How to Stand Out as a Digital Artist

How do you stand out in the crowd as a talented digital artist and get the attention you deserve and the challenging jobs you desire? We asked a pool of our amazing instructors and talented artists for their professional advice:

1. Choose One Skill and Master It

Ben Keeling (Environment Artist at Creative Assembly) shares that his most important tip for aspiring artists is to “pick one area of expertise and just become the best you can be at that one area,” whether it’s procedural texturing, high-poly modeling, or character design. “Be an expert in your field,” Keeling emphasized, “and you will be recognized for that skill.”

2. Send a Clear Message to CG Studios

When you market a particular skill, you are directly communicating to studios that need your skill. “If a studio is looking into a particular pipeline or wants skills using certain programs such as Unreal, this can be a really good selling point for securing a job,” said Keeling. “All the most popular artists on websites like ArtStation and CG Society showcase their key CG skill.”

3. Showcase Your “WOW” Piece

“Have a polished “wow” piece that boggles the mind and tickles the soul!” said Michael Pavlovich (Principal Artist at Certain Affinity). Your “wow” piece will get more attention and more reactions from teachers, peers, and other pros than a dozen adequate examples.

4. Create Good Work

Consistent examples of your talents and creativity are the foundation of “a clear online presence and message” to industry professionals about you and your abilities, said Brett Bean (Freelance Digital Artist). It all adds up to the way you create your professional “brand” and get attention from fellow digital artists, job recruiters, and potential employers.

5. Network With Other CG Artists

Networking online is the most important element of getting noticed by the CG community, said Patrick Raines (Concept Artist for FireForge Games). “Posting both professional and personal work on sites like ArtStation and CG Society, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest can quickly grow your reputation worldwide.” Take advantage of the global reach of the Internet to build your reputation and your career.

Many thanks to our CG Master Academy Instructors: Michael Pavlovich (Introduction to ZBrush), Ben Keeling (Introduction to Substance for Environment Art), Brett Bean (Fundamentals of Character Design), and Patrick Raines (Environment Sketching for Production).