How To Become A Sketch Artist
Job opportunities for a sketch artist can seem difficult to come by. As digital work continues to grow and become a foundation for so many job skills many face difficulties in transition.
Yet there are opportunities which exist for those facing these challenges. To give an example, I at times even need a sketch artists help!
Before I get into the hidden roles these artists can fill, much will depend on how serious you are about your work. In this world you need one of two things, but preferably both to make it.
An education in digital design and art would be the best path but it is not the only path. Having flexibility among multiple art mediums is also valuable.
May I make a suggestion here. It would do a sketch artist well to research Concept Art. What this field may offer you can take you to places you never imagined.
The harder road is going at it on your own. In the end it can be very fulfilling but it is a road not many survive on.
Nevertheless one should have an online portfolio. This requires more than social media. You need a repository of your artwork where you can promote yourself.
Many artists do not realize this importance. Think of it as the modern business card. Even though few people may ever organically find your site, without work being put into it for that purpose it still serves you.
On a job application or resume it is gold.
If you do this it needs to properly represent you. Do not up-sell to ideas you cannot perform or your position. Stay true to where you are in life. It will pay dividends.
Hidden Jobs For The Sketch Artist
You have most likely already researched what is needed for professional work in popular fields. Likewise you have already most likely read about freelance work.
I want to take you off the beaten path where less competition can be found.
If you are a sketch artist and you manage to find this page you need to read another article for understanding line art. The work you do fits perfectly within the woodworking world.
Few know that they could offer services to wood artists.
Once the sketch artist knows the technical limitations of what can be carved into wood they can create work for those like me.
There are many cases where I do my own sketch work. Yet I personally dislike it. I enjoy playing with my saws and blades not pencils.
The sketch art I do is out of necessity for what I am creating. Due to this I put up with the frustration in order to achieve the end goal if I cannot reach one of my artist friends.
Many other wood artists will do the same.
Your opportunities do not reside within woodworking alone. The same can be said for those who use art in plasma cutting, pottery, masonry, laser etching and printing, and the list could go on.
There is an entire market of makers out there who need your work.
What are makers? It is a term I began to use for people who mass produce things such as cutting boards, key chains, coasters, and a host of other easy to make products.
They often sell in online hubs like Etsy or other similar sites.
Their need for new creative designs is constant. The best part for the sketch artist is that the technical requirements in the art for this work is fairly universal among us all.
We all do work within a medium which is limited by the kind of art it can display. It is the one curse of alternative mediums.
The good news for a sketch artist is that your work can fit each role once you know what needs to be done. You can sell the same work to each maker or artist.
Alternatively you can offer exclusive rights to your work for a premium.
How To Find Freelance Work In Sketch Art
I will not tell you how to market your artwork. You already are exploring this and I have already written critical and important articles on ways to begin that path in other places.
Of course there are the more tried and true jobs one can obtain. Yet there are methods on how to start finding paying work today.
I do not know about other industries but there is a way to reach those like me.
If all you have is a simple e-gallery then you are ready to go. If you do not, get it done. Without your site being there to show your sketch art it is impossible.
People need to see your work.
Often the best way to approach vendors or those such as me in wood art is actually through email or a social media message.
The trick is looking and sounding real, because you are real and not a bot. In other words you cannot create one message and then use it for everyone.
When you begin a message to them, use their name. Tell them how you found them. Mention one line about their work and what you like.
Maybe send them a link to their own product which was your favorite. Keep it short. All of this lets them know you are a real person.
After this tell them what you do and what you offer. Give a link to your portfolio. Again keeping it short is important. They need to be able to read it all in about 30 seconds at most and that is already long.
After this continue with your life doing what you need to do. About 1 in 30 to 50 may give you a response. Fewer may give you work.
Yet it begins to build with a little time and effort from you. It may surprise you as to what other opportunities you can find with this method.
It is an easy approach that can work with virtually anyone anywhere.
Making Friends Gets You Work
Twitter is where I found many of the sketch artists I have come to like. Unfortunately at times they are tied up with their own art.
The good ones I know there are popular. Social media can help you in this way but it is not the same as seeking out work.
These social vehicles are really more about relationship building. Thus this is the reason many companies use it for branding not for marketing.
The point is that people know other people. It is through friendships and building relationships over time that the reach of your brand will grow.
