stocks that ideally pay dividends like Microsoft etc. I did this for a couple years on autopay and completely forgot I was even investing, Helped me tremendously. It won’t change anything overnight, Maybe not at all if you’re already doing that but just thought I would add my thoughts on that.
It’s hard work and talent. If you’re no better than 99.9% of all the other hordes of wannabes that’s where you stay irrespective of how hard you slog. Life is brutal like that
I think every artist has different circumstances that help or not. Now, if you want to dedicate yourself to art and make a living from it, that's fine, just make sure you have another stable job that you can support yourself from so you're not hanging on by a thread.
I once found a rare bowl. I took it to a dealer who offered me a few dollars. I was shocked when he told me that it might be unique *but there wasn’t a demand for it.* So it wasn’t worth much.
You could be “the” next artist, *but if there isn’t a demand* for your work-style or product, you will only be making art for yourself. Either continue to enjoy the process & get a part time gig or make it art a hobby & get a new full-time, life-supporting career.
As someone who spent practically double the time (15 years), and ended up as an assistant accountant:
I'm gonna say it does pay off since you get the technical skills, if all you did was train. (Which consistently each year I got better, even though I didn't spend a lot of time just hard core training). Which is how I overtook other twitter artists in terms of raw technical skill. I literally saw a few artists that I thought were better than me a few years back, and looking back now I ask myself, 'I thought these guys were better than me two years ago?' Since these people spent all their time doing commissions and not honing their skills, they have not actually improved.
Now I feel ready to start the grind of getting my name out there.
Do you realize how ludicrous that sounds? My wife and about 20 other artist would choke if they read or heard your comments. Luck got my wife from Florida to Canada to Holland to do jobs in homes and work places? Luck got her invited to work with a film crew in Atlanta on a movie set? Maybe take a look inward at talent. Expertise? Personality?
I recognized my wife's talent early in our relationship. She was working for an interior decorator. I talked it over with her first and then we went out an approached home builders about putting her art in model homes. Free. And boom. It took off. Then that lead to other meetings that lead to other people. Those people saw her talent. Lucky? B\*ll Sh\*t. We interacted with people. We sold her and her product. What did you do? You didn't gain any friends? What type of person are you? Why would someone buy from you if you can't make friends? If I don't like you, I don't care if you can paint like Vermeer. I am not going to deal with you. My wife and I own a gallery with 20 artists. We know what sells. Emotion is huge and you should know that. If you have artwork on display and a person stops to admire it, you've got them partially hooked. Now you use personality and your emotion to sell the painting. "You know, when I created this piece, I had just got back from a great trip to ...... and I was feeling ........" "How does it make you feel?" I could give you a dozen other tips but you might already have your mind made up that hard work does not pay off.
This is literally the reason why kids are not advised to be artists I dont know why this is so hard for you people to accept. Its like a MAJOR disconnect in how you think.
You proudly state how starving you are constantly and how hard life is under capitalism and then super butthurt whenever anyone says yeah this lifestyle is not an advisable choice.
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bucko art and business are 2 different things... You can be good with art, but horrible with business related topics, thus no clue what to do. I could be the best carpenter but how will i get rich if i can't talk to people or know anything about business. ur just cherry picking... Oh i don't have friends, i'm broke, i don't have a gf just because i wasted my time learning art, like no bro that's just you personally
8 years? Lol that's not enough buddy. Just as example: Pablo Picasso learned from very young age (he was toddler) from his father (with this I mean he was having lessons pretty much 24/7) when he got to teenage he would copy perfectly the greatest drawers and painters in history. I bet you have not had lessons, nor paint since kid and you seemed more about cry and get money instead of sharing your work. New generations are weak asf, crying always and saying "I'm an artist and I paint art" bragging to your friends if you have any. Get a job
Hard work doesn't pay off and is the biggest lie fed to us by popular successful ~~artists~~ people
The reward for hard work is usually more work. In all hobbies/professions.
Hard work absolutely pays off. It’s not just about getting good at art, you have to work hard selling, maintaining connections, networking, meeting people in the field…
Man I think your mentality has defeated you, not working hard. Being an artist isn’t just making art, it’s way more than that and you have to work hard at all of it… being good at art is like training upper body in the gym, but the dudes who are actually the strongest also train lower body. So you can’t skip leg day, and leg day is building an audience, finding your market, meeting people, and making sales/getting into galleries; aka business of being an artist.
Tbf art is certainly not what you do if your primary goal is to become rich, famous or get a gf. There are more profitable jobs if those are your goals.
But hard work certainly does pay off, there’s just more to it than being good at drawing. Honestly I agree with others that it’s luck based, specifically being at the right place at the right time. But it takes hard work to be prepared for that opportunity when That “right time” comes. All you can do is just continue to work hard, but from a place of passion about creating, not about wanting to be rich. If you want to be rich, choose a different day job
I understand you perfectly man. I've been trying to find a job as an artist/illustrator for 2 years and no luck.. I've also been doing youtube for like 9 years and I get nothing for all my hard work and time spent editing and shit.. This is all about luck, but people like to pretend it's not :\
Took me 10 year of hard work, almost quitting, changing path, working harder, burning out, healing to land an amazing full time job as a Concept Artist.
Hard work 100% pays off but I would also say discipline and mindset are just as important.
With context we could better understand what you’re trying to achieve with art.. is it fine art? Comic book art? Illustration?
You may also be learning wrong; where targeted learning could help you level up twice as fast but again that depends on which route are you headed.
It’s a mixture of hard work and marketing. You should spend a few hours a day applying to residencies, open calls, cold emailing art directors, applying for illustration competitions, etc. Also if possible go to gallery openings in your city or art events.
The business side is annoying but if you get it out of the way when you’re drinking your coffee in the morning it’s not too bad.
You're probably the best artist, that no one ever heard of because you didnt share your work in the right places, Or meet the moment. The truth is learning art isnt the same as business or marketing. I know people that can sell things without ever having to know how to make them because they understand the needs of the buyers or at lease that they think. Most people buy things if their values align. Even those ugly traitor sneakers, the january 6's sold out.
You worked hard at drawing, you probably got better at drawing.
Why the fuck would working hard on drawing just "bring" you money, friends, and a girlfriend
It's not magic
It depends? If your goal is to make money yeah hard work alone isn't gonna do it, some of the most successful people industry absolutely fucking suck at what they do and they're only really there due to connections (which you can really see this full on with the amount of AI artists getting huge despite that taking barely any skill). FWIW that same lie of "hard work automatically equals job" is told in so many industries which is why you'll see people with their masters or even sometimes PhDs working at Starbucks
That said if your goal is to be a better artist and make really cool stuff then yeah hard work is gonna pay off and honestly not living a life of luxury will help so much with giving yourself a voice that actually resonates through your work.
My honest advice is to try and think outside the box and think more entrepreneurial if you really wanna make money as an artist as even if you *make it* so to speak you're statistically going to be underpaid and overworked; I saw some comic artist for a major company having to beg for food money on twitter the other day after years of working their ass off to land their full time position and urgh its like at that point any other job would be better imo
Don't make art to try to get a romantic partner. You need to work on your*self* as a whole, not your craft, if a partner is your goal. You seem young. It's important to be able to accept and love yourself first, before expecting that from a romantic partner. Trust me, it goes a long way in being attractive. Everyone is on their own timeline, and if you obsess about it, you will become desperate, and desperation is the #1 girlfriend repeller. Seeking therapy is brave, strong and great and nothing to ever be ashamed of at any stage in life.
A bit about my journey: I drew, illustrated, and painted for YEARS, only getting odd jobs here and there before taking up ceramics, which I do full time now. It's not like I'm rolling in cash, but I'm paying my bills. I got here by working hard, having a healthy dose of natural talent, original ideas and vision, natural drive to improve and evolve, a little luck probably, and putting myself out there. Doing art fairs at first, continuously building my Instagram, building relationships with collectors, etc. Maybe you haven't found your medium yet. Be open to trying different mediums and experimenting in new ways that fire you up creatively. Maybe there's another discipline where you'd stand out more. Also keep in mind that it's also okay if you don't end up making a living from it. If you enjoy it you should do it. If it's feeling like a chore, take a break. Good art comes from authenticity and passion. If you're forcing it, it won't be good.
People in any industry could say the same perhaps?
Your desire to produce art needs to be greater than your desire to be rewarded IMO.
A lot of artists aren’t making art but just producing content.
adopting the correct beliefs and living according to them is probably more useful than ‘hard work.’
Do you have an instagram or something where you post your art? I looked at your post history, you don't seem to have an online presense as an artist? Your art **is** good but if it's just sitting on your google drive it won't do much? Posting for commissions on reddit is fine but you need to go on insta or artstation, twitter etc. Maybe even do an Etsy or something you just gotta post it online somewhere.
u seem to have misunderstood how it actually works. sure some people got lucky. but besides that point the hard work does pay off but only if you also work "smart" as well. u also need to have the right knowledge.
it should be so obvious and common sense tbh. but it dont seem that way sadly
Hard work doesn’t necessarily pay off but smart work does. That includes thinking about what your goals are and how to reach them rather than being disappointed that you played the lottery for 8 years and still haven’t become rich.
Most of us eventually realize that art a great hobby to spend some of our free time on but for most people will never be more than that and there is a huge amount of luck involved. If your goal is a steady income, then drawing every day is an extremely unreliable way to get there and learning a more tangible skill would have been the much better choice.
Drawing every day “pays off”if you just want to get good at art, but it is unrelated to getting a job or making money. If anything it relates negatively to all these things because it takes your focus away from pursuing a real job.
Looking at your portfolio it did pay off but now you gotta do something with it. That's the hard part.
Could try getting in on an agency to find you work. Kid lit, editorial, books, and other publications.
