How to get hired by a studio
ImagineFX|October 2022
Career advice Tanya Combrinck finds out how to put together the perfect portfolio and showcase your skills to impress a top art director
Tanya Combrinck
How to get hired by a studio

Getting a studio job isn’t the only way to have a career as a professional fantasy artist, but it does have some major advantages. Being surrounded by more experienced artists, regularly receiving their feedback and insight, usually means you improve much faster than you would as a freelancer, and the financial security of a regular paycheck means you can focus on your art without worrying about making rent. 

But getting your first break can be tough. At the start of your career it can be difficult to know whether to produce work tailored to the studios you aspire to work at, or to lean into your own style.

"The path to your dream studio might not be a straight line, and that's okay!" says Dennis van Kessel, concept artist at Atomhawk, a studio that produces digital art and motion graphics for the games industry. "If you are looking for your first break into the industry, I wouldn't worry too much about matching a certain studio's style - especially if their style is extremely specific. As someone looking to get their foot in the door, you're better off having a wide range of options rather than putting all your hopes on getting a job at one or two studios."

Your portfolio is of course central to your application, so getting it right is crucial. "Your portfolio is only as good as your worst piece," says Dennis. "Many artists fall into the trap of wanting to show off an incredibly wide range of skills, but that is only worth doing if you have a consistent quality level across those skills. Focus on your strengths!"

WORK HARD, AND KEEP LEARNING

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2022 من ImagineFX.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2022 من ImagineFX.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من IMAGINEFX مشاهدة الكل
Jan Wessbecher
ImagineFX

Jan Wessbecher

Dominic Carter talks to the visual artist about creating his own comic and why sketchbooks are great for creative experiments

time-read
9 mins  |
Christmas 2024
Kyounghwan Kim
ImagineFX

Kyounghwan Kim

The Korean character concept artist speaks to Dominic Carter about staying open to ideas and the value of drawing regularly

time-read
5 mins  |
Christmas 2024
Slawek Fedorczuk
ImagineFX

Slawek Fedorczuk

Dominic Carter talks to the concept artist about what keeps him motivated and the advantages of using physical sketchbooks.

time-read
10 mins  |
Christmas 2024
Raquel M. Varela
ImagineFX

Raquel M. Varela

Raquel is inspired by magic, fantasy and fairy tales. She loves designing female characters from distant worlds. \"My greatest reference is Loish's art, thanks to her I learned to draw the movement and fluidity I like to convey.\"

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Estrela Lourenço
ImagineFX

Estrela Lourenço

Estrela is a children's book author and illustrator. Her work is influenced by her background in character animation and storyboards for clients such as Cartoon Network, and she channels comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Daria Widermanska
ImagineFX

Daria Widermanska

Daria, also known as Anako, has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Inspired by Disney and classic anime, she loves creating new characters and often finds that a single sketch can spark a unique story.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Allen Douglas
ImagineFX

Allen Douglas

Allen has been painting professionally since 1994 for the publishing and gaming industries. Inspired by folklore, he distorts the size, relationships and environments of animals, and calls his paintings 'unusual wildlife'.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Thaddeus Robeck
ImagineFX

Thaddeus Robeck

Thaddeus has been drawing from the moment he could hold a pencil, but it was the 2020 lockdowns that gave him the time to focus on honing his skills.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
DRAW FASCINATING SYMBOLIC ARTWORK
ImagineFX

DRAW FASCINATING SYMBOLIC ARTWORK

Learn how JULIÁN DE LA MOTA creates a composition from his imagination with a focus on crafting figures, volumetric modelling, and light and shadow

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
First Impressions
ImagineFX

First Impressions

The artist talks about his journey into the mythological world

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024