The Paper Wings Podcast starts NOW!
We’re excited to post our very first episode: 10 STEPS TO A WINNING PORTFOLIO (part one).
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How do you build a portfolio that will land you that dream job? How do you make work that stands out in the crowd? More importantly, how do YOU stand out in the crowd?
We talk about the seldom discussed aspects of getting a job that go beyond selecting which pieces to include in your portfolio in this first of a two part series.
Listen in to hear the first details about the contest that will kick off the Paper Wings launch! A chance to win one of three Intuos Tablets fromWACOM, the contest sponsor!
QUICK TIP :: 15 Steps to Freelance Illustration by Thomas James
DISCUSSION POINT :: What is your burning Portfolio question? Comment below!
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
I tried posting already on this episode, but I can’t tell if it is my internet going out or if I am getting stuck in the spam filter for the comments.
I am not a professional artists because the idea of working for a company does not interest me. Right now I am a magician but I want to get into creating a comic. I have one coming up that I funded through Kickstarter, but since my wife and I are living hand to mouth we would take freelance work.
Any advice on putting together a portfolio online for getting clients?
Great podcast Lora and Chris..! I actually found this site through Christopher Copeland’s DA page, and I’m so glad I did. It really gave me some solutions to problems I’ve been having with my work.
I remember you guys mentioned taking “old practices and taping them to the internet” so I was curious about the old school practice of networking. I know a lot of people now are networking through the internet with sites like LinkedIn, but would you say it’s more important to network in person? And if you can’t do it in person, what are some ways to make internet networking more personable? I feel like there’s a really fine line of talking too much on the internet, or not saying enough..
Also, I had a quick question for Lora (or maybe you have some input on this too Chris..!). Did you ever feel like you were at a disadvantage and had to work harder than your male colleagues as a female in the art industry? Or is the playing field pretty even? Just curious
(hope that wasn’t offensive..!)
Thanks so much for the info! I’m going to put it into practice ASAP
Yes. Most people who want to learn web-design do not do well. They are at best proficient in HTML at the end, and rarely figure out the backend stuff.
Love the site. Easy listening!
Lora and Chris, thanks for starting up this webiste/podcast! The two of you seem to work really well together as podcasters.
This particular podcast has been extremely helpful to me already. I didn’t go to an art school, I went to a small private school that had a great art program. The downfall is that I never really learned how to put together a portfolio, or even how to market myself as an artist. These are all things I’ve been trying to figure out since graduating 5 years ago.
When you talk about making each portfolio specific to the job you’re applying for, how does that apply to your online presence as an artist? I mean, should I make my website portfolio specific to one type of work as well? — I have this problem where I put almost every illustration I finish on my website, and even though I have them all in different categories, I still feel like it’s a jumbled mess.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge, it’s very much appreciated!
PC
Thanks, Paul.
Well, for starters, had you gone to art school you still might not have been taught how to assemble a portfolio or how to market yourself (the latter is commonly lacking in art school educations. Check out the research by Thomas James shared on Escape From Illustration).
Websites are tricky for this very reason. I think a common approach is to have a portfolio page (like a gallery of images to click through) that has your “curated” collection of work (this would be the focused portfolio we talked about it the podcast) and then a blog where you can share more work (but still make sure it’s good unless you’re having fun by posting old, bad work and it’s clear in the post that you KNOW it’s old, bad work).
I’m not sure if that is the best method but it is pretty common. The reason I think it might not be the best method is because a lot of people prefer to look at blogs so no matter what you do, there will be a lot of times where your most recent post is your “first impression.”
That’s tough. I haven’t settled on a solution yet. Keep us posted as you work through this.
Hey guys, I just found this site thanks to a tweet by Mitch Breitweiser. Must say, so far I’m impressed. I’m currently embroiled in putting my portfolio together for future comic work and I think this has come along at a great time for me personally. I’ve been drawing and getting crits for years but this past Baltimore comic con was the first time I actually went around to editors and got feedback from the folks who potentially hand out the jobs. I was happy to find out that, while I wasn’t ready to get the work, the issues brought up weren’t surprises, and I just need to settle in and hone the craft of what I’m doing. Nothing is so comforting as having a game plan I think.
One thing I really liked in the podcast was the note about tailoring a portfolio. I’ve noticed that the more specifically I tailor my stuff the bigger the impact seems to be on people. I know in comics the name of the game has always been sequentials, and I’ve yet to run across an artist or editor that didn’t stress the need for those to be the primary focus of a portfolio.