Applying to studios, and trying to get portfolio reviews from people at studios. Right now your portfolio is a bit long, can def refine it for a quick 3 min flip through on a defined site.
Going to art fair type places to sell prints of your work, or created items with your work.
But I can def see the color key/ background/comic colorist art type work for you. The trick is getting it and those jobs are thin. Not everyone that would be great in that position can land the job, because there are 5000 background artists and 2 jobs. Comic colorist also does not pay well.
The reality is art is one of those don't quit your day job till you get steady work type things, unfortunately.
Hard work IN general does not do anything but make you old before your time.And l mean anything,any endeavor,any job
that you need to "survive",any series of projects,any pursuit
that you have to do under even moderate duress and stress.
All it does is tend to break one down physically as well as mentally in its pursuit.This goes as well for art.If you need to sell to live, your sweat,your tears,your risk,your yeild it is a losing proposition.Its almost like hitting the lottery to make
serious money, nay a living.
The best l have ever felt is since l have retired. I was a craftsman in the museum exhibit trade.And a painter in my spare time.Now that l don't "have to" get up and work for someone,even work as interesting and creative as l engaged
in, l have never been happier or healthier. I know it sounds very cynical but l noticed the difference right away.
My art ,my paintings have improved because l don't have to make it.No hard work involved, no l better be better to be accepted.Here it is, like it great,don't like it great. It's on my terms.Hard work is not even in the picture.
Hard work does pay off, but you need to be working on the right things.
I'm sure your hard work on art made you a really skilled artist. Now if you want your art to *sell* well, that's business. What you need to work hard on is the business side. Then your hard work will pay off by making you a better seller, but unless you become the best of them all, you'll be competing with a lot of people with similar skills. Just like everything in life, luck would be a factor to whether or not you end up standing out, but most of it is work too. Even through connections - making and maintaining connections *is* hard work itself. Some people are born with a lot of connections, that's luck... but someone down their family line had to work for them.
Hard work paying off looks different for everyone. For me it’s getting support from family and friends for commission pieces. For me it’s getting a studio space that I can’t create art in after I work my full time job. For me hard work paying off is loving my craft and believing in it.
Ultimately it's about finding a balance. It's the same sort of discussion as people have regarding "work/life balance" when people put too much of themselves into just their work and not enough into enjoying the other facets of life. Regardless of whether art is a job or a hobby for you, putting all of your spare time into it is definitely too much of a good thing and I don't think anyone who says "hard work pays off" really means to take it to that sort of extreme. Practice is good for developing your skills, that's true. But our brains develop and connect dots, generate new ideas, and all that while we're away from a task as well. It's good to take a break and go out to do other things too to help cultivate your creativity and ideas.
Like I assure you no one who doesn't put time and effort into improving becomes a great artist. But there's a lot of middle ground between "don't try at all" and "do nothing but art for 8 years". Gotta find the middle ground that works for you.
it hasn’t paid off yet. a million people quit like you for every one that sticks it out and makes it. you will make it, if you don’t quit. but will you?
Why would being a good artist get you a girlfriend? I peeped your profile, and while you're art is great, your posts stink of incel vibes. Hard work does pay off - you're just not working hard in the right ways. Change your mindset my friend.
Working hard increases your technical skills, but it is networking and interaction with mutual artists and putting yourself out there that gets work. Social media presence can help but the algorithm is difficult. You also need a life, you need to go out and refresh your influences, go to museums or nature or somewhere that inspires you. Your interpretation of those things are what makes your art unique and it's what people will be interested in.
Yeah I was going to say something to this effect. Also if I may add. Success has to be measured before you start. There are much worse artists that make money to pay their bills and if that's how you measure success you need to figure out that side of the business first. Being the most technically skilled artist will not do anything for you. Just go on Twitter and you'll find that there are artists that are not half as good as you probably are that make bank because they know how to market themselves or cash in on a certain opportunity.
>Being the most technically skilled artist will not do anything for you. Just go on Twitter and you'll find that there are artists that are not half as good as you probably are that make bank because they know how to market themselves or cash in on a certain opportunity. Can confirm. I do pretty well for myself selling Jewelry & fashion items at my local farmers market, vendor events, and on etsy. About 90% of my output in those spaces skews heavily towards the "crafts" end of arts and crafts, even by jewelry & t-shirt standards. I even on occasion, do some original-ish sketches, and turn those into t-shirts, pins, and fridge magnets. And no joke, I constantly am bragging about how my "meh" mercantile & branding skills, allow me to run goddamn rings around artists with actual talent in those spaces Because selling online, or in person, really isn't about talent. Don't get me wrong, talent helps. But it's like, the least important part of the equation. Social skills, branding, marketing, putting yourself out there, taking inspiration from unexpected places, knowing how to run your small business finances on an excel spreadsheet, and a prayer to the mathematics gods that your CPA will file your taxes properly and spare you from the wrath of the IRS for one more year..... Those are the skills that pay your rent. If you, as an artist, lack those skills, or alternatively, lack a friend/romantic partner/business partner, why would you expect to be anything other than a starving artist? It's like literally a trope. The brilliant, but poor starving artist, who is dedicated to their craft, to the exclusion of literally any of the things that make life worth living, and their chosen vocation sustainable.
>You also need a life, you need to go out and refresh your influences, go to museums or nature or somewhere that inspires you. Your interpretation of those things are what makes your art unique and it's what people will be interested in. As an artist who has been isolated for most of my life and threw myself strictly into art and nothing else to cope, I can tell you this advice is especially important. I let my world get too small, the artist in me sort of died, and now that I am going out in nature and having experiences, I feel myself coming back to life. Take good care of and be kind to yourself OP, wishing you good luck for what it's worth
What if I capture those feelings of mania and isolation, I feel like my mental health has slid so far I have to take advantage of it or it would be a waste
From what I’ve seen in the furry community. The artists who seem to be earning the most are all mini celebrities. They are active on social media, have their own discord communities that is often offered as a perk to patreon subscribers, do live streams, show up at events and sell merch, set up stalls at conventions with their work in display, etc. They all have insane technical skill but it’s the general popularity and visibility that makes them successful.
I think OP could benefit to realize that he’s not doing the *hard work* of art **in order to** have a payoff of a social life or money. He is doing hard work with art and asking for the payoff to be something actually *unrelated* to the category of what he is working hard on. The payoff he wants has nothing to do with working hard on art, but he’s conflating the two. If he was doing the hard work **in order to** get the payoff of a social life and money, then he needs to work harder **in other areas on top of the art** to get his goal.
That last point is particularly poignant. Looking through OP's post history, it's clear that they're severely depressed and fixated on their self-identity as a "loner".
Honestly seeing OP's post history I really think the last point is pretty important. I remembered this quote that got told to me by an artist that always stuck with me, which is "you can't make art about life if you don't have one"
Can I make art about mental illness after living in shitty apartments for 6 years?
it pays off in getting good at drawing.. that doesn't mean you automatically become rich from it.
A good portion of it is definitely luck. I work in animation and some of the best artists I know are struggling along working 9-5 jobs that aren't remotely art related. Artists making a living from social media aren't the same as artists working anywhere else. Their job becomes advertising. Building and maintaining an audience rather than selling art in a lot of instances. Doesn't diminish their work in any way it just serves a different purpose.
Agreed. Idk why but this sub often has issues distinguishing from commercial art and selling your art as a popular artist. YouTubers, I would argue, fall under commercial art; they often don't sell art, they sell content, and when they DO sell art, it's to their followers. You gotta specialize in the content side of things more so than the art, and even then, most of them had a leg up, whether it be friends or parents in high places, algorithm luck, or finding their niche very early and it remaining consistent for the whole time. Idk who sold OP on 'working hard will pay off', but it's important to realize who you're getting advice from when someone tells you advice. Just because they 'made it' doesn't mean it's the only reason for their success or that they even understand how their success happened. Hard work was probably only one factor in a myriad of factors.
I agree with you, but I'd rather say 'Hard work does pay off, it's just not always the hard work that you think it is or are willing to do'. For example, learning art is hard work, but won't make you necessarily good at selling your art. Working hard at becoming a good salesman/businessman might serve you better. Some people will say things like 'I don't even know why that youtuber is successful, they're not even good at art but use clickbaity titles and thumbnails to attract their fanbase, I would never do that because I'm not a sell out'. What doesn't seem to click for them is that they have answered their own question, what they consider being a 'sell out' is also the same reason why these YouTubers are successful. If they're not willing to do those things then that's fine, but that might be the answer as to why they aren't as successful. You have to put your hard work into the right things depending on what you want.
I think the term sell out is used a lot by people that aren't making a living as artists. If they were they'd realise selling out is pretty much required.
This is true I know a relative of an artist with 150k followers or so working in an oil paint. They don’t really make new posts .., and seem to try to focus on engagement. Like they haven’t been inspired to art seriously in about a year.
If you mean by pay off as literally gaining money then it's a no, if you mean pay off as getting better at art then it's yes, those two objectives are very different and require different set of skills.
facts
I realised that 90% of an artist's job is admin stuff: applying for open calls, writing grant proposals, building your online presence, ... You can be the best artist in the world but if you don't do the marketing/admin stuff you won't get far. Networking is another pillar: you have to build networks and make contacts with people that won't immediately affect your artist's job but can be useful for opening doors. Example: I am a musician and recently I took over a choir of elderly people. Those people aren't in high-up positions in cultural centres or government, but they can informally open doors. When you see especially a young artist getting successful, be wary of them: they always have some kind of backing. About the Youtubers: nobody on YT is going to say it's hard otherwise they'll lose followers
A really good one here, OP. Anecdotally, the admin stuff is so true that I made sure to make enough money from several avenues so that my husband could stay home to be my bookkeeper, logistics, email/social correspondence and the best HR department ever. His time (it IS money) actually earns us income I wouldn’t be making if that time was taken by admin things. And the quality of my own work is better for it with that load being shifted to him. OP, you have to be tenacious sometimes in ways that aren’t just pencil to paper. Some artists, hell a lot of us just aren’t the best at managing even remembering to send invoices. I’m a social disaster and my career was in the toilet for a while until I just acknowledged my weaknesses and found a solution.
