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People often get the sense of being ignored in the art-scene, especially here online. We all try so hard to get our foot in the door, it's like trying to stuff yourself in an overfull bus like a sardine in a can.
Sometimes you just want to socialize with other artists you admire and you seem to be talking into a brick wall or perhaps you've send your portfolio to a company over a dozen times and still don't even seem to get the smallest response or feedback. I will try and tell you WHY you get ignored and HOW you can get noticed instead.

I will go through the following cases of being ignored:
Your comment.
Your art.
Your Portfolio.

Do know, that even though being ignored feels very personal it's hardly ever personal at all!

Your comment(s) gets ignored.It happens ever so often. You notice an artwork or a discussion and you weigh in with your opinion or admiration, perhaps even some feedback? There is a whole list of reasons why you can get ignored in such cases.
- Is your comment simply reconfirming what someone else already said? Either just post: I agree with "name" or don't comment at all, unless you got something new to add.
- Is your comment shorter than 4 words? When someone gets dozens of comments, they often have to pick which ones to reply to and which ones not to. The most insightful ones will be the ones that get a reply.
- Is you comment a whole essay? Everyone appreciated nice long comments... perhaps up to 10 sentences. Beyond that is usually TMTR (To much to read). So keep it within boundaries.
- In case of feedback, are you giving reasons and suggestions on improvement, or just simply naming the mistakes? Feedback only works when you're nice about it and are able to explain why and how they can do better.

Here is some tips for approaching artists you admire with a comment or note in a way that will make them reply:
Don't idolize them to much. This will make them uncomfortable. It also seems like you put yourself below them in some way. We're all equals.. and we like to communicate as such.
When you ask them questions you are basically asking them to spend some time for you to help you out. So in that case make sure you have given them something beforehand that gets you in their good graces. You're more likely to get help or answers when they feel like you're not just person nr 100 who wants something from them.
While it's perfectly fine for you to approach them as equals. They are not you best pal's (yet) so try and be normal and be careful with friendly jokes.
Don't talk smack about other artists as a way of befriending someone. Not everybody likes each other out there, but these are no opening topics. Basically don't ever talk smack.

How to compliment an artist so that you totally rock!
Every nice comment is appreciated such as: Nice work, Great lighting, Awesome colors etc.
The only reply (if you even get one) would be: thank you!
A comment that rocks is build out if 3 parts.
Part 1: The main praise: Nice work, Awesome work, great work etc.
Part 2: The explanation: Your anatomy skills are outstanding, your lighting is done incredible, your storytelling is really compelling etc.
Part 3: The question! (this will make you get a reply) How did you train to get this good? How do you approach setting up the lighting in your work? Do you make thumbnails before getting to such an image? etc

So a good example would be:
"Amazing creature design! I thought these were totally adorable in the movie, their personality is so cute and devious at the same time. Did you do a lot of different variation sketches before getting to this one? I would love to see it if you're allowed to show."

Your art gets ignored.There is such a vast amount of artwork online it's like little shells on a beach. When you see them all laying there, even though they're all different and unique, you can't seem to linger on any one of them, until you see that bigger one with he rare shape. This basically means your work need to be different from others so that you stand out more. different how?
- Different topic.
- Different technique or medium.
- Different style.
- Or simply outstanding skill.
If you art gets ignored it doesn't mean it's bad art it simply means it's not rare enough. Making something that's truly admirable is hard. People that make admirable artwork more than once or twice get lucky and usually stay quite popular even if other work they post is of less significance, they already conquered the eye of the beholder.

So when you post your artwork you do this with certain expectations. Will people like it? (In my opinion you should always make your personal artwork so that you personally like it, if other people do as well it's only a bonus) By asking yourself these questions you can discover if perhaps there are ways to improve your work so that maybe other people can appreciate it as you do

Is it pleasing for the eye? Colors that don't work well together or the wrong use of values can really throw people off. As well as unclear compositions or a wobbly technique. (This takes a lot of practice to don't be to hard on yourself if you cannot manage that yet).
Is it something that's not seen this way before? Let say you painted a viking warrior. there are plenty of versions out there where they are posing with an ax or sword, or screaming while going berserk. Usually incredibly muscular and wearing a helmet with horns. This is pretty cliche and on get's noticed when done with outstanding skills or done by an already popular artist.
Give him a different outfit design, perhaps he's not that crazy muscular. Set him in a different scene, maybe he's resting while polishing a spear-tip while enemies lurk from a distance.
- Alter the design.
- alter the situation/storytelling.
This would be ace!
Paint-styles is like fashion. Every season has it's own popular style/technique and this shifts now and then. So either totally own this technique while it's still popular or deviate from it by doing something unique and different. Now that is pretty hard
Well done fan art. this always wins Basta! (And this one from Diablo 3 rocks in particular! The storytelling is really cool and I love seeing these heroes in a "after combat" situation)

Your portfolio get's ignored.Now this is one of the most annoying of all, especially if you rely on income through your art.
The same things apply here as they did with the reasons why your art get's ignored. But there is more.
Is your portfolio showing to many different skills? (graphic design, concept art, illustration, 3D modeling, black belt karate and great swimmer etc. Simply adjust your portfolio depending on the client you send it too.
Is your portfolio actually showing that you can bring something new to the table? If you have a concept art portfolio and you only show cliche things that look awesome but are not innovative companies are not likely going to hire you. concept art is not only about skill but mostly about ideas. Astonish them with your broad sense of imagination.
Always start with showing your best image. No text no nothing, just your best image. (Your CV should contain all the text. Portfolio should just be a few of your best images)

In fact here is a whole journal about making a good portfolio:
Where to get started before you can apply for workThere is no such thing as suddenly knowing when you are ready to turn yourpassion into your profession. But there is a way of measuring your chances on beingable to get work and eventually sustain a living from it. Accepting commissions or freelance for low payment won't help you. You can think any penny counts, but it will lower the worth of your work and damage the market. :bulletblue: How to measure that you are ready? You probably have high goals, but they are usually not your first step. You must search out the clients who can be that first step. Often found in the card game industry, book cover illustrations and smaller game co...