Anyway, thanks for starting up the podcast. I’ll be subscribing to the newsletter and Chris, you’ve intrigued me and I’ll be checking out your podcast as well. This one’s already going in my regular listener list with Sidebar and a few other art themed casts. Have a good one, guys. Can’t wait for the next show.
As a side question, and I suppose this is more for Lora, is there a better way to track down editors than the sometimes scatter-shot approach at conventions? I ask because of the 4-6 that I knew were at the Baltimore show, only two were looking at portfolios and several were never to be found at their tables to even ask. As my state doesn’t have a big convention (at least not one that draws a lot of editors) I’d like to hit as many out of state as I can, but cost wise it’s pretty rough on the pocketbook.
-Jake
Hi, Jake–you’re right about that. Most editors aren’t standing around waiting to give critiques. The big two at least don’t take cold submissions through the mail, so to make a convention worth your time, you have to research up front. What shows will the editors for the companies that you want to work with be at? What is their policy for doing portfolio reviews?
I know, and this info is a few years dated, so you’ll have to find out if this has changed, Marvel did a big line at a show, and you just jumped in line, waited 2… 3… 4… hours to be reviewed. DC does “talent searches” where you drop your portfolio off DAY 1 of a convention (meaning, if it’s a three day show, and you’re only there Friday, not Saturday, you’re out of luck), then on DAY 2 they post a list of people they want to talk to, and there’s a time next to your name. It can be any time in the next two days of the show. And you only get to talk to the editors who were interested in your work.
I know for Dark Horse & some of the other mid sized ones, I dropped off a portfolio for them to take with them and that was it. All these companies will have what format they want it in, and in what manner they’re screening people and at what shows on their website.
Do the research, and then go to a convention informed and ready!
Yeah, I’m up on the standards for the Marvel/DC folks and such, even did one of the DC talent searches a few years back (long before I should have honestly). DC has shortened the list of cons doing the talent searches as well from what I can tell, and Marvel seems to be primarily San Diego or invite only for the most part. To be fair DC is a lot like that as well, they sign one or two fresh artists a year as compared to a larger number of established pros that float between the companies (barring exclusives of course). Last I checked Dark Horse still did open reviews at San Diego, but they didn’t seem to have a listed editor presence at many other shows. Seemed rather random “who’s nearby at the time” sort of scheduling.
Mainly I meant outside the official channels. Having a fair number of semi-pro and pro artist friends I’ve noticed them forming more personal ties with editors first outside a convention setting, say through Twitter or email, and then having that segue into work later. This seems to happen more often with the smaller publishers. Particularly I’ve seen it with places like Red 5 and Zenoscope.
Honestly, working for Marvel or DC isn’t the dream. The dream is to work on my own IP. I’d like to get work with a larger company to gain exposure and a paycheck for the interim, or in best case scenario get a publisher to take that weight off of me, but ultimately I’d much rather not do that for longer than is necessary to build up an audience to support myself off of my own projects.
Actually, I suppose that’s a better question, any advice on getting your own IP to a publisher and not ending up in the massive slush pile that tends to accumulate through online submissions?
I think if you’re at that point where you’re ready to have your title published and you’re good enough to work professionally, it’s half luck, half networking/knowing the right people, and half marketing the crap out of yourself. Chris & I are going to be talking more about the idea he brought up the end of this episode: Projects are better than Portfolios. And I think that’s where I come out with it. With the internet, there’s no one stopping you from taking your project to your reader directly, and turning it into something a publisher will seek you out about.
I’m a senior student in college this year and I’ve been getting my portfolio ready to submit to companies. This podcast is very informational and has given me the information I need to fix my errors. Thank you guys! I can’t wait to hear more!
Great to hear, Kelsey! Thanks for listening!
Lora and Chris:
This episode was a kick in the pants for me. You guys caught me at the right time as I am preparing to relaunch my official website and am creating a new physical portfolio.
The tips and points you both state in this episode are golden. I think many people, myself included, expend supreme amounts of effort to grab whatever jobs we can. And if and when we do get those jobs, we’re still dogpaddling as opposed to making waves with a particular specialty.
I had come to this conclusion last year, but still couldn’t quite articulate it to action. This episode and the PDF you guys created does just that for myself and many others, I’m sure.
One last thing: the episode abruptly cuts off at about the 25:30
minute mark. I downloaded the episode 3 times from the Paper Wings site, but still cuts off every time. Is there an alternate place I can download the episode. I wanted to hear Tip #5 and the details of the Wacom contest at the end.
Adrian – Try clearing your browser cache and restart. Then if that doesn’t work try the direct download link.
Hey Chris and Lora, I really enjoyed the first episode! You two have a great dynamic together, and I think it promises to be a really stellar show!