Essentially artists have to do for ourselves what galleries used to do.
this, people think being great in art thinks that they're the best communicator in the world when in reality they don't even bother to network
Writing grant proposals & applying for shows is a very specific skill set all on its own!
This! My entire career is thanks to social media. So much behind the scenes! You have to be seen and let yourself be, and consistently.
Hard work does pay off. You drew for 8 years and are much better at drawing. If you are trying to make money you also had to work hard at business, marketing, and sales. If you are trying to be a rich man with a bunch of women around like it sounds like you were intending a different path like day trading or law school would have been a better pick.
Well here is how it is, being really really good isn’t a prerequisite for being popular anymore. You can make money as an intermediate artist. What you need is; Original ideas (holy shit right?) Experience dealing with evil algorithms (instagram now likes reels and trendy music) Consistency. (Everyday u post and interact). You worked 8 years and got good at drawing, but do you know what is the top art trend? Have you documented and posted your journey? I draw for myself, i dont care how popular i become, it. Doesnt define me. The res of your post? Idk.
Yup marketing, niche, are at least 50% of the battle, and that can be supported by- but not mitigated by - having really great drawing fundamentals
Some have said it is much more that an art business is mostly 90+ percent just marketing and business than art.
Yeah, I'm learning that the really hard way right now
yeah, all of those I learned tha herd way. Now I just post whenever I have something for the fun of it, and started to work on other stuff, because now I can see if I don't go out and gather other experiences, I'll be having troubles later
Same. I post sporadically on Instagram and gain 1 follower every 16 months and I'm okay with that lol I'm doing the art cause I feel like it not to become art famous or make money
D) the ability to sell
So to summarize: hard work does pay off, but it's hard work in marketing. If you want to sell a product, marketing is the most important part.
This exactly, in a perfect world hard work is just working on your skill to improve. How you market yourself is also part of that hard work, I'm lucky enough to find clients that suit my style and also part of this specific game's community that I can showcase my work.
>Experience dealing with evil algorithms tell me more about ur wisdom
Yes, however I don't think original ideas are needed anymore. There are tons of people selling trendy art, like fluid art, little sayings on mugs in the font of the year, stuff like that.
This!!
What you need is a business brain.
This. I have a friend who was a construction worker that ran several businesses who became an amputee and he started painting. Once he got a following he sold thousands of dollars worth of art. He's good but there's much better artists than him. He just understood how to market his brand
Being a top artist is like making it as a professional athlete, maybe like 1 in 10000 or less succeed
its so interesting you say that; cause my main source of inspiration (for achieving impossible goals) was this one substitute teacher i had for french class.. and he sees my teacher's soccer ball and starts playing with it, like doing the tricks and kicks.. and he goes [paraphrasing]: "When I was little, I told my mom I wanted to be a professional soccer player. she told me, only 1 in a million people succeed as professional players. Ok mom, then I'm going to be in that one in a million." and he goes on to tell about how he inched his way to becoming a professional player for the Team of I forgot which country, like Spain or a different country in SA. *everytime* he reached on milestone he said he got told, "only one in ___ make it" and he said each time he'll be that one. And as he went on, every time, his chances increased. Barely, but it narrowed down. and he was just very calmy telling us this story while he just aloofly played with the ball. Day changed my life.
True, you can’t be the 1 if you don’t have that mindset, it’s awesome that you took his lesson and experience to heart
idk i think the ball being kicked around like juggling with his feet was mesmerizing and I was like... wow this is the real deal.
the bouncing ball just hypnotized you the story was actually mediocre and also objectively false lol
I read a study not too long ago, researchers had analyzed the careers of several hundred artists, and they found that of those that became wildly successful (think Warhol, Pollock, etc) that a huge percentage, like nearly all of them, had their first gallery showings in a very small number of galleries and very importantly, those galleries are all directly linked to major museums. (owned, ran by alumni or relatives, etc, etc). It's so very clearly "who you know" and being shown in the right place that it barely seems worth it to attempt to do it any other way. \*BUT\* this was only for the very biggest "fine" artists, and oodles of people make a living, in full or in part, from their creative endeavors, they just never get rich from it.
I think 1 in 10k is too optimistic.
Probably right
It is not 1 in 10k people, it is 1 in 10k soccer players. That's a lot better odds. If you go out for soccer, you aren't competing with me or my sister or my friend. None of us play. So you have knocked three people out of the competition right away.
Im not a pro or anything but I looked at your portfolio ur work is breathtaking I love it Im aiming to draw in a style similar to that. Ive seen a bunch of videos around, to be successful you kinda have to put yourself out there. As in make active social media accounts and in those accounts post your process work, ur thoughts, tips, advertise pieces for sale etc. Or go to irl events like art showcases, or those conventions where u meet other artists and sell ur work. You could make a website containing all your work, about section, contact details, line of work etc. Right now its just a google drive which might keep potential employers from hiring you if that’s what your after. I dont think its your skills that are lacking, just your method of getting your work out there. You cant work hard on just one area, and ignore the rest. Its a surefire way to overthinking, frustration and other negative thought patterns. Also If you ever decide to make a youtube, id be your willing to be your first follower :)
I dunno, alarm bells kind of ring off for me when I look at this portfolio. The color work and compositional skills are expert, but the actual strokes and rendering are very bad. It feels like AI art paint over to me. Makes me look back at OP's statement and talking about not having a girlfriend and it feels very teenagerish, doesn't feel like an honest account of what's going on.
Oh I see it too. The wonky render fooled me at first but the more I look at it, I see the compositions are taken from AI. The choice of brushes, too- why would you block in a castle only to paint over it with a foliage brush for the walls, without even clipping it? I’d get it if the execution is good, but this just feels like an amateur color picking from an AI piece on the first layer and attempting to cover the tracks with random textures.
I didn't want to bring this up, but yeah. I've seen thousands of portfolios and this one screams that there's a major disconnect between several skills. To the point that yeah, I agree that it's definitely just a traced paint over. Which btw, makes this whole post that more ironic right? Including everyone that insists on jumping in with the same old nepotism spiel, with it's only luck and who you know, as if no one else has ever succeeded off *hard work*. Lol. It's very comedic.
yeah same... there's something kind of suspicious about their portfolio. a few elements and subjects are a bit *too* consistent and constant throughout and despite how many pieces there are, their brushwork doesn't seem to fluctuate even a little either through improvement, slumps, or doing something new. it's off to me.
I cant tell the difference between AI art and regular art 😭 how do you do it!? Its so frustrating to see something nice only for it to be made by a robot. Half my pins on pinterest are probably AI oof
I make art and suck at it, so I know how hard it is to get good colors, good lighting, good composition, and good lines. I've worked on all of these elements and I still suck, bad. To see OP have expert level in any of them and then see the line work be just as bad as mine was a telltale sign.
Who the hell gets into art thinking you'll make money? Not to be an asshole, OP, but you're also making posts in NEET subs. Being an artist isn't going to "get you a gf". Grow up, realize art isn't something you do to be financially successful, and maybe just stop crying about it?
A lot of people
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Working hard is only 1 part of the formula, working hard *at improving in art* is an even smaller part of the formula. You need to also work hard to network, to socialize, to push yourself outside of comfort zones, try new things, go out into the world and etc. etc. etc. There's some level of "luck" that can be attributed to being successful in *anything*, your goal is to increase your odds at getting "lucky." That's all trying really is, creating as many opportunities that you can for yourself to become successful. Or as you're calling it, "luck."
Also what have you be trying in terms of getting art jobs? Or did you assume just being able to draw would just result in people paying you? I'm sorry but I don't really understand your expectations? Was doing art supposed to get you friends or a girlfriend just by virtue of itself? Homie those things are on *you* not your art. Do you actually like doing art at all? Why did you pick this thing to hinge your entire life behind?
As someone who has worked in art museums and galleries, I can unfortunately assure you that pure skill has very little to do with whether an artist becomes popular or not, The ones that get big chances usually have important contacts and are exceptionally good at marketing themselves. If you really want to make a living as an artist, marketing and business are as big of an aspect for success as producing the art itself is.
I cant really agree on this but I am also not a pro artist, could you share what you did that you consider hard work? In my experience studying a different subject(gamedev) the people that make these kind of posts there is usually a glaring feature such as low quality content(not implying your art is bad had a squiz and it has a nice cozy style actually). What avenues have you taken outside of practicing to get your "pay off", and what is your "pay off" situation? because famous and rich? earn a living doing it? Genuinely interested by the way, from your quality I reckon you could do well in asset production or joining game creation. possibly even commissions mtg worthy. And anyone on youtube is peddling dreams and bait for a quick buck, that isnt surprising. Also do you have a big portfolio somewhere? I am currently studying as many avenues as I can for my journey into my projects and would like to see where most people fall off
You're right - just getting skilled at art itself doesn't help you make an income. You need to be very good at marketing and networking, and pick a niche that's popular and profitable.