In the end, some people simply ignore you because of the lack of time or will to reply. This is yet again not something against you. Others simply don't see a reason why they would even have to reply (these are usually the people that don't really read the comments either but perhaps scroll through them a bit) they are not mean or evil, they simply have other priorities. (Like maybe making more art!)

Let me know if you have any questions or remarks. (Feel free to send me a Note about my grammar or English and I will gladly edit my mistakes.)

All my other journals:
The 5 bullshit myths of concept art.Concept art is getting bigger and bigger. More people know what it is nowadays, it gets shown in the media more often and more books get released. This automatically results into more people wanting to become concept artists. So many artschools are now creating special courses all towards game art or concept art. (Game art can also include UI design, 3D modeling etc.).Yet it is a fairly new thing to most people and the idea of "becoming a concept artist" has grown rapidly over such a short time that a lot of people who are new to it seem to get a lot of misguide info. I am going to try to list this misguided info and direct you to the corr... Are you on the right track? + Fuck Talent!Am I on the right track?This is a thing people often wonder and think it's a complicated to find out, but it is actually pretty simple. It's a different question you need to ask yourself based on different topics.As for: Fuck talent! You'll find it if you scroll down :P :bulletblue: Topic 1: Am I on the right track to becoming a better artist? Does your work from today, look closer to your initial goal than your work from last week? (this needs to be both in skill and idea.):bulletgreen: Good skills: Honing your technique, training you muscle memory, being more knowledgeable about your tools and art rules. With art rules I mean:... How to win Art-contests! (+ Caldyra winners!)Let me start by saying how incredibly happy I am with all these amazing and inspiring entries! This definitely calls for doing another such contest soon! Most of you have really tried their best and it shows! I couldn't have asked for better or more, choosing the winners among these was already aching my brains. This journal will show the winners and the special mentions but also a bit about how to higher your changes on winning contests (maybe good for the next one). This was my contest for those interested: How to win contests?! The change on winning a contest always gets smaller based on the amount of people joining in, however this do... A big black hole called: Procrastination.Procrastination is an infinite cycle that becomes bigger and bigger the longer it's there and the time wasted being sucked into it is a dark matter of nothing. :P hahah I figured this was the most dramatic way to put it, but yeah, it's real and it sucks.For those who don't know what it means: Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the "last minute" before the deadline. We all suffer from procrastination. It is pretty innocent when you have it ... What to do as an artist in training.There are many ways to Rome they say. But I meet a lot of aspiring artists lost and asking me for guidanceand this is what I tell them. (This is a revisited version of an old journal with new and updated guidelines/info) Find out what you really want to do with art, there are so many different professions or hobbies to take on.Graphic designer, Concept artist (mobile and high end), Illustrator of book covers or for card games and so much more.Once you can make your pick, or at least pick 1 or 2 you must do research on the most valued artwork from that niece. Find out what makes the best artist of your favorite field the best artist. What ... Where to get started before you can apply for workThere is no such thing as suddenly knowing when you are ready to turn yourpassion into your profession. But there is a way of measuring your chances on beingable to get work and eventually sustain a living from it. Accepting commissions or freelance for low payment won't help you. You can think any penny counts, but it will lower the worth of your work and damage the market. :bulletblue: How to measure that you are ready? You probably have high goals, but they are usually not your first step. You must search out the clients who can be that first step. Often found in the card game industry, book cover illustrations and smaller game co... This is why you (and your art) get ignored.People often get the sense of being ignored in the art-scene, especially here online. We all try so hard to get our foot in the door, it's like trying to stuff yourself in an overfull bus like a sardine in a can. Sometimes you just want to socialize with other artists you admire and you seem to be talking into a brick wall or perhaps you've send your portfolio to a company over a dozen times and still don't even seem to get the smallest response or feedback. I will try and tell you WHY you get ignored and HOW you can get noticed instead.I will go through the following cases of being ignored: :bulletgreen: Your comment. :bulletgreen: Your a... The problematic behavior of online artists.There is a bunch of things online artist do terribly wrong on a regular basis. Some of it might be directly aimed to you and some might be things you from others. Shortlist::bulletblue: Way too little time spend on painting/practice.:bulletblue: People making nit pick pointers.:bulletblue: The extreme fuzz about labels and methods.:bulletblue: Witch-hunting/ talking smack.However I'd like to start with a totally opposite note:This year I've also experienced great support from the art community for which I'm dearly grateful for.:icontituslunter: got me an amazing birthday gift(video), made by him and fellow awesome artists: https://www.fac... Don't let the crap of the internet brainwash you.warning: This journal is my opinion and my view on things. I support open-mindedness and the possibility of anything. The internet is full of it: People with strong opinions. Usually about 'how to do things' and 'how to absolutely not do things'. Ask any given person this question: What is good art? They will all give you a different answer and some of those answers are waaaay to specific for their own good. Meaning they have a very specific view on what is good and see other work that does not meet up those qualifications as: bad, fake or cheating. It is natural to have a preference toward certain topics or techniques when making art, but...