I have a question about the newsletter and the Top Ten Portfolio Pitfalls guide. I signed up a few days ago, but I didn’t think to save the pdf. Can I still access the it, like maybe through a link in the newsletter when it’s sent out?
Thanks the educational entertainment, guys!
Jori,
Fortunately, the newsletter set-up is pretty smart. You can just enter your email address again and it will automatically direct you to the page where you can download the pdf.
Thanks for subscribing!
Hey Chris and Lora,
Great work on the first episode. Great information and entertaining, too. Looking forward to more episodes.
Thanks, Denver. So glad you liked it. Let us know if you have any portfolio or pitching questions.
Yes. I have hundreds of questions. Here is one: What is your opinion on a portfolio that is organized by subject rather than style?
My work is consistently aimed at children’s entertainment and products, but I like mixing thickly textured canvas paintings, sharp vector work, and “sloppy” sketches colored digitally, etc. I think organizing the work side by side in a portfolio is the best way to represent my creative vision, but I don’t want to confuse or turn off an art director.
I assume most art directors are more concerned with my knowledge of specific skills/techniques and that subject matter plays a very small role in hiring.
I’d much rather be hired because I know lots of ways to make a cool monster, not because I have the ability to make a vector graphic of a microwave. This is just wishful thinking, right?
Hi Chris and Lora,
I have been following Chris’ Artcast for awhile now and have learned many things there. This new venture is very cool and have some very useful ideas for portfolios. Also I liked the little outakes in the end.
I was wondering what you thought about theme oriented portfolios. What I mean is that making the portfolio more entertaining and engaging like making it a short story to highlight what the authors capabilities are.
Thanks to you both for devoting time from your busy schedules to do this. I look forward to upcoming episodes.
John, Thanks so much for the encouraging words. That really IS the stuff that keeps us going.
This is an interesting idea and I’ve had people ask me about this before. But my advice would depend on the kind of job you’re trying to land. Who is your “audience?” And what kind of job would you be pursuing with this portfolio?
I would just caution against being too “cute” with it. That’s a fine line to walk. In an upcoming episode on writing pitches, two of my insiders in the comic business gave me insights and BOTH independently warned against being too ‘cute’ with a pitch.
Try to do it in such a way where it’s creative, but your work still shines and comes through first. You want your work to be the belle of the ball–don’t outshine it with anything else.
Man Chris! I’m glad I keep checking up on you, cuz it keeps me inspired. I’m looking forward to podcast 2. It’s also great to meet Lora, and learn more about the graphic novel world through her eyes. I did have two questions. 1. How polished does work need to be – storyboards, for example can be rough, but does it help you to polish some of them up to show art skills…maybe even color? 2. How short can a portfolio be? Keep up the great work and can’t wait to hear more!
Thanks, Scott. We’re going to address the portfolio length/ brevity in the next episode so I’ll shelve that question for now.
And although there are no hard and fast rules, I would generally advise that the level of polish in the work should relate to the level of polish in the job for which you are applying.
For example, jobs like Concept Artist, Character Designer, Traditional Animator will have a TON of output that is “unpolished.” So it would be appropriate and necessary to show a lot of unpolished work in the portfolio.
Story art is another thing entirely. (Before I forget, check out Sherm Cohen’s Post “How Clean Is Clean?” for some expert advice on story boards)
Generally, feature boards are much more loose than TV boards. BUT some TV boards have to be REALLY tight because they’re re-purposed as boards for the actual production shot layouts.
We’ll talk more about story portfolios in Ten Steps To A Winning Portfolio (part 2).
Hi Chris and Lora,
Congratulations on the first episode. I loved it! Your advice is definitely something i can return to repeatedly.
Just one thought about style and portfolios. I have come across illustrators that have two of more divergent styles. (say a painterly style and a cartoon vector style) They have presented their other style on a total separate website with its own branding, sometimes even creating another identity for themselves. Do you think this is the way to go if you want to work in more than one style? Thanks
Looking forward to part 2!
Regards
Eddy
I think that’s a good question, Eddy. I’ve worked in the Commercial Illustration industry for a long time, and in that industry diverse is good! Not that it should have your comic book stuff, your graphic design logos, your painterly illustrations and your vector stuff… that would be unhelpful.
But if you can do vector work, and you can do painterly stuff, you can send appropriate samples to appropriate clients. Have a small PDF for each type of work you do, and have it ready to send to the right people. You can still have an online portfolio site that shows your different styles of work, but focus when you send it straight to an art director for a project.
I think unless you’re totally off the charts unbelievably amazing, staying working in commercial illustration mandates that you have to be versatile in your styles and mediums. Because you have to take whatever work you can get from wherever it comes in!