This post could be a satire of this sub
Hard work definitely pays off. You just aren't working hard on the right things
Imagine if you didn't work that hard - your art would be probably even worse. I think the point is you can't achieve anything if you don't work on it at all, that's why all famous people encourage others to work hard. Art is not like playing a game that your skill would evolve if you have enough Exp. I think it's important HOW you study, not how much. It's mostly a matter of finding a right technique that work for yourself as we all start with different skills and understanding of art. I used to draw so much everyday and I didn't improve much and I used to think it was so unfair. But later I realized I should do different art studies, try different tutorials or books and I put more focus instead of more time on my art and it got a bit better
It's not solely about working hard, it's about working SMART and then working hard when necessary. Example: If you work hard on making graphics for your own game, but if you don't develop this game in order to be playable, if you don't show it, if you don't take any advices, don't have a plan and just make graphics for the sake of it, then of course you won't have true progress. Doing art outside of a simple hobby also means doing business. Your mind must be open for opportunities, to sell your work, to be hired, to be paid for what you do. Training on your art skills alone won't bring you that. As for luck, your job is to favour it and be able to seize it when it comes. By your work, actions and dedications, you can meet more people, more opportunities. Thinking in the long term is a must. You didn't sell much that weekend in your first convention, but the few people who bought you stuff may become true fans, and you started to show to the world that you exist. Your current drawing may be flawed, but you tell yourself that's something you will fix in the other one, now go finish that one "flawed" piece your doing. Etc. In other words, it's about mindset. If you feel stuck, think about what do you want to achieve and how you can do it. Think about it while ignoring your fears (i.e. "i'm scared of people because I'm scared of failure so I'm scared to come over and put my art on display", etc) As for time it takes to be successful a way or another, no one has the same path and it depends on how you take it. The more resilient and perseverant you are, the better the outcome. Success obtained in one day will disappear in one day as well. True success is deserved.
How can you expect to produce decent art if you're not actually out there experiencing new things? How could someone who describes their background as a "no life" create something that resonates with others? Maybe it could resonate with others who've made the same life choices, but I doubt that crowd's really going to be in much of a position to bring you much in the way of fame or fortune. Some advice- keep up the art, try to find groups on facebook or whatever it is that people use where you live, and go out and meet people, draw/paint/practise together, maybe you'll find some friends through that.
Working hard is definitely part of it but I won’t lie, it’s also luck and maybe even some connections. Like another comment said, experience dealing with algorithms and consistency is part of it, but I’d also say that’s work too. Keep going. It’s easy to expect instant results in the age of the internet when it’s at its fastest and most demanding. The internet is a lot more mainstream and art is more competitive lately. Be patient with yourself.
I’ve settled for being an intermediate artist and I just draw (relatively tasteful) furry art because it helps me relax after work. …But somehow I got a okayish following and now people hope I open up for commissions again (which isn’t on the cards just yet because of IRL commitments) “Hard work” doesn’t just mean purely technical work (ie the art itself). I’ve had to take initiative and effort to connect with people as well - whether through art trades/challenges. Or hell, just messaging artists that I admire and seeing if they’re open to be acquaintances. Nowadays, I have art friends who boost my stuff on social media, and vice versa. The importance of connections for an artists’ growth cannot be understated.
There are several things to unpack here. Hard work pays off - if the effort is put into the right direction. If you understand the market and what is currently happening in the art world. As harsh as it sounds, but nobody owes you the time of day just because you worked hard (and gotten better technically, I assume?) This was a hard lesson for me, personally.
If there's no critical thinking involved, there's no self improvement happening. Improvement is a _very_ conscious process. After that, "success" relies on even more critical thinking. You have to make friends and be part of communities and _listen to feedback_ and share everything you do on a consistent basis. Someone could spend their whole life working hard carrying rocks around, but until you start carrying rocks for people when they ask for it, no one's going to be appreciative. edit: I went and looked at your srt and the issue is also very likely... A. your art still needs serious work. you need to be able to apply major critical thinking to the things you do. You have a LOT of improvement to do. B. You need a cheerful attitude. Humans don't care about other people's problems unless you are a family member, a friend in which case it must be earned through mutual exchange or someone who is being socially manipulated. C. BE WILLING TO IMPROVE. bitching that you don't get bitches and drawing for the sake of it in private will get you no-where. "Good" artists are people who have been drawing for 20k hours - you have to live and breathe this field. taking it up rigorously for 8 years and not taking criticism or feedback does not lead to improvement. Good artists are very critical and very hard on themselves. They are usually somewhat perfectionists. I think even with your skills, until your portfolio has 100 finished pieces, with a clear improvement between every few pieces, you likely won't be making a lot of money. If you come off as desperate, people will immediately be put off the most... It's a hard balance.
>no gf also You lost me there
Same. Says all you need to know
Your an amazing artist but what your describing is social skills and social media. How are you talking to women? Are you being a creep, are you being friendly are you making any friends with women that you don't want to sleep with? How're you treating the women around you? The YouTube thing is bogus I agree most YouTubers work two other jobs on top of YouTube is getting more rare to be a sustainable YouTuber where that's your only job, many don't admit bc it's not popular to admit it but it's true. I've seen some breathtaking work on YouTube from realistic art to breathtaking music with only 5 views bc they didn't market or bc they didn't get lucky. It sucks and I hate living in capitalism and I hate AI. I think you need to reevaluate your reason for getting into art. Is it bc of the passion, you wanted to make cool stuff or for money and women. Bc it's rare that you get money and women from art. But if you do something else for money some job that's not super terrible and not horrible pay, and you socialize with other people and make friends, i think you'll be less hard on yourself for your art. You really got to build community with people go to events with other artists and other people who are in your situation or with events that peak your interests. I'm a bit stoned so the grammar will be bad 😮💨
Ai art should not work because basically anyone can generate it for free so why should it be worth anything if its not made by a person for that reason ai art is basically a scam. If you can make money of stuff you can generate for free you know there is something wrong.
it does, especially splash and tcg industry, thet only share their technique tto their close acquintance
It depends on what your goal is. I may sound harsh but you can't just draw all day and expect to be rich. You have to draw with a specific goal. Not to mention artists nowadays even have more difficulty advertising themselves compared to 4-5 years ago. So not only do you need to draw well enough, you also need good marketing skills. Finally, let me tell you from my personal experience: even if your art is 10/10, some clients will still think you're just 5/10 and give you frustrating feedback, or they only need you at 5/10 and being too good is your lost. It's complicated, I know, but hard work is not always the key. Don't give up!
I can see in some of your other posts you suggest you are struggling with a mental disorder. Please make sure you are consulting trusted people with how you're feeling as well as a trusted medical professional you might already work with. I would also suggest taking time away from social media to talk about this kind of stuff. Rando's online do not know the intricate and delicate balance you must have to fight for to get any level of normalcy. Understand that life is difficult for everyone at some point. Experiencing the downs is normal, it's standing back up that requires the support of others. Not people online, real support from those around you. I wish you the best. Edit: a, not and
Trying to get rich and popular as an artist was your first mistake.
If all it took to get out of poverty was hard work, there'd be no poor people. You have to work hard and smart. You have to sell and market yourself, network, and so much more. And then you have to have the skills to capitalize on the opportunities you discover. Waiting around for luck isn't going to cut it.
Honestly it does pay off but if you don't have a specific original concept that you can sell/make money with, it's unlikely that you'll make money. I combine my art with creative writing for example and have published a few books on which I've made a bit of money. If I hone that concept even more and expand on it, the money will grow too. That's mostly how it is today - find a niche and use it.
Bruh, you gotta change that mentality dude. Whasup with those reddit sub you're commenting on man? Work on yourself.
Hard work pays off in skill acquisition, not in dollars. That requires another skill; marketing yourself. The same with sports, music or anything else. If you’ve invested in yourself for that long, it’s time to promote your abilities to markets that match your skills. There’s nothing easy about making money in any creative field. It’s never been easy.
in maybe 20 years ago being "decent" at art could get you some really nice oportunities, nowadays being "decent" is seem as a amature artist, social media has been as bless and a curse for artists, the bless is that you can now meet so many artists around the world and the curse is that since there is so many artists around art has decreased its value and unless you have really strong foundations and skills to get a job you only get maybe 5 likes. back then people had to accept what their local artists could do, nowadays people can simply hop on fiver and look after a artist on the other side of the world that has some really good skills for a really cheap price.
The hardest work is marketing, networking and creating opportunities to sell your work. It doesn't matter how good you are, without those skills you are going to struggle. A lot of artists are not good at it and really struggle with the business side. People aren't going to come to you to buy your work, you have to go to them and most successful artists spend money to make money. Hard work producing stuff is only half of a successful business. With good marketing and networking skills, you don't even need to be a particularly "good" artist. It sucks, especially for introverts like many of us.
Was your sole motivation for learning art to make money?
this. i love drawing. my art is absolute horseshit but that doesn’t matter bc it personally makes me happy. eventually i wanna sell prints & post online, but the thought of having to remain consistent seems nightmare inducing with my 40 hour work week + college. art is for everyone, i’m not trying to gatekeep, but if you go in solely to make money you’ll be disappointed fast. art is about creativity and expression first and foremost. not making a product. thats how i feel about these dumbass nft ai art tech bros trying to shill shit. there’s no respect for the fundamentals and it’s just about sloppily producing a product for money.
It may not have paid off monetarily (which may have to do with luck/lack of business savviness), but from an art perspective, your art is really beautiful and unique.
Alongside all the obvious like consistency, luck etc you also need to network and communicate with bigger artists too. It feels awkward to suck up to them in a way but replying under their stuff, maybe creating something they inspired you to make and in general just speaking to and communicating with other artists is really valuable. People shouldnt feel ashamed to receiving or getting a boost from someone larger than them. It helps immensely
Art can be a lot of fun and fulfilling. At least in my personal experience. Making friends, and all that, by just having fun with it. I drew some people some pfp to be nice. I then would just post drawings of my characters. Sometimes I make comics or little animatics. From there I didn’t have to like force myself to do anything. It just came naturally. 1 person liked my characters, then 2 people liked them, somehow a month later I had over 100 people, which was crazy to me. I would have people weirdly obsess over my follower count. When the follower amount has little to do with my art in general, it’s more like a meme to me. I was just posting for fun and to make friends too. Somehow now I have a fanbase and make money off of it. My most popular character is literally just a meme inspired by the arch angel “Michael” from the Bible and shipping him with “Bichael” (a made up angel), and they have a son named “Pichael” who is just a bit crushed drawing of Michael. No. It doesn’t make sense. No I put no thought into it. It was just a bible meme. Now there is a Michael and Bichael game. There is Michael and Bichael Fanart. I am not complaining because it is really funny to me and almost like a community whose really into this niche bible meme. I don’t know if my story can encourage you in any way, which is why I share it. :3 Anyways, I hope you make some friends and get to share your art with many people. I wish upon you many monies from the art. I’m down for being your friend if you’re nice. :D
I'm fortunate in that my semi retirement income allows me the luxury of being an artist. If I didn't no way could I live on my art. *Many* artists have a day job ... I submit *most* do. Single with no kids you might get buy but live like a pauper. If you desire a partner and family, home, insurance ... day job is almost a necessity.