The stuff that artists go through.There are so many pro's and con as to being an artist, professional or as a hobby. It feels nice to be able to express yourself through something you make and when that something turns out to be looking good we get this sense of accomplishment. Most of the time though there are bad feelings mixed with the good ones.:bulletblue: Not being understood. Those moments where your friends or family does not understand that you have to desire to be alone and work on your art. Those copious amounts of hours you spend working and they wonder why you wouldn't rather be outside relaxing in the sun or hang out with your friends.The only people who w... Overcome your unfair obstacles.We all have certain obstacles that gives us the feeling of: 'This is so unfair!.' To me it's one of the most annoying feelings in the world because in general we don't really know how to deal with it. One little part of us says: 'Don't whine about it, you are just being jealous.' the other part of you tells you: 'If I didn't have this obstacle or disability I would rule the world!!'So you bounce around anger, sadness, hopelessness and envy. If you were just sad about something or simply angry it would be a lot easier to deal with, you cry or you just vent a bit towards a friend. But how to deal with he feeling of unfairness? :bulletblu... Fast lane to becoming a better artist.I often get this very question: How did you get this good this fast? Now as I consider myself not being as good as people tell me, even struggling quite often with being an artist in general. I do know how to get better and how to reach it fast. I'm still growing as I go and it's the main thing that keeps me going.You need to get into the right mindset and the rest will follow. With the rest I mean:1. Willpower.2. Endurance.3. Positive energy.4. The NEED to draw.:bulletblue: Seeing growth in your work gives you the courage to work harder. You know that feeling when you're just about done with an imageand feel like this image is better tha... Why it's so important to unite as artists.We are with many though yet we are with few. We're all divided over little subgroups such as, fantasy illustrators, concept artists, comic book pencilers, photomanipers, techartists, anime drawers, realism sketchers etc. You might even find your place at multiple sections.I found that the biggest united groups on Deviant Art are mostly evolved around fan art, such as Sonic, or My little pony. Observations aside, I think the good thing about those groups is that they serve for companionship. Being an artist all by yourself with no one to share/talk about/discuss your work with can feel rather lonely. And that lonely feeling is not encourag... Are you being honest with yourself?As part of becoming good at something you need to be able to reflect upon yourself. Judge your own abilities and work and consider the possibility that what ever you have been doing it wrong all along. Or perhaps you're actually being to hard on yourself and you're better than your conscious is telling you. (This is bad too because it leads to insecurities.) Signs that you might overestimate your current skills. Do you often feel these things when you look upon work from good artists?: I can totally do this too. This is not so hard, I can do this faster. My work is way more interesting. It's not fair that this person gets way more attenti... When someone brings your art down...Putting our art out there makes us very vulnerable, especially when you've made something close to your heart. Perhaps something of your own fantasy, a story, a fan fiction your passionate about?As much as most of us really want to improve, we also simply want to make art because we love it and when we share it there is a slight hope there is someone out there who will love it too.There are all kinds of ways other people can bring you down by saying something about your art, or by doing nothing at all! Perhaps YOU are even part of making someone feel down and you're not realizing it!:bulletblue: The harsh critique. This person might want ... How to deal with or get feedback.Getting feedback or critiques may be hard for people.Some people want it really bad but can't seem to get it, at least not from the people he/she is hoping for.And other get it all the time but feel a little attacked or bullied by it.Pretty much anyone with eyes and some intelligence is able to spot mistakes or irregularities in someone's work. This person doesn't have to be more skilled than you. However, this person... might be wrong.... :bulletpurple: How do you judge a critique?You initially made your artwork according to the knowledge you currently have. Leaving room for mistakes in the elements you're not trained or knowledgeable ... So tired of not achieving what you want?So tired of not achieving what you want?:thumb351497375:Everyone has something they really want dearly, a career, to have a certain loved one, to be able to make certain things...The most common one among us artist are:- I want to be able to draw better- I want to be able to draw like "this"person.- I want to earn money with my drawing.- I want to be able to draw what I imagine in my head.- I want more people to appreciate my art.- I want more feedback from artists I admire.- I want more..- I want better....All this wanting.. dreaming of... hoping for.How about doing it!! With these sort of "wants", it's a matter of DOING IT!How? You ask?T... Avoid getting ripped off by a client.As a freelancer most of your business takes place online, which makes it really easyfor people to rip you off. How many times have we seen the following scenario's:1- Someone offers a descent payment for your artwork but wants you to do an art-test first.after the art-test you're being told you're not good enough. Later you find out that other peoplegot to do different art-test topics and also weren't good enough. The client clearly ripped people off to get free artwork.2- Someone offers good money for your artwork. The sketch gets approved so you continue working. Right when it's done the total image suddenly becomes a great disappointmen...