Thanks so much Lora,
One of the reasons my styles are quite diverse is i have taken whatever work that has come in and I tended to change my style to suit the project. Though i think you come to a stage where you want your work to have a distinct voice and not always be a jack of all trades, master of none.
As you mentioned in the podcast don’t make it difficult for an AD to “get you”. I suppose that where its important to research and target your prospective client well.
The idea of having pdf’s presenting each style is great.
thanks
Eddy – YES! It’s ALL about communication and “knowing your audience.”
Your audience is the recruiter and the art director and the producer/editor PLUS whoever else is involved in the hiring process.
There’s a lot more to say about your question though so I’ll wait until the next “Winning Portfolio” episode.
Thanks, brother!
I’m so excited about the opportunity to participate in and learn from this community. I found out about Paper Wings through Lora’s Deviant Art journals. Listening to the first podcast was really enlightening. My background is in photography, that’s what I went to school for and that’s what I’ve been doing professionally. I’ve been trying to expand my horizons as an artist over the last few years and as a result of listening to this podcast I just realized what a mess my portfolio is. I’ve got comic book pages, ink drawings, digital art, logo designs and all kinds of other stuff mixed in with my photography. What a disaster.
So my burning portfolio question is: How do you find a balance? I want to have the best portfolio possible but I feel like it’s just overwhelming trying to work a 40+ hour a week photography job, keeping my wife and kids safe and happy, and building all these different art portfolios. I want to get that dream job but I’m burning out trying to get it. Help!
Jesse, HANG IN THERE!!! : )
This is something just about every artist deals with. You are not alone.
We will definitely be addressing these kinds of issues in the future on Paper Wings but for now, I would recommend you check out my ArtCast Episodes “Avoiding Artistic Burn Out” and “Escape From Art Jail.” Those can be found at http://ChrisOatley.com
Hi, Jesse! Thanks for following me over here!
I hope that upcoming episodes of our podcast helps you focus your artistic pursuit, and I’m glad you tuned in for the first episode and already found it useful!
I do agree with Chris that trying to do it all is a recipe for burnout–and I hope you find his art cast episodes helpful.
Great podcast, guys! I’ve been looking forward to this and I have to say you definitely delivered!
I’m getting my social media messed up… I tried to “like” this. ha ha, oh well, so glad you enjoyed the first episode!
I “Like” this too. Thanks, Michelle. I’m so inspired by your many artistic victories as of late. : )
Lora and Chris!
You two have started something so awesome, helpful, and inspirational! I recently finished my first mini-comic, and this podcast has given me some great tips on how to use it in my portfolio! You’ve given me a lot to think about with what I do on my upcoming projects, and how to pick them to best build my portfolio. All I can say is thanks, and I look forward to forthcoming episodes!
Thanks, Lee! You’re an inspiration to me too! …with the positive attitude and the productivity and the cool ideas and all. Do you have any specific questions about portfolios that you’d like us to address in ‘Portfolios Part 2′?
Chris!
I do actually have a question about portfolios. It has more to do with how to “shop it around”. In the first podcast, you and Lora had talked about networking at cons, and presenting your work at cons. Now, my situation is such that it is tough to get to cons, I want to go to them badly, but I find myself trying to shop around on the internet more, which is tough obviously because of the massive saturation of artists on the web. So, what are some resources you guys would recommend, how do you recommend approaching people via the internet, and what kind of recommendations do you have for presenting a digital portfolio i.e. through a website, blog, pdf etc. I don’t mean to bombard with questions, but I’d love to hear your guy’s take on the “digital” approach!
Lee – you’re very perceptive.
And this is one of the key factors that inspired Paper Wings in the first place.
The bad news is that the saturation of artists on the web is, in fact, overwhelming for some people.
The good news is that nothing empowers the individual artist like the web does. So if you can successfully leverage the power of the internet, you will likely overcome those location handicaps.
One bit of advice I have is to change the context of the “conversation” around your work. More good news: You’re already doing this.
What I mean is, many artists need to think up ways to draw attention to their work that are actually MORE creative than just posting their work online.
You’re doing this with Anthology 8 and Illopond.
The “conversation” around what you are doing there is about SO MANY more things than it would be if you were JUST doing some character designs and putting them up on your blog. Know what I mean?
So I say do 3 things:
1.) PERSIST in what you’re already doing. “Just keep swimming.”
2.) Watch Bobby Chiu’s presentation from CTN-X 2011 about Social Media and artists.