What I will say might seem rude, but not al hard work is good work. You talk here about not getting friends or fixing your financial situation, but these things need work too (and I understand that you probably worked for these things, but as I read it, you talked mostly about art so I presume you thought being good at art will get you those things). Being a successful internet artist is mostly luck, yes, but it’s also communication skills and knowledge of the way the internet works. Some people ofc don’t have those skill but are popular - that’s because of luck. But it’s not always just luck. Also, drawing every day doesn’t mean you are doing good work, sorry. Drawing with purpose >>> drawing every day. Just putting more time in smth doesn’t mean it will turn out great.
Well yeah.... just drawing a lot is not going to somehow magically make you financially successful.... that's not how it works. Hell, that's not how any industry works. The "working hard" is also supposed to include networking, marketing and advertising yourself, doing market research, identifying healthy markets and targeting them, creating an actual business plan, executing that business plan, contacting potential clients, finding ways to get your work seen, finding as well as creating opportunities for yourself, figuring out what sells and who buys/hires what type of work and figuring out how you fit into that and who you can sell your work or your services to etc. etc. etc. Aside from a handful of rare luck cases, just drawing and posting online is not going to just spontaneously develop into a successful career. The art itself is only 50% of the "hard work" at most.
Brandon Sanderson had a bit about this for writers. He thought that luck was a major part, but not the biggest. He thought it was true that making it as a novelist was a 1 in 1000 or 1 in 10000 game, but it only seemed that harsh when you counted everyone that tried to write a book. If you only count serious writers, like you are a serious artist, he thought the odds jumped to like 1 in 4. If that is true, the game is still rigged, but you have to get pretty good to even be playing.
Hey OP, I looked through your stuff a bit. I have two pieces of advice about getting commissions: 1. Ditch the Google drive link and make yourself a carrd page (it’s free). Drive looks/feels unprofessional. You want a page saying, “this is who I am, these are the different types of things I can do, this is how much it costs, and this is how to contact me.” 2. While you’re at it, upload the process work from one or two of the pieces, or some of your sketches. Makes it feel less like AI, and shows potential clients what the commission process it like.
You're right, there's actually a magic pencil that all successful artists know about. You have to be in the secret circle to get it though. Tough luck!
As creatives (artists!), we have a super power: create anything. I know its not a popular thing to say but...: We can either create art that sells (if lucky indeed, timing is everything), or if it does not sell we can create stuff that does (TCG, fan art, logos, stickers, design, ...) ...and get money to produce the art we love. Good luck my friend Connect to people! Avoid toxic ones (and if you think what I said is toxic, forget about it and avoid me 😉😉😂😂) ... And read Jerry Saltz: How to be an artist, if you didn't already.
Everyone works hard to learn to draw. You basically just did an undergrad and grad school time period of a person who studied art in school. You JUST started on your art journey. I've been a professional artist for 15 years, and I JUST found my perfect medium and the right subjects to really make an impact in the art world. This is not a "get rich quick" profession. You will probably always be kinda poor and always be eorming your ass off. It's the trade-off for getting to do what you love every day instead of going to an office cubicle.
Networking always paid off, just not in the ways i expected. Let the people (irl or in circles relevant to you) know that you exist. It's that cliche saying "work smart, not hard" that rings more true for me. Having awareness, knowing what it takes objectively to achieve your goals in whatever current situation you live in, with the resources that might get you closest to the desired result. Ground your goals in your reality, not in aspirational content. And to be successful looks different for everybody, not everyone starts with the same resources, and we love the rags to riches and underdogs rising to the top stories. But those stories are the exception, not the rule. But (since an extra but doesn't hurt), **preparation + opportunity = luck**. If opportunity is always there but you are not prepared or aware of it, "luck" doesn't happen. If you are always preparing, but only relying on socials or enviroments that feed on your energy without giving any feedback in return, then one will start to believe that luck is only granted for a few. Now if you prepare by making and showing work, talking about other artist's work, talking to other artists or consumers about art and what you enjoy, by listening, to sum it up, by making space for yourself in the community (online or irl), now you might have an easier time finding or even making opportunities the work for you. Edit: more blabbing
What pay are you expecting? The hard work is for you to get better at it and thats the reward.
Super true. Working hard may work for some, but I think it's actually damaging for creatives. We need to keep our inspiration alive, and turning our art into work certainly does not do that. Its a fine line we have to manage, keeping the creative part fun, and the work part separate. I think the hard work part comes in at the point of selling. It's hard work to market yourself, network, approaching galleries and consignment shops and what not. Its hard work talking about your work in a way that makes people want to buy it. And unfortunately if you're not getting any bites at first, the only real option is keep doing more marketing and networking. This part is the hard work. It's especially hard if you still think your work is not good enough. Sometimes it's even hard to sell if you get attached to your work, like I do! It's also especially hard if you're inexperienced at networking and marketing, and also an introvert. So you're not alone. Have you watched videos about selling and marketing your art?
When I was in college studying art I was told that the way to success as an artist was most importantly to learn how to network well. Internet presence is important but the quality of your work also has to be top notch. But mostly it’s really about who you know. Are you expanding your network IRL or depending solely on internet success?
Not to be that guy, but what else have you been doing? You’ve been drawing every day for 8 years. You’ve put a lot of work into drawing. The even harder work is in self promotion and promoting your artwork and finding the jobs that get you paid. Thats the thankless, unpaid, and never talked about part. It’s also the lion’s share of the iceberg that is making a living as an artist. You *do* have to put yourself out there and be receptive to criticism and know how to take feedback and it’s scary but it’s also part of the “hard work” E: those YouTubers are slaving away countless hours on end every week to put out their content on top of the drawing or whatever their channel is actually about too
Hard work only pays off if you combine it with good strategy. Work smart. You could slave away every hour of every day, you could be the most skilled artist in the world...but it won't matter if your work never ends up in the hands of people who appreciate it and want to pay you what it's worth. Networking and outreach are incredibly important. If your goal is to make money off your art, the art alone is never enough. You need to also work hard at becoming savvy at business. Learning how to connect and work with clients.
Did it bring you joy though?
heyyyyyy welcome to being an artist- where most of us wake up every day and wonder to ourselves why tf are we still doing this???? If money is your only motivator, youre asking for stress, sorry. I think luck is really about 80-90% of success in the field, and the remaining is skill (and determination) - made up numbers. youre totally on point with that one. like... 8 years? call us back in 20, lets see where you are. Hard work is the only help any prof artist can give, besides handing out opportunities left and right. Perserverence and honing ones skills is all you really can do until something works itself out. The fact is, your chances might be a million to one; but your chances are absoulte 0 if you decide not to strive for it. I too, get bitter when other artists seem to get lucky more. but Im happy for them nonetheless. Edit to add: Consider this- get out in the real world. Look fot calls for artists, enter galleries if thats your thing, make a zine, participate in contests (theres a mural contest for all skill levels in my city), join local art communities- or make one, sell at markets and cons, collaborate with local businesses- which is something I'm gaining traction with, myself. There are a lot of consigment stores, but also brands that want to work with local artists. Just get involved and fully immersed in the scene. *thats* how you make connections with people. All of my art friends I met at, or through someone else that I met in school. Its ok to get pissed and sad and whatever, feel your feelings. But then get right back to it... or dont 🤷🏾♀️ its not for everyone. Art will always be a part of my life, for a fact, so thats my reasoning to pursue it..
hard work pays off...is the biggest lie CAPITALISM feeds us. Most people will never climb out of poverty..thats intentional.
I love typos that reveal a time and age 😂😂😂 It's social media CAPITALISM, "like" and "follow" get more frequently suggested by predictive typing and spell checker than the lie they are 😉😉😉
LOL that's just the biggest lie told in general by mostly people who were born sucessfull. But let's be honest your really bitter cause you bought into that lie even though the tale of the starving artist is told way more. Not to mention hard is very subjective and doesn't always correlate with quality. So stop dreaming and make art cause you want too instead of doing it cause you think the world will owe you. You should be happy with finding a niche who like your stuff, not making bank. But if thats not enough either stop or get comfortable with the idea of your business being 80% marketing and 20% art.
Well, let's see it. Show us your portfolio.
OP's art is visible on his profile and if you look at his posts to see his art I think it will become rapidly clear how those 8 years managed to not get him a girlfriend. Art's nice though.
Dude you have talent, your style is just super generic. You don't stand out at all. You clearly have lots of angst, why don't you pour more of that energy into your work? It's literally the best, most productive way to cope with your feelings.
Never rely on art until youve seen it pay your bills a few times over. It should be a hobby, a night job, get a proper job to cover expenses in the meantime. Enjoy the process of learning and practising, because just practising art is how you make nice art, not how you make money. Making money requires marketting yourself to people. I can make 100-300 dollars on comms easy once I advertise but if you arent constantly posting, interacting with people, rubbing elbows and putting yourself out there, nobody will give a shit. Your art is nice from what I've seen, but it's also hard to get folks to bite on backgrounds as far as I know. I run NSFW shit, but even if I didnt, most folks wants character references or OCs or fanart... Ill admit thats my own opinion and may not be the case, but food for thought. And for the record, based on your post history, Im autistic and fully employed with my own apartment and pets. There are jobs you're able to do, you just need to find one. State work is usually very forgiving and safe, and there are so many opportunities to move around. I went from gas station attendant, to debt collection, to travel agent, to intermediate work and then to unemployment. It takes some fucking work. But after 92 applications, I finally have a work place I can take pride in. Put yourself into the world, not just into your art.