The emotional shield that prevents hurt.Being an artist = Being sensitive. We all know it. Making something and then showing it out there makes you very vulnerable, emotionally. What if people think it's shit? What if they think it's weird... what will they think? Will that reflect on how they think of me as a person?I know what some of you are thinking right now... 'You should care less about what people think of you or you art.' In a sense you are right.. than again, you SHOULD care what people think of you and your art! They are your market and potential clients. It's easier when you're already doing your dream job and couldn't care less for other potential directions... but ... Being a miserable artist = being a bad artist.I recently felt it being one of the most important things, not just for an artist; being happy with what you do. No one wants to get up every morning thinking.. shit .. another work day. Of course there can be days, maybe even a full week of that, but the majority of your time you should be feeling content and happy even.With that lack of love and enthusiasm it is most likely reflected into your work.Now it's not always your own fault that your work doesn't make you happy and doesn't feed your creative monster. But it can be in these cases.You make your OWN workday miserable when::bulletblue: If you don't speak your mind and stand up for y... Timing fucking matters.Time does a lot of things, it makes you older, it gets you to places, it never stops going forward. However you control when and how you use it!Everyone makes choices on a daily bases, most of them are actually done with your auto-pilot function out of habit. Most people usually sit in the same spot on the couch, chooses what to wear based on previously made combinations and so on, unless they consciously become aware of their action and might decide it's time for a change. It can be a small thing that makes people aware of their options You can count that pretty much every person out there works like this and YOU often depend on THEIR cho... Things I learned at: The Industry Workshops 2014Holy shit amazeballs... this past weekend.... But let me start of by shortly telling you what the industry workshops actually were. (The artwork in this journal are from some of the lecturers.) :bulletblue: What is: #IW_14? The Industry workshops took place last weekend August 29 to 31 2014, at 2 venues both located at Hoxton Square, London United Kingdom. It was organized and hosted by a group of industry professionals in the fields of concept art, matte painting and illustration in film, games and freelance. Let me name the people that profited the lectures and demo's from 10 in the morning to 8 in the evening, ending with a 1+ hour QA... When inspiration is far to be found...We all get these anoying times when we really want to make something cool, get inspired and work that magic. We see everyone around us (online) do it, but how come we are not? So we look for ways to get inspired, we ask around, find these usual answers: go watch a film, listen to music.. take a walk...But even when we do that, we still end up stuck most of the time. Part of the solution is knowing WHY we get stuck and this is my theory.:bulletblue: ADT - Attention Deficit Trait. 'Experiencing an inner frenzy of distractability, impatience, difficulty in setting priorities, staying focused and managing time. Those are our biggest enemies as... A simple guide on: Commissioning an Artist.It's often not as simple as one wants it to be when both artist and client want it to be: Cost efficient, time efficient and quality efficient. I've often spend my time discussing the best way to handle commissions with clients and artist friends that I came to the conclusion that clarity and understanding is key. I will divide the guidelines I work with based on 3 commission types. :bulletblue: Character commissions. :bulletblue: Book covers ( or illustrations) :bulletblue: Concept art.Reading all 3 parts will give you the full scope as a lot of it applies to one another as well.:bulletgreen: Character commissions.:bulletblue: 1. Referenc... The Key to keeping yourself motivated properly.Let me start off with telling you what motivation is and why you need it.A motivation is a reason behind doing something a certain way to work yourself up to a certain goal. Just having a goal but no understanding of how to get there, means you have no way to motivate yourself and your goal will be hard to reach. Therefore motivation is needed desperately in order to become truly good at something.The motivation to eat is the feeling for hunger and the end goal of ending the hunger and feeling healthy and energized. This type of motivation is a feeling. Which brings me to: Intrinsic motivation and Extrinsic motivation.Shortly explained: ... How fear motivates my art.:bulletred: When I first saw Jurassic Park in 1993 I was four years old. The animatronics they build had me convinced real and the cinematography was amazing. All from the toilet scene to the dismembered arm to the kitchen scare had me high on adrenaline. This was the first time I had felt scared enough to pee my pants but I loved it! The fact that these dinosaurs were scaring me was the same reason why I was so fascinated by them. The oldest toys I can remember were tiny plastic dinosaurs and my bed sheets had a lovely 'Land before time.' print on it. Every day of my childhood life was dedicated to dinosaurs (and perhaps a bit of Indiana... Tenacity is your ultimate super power!100 no's and 1 yes means YES! :P Applying for jobs in the art/commercial industry is not hard you simply need to know what to do and how to do it. (Concept artist, Illustrator, 3D artist, UI designer, Mattepainter, SFX artist, Lightingartist, Designer.) Often when I have a back and forth with artists 'trying to break through' I ask them where they applied and with what. A common respond usually indicates they send out their personal portfolio to 1-5 places at the most. This is exactly what I did as well when I tried the first time. Let me paint you a hypothetical situation: You worked hard and long on your artwork and it somewhat reached ... Achieving your dreams. Before during and after.It’s been on my mind for 5 years now, started as a whisper in the back of my brain, hardly believing that I am capable of achieving it. Than slowly it developed into a goal, something that I might be able to achieve after all … perhaps. I want to illustrate for my favorite realm in the world: Magic the Gathering. Phew, feels heavy saying it. The notion warms my chest and raises my heartbeat ever so slightly feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I’ve witnessed my boyfriend and some friends do work for them for 2 years now while I was too burned out from Studio work (concept art for computer games.) and honestly, to...