It is taking a very old school principle into the modern electronic age. This should not be considered a primary vehicle. Rather it is a long term development which will grow more naturally.
Alternative Ways To Promote Sketch Art
I have dealt in other places about knowing how to price your artwork. What I am dealing with here is in another hemisphere of the same globe.
This is a little advanced and should be taken into consideration to the online marketing strategies that you the artist decide to use.
Personally I am picky about who links to my material. I have my reasons and philosophies on the matter.
Others want links from anyone and everyone they can get them from. There are two very different lines of thought on this matter and both claim to have the right model.
So here is the deal. For those vendors you do repeated work for it would be a good idea to try and cut price to get a link to your site.
This is another form of currency. It is also a method that I cannot use as easily but you could.
In essence you are asking them to simply display that they are partnered with you for the services that you provide for them. It is a very common corporate tactic.
You can control how it is displayed in their material if negotiated.
Often when people shop with me they come and then go. When they return some time has passed.
Since a sketch artists work is often on the back end of product development the need for your work will be more reoccurring and frequent.
This is what presents you with this opportunity.
I will warn you to choose wisely who you work with in this way. Back to the philosophy of this matter. There are cases where it could hurt you and not help you.
You need to research SEO strategies that are up to date with our present time to properly assess this method of marketing.
Do I use this method? No I do not. I personally worry less about it for I follow other strategies.
Yet it does not make this strategy irrelevant and it can be effective when done properly. I am just very picky about the whole link game despite the historical mantra and frenzy.
Why Sketch Art Is So Important
Too many sketch artists do not realize how versatile their work can be. I would dare say it is one of the most versatile arts out there today.
The reason why is due to how flexible it can be for use within other functions, products, and within other arts.
The biggest problem for many artists today is lack of technical abilities. This is true across the board within almost every art form.
It would benefit a sketch artist to take the time and learn how to create digital art from their work.
Before I go into digital use for my field, you should take a break here to see what other artist achieve. Seriously it is worth your time to see how sketch art can be enhanced.
Some of the skills these guys have is out of this world.
Now to my field in wood art and those who work with more complex machinery such as a cnc. Here a work must be converted to a digital format.
When I need to do this I can achieve this myself. Unfortunately the process can be messy. Dealing with broken or open vectors is a topic for another time.
If you can create your art in a digital format built around the idea of vectors for gcode which these machines read… that is huge.
This alone will cut down on process time for those that need your work. In turn you have increased the accuracy of how the art will be put onto a surface whether by laser or blade.
Your work will fit into many industries if you take the steps to provide what they need finding solutions to their problems.
The Unfortunate Reality Of An Artist
Too few of us are able to support ourselves by doing the work we want to do alone. Most work regular jobs and art is a side project.
More often than not an artist will do their work for the love of what they do rather than as a supporting income.
In order to generate income that begins to support an individual it often requires stepping outside of the little box we all wish to reside within. I will give another example.
I know an artist in the UK which managed to pay her way through school with her art. Yet these examples are rare.
For her to achieve this feat it did require her to take on some things she did not initially envision doing. She is a sketch artist that discovered people would pay for her fan art.
These ranged from video game characters to tv personalities.
It did not happen overnight. Her projects began early in life as a young teen and it built over time.
She just managed to find a niche and gain a following which surrounded this idea. Again achieving this to the scope that she did is not common.
The moral to the story is that you will need to be willing to step outside of your little box and find your niche. It may not be the art you seek to be known for. Yet it can pay you so that you can do the art you love.
Transitioning To Being Known For Your Sketch Art
To be known for your preferred art style can be difficult for most. I promise you that it takes time to achieve that goal.
Yet if I had to pick an art rather than rely upon my natural born talent I would pick sketch art.
If there is an art which can give you the versatility to generate income, gain exposure, and then transition to the work of your choice this is it. You must be willing to improve your skills to maximum and beyond a trace in art.
Nevertheless at times you must step outside of your shell to take on what may seem like odd work with that expertise.
Something I have been known for is making wood box urns. This is not something you will see in my portfolio. It is just too weird.
How this happened is another odd story altogether. The idea just does not fit with my art.
Making the transition to be known takes time, but also knowing how to present yourself to the world around you is a growing phase. How you present your work will count for everything.
Do not see where you lack in skill or abilities as a challenge. Rather it is an opportunity to open new doors.