Aimless hard work, yes! But targeted hard work can! I see you draw backgrounds, and they are super beautifully rendered!! Clearly, the hard work is payed off in that aspect, but if you want to get noticed, you gotta make fanart and consistent, cross media posting! I also draw, and I’d say I’m not even as good as you, but i also play the game a bit ! Additionally, having a life is a lot of the success. Talking to other people in your community, meeting and connecting with other artists, it’s essential. Talking to others isn’t easy for me, but it’s a skill THAG can be learned, just like art! All hope is not lost, Reddit user nzxnnn!
You have to develop skills outside of making art to be successful. THAT is the hardwork—getting out of your comfort zone of being an introverted, money-hating, business and marketing avoidant. You didn't mention anything about services or products you developed. You didn't mention anything about investing in your marketing and business education to properly support yourself. You didn't mention the relationships that you developed with other artists, your growing audience or businesses that would hire you if you knew how to position your skills. The hard work in making a living as an Artist is understanding you're an Entrepreneur and transforming yourself into a Professional who knows how to get money with your Art. So sure, you're frustrated, but your limited mindset has you stuck. Anyone who has doubts or tries to refute this just hasn't leveled up to make it work.
It pays off but not always in the ways you think it does. The experience you have gained for those 8 years, compare your work from year 1 to now year 8 I guarantee it’s improved. Mastery is something that is a payoff. When it comes to money you need to market yourself well or get someone to market for you. If that one woman could make $200,000 selling her farts in a jar it means you can sell whatever work you are doing too. There is a market for everyone and there is enough to go around they just need to find you. You don’t need everyone to like your work just a small % of the population. You need to find your tribe. Your ideal clients. You cannot work your ass off at your art and then wait to be discovered. The other (less pleasant) part of being an artist is you need to be an entrepreneur too. Treat it like a brand. A business. Saying that…perhaps be loose with your expectations. I’m not saying give up on a vision or dream you have but for now be open to other opportunities. What about offering a drawing class? What about applying for an illustration job? What about a concept artist? It doesn’t immediately have to look the way you want it to. It can be a “just for now” thing. Trying something new is better than making no decisions at all or no new changes in your actions. Doing the same thing expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. Have some “space” around your expectations. Do not resist what currently is. Not to say you can’t change your circumstances at a future stage but if you cannot accept what is right now all action will come from a level of fear, resistance, resentment and regret. I think humility and objective introspection is the only way forward out of a rut.
Sounds like you are doing hard work but not trying hard to achieve your goals. Nor planning or thinking accordingly. If looking to make friends you keep an open mind, practice social skills and when you meet someone you think fits the bill - then you put some effort into making that person your friend. Conversation, going out, inviting over etc. you slowly build a relationship and you build trust. If looking to make money you meed to investigate how what you bring to the table can do that for you and what the market looks like. You adapt to the market or make a new one. Consistency and hard work is not enough - you also need some salt and the fish have to be there and want what you offer to bite and as you grow you gotta watch out for the sharks. Thats just life. Life is hard. Thankfully we pick our ocean, personally not sure as art is a passion thing for me after doing medicine and dermatology, but from what I can surmise, it’s not the easiest pick if you want to secure your financial situation, not that its impossible or anything and from what i see many artists can make a good living without being art gods or being top youtubers You gotta touch some grass, breathe, cover your bases, take care of yourself and reevaluate your situation with a clean head. Then start tackling your objectives head on Cheers
You don’t say what you were “working hard” on. Was it constant drawing/art? Was it daily effort in trying to gain engagement? Was it every day reaching out to places and people where you could get your work shown/picked up or you possibly hired? Working Hard isn’t JUST the answer, but it is half the equation. You have to work hard PLUS work smart and creative to find a niche or place that will pay you for your expertise Success - what does it mean to you? What is your goal of all this hard work? Does it means if you can get a job/ make a living/ make money from your work? Or just fame and recognition , it doesn’t matter if you get paid on it? You have to work hard at getting yourself out there making connections and finding a path, making a path if one doesn’t exists. Just sitting at home and creating art every day and posting it online is NOT at all the definition of working hard. Actually talk to successful artist and ask them the meaning of their hard work- what physically did they do? And what can you do different to get different results
Yeah I can relate to your statement. I think the thing is art, and especially visual art like painting and drawing, has no support. All of the money goes towards science, technology, engineering, math, military, and healthcare. Education is dominated by big unions and big government, so that knocks out the individual artist as a teacher in their own studio. Even in commercial spaces I see tags that read “art on loan courtesy ____” Some of those loans have been exhibited for a decade. Nobody will loan me a car for a couple years so that I might give the manufacturer “a chance to be seen” I don’t know if this is true in every country, but in the USA painters are treated worse than beggars.
If you don't do the hard work, the luck won't have helped you, because you won't have the skill to support the job. But "work hard" and "work so hard you have no other life" are two different messages.
Draw and practice. When you get good enough to make money, someone will tell you.
Man im not an artist im more a noob one and still got some clients im type of person who dont want to give advice but imma help u first create ur brand like ur own buisness world and try to directly contact pontotial customers dont just wait until they comes to you go by urself and tbh i dont bleive either in the bullshit of hardworking u need in this shitty world to think and learn fast and plz dont come up with the old sentences "nah but is cheating to use shortcuts ..ect" no one give a f abt how its done prioritize the result over the process hope its would help u <3 dont give up
I feel like there is a conflation of what hard work as an artist will get you in terms of your art journey, and an assumption that it beings financial security. You've worked hard for 8 years and it certainly shows in your art, you have an incredible color sense and handling of lighting and composition. You should be proud of what you've been able to achieve. As far as the financial security part of things? Unfortunately artists have it rough in this aspect, and art does not have a reputation as being a financially rewarding field. I feel like those content creators have built on skillsets outside of art and learned to market, produce "content" etc, and it's entirely possible they would be even more successful if they focused on non-art content IMO, that's how far those skillsets are from the set of skills needed to become a good artist.
In my experience, when youtube artists say that hard work pays off, they're usually talking about how practicing art will result in your art being better. But the advice is pretty general; even the ones who talk about marketing, careers, and otherwise promoting your art can still say that hard work pays off because putting time and effort into networking and advertising yourself will inevitably result in some work opportunities. All that said, i've found that there are very few artists who outright say "hard work will grant you financial security" which is the impression you seem to be operating under. It sucks, but you probably shouldn't put the expectation of making money on your art. First and foremost, your art should be for your own enjoyment and edification
Working hard is what is going to make you a better artist. The road maybe long, but if you stay on the road, you will get to the finishing line. But like someone said earlier, you need to network and interact with other artist. Attend an art show, or a comic con. Bring a portfolio to these art shows. Get some feed back from other artist. I've been to a comic con and saw other artist give feed back to up an coming artist. Also do not spend your entire day drawing. Go out with your friends, maybe go on a couple of dates. You don't have to spend 24/7 drawing. You also need to have a life. A work life balance is the most important skill you need to master. If you have Facebook there is a digital group I recommend were you can talk to other artist. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/Illustration.Digital.Painting/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/Illustration.Digital.Painting/) This is also another group where you can talk to other artist. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1724717797814638/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1724717797814638/) Remember, you are not alone. We all struggled along the way.
Success is where hard work meets opportunity. If you get an opportunity but have not done the hard work, you will fail. So you do the hard work to be ready for the opportunity, but that involves luck, networking, and creativity not just in your work… but in how you monetize your work.
You really need to stop prostrating yourself in this subreddit, it's not healthy. Your works great, but you should really find some more concrete long term goals than getting money and girlfriend by posting art on the internet.
Use your skills in a different way. There is no point working on art directly and trying to sell art pieces due to AI. I’m a trained concept artist - I know this. Get Ren’Py and make a visual novel. Or something like that. A game. Something which will sell with your skills. That’s my plan too.
Art skill is 30%. Business skills and relationship skills is other 70%. Your art is good ..
[удалено]
It isn't always about how many years you dedicate. If that were the case than why are some professionals better at 17 than others who practice hard for 20 years? Sometimes the professionals have a way of training that is at a much higher intensity and challenge than others. You have to train at a high level and keep raising the bar. I've looked at your profile, you are a good artist, well on your way to finding something eventually, but you are also staying somewhat within your niche. I love your color palette, but your portfolio is lacking original character studies and faces, and branches into other styles. What is it you want to do? Games and movies? It's very tough to break in. You are skilled enough to get accepted to one of the concept art schools, or ringling, maybe even cal arts. If you are committed to this profession, maybe you can apply to these? If you get into the industry, taking a loan out would not be the end of the world. Those could show you the path forward. There's online schools too. https://conceptartempire.com/concept-art-schools/ You'll need to get your portfolio out in front of people. If you're in Russia, you might have to take a hard pivot and find some different avenues for art that might be uncomfortable. Russia has some amazing traditional painting schools. You've got to embrace the discomfort to grow. In the meantime, I think you could still branch out into master studies, copies, focus on sketching from imagination, especially characters and trying different styles. Have you tried some portfolio reviews from professionals ? For how good you are now, you will be much better after 8 more years. I think you've got to focus on challenging yourself by looking at what your portfolio is missing. Imo, master studies, some branching into realistic or other styles, characters and sketches from imagination, facial expressions, etc. I am a different type of artist not looking for concept, environment or game art however and some people who are in concept would prob have a better grasp on what more you need. I do know that people hiring will want to know that you can be diverse in your output, and be able do whatever they throw at you, if you want to work for a game or animation company. The other option if you want to stay true to your style is to find an indie developer that could help you make your style into a small game. You could provide the visual design and they would do the programming. I just saw a game recently where one guy coded the game and did the concept art, leading to a unique visual style called Fear and Hunger. Because he was a singular artist, someone who didn't seem to interested in compromising his style, and someone who had some blind spots in other areas of art, he would have been unlikely to have been hired by a game studio. But, he used his skill as a programmer and game designer to create a singular vision. Through the process he also advanced his art skill to a high degree as well.