Thanks for all the comments! I will do my best to reply to most of them, even if it sometimes takes a while, reading these always cheers me up a lot!

Wanna ask me direct questions? Come hang with me on Twitch sometime where I paint and give feedback
Suzanne Helmigh Twitch channel

Disclaimer: The artwork posted in my journals are not made by me but artists I admire. This is my way of sharing their incredibly work with the rest of you. All these journals are based on my personal experience and that of artist friends. English is my second language and I have dyslexia so do note I am prone to make mistakes. I write these journals to remind myself of the things I've learned.

Thank you!

Bullet; Green — Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

People often get the sense of being ignored in the art-scene, especially here online. We all try so hard to get our foot in the door, it's like trying to stuff yourself in an overfull bus like a sardine in a can.
Sometimes you just want to socialize with other artists you admire and you seem to be talking into a brick wall or perhaps you've send your portfolio to a company over a dozen times and still don't even seem to get the smallest response or feedback. I will try and tell you WHY you get ignored and HOW you can get noticed instead.

I will go through the following cases of being ignored:
Your comment.
Your art.
Your Portfolio.

Do know, that even though being ignored feels very personal it's hardly ever personal at all!

Your comment(s) gets ignored.It happens ever so often. You notice an artwork or a discussion and you weigh in with your opinion or admiration, perhaps even some feedback? There is a whole list of reasons why you can get ignored in such cases.
- Is your comment simply reconfirming what someone else already said? Either just post: I agree with "name" or don't comment at all, unless you got something new to add.
- Is your comment shorter than 4 words? When someone gets dozens of comments, they often have to pick which ones to reply to and which ones not to. The most insightful ones will be the ones that get a reply.
- Is you comment a whole essay? Everyone appreciated nice long comments... perhaps up to 10 sentences. Beyond that is usually TMTR (To much to read). So keep it within boundaries.
- In case of feedback, are you giving reasons and suggestions on improvement, or just simply naming the mistakes? Feedback only works when you're nice about it and are able to explain why and how they can do better.

Here is some tips for approaching artists you admire with a comment or note in a way that will make them reply:
Don't idolize them to much. This will make them uncomfortable. It also seems like you put yourself below them in some way. We're all equals.. and we like to communicate as such.
When you ask them questions you are basically asking them to spend some time for you to help you out. So in that case make sure you have given them something beforehand that gets you in their good graces. You're more likely to get help or answers when they feel like you're not just person nr 100 who wants something from them.
While it's perfectly fine for you to approach them as equals. They are not you best pal's (yet) so try and be normal and be careful with friendly jokes.
Don't talk smack about other artists as a way of befriending someone. Not everybody likes each other out there, but these are no opening topics. Basically don't ever talk smack.

How to compliment an artist so that you totally rock!
Every nice comment is appreciated such as: Nice work, Great lighting, Awesome colors etc.
The only reply (if you even get one) would be: thank you!
A comment that rocks is build out if 3 parts.
Part 1: The main praise: Nice work, Awesome work, great work etc.
Part 2: The explanation: Your anatomy skills are outstanding, your lighting is done incredible, your storytelling is really compelling etc.
Part 3: The question! (this will make you get a reply) How did you train to get this good? How do you approach setting up the lighting in your work? Do you make thumbnails before getting to such an image? etc

So a good example would be:
"Amazing creature design! I thought these were totally adorable in the movie, their personality is so cute and devious at the same time. Did you do a lot of different variation sketches before getting to this one? I would love to see it if you're allowed to show."

Your art gets ignored.There is such a vast amount of artwork online it's like little shells on a beach. When you see them all laying there, even though they're all different and unique, you can't seem to linger on any one of them, until you see that bigger one with he rare shape. This basically means your work need to be different from others so that you stand out more. different how?
- Different topic.
- Different technique or medium.
- Different style.
- Or simply outstanding skill.
If you art gets ignored it doesn't mean it's bad art it simply means it's not rare enough. Making something that's truly admirable is hard. People that make admirable artwork more than once or twice get lucky and usually stay quite popular even if other work they post is of less significance, they already conquered the eye of the beholder.

So when you post your artwork you do this with certain expectations. Will people like it? (In my opinion you should always make your personal artwork so that you personally like it, if other people do as well it's only a bonus) By asking yourself these questions you can discover if perhaps there are ways to improve your work so that maybe other people can appreciate it as you do

Is it pleasing for the eye? Colors that don't work well together or the wrong use of values can really throw people off. As well as unclear compositions or a wobbly technique. (This takes a lot of practice to don't be to hard on yourself if you cannot manage that yet).
Is it something that's not seen this way before? Let say you painted a viking warrior. there are plenty of versions out there where they are posing with an ax or sword, or screaming while going berserk. Usually incredibly muscular and wearing a helmet with horns. This is pretty cliche and on get's noticed when done with outstanding skills or done by an already popular artist.
Give him a different outfit design, perhaps he's not that crazy muscular. Set him in a different scene, maybe he's resting while polishing a spear-tip while enemies lurk from a distance.
- Alter the design.
- alter the situation/storytelling.
This would be ace!
Paint-styles is like fashion. Every season has it's own popular style/technique and this shifts now and then. So either totally own this technique while it's still popular or deviate from it by doing something unique and different. Now that is pretty hard
Well done fan art. this always wins Basta! (And this one from Diablo 3 rocks in particular! The storytelling is really cool and I love seeing these heroes in a "after combat" situation)