3.) Save up and plan aggressively to go to ONE con in the next 3 years. (A medium sized con like Emerald City or APE or C2E2) Don’t bother with a table. Just focus on taking your portfolio to EVERYONE. You don’t have to go to a bunch of cons. If you’re just looking for work, going to a bunch of cons with the same portfolio is a waste of time and money. Work smarter, not harder, you know?
Call me and we can talk more about this.
I would disagree from Chris slightly on the subject of Cons, and that might just be an animation industry vs. comic book industry difference.
In the comic book world, conventions are invaluable. You go to these things, make friends, hang out, see each other a few months later, do it again, and again, and again. If you only go to one, and only do it once a year, yes, you might make a good connection or get good feedback, but the real networking/opportunities come from being a regular member of the pack. Becoming part of the convention circuit traveling family.
I don’t know where you live, so if it is extremely difficult for you to do that, you can start by creating projects to get attention online, which it sounds like you’re doing. If you can become a notable webcomic/web-presence, that goes a long way too.
But I can’t stress enough how important conventions are for a comic professional when it comes to opportunities, your career, exposure, and growing your readership.
I’m so glad the first episode is out, thanks so much for doing something like this! I can’t wait to hear the contest details, I’m totally in.
I think the most surprising thing you shared was the first tip. I made a hesitant decision to specialize more in the new version of my portfolio website, so instead of focusing on web design (which tends to be my freelance money maker) I put more prominence on illustration and 2D game art, which are my favorite things to do. This has reassured me that I made the right decision.
I love the quote at the end, too. As someone who has gotten my first couple “real” art jobs and am working to establish myself in the creative industry, I’ve found that personal projects are very important. I’ve brought samples from my graphic novel project to interviews and it’s really sold my work to the art directors. It’s a great, cohesive way to share a variety of skills, as well as speaks worlds about a person’s motivation and ambition.
I don’t have a specific question, but I am interested in advice you have that’s specific to new professionals who have broken into the industry but want to know how to move up in the food chain, so to speak. I am in a job I love, but it consists of a percentage of grunt work that I’d like to move on from sooner than later. I’m more interested in finding the next step in my career and evolution as an artist than I am applying to the dream jobs; I have a lot to learn before I reach that point. Your suggestion to get as much feedback as possible is a great starting point, but I look forward to more insights.
Sarah, just because I know you personally, I think a great next step for you is to get your “Project” done. You’re at a place where you’re good enough, you have the foundational experience, now you gotta finish that comic and let the world see it! We’re going to be talking more about this idea over the next few episodes–so tune in.
Thanks for the feedback. : ) I’m working on it in bite-sized chunks right now, redoing the first scene and doing some promo illustrations. I don’t have enough time to really dive into the entirety of the project right now, but I’m applying for an opportunity that would let me do so in a few months… cross your fingers!
Sarah, you HAVE to read ‘Linchpin’ by Seth Godin. It’s all about this very aspect of one’s career. We will also try to address this issue in a future episode of PWP.
Thank you SO MUCH for your support.
Thank you for the suggestion, I’ve taken note and will keep an eye out for that book.
Hey guys! Awesome news about the comp! I’ll be sure to enter. One question, I’ve hunted through iTunes and Paper Wings isn’t showing up. I’m not sure of that’s an issue on my end or whether you just haven’t posted it to the iTunes store yet? Would love to subscribe asap.
Catch ya later!
D.
Damien,
We are currently working on getting the first episode of Paper Wings into iTunes. It typically takes a couple of days to get everything smoothed out with iTunes and get them to aggregate a feed.
Thanks for looking! We’ll let you know when it’s in iTunes.
I submitted the feed to iTunes and we are waiting on their “approval.” We will post the iTunes link in the sidebar of this site as soon as it’s available.
And Damien, THANK YOU for the questions you sent in earlier. They were and will continue to be a helpful guide for organizing our podcasts and blogposts.
Any time, Chris!
Having listened to the first episode on my commute in to my (not-at-all-dream-job) work this morning I’m inspired to get cracking on my portfolio and beat it in to shape. I’m not quite at the level of what the podcast is aimed at – I have yet to even break in to the art field – but the info is excellent. I really like the Artcast and its rambling nature but Paper Wings’ focus really works.
My goal is to have the proverbial foot in the door by mid-year in an entry-level position (hoping 31 isn’t too old) and then work my way up from there.
One question I have for you guys is: What are some entry level jobs you could suggest for someone just trying to break into the industry on the bottom rung? Grunt work where someone can earn their wings?
Anyway, thanks for a great start to a great podcast. Glad I’m in on the ground floor! Now I can turn around and say “Yeah, I was in to them before everyone realised they were cool…”