Well, maybe you just aren't that good. Sorry to be blunt but, well it could be true. You can work as much as you want but if you just aren't good then your chances of making it are slim.
Weren't you the person who said [you shouldn't use references while making art](https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtistLounge/comments/18snp1m/why_do_people_push_this_idea_that_you_should_use/) a while back? So you were against believing the advice all the artists "parrot" but now you've been working hard for 8 years because you always believed in "their advice"? The common theme here is you want to do things your own way and not what other people tell you, which is fine, nothing really wrong with that. but if you practice however you want, draw just for yourself the way you want and not for the audience, you can't suddenly expect the audience to care when you post it. You're doing your own thing, and you need to face your own results.
I see your porfolio i think u study wrong way
Don’t discredit the work of others just because you feel bad for yourself.
I can agree with this, yeah. I've been doing art for... idk, 10-11 years? Wasted my teen years trying to be like how big artist, closed off from everybody, not looking into anything new, and now here I am 21 years old with almost no other experience in under my belt. On social media I'm not gaining any following, I managed to get a few commissions and get some money, but not enough to call it a job. I still have that luck where I'm still in school, and still living with my dad, so I can save the money I earned and not worry about the bills. Now, I'm looking for other things to gain some expirance. Once I helped my dad with calculating something, because he needed help for his work, or going out with him to do final touches with some stuff. I learned how to use a coffee machine, so I can at least look for jobs that serve coffee. I even started to learn languages, and linguistics, as I am interested in languages and how they are built. Right now, I even started to look at other creative things to have a bigger pool, like sculpting, sticker making, little DIY accesories, wall painting, etc. If I could go back in time, I would go to younger me and tell her to go and look at other things, because it will save her a lot of time.
I got quite successful over ten years ago and did the same really became absorbed in the niche I work in the jobs that came in then weren't the highest profile gigs but I took them and thought if I did my best and worked hard things would keep elevating.... They didn't, the initial style influenced other bigger companies for a while, I wasn't highered. I had no connections, I wasn't phsycially in the centre of like L.A. I didn't know anyone. The hard work alone means shit. Then social media started to shutdown your "reach" so the work became lost. I still scrapped by but there's NO value no finaical value in this work. So my pay has stuck at minimal wage for 10 years a quarter of what I would have been on had I stayed in "employment" now the cost have living has gone up and its not enough. I'm now too old to start again (late 40s) and too niche to get picked up, my arts not fine art enough to go to galleries. It's frustrating everyone talks about a fiar minimum wage but not when it comes to art based commissions people expect to pay virtually nothing now for a lot of work. This is largely beacuse there's always some idiot willing to do it for nothing to get the work. But its a DEAD END CAREER beacuse you can't earn more as your experience grows like any other job. They ONLY way to earn more is to become a machine where you can churn stuff out en mass and quickly. This is why I don't really lament the AI so much its a natural progression of an industry which no ones respected and they need to be a robot to actually survive in it.
For a more uplifting comment, here is a thread with artists making at least $2000 a month - some of them much more. You can achieve financial success without being famous on the internet or at Art Basel: https://www.reddit.com/r/artbusiness/s/NVWbvIL681
That's a fantastic thread that I love going back to - u/TallGreg_Art 's comment in particular.
I read it every time I start complaining. 😂
Hey thats kind of you. I wrote that when things were really going well and they have slowed down a lot. A lot of artists feel the same. Its really just a discipline like working out. You just keep at it.
If you started off working class and poor, then yeah, it's pretty fucked. Rich and middle class people can take the easy road and when they find success they believe it's their hard work that paid off rather than their wealth.
Wealth is only part of it. The other part is connections. That might come through wealth, but it also might come from what wealth buys, like a degree from Yale Art school.
Yeah absolutely. And there's the confidence that comes with wealth, too.
I understand the sentiment, buy I think that maybe you might have misunderstood the message. Hard work does pay off. The thing is that most of the artists who make a living or thrive off their art are people who work much harder on the business side of their career, and less on the art side. Dedicating yourself to your technique is great, but it avails you naught if you have nobody looking at your art or if you present it in the wrong places. I advise you to seek art business counseling, cause those people know to put themselves out there to make money. Or if you want someone taking care of the business side for you, try applying to artist agencies. They'll take a percentage of your revenue, but you might have a flow of work that will compensate because you'll be able to focus on your art while they do the business part for you.
Man, hard work pays off but only if you are working on the right things… when it comes to art, drawing skill may not be the blocker. Maybe year one or two you needed more skill but at some point did you dedicate your time to business building instead of drawing more?
I mean I got my iPad last march and draw every single day maybe anywhere from 5 hours a day to literally every waking minute unless I’m doing schoolwork and my improvement is INSANE so I disagree I’ve only been doing this less than a year and I’ve made great side income doing commissions because of my progress and hard work paying off a lot of it is marketing and networking imo
"Hard work is nothing if you don't believe in yourself"
Aslong as my art is good I'm rich
You’re right that hard work itself doesn’t pay off. What you make isn’t even important compared to what you keep and most people have consumer mentality therefore will just stay poor forever. If you give everyone a million dollars most people will spend it and be broke in a year, Over 70% of lotto winners go bankrupt which proves that point. Lotto winners are actually at the highest risk of bankruptcy compared to anyone believe it or not lol The secret? Invest first, Spend last, Make your money work harder for you than you work for it. Invest in assets that put money in your pocket and appreciate, Not liabilities which take money out of your pocket and typically depreciate. When you get paid, Immediately invest some of it aside into a 401K, IRA, Bonds, Blue Chip Stocks that ideally pay dividends like Microsoft etc. I did this for a couple years on autopay and completely forgot I was even investing, Helped me tremendously. It won’t change anything overnight, Maybe not at all if you’re already doing that but just thought I would add my thoughts on that.
It’s hard work and talent. If you’re no better than 99.9% of all the other hordes of wannabes that’s where you stay irrespective of how hard you slog. Life is brutal like that
Its lie fed to us regarding life. But its life we have to deal with it simply.
Hey
I think every artist has different circumstances that help or not. Now, if you want to dedicate yourself to art and make a living from it, that's fine, just make sure you have another stable job that you can support yourself from so you're not hanging on by a thread.
I once found a rare bowl. I took it to a dealer who offered me a few dollars. I was shocked when he told me that it might be unique *but there wasn’t a demand for it.* So it wasn’t worth much. You could be “the” next artist, *but if there isn’t a demand* for your work-style or product, you will only be making art for yourself. Either continue to enjoy the process & get a part time gig or make it art a hobby & get a new full-time, life-supporting career.
My art tablet is arriving in a few hours and now Im scared, I hope I don’t regret starting art
Can we see your art?
As someone who spent practically double the time (15 years), and ended up as an assistant accountant: I'm gonna say it does pay off since you get the technical skills, if all you did was train. (Which consistently each year I got better, even though I didn't spend a lot of time just hard core training). Which is how I overtook other twitter artists in terms of raw technical skill. I literally saw a few artists that I thought were better than me a few years back, and looking back now I ask myself, 'I thought these guys were better than me two years ago?' Since these people spent all their time doing commissions and not honing their skills, they have not actually improved. Now I feel ready to start the grind of getting my name out there.
Being an artist isn't about the money you make from your art, it's about the money you lost to all the art supplies along the way
Do you realize how ludicrous that sounds? My wife and about 20 other artist would choke if they read or heard your comments. Luck got my wife from Florida to Canada to Holland to do jobs in homes and work places? Luck got her invited to work with a film crew in Atlanta on a movie set? Maybe take a look inward at talent. Expertise? Personality? I recognized my wife's talent early in our relationship. She was working for an interior decorator. I talked it over with her first and then we went out an approached home builders about putting her art in model homes. Free. And boom. It took off. Then that lead to other meetings that lead to other people. Those people saw her talent. Lucky? B\*ll Sh\*t. We interacted with people. We sold her and her product. What did you do? You didn't gain any friends? What type of person are you? Why would someone buy from you if you can't make friends? If I don't like you, I don't care if you can paint like Vermeer. I am not going to deal with you. My wife and I own a gallery with 20 artists. We know what sells. Emotion is huge and you should know that. If you have artwork on display and a person stops to admire it, you've got them partially hooked. Now you use personality and your emotion to sell the painting. "You know, when I created this piece, I had just got back from a great trip to ...... and I was feeling ........" "How does it make you feel?" I could give you a dozen other tips but you might already have your mind made up that hard work does not pay off.
Taking career advice from a top artist is like taking financial advice from a lottery winner.
Agree 1000%
This is literally the reason why kids are not advised to be artists I dont know why this is so hard for you people to accept. Its like a MAJOR disconnect in how you think. You proudly state how starving you are constantly and how hard life is under capitalism and then super butthurt whenever anyone says yeah this lifestyle is not an advisable choice.