Your portfolio get's ignored.Now this is one of the most annoying of all, especially if you rely on income through your art.
The same things apply here as they did with the reasons why your art get's ignored. But there is more.
Is your portfolio showing to many different skills? (graphic design, concept art, illustration, 3D modeling, black belt karate and great swimmer etc. Simply adjust your portfolio depending on the client you send it too.
Is your portfolio actually showing that you can bring something new to the table? If you have a concept art portfolio and you only show cliche things that look awesome but are not innovative companies are not likely going to hire you. concept art is not only about skill but mostly about ideas. Astonish them with your broad sense of imagination.
Always start with showing your best image. No text no nothing, just your best image. (Your CV should contain all the text. Portfolio should just be a few of your best images)

In fact here is a whole journal about making a good portfolio:
Where to get started before you can apply for workThere is no such thing as suddenly knowing when you are ready to turn yourpassion into your profession. But there is a way of measuring your chances on beingable to get work and eventually sustain a living from it. Accepting commissions or freelance for low payment won't help you. You can think any penny counts, but it will lower the worth of your work and damage the market. :bulletblue: How to measure that you are ready? You probably have high goals, but they are usually not your first step. You must search out the clients who can be that first step. Often found in the card game industry, book cover illustrations and smaller game co...

In the end, some people simply ignore you because of the lack of time or will to reply. This is yet again not something against you. Others simply don't see a reason why they would even have to reply (these are usually the people that don't really read the comments either but perhaps scroll through them a bit) they are not mean or evil, they simply have other priorities. (Like maybe making more art!)

Let me know if you have any questions or remarks. (Feel free to send me a Note about my grammar or English and I will gladly edit my mistakes.)

