Hello AD. I have been freelancing for many years, I get regular commissions, smalls ones and a few big ones a year from big companies. I've done art from Medical illustrations to video game concept art and comics. I sell a little online, I go to a few conventions a year. I'm on several social media sites, try to update alot, and I reply to jobs daily. But I'm stuck, I'm feel like at the point where I'm close to doing art full time but still so far. Any advice to reach that goal?
What do you want to do? It sounds like you’re kind of sitting still, waiting for jobs to come your way, or at least reaching for the ones that come close. It’s not enough to say “I want to get paid to do art” you have to be more specific. It sounds like you’re getting some hits but not connecting them into steady work. Which industry do you want to work for? What kind of style art do you make? What are your dream clients/jobs? I would recommend making a list of the top 20 clients you most want to be commissioned by and taking a day to do nothing but research them. Find all the contact info you can for the art directors there. Look at the last year of things they’ve released (aka art they’ve commissioned). Does your work look like it can fit there? If so then keep them on the list. If not then put them aside for now. At the end of this you should have a list of dream clients AND a pretty good knowledge of what kind of work they’re looking for. Start writing them emails once every 3-4 months with your new work attached. Maybe even make a cool mailer/promotional piece and send it to them. Let them know you’re a) making great art b) really want to work with them and c) doing your research on them and they’ll start biting. Do this for 6 months and see where it gets you.
—Agent KillFee