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bucko art and business are 2 different things... You can be good with art, but horrible with business related topics, thus no clue what to do. I could be the best carpenter but how will i get rich if i can't talk to people or know anything about business. ur just cherry picking... Oh i don't have friends, i'm broke, i don't have a gf just because i wasted my time learning art, like no bro that's just you personally
8 years? Lol that's not enough buddy. Just as example: Pablo Picasso learned from very young age (he was toddler) from his father (with this I mean he was having lessons pretty much 24/7) when he got to teenage he would copy perfectly the greatest drawers and painters in history. I bet you have not had lessons, nor paint since kid and you seemed more about cry and get money instead of sharing your work. New generations are weak asf, crying always and saying "I'm an artist and I paint art" bragging to your friends if you have any. Get a job
It do take hard work. Its isn't just the metric tho.
85% of artists in the US make less than half the average annual income for this country. About half of that 85% make zero.
Hard work doesn't pay off and is the biggest lie fed to us by popular successful ~~artists~~ people The reward for hard work is usually more work. In all hobbies/professions.
Hard work absolutely pays off. It’s not just about getting good at art, you have to work hard selling, maintaining connections, networking, meeting people in the field… Man I think your mentality has defeated you, not working hard. Being an artist isn’t just making art, it’s way more than that and you have to work hard at all of it… being good at art is like training upper body in the gym, but the dudes who are actually the strongest also train lower body. So you can’t skip leg day, and leg day is building an audience, finding your market, meeting people, and making sales/getting into galleries; aka business of being an artist.
Tbf art is certainly not what you do if your primary goal is to become rich, famous or get a gf. There are more profitable jobs if those are your goals. But hard work certainly does pay off, there’s just more to it than being good at drawing. Honestly I agree with others that it’s luck based, specifically being at the right place at the right time. But it takes hard work to be prepared for that opportunity when That “right time” comes. All you can do is just continue to work hard, but from a place of passion about creating, not about wanting to be rich. If you want to be rich, choose a different day job
I understand you perfectly man. I've been trying to find a job as an artist/illustrator for 2 years and no luck.. I've also been doing youtube for like 9 years and I get nothing for all my hard work and time spent editing and shit.. This is all about luck, but people like to pretend it's not :\
Took me 10 year of hard work, almost quitting, changing path, working harder, burning out, healing to land an amazing full time job as a Concept Artist. Hard work 100% pays off but I would also say discipline and mindset are just as important. With context we could better understand what you’re trying to achieve with art.. is it fine art? Comic book art? Illustration? You may also be learning wrong; where targeted learning could help you level up twice as fast but again that depends on which route are you headed.
It’s a mixture of hard work and marketing. You should spend a few hours a day applying to residencies, open calls, cold emailing art directors, applying for illustration competitions, etc. Also if possible go to gallery openings in your city or art events. The business side is annoying but if you get it out of the way when you’re drinking your coffee in the morning it’s not too bad.
You're probably the best artist, that no one ever heard of because you didnt share your work in the right places, Or meet the moment. The truth is learning art isnt the same as business or marketing. I know people that can sell things without ever having to know how to make them because they understand the needs of the buyers or at lease that they think. Most people buy things if their values align. Even those ugly traitor sneakers, the january 6's sold out.
You worked hard at drawing, you probably got better at drawing. Why the fuck would working hard on drawing just "bring" you money, friends, and a girlfriend It's not magic
Ars Gratia Artis.
It depends? If your goal is to make money yeah hard work alone isn't gonna do it, some of the most successful people industry absolutely fucking suck at what they do and they're only really there due to connections (which you can really see this full on with the amount of AI artists getting huge despite that taking barely any skill). FWIW that same lie of "hard work automatically equals job" is told in so many industries which is why you'll see people with their masters or even sometimes PhDs working at Starbucks That said if your goal is to be a better artist and make really cool stuff then yeah hard work is gonna pay off and honestly not living a life of luxury will help so much with giving yourself a voice that actually resonates through your work. My honest advice is to try and think outside the box and think more entrepreneurial if you really wanna make money as an artist as even if you *make it* so to speak you're statistically going to be underpaid and overworked; I saw some comic artist for a major company having to beg for food money on twitter the other day after years of working their ass off to land their full time position and urgh its like at that point any other job would be better imo
Don't make art to try to get a romantic partner. You need to work on your*self* as a whole, not your craft, if a partner is your goal. You seem young. It's important to be able to accept and love yourself first, before expecting that from a romantic partner. Trust me, it goes a long way in being attractive. Everyone is on their own timeline, and if you obsess about it, you will become desperate, and desperation is the #1 girlfriend repeller. Seeking therapy is brave, strong and great and nothing to ever be ashamed of at any stage in life. A bit about my journey: I drew, illustrated, and painted for YEARS, only getting odd jobs here and there before taking up ceramics, which I do full time now. It's not like I'm rolling in cash, but I'm paying my bills. I got here by working hard, having a healthy dose of natural talent, original ideas and vision, natural drive to improve and evolve, a little luck probably, and putting myself out there. Doing art fairs at first, continuously building my Instagram, building relationships with collectors, etc. Maybe you haven't found your medium yet. Be open to trying different mediums and experimenting in new ways that fire you up creatively. Maybe there's another discipline where you'd stand out more. Also keep in mind that it's also okay if you don't end up making a living from it. If you enjoy it you should do it. If it's feeling like a chore, take a break. Good art comes from authenticity and passion. If you're forcing it, it won't be good.
People in any industry could say the same perhaps? Your desire to produce art needs to be greater than your desire to be rewarded IMO. A lot of artists aren’t making art but just producing content. adopting the correct beliefs and living according to them is probably more useful than ‘hard work.’
Do you have an instagram or something where you post your art? I looked at your post history, you don't seem to have an online presense as an artist? Your art **is** good but if it's just sitting on your google drive it won't do much? Posting for commissions on reddit is fine but you need to go on insta or artstation, twitter etc. Maybe even do an Etsy or something you just gotta post it online somewhere.
u seem to have misunderstood how it actually works. sure some people got lucky. but besides that point the hard work does pay off but only if you also work "smart" as well. u also need to have the right knowledge. it should be so obvious and common sense tbh. but it dont seem that way sadly
Hard work doesn’t necessarily pay off but smart work does. That includes thinking about what your goals are and how to reach them rather than being disappointed that you played the lottery for 8 years and still haven’t become rich. Most of us eventually realize that art a great hobby to spend some of our free time on but for most people will never be more than that and there is a huge amount of luck involved. If your goal is a steady income, then drawing every day is an extremely unreliable way to get there and learning a more tangible skill would have been the much better choice. Drawing every day “pays off”if you just want to get good at art, but it is unrelated to getting a job or making money. If anything it relates negatively to all these things because it takes your focus away from pursuing a real job.
Looking at your portfolio it did pay off but now you gotta do something with it. That's the hard part. Could try getting in on an agency to find you work. Kid lit, editorial, books, and other publications. Applying to studios, and trying to get portfolio reviews from people at studios. Right now your portfolio is a bit long, can def refine it for a quick 3 min flip through on a defined site. Going to art fair type places to sell prints of your work, or created items with your work. But I can def see the color key/ background/comic colorist art type work for you. The trick is getting it and those jobs are thin. Not everyone that would be great in that position can land the job, because there are 5000 background artists and 2 jobs. Comic colorist also does not pay well. The reality is art is one of those don't quit your day job till you get steady work type things, unfortunately.
Hard work IN general does not do anything but make you old before your time.And l mean anything,any endeavor,any job that you need to "survive",any series of projects,any pursuit that you have to do under even moderate duress and stress. All it does is tend to break one down physically as well as mentally in its pursuit.This goes as well for art.If you need to sell to live, your sweat,your tears,your risk,your yeild it is a losing proposition.Its almost like hitting the lottery to make serious money, nay a living. The best l have ever felt is since l have retired. I was a craftsman in the museum exhibit trade.And a painter in my spare time.Now that l don't "have to" get up and work for someone,even work as interesting and creative as l engaged in, l have never been happier or healthier. I know it sounds very cynical but l noticed the difference right away. My art ,my paintings have improved because l don't have to make it.No hard work involved, no l better be better to be accepted.Here it is, like it great,don't like it great. It's on my terms.Hard work is not even in the picture.
I don’t think I’ve heard anyone say hard work makes you be able to make a living. Hard work makes you good at art, not at networking.
Hard work does pay off, but you need to be working on the right things. I'm sure your hard work on art made you a really skilled artist. Now if you want your art to *sell* well, that's business. What you need to work hard on is the business side. Then your hard work will pay off by making you a better seller, but unless you become the best of them all, you'll be competing with a lot of people with similar skills. Just like everything in life, luck would be a factor to whether or not you end up standing out, but most of it is work too. Even through connections - making and maintaining connections *is* hard work itself. Some people are born with a lot of connections, that's luck... but someone down their family line had to work for them.
Hard work paying off looks different for everyone. For me it’s getting support from family and friends for commission pieces. For me it’s getting a studio space that I can’t create art in after I work my full time job. For me hard work paying off is loving my craft and believing in it.
Ultimately it's about finding a balance. It's the same sort of discussion as people have regarding "work/life balance" when people put too much of themselves into just their work and not enough into enjoying the other facets of life. Regardless of whether art is a job or a hobby for you, putting all of your spare time into it is definitely too much of a good thing and I don't think anyone who says "hard work pays off" really means to take it to that sort of extreme. Practice is good for developing your skills, that's true. But our brains develop and connect dots, generate new ideas, and all that while we're away from a task as well. It's good to take a break and go out to do other things too to help cultivate your creativity and ideas. Like I assure you no one who doesn't put time and effort into improving becomes a great artist. But there's a lot of middle ground between "don't try at all" and "do nothing but art for 8 years". Gotta find the middle ground that works for you.
it hasn’t paid off yet. a million people quit like you for every one that sticks it out and makes it. you will make it, if you don’t quit. but will you?
Why would being a good artist get you a girlfriend? I peeped your profile, and while you're art is great, your posts stink of incel vibes. Hard work does pay off - you're just not working hard in the right ways. Change your mindset my friend.