All my other journals:
The 5 bullshit myths of concept art.Concept art is getting bigger and bigger. More people know what it is nowadays, it gets shown in the media more often and more books get released. This automatically results into more people wanting to become concept artists. So many artschools are now creating special courses all towards game art or concept art. (Game art can also include UI design, 3D modeling etc.).Yet it is a fairly new thing to most people and the idea of "becoming a concept artist" has grown rapidly over such a short time that a lot of people who are new to it seem to get a lot of misguide info. I am going to try to list this misguided info and direct you to the corr... Are you on the right track? + Fuck Talent!Am I on the right track?This is a thing people often wonder and think it's a complicated to find out, but it is actually pretty simple. It's a different question you need to ask yourself based on different topics.As for: Fuck talent! You'll find it if you scroll down :P :bulletblue: Topic 1: Am I on the right track to becoming a better artist? Does your work from today, look closer to your initial goal than your work from last week? (this needs to be both in skill and idea.):bulletgreen: Good skills: Honing your technique, training you muscle memory, being more knowledgeable about your tools and art rules. With art rules I mean:... How to win Art-contests! (+ Caldyra winners!)Let me start by saying how incredibly happy I am with all these amazing and inspiring entries! This definitely calls for doing another such contest soon! Most of you have really tried their best and it shows! I couldn't have asked for better or more, choosing the winners among these was already aching my brains. This journal will show the winners and the special mentions but also a bit about how to higher your changes on winning contests (maybe good for the next one). This was my contest for those interested: How to win contests?! The change on winning a contest always gets smaller based on the amount of people joining in, however this do... A big black hole called: Procrastination.Procrastination is an infinite cycle that becomes bigger and bigger the longer it's there and the time wasted being sucked into it is a dark matter of nothing. :P hahah I figured this was the most dramatic way to put it, but yeah, it's real and it sucks.For those who don't know what it means: Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the "last minute" before the deadline. We all suffer from procrastination. It is pretty innocent when you have it ... What to do as an artist in training.There are many ways to Rome they say. But I meet a lot of aspiring artists lost and asking me for guidanceand this is what I tell them. (This is a revisited version of an old journal with new and updated guidelines/info) Find out what you really want to do with art, there are so many different professions or hobbies to take on.Graphic designer, Concept artist (mobile and high end), Illustrator of book covers or for card games and so much more.Once you can make your pick, or at least pick 1 or 2 you must do research on the most valued artwork from that niece. Find out what makes the best artist of your favorite field the best artist. What ... Where to get started before you can apply for workThere is no such thing as suddenly knowing when you are ready to turn yourpassion into your profession. But there is a way of measuring your chances on beingable to get work and eventually sustain a living from it. Accepting commissions or freelance for low payment won't help you. You can think any penny counts, but it will lower the worth of your work and damage the market. :bulletblue: How to measure that you are ready? You probably have high goals, but they are usually not your first step. You must search out the clients who can be that first step. Often found in the card game industry, book cover illustrations and smaller game co... This is why you (and your art) get ignored.People often get the sense of being ignored in the art-scene, especially here online. We all try so hard to get our foot in the door, it's like trying to stuff yourself in an overfull bus like a sardine in a can. Sometimes you just want to socialize with other artists you admire and you seem to be talking into a brick wall or perhaps you've send your portfolio to a company over a dozen times and still don't even seem to get the smallest response or feedback. I will try and tell you WHY you get ignored and HOW you can get noticed instead.I will go through the following cases of being ignored: :bulletgreen: Your comment. :bulletgreen: Your a... The problematic behavior of online artists.There is a bunch of things online artist do terribly wrong on a regular basis. Some of it might be directly aimed to you and some might be things you from others. Shortlist::bulletblue: Way too little time spend on painting/practice.:bulletblue: People making nit pick pointers.:bulletblue: The extreme fuzz about labels and methods.:bulletblue: Witch-hunting/ talking smack.However I'd like to start with a totally opposite note:This year I've also experienced great support from the art community for which I'm dearly grateful for.:icontituslunter: got me an amazing birthday gift(video), made by him and fellow awesome artists: https://www.fac... Don't let the crap of the internet brainwash you.warning: This journal is my opinion and my view on things. I support open-mindedness and the possibility of anything. The internet is full of it: People with strong opinions. Usually about 'how to do things' and 'how to absolutely not do things'. Ask any given person this question: What is good art? They will all give you a different answer and some of those answers are waaaay to specific for their own good. Meaning they have a very specific view on what is good and see other work that does not meet up those qualifications as: bad, fake or cheating. It is natural to have a preference toward certain topics or techniques when making art, but...
The stuff that artists go through.There are so many pro's and con as to being an artist, professional or as a hobby. It feels nice to be able to express yourself through something you make and when that something turns out to be looking good we get this sense of accomplishment. Most of the time though there are bad feelings mixed with the good ones.:bulletblue: Not being understood. Those moments where your friends or family does not understand that you have to desire to be alone and work on your art. Those copious amounts of hours you spend working and they wonder why you wouldn't rather be outside relaxing in the sun or hang out with your friends.The only people who w... Overcome your unfair obstacles.We all have certain obstacles that gives us the feeling of: 'This is so unfair!.' To me it's one of the most annoying feelings in the world because in general we don't really know how to deal with it. One little part of us says: 'Don't whine about it, you are just being jealous.' the other part of you tells you: 'If I didn't have this obstacle or disability I would rule the world!!'So you bounce around anger, sadness, hopelessness and envy. If you were just sad about something or simply angry it would be a lot easier to deal with, you cry or you just vent a bit towards a friend. But how to deal with he feeling of unfairness? :bulletblu... Fast lane to becoming a better artist.I often get this very question: How did you get this good this fast? Now as I consider myself not being as good as people tell me, even struggling quite often with being an artist in general. I do know how to get better and how to reach it fast. I'm still growing as I go and it's the main thing that keeps me going.You need to get into the right mindset and the rest will follow. With the rest I mean:1. Willpower.2. Endurance.3. Positive energy.4. The NEED to draw.:bulletblue: Seeing growth in your work gives you the courage to work harder. You know that feeling when you're just about done with an imageand feel like this image is better tha... Why it's so important to unite as artists.We are with many though yet we are with few. We're all divided over little subgroups such as, fantasy illustrators, concept artists, comic book pencilers, photomanipers, techartists, anime drawers, realism sketchers etc. You might even find your place at multiple sections.I found that the biggest united groups on Deviant Art are mostly evolved around fan art, such as Sonic, or My little pony. Observations aside, I think the good thing about those groups is that they serve for companionship. Being an artist all by yourself with no one to share/talk about/discuss your work with can feel rather lonely. And that lonely feeling is not encourag... Are you being honest with yourself?As part of becoming good at something you need to be able to reflect upon yourself. Judge your own abilities and work and consider the possibility that what ever you have been doing it wrong all along. Or perhaps you're actually being to hard on yourself and you're better than your conscious is telling you. (This is bad too because it leads to insecurities.) Signs that you might overestimate your current skills. Do you often feel these things when you look upon work from good artists?: I can totally do this too. This is not so hard, I can do this faster. My work is way more interesting. It's not fair that this person gets way more attenti... When someone brings