On Work Submissions

As an artist, I've found that you go through phases of getting certain types of work, cycles that seem to be vaguely related to the quality of work you produce. To begin with it's mainly free, mainly bad work. Then it's just free work, poor design jobs and logo design. Then it's free work, free comic work, free projects that go nowhere and maybe a few boring, but at least paid, jobs. And so on and on forth until you find your niche, become a better artist, become a bit more pro, and start getting enough regular work to actually go full-time (and age 10 years).

Now I seem to be at a point where I get asked to do submissions for projects, like job interviews almost, and there seems to be a running motif throughout these submissions tests which I think is a major flaw.

Most submissions require the artist to go from blank slate to final illustration completely on their own steam, based on whatever brief they are given. My problem with that is that it omit's a large part of the design process, which is working with other people.

You will never get a paid job doing just what you want to do. Anytime you get hired as an artist, you're working on other peoples ideas, with other people. Sure, you have a say in things, maybe a certain degree of control, but ultimately, final say comes down to whomever is paying. You'll never be able to go charging off doing your own thing, like some mental whirlwind, answering to no man.

My beef with these submission tests is that the most important part of that process is completely ignored, and it basically becomes a 'can you draw a thing' test. But your work, your websites, your previous endeavours are a testament to the fact that you can draw a thing. The biggest test is can you work with people?



Above are 2 illustrations, both for the same project (more coming soon on that by the way), the left was first attempt, the one on the right is the second. Like all submission based jobs I was asked to do some trial illustrations to see if I fit the bill, which is absolutely fair enough. A lot of my previous work has robots or sci-fi stuff in, so it should of been a simple case of robot-man fits into robot-man-shaped hole.

Except I nearly failed. What both me and the client realised is that drawing robots I can do, but it has to fit into the already established aesthetic that the world is based on, and that this job would be expanding on, of which I wasn't aware of before. I had to go back to the drawing board and work with the client to come up with a relatable style. 

I basically had to re-learn how to draw robots again.

Which I did. We came to a style we both liked (I wasn't changing who I was as an artist to compromise and they were getting something that fit into their world). I then had the necessary background material to make more informed design decisions about all the subsequent illustrations. That was the real test, and if I couldn't rise to that particular challenge, then whose to say I could overcome any others that pop up in the project? They would have every right to reject me, and would be better off for it.

Point being, submission-style jobs are never indicative of how an artist would actually perform on a project. Sure, I get the reasons why a client would go down this route, especially if it's an open job offer. Working with 20+ artists on their trial illustration is a massive time sink. But artists already have a bit of an up-hill battle with misconceptions about what their job actually entails. Being able to draw is important, but problem solving, concept work, being able to work and co-ordinate with your employers and team is by far the thing that an artist, working for someone else, is going to be spending most of his/her time doing.

Ultimately, art is subjective. Some styles fit, some don't, so I never really get insulted at rejection letters, as for me, that basically means 'get better' or 'wrong context'. But to base the decision of wether or not you could work well with people on something that it is completely done on your own? It just doesn't make sense to me.

What do you think? Any similar experiences?

- DM