your art down...Putting our art out there makes us very vulnerable, especially when you've made something close to your heart. Perhaps something of your own fantasy, a story, a fan fiction your passionate about?As much as most of us really want to improve, we also simply want to make art because we love it and when we share it there is a slight hope there is someone out there who will love it too.There are all kinds of ways other people can bring you down by saying something about your art, or by doing nothing at all! Perhaps YOU are even part of making someone feel down and you're not realizing it!:bulletblue: The harsh critique. This person might want ... How to deal with or get feedback.Getting feedback or critiques may be hard for people.Some people want it really bad but can't seem to get it, at least not from the people he/she is hoping for.And other get it all the time but feel a little attacked or bullied by it.Pretty much anyone with eyes and some intelligence is able to spot mistakes or irregularities in someone's work. This person doesn't have to be more skilled than you. However, this person... might be wrong.... :bulletpurple: How do you judge a critique?You initially made your artwork according to the knowledge you currently have. Leaving room for mistakes in the elements you're not trained or knowledgeable ... So tired of not achieving what you want?So tired of not achieving what you want?:thumb351497375:Everyone has something they really want dearly, a career, to have a certain loved one, to be able to make certain things...The most common one among us artist are:- I want to be able to draw better- I want to be able to draw like "this"person.- I want to earn money with my drawing.- I want to be able to draw what I imagine in my head.- I want more people to appreciate my art.- I want more feedback from artists I admire.- I want more..- I want better....All this wanting.. dreaming of... hoping for.How about doing it!! With these sort of "wants", it's a matter of DOING IT!How? You ask?T... Avoid getting ripped off by a client.As a freelancer most of your business takes place online, which makes it really easyfor people to rip you off. How many times have we seen the following scenario's:1- Someone offers a descent payment for your artwork but wants you to do an art-test first.after the art-test you're being told you're not good enough. Later you find out that other peoplegot to do different art-test topics and also weren't good enough. The client clearly ripped people off to get free artwork.2- Someone offers good money for your artwork. The sketch gets approved so you continue working. Right when it's done the total image suddenly becomes a great disappointmen...
The emotional shield that prevents hurt.Being an artist = Being sensitive. We all know it. Making something and then showing it out there makes you very vulnerable, emotionally. What if people think it's shit? What if they think it's weird... what will they think? Will that reflect on how they think of me as a person?I know what some of you are thinking right now... 'You should care less about what people think of you or you art.' In a sense you are right.. than again, you SHOULD care what people think of you and your art! They are your market and potential clients. It's easier when you're already doing your dream job and couldn't care less for other potential directions... but ... Being a miserable artist = being a bad artist.I recently felt it being one of the most important things, not just for an artist; being happy with what you do. No one wants to get up every morning thinking.. shit .. another work day. Of course there can be days, maybe even a full week of that, but the majority of your time you should be feeling content and happy even.With that lack of love and enthusiasm it is most likely reflected into your work.Now it's not always your own fault that your work doesn't make you happy and doesn't feed your creative monster. But it can be in these cases.You make your OWN workday miserable when::bulletblue: If you don't speak your mind and stand up for y... Timing fucking matters.Time does a lot of things, it makes you older, it gets you to places, it never stops going forward. However you control when and how you use it!Everyone makes choices on a daily bases, most of them are actually done with your auto-pilot function out of habit. Most people usually sit in the same spot on the couch, chooses what to wear based on previously made combinations and so on, unless they consciously become aware of their action and might decide it's time for a change. It can be a small thing that makes people aware of their options You can count that pretty much every person out there works like this and YOU often depend on THEIR cho... Things I learned at: The Industry Workshops 2014Holy shit amazeballs... this past weekend.... But let me start of by shortly telling you what the industry workshops actually were. (The artwork in this journal are from some of the lecturers.) :bulletblue: What is: #IW_14? The Industry workshops took place last weekend August 29 to 31 2014, at 2 venues both located at Hoxton Square, London United Kingdom. It was organized and hosted by a group of industry professionals in the fields of concept art, matte painting and illustration in film, games and freelance. Let me name the people that profited the lectures and demo's from 10 in the morning to 8 in the evening, ending with a 1+ hour QA... When inspiration is far to be found...We all get these anoying times when we really want to make something cool, get inspired and work that magic. We see everyone around us (online) do it, but how come we are not? So we look for ways to get inspired, we ask around, find these usual answers: go watch a film, listen to music.. take a walk...But even when we do that, we still end up stuck most of the time. Part of the solution is knowing WHY we get stuck and this is my theory.:bulletblue: ADT - Attention Deficit Trait. 'Experiencing an inner frenzy of distractability, impatience, difficulty in setting priorities, staying focused and managing time. Those are our biggest enemies as... A simple guide on: Commissioning an Artist.It's often not as simple as one wants it to be when both artist and client want it to be: Cost efficient, time efficient and quality efficient. I've often spend my time discussing the best way to handle commissions with clients and artist friends that I came to the conclusion that clarity and understanding is key. I will divide the guidelines I work with based on 3 commission types. :bulletblue: Character commissions. :bulletblue: Book covers ( or illustrations) :bulletblue: Concept art.Reading all 3 parts will give you the full scope as a lot of it applies to one another as well.:bulletgreen: Character commissions.:bulletblue: 1. Referenc... The Key to keeping yourself motivated properly.Let me start off with telling you what motivation is and why you need it.A motivation is a reason behind doing something a certain way to work yourself up to a certain goal. Just having a goal but no understanding of how to get there, means you have no way to motivate yourself and your goal will be hard to reach. Therefore motivation is needed desperately in order to become truly good at something.The motivation to eat is the feeling for hunger and the end goal of ending the hunger and feeling healthy and energized. This type of motivation is a feeling. Which brings me to: Intrinsic motivation and Extrinsic motivation.Shortly explained: ... How fear motivates my art.:bulletred: When I first saw Jurassic Park in 1993 I was four years old. The animatronics they build had me convinced real and the cinematography was amazing. All from the toilet scene to the dismembered arm to the kitchen scare had me high on adrenaline. This was the first time I had felt scared enough to pee my pants but I loved it! The fact that these dinosaurs were scaring me was the same reason why I was so fascinated by them. The oldest toys I can remember were tiny plastic dinosaurs and my bed sheets had a lovely 'Land before time.' print on it. Every day of my childhood life was dedicated to dinosaurs (and perhaps a bit of Indiana... Tenacity is your ultimate super power!100 no's and 1 yes means YES! :P Applying for jobs in the art/commercial industry is not hard you simply need to know what to do and how to do it. (Concept artist, Illustrator, 3D artist, UI designer, Mattepainter, SFX artist, Lightingartist, Designer.) Often when I have a back and forth with artists 'trying to break through' I ask them where they applied and with what. A common respond usually indicates they send out their personal portfolio to 1-5 places at the most. This is exactly what I did as well when I tried the first time. Let me paint you a hypothetical situation: You worked hard and long on your artwork and it somewhat reached ... Achieving your dreams. Before during and after.It’s been on my mind for 5 years now, started as a whisper in the back of my brain, hardly believing that I am capable of achieving it. Than slowly it developed into a goal, something that I might be able to achieve after all … perhaps. I want to illustrate for my favorite realm in the world: Magic the Gathering. Phew, feels heavy saying it. The notion warms my chest and raises my heartbeat ever so slightly feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I’ve witnessed my boyfriend and some friends do work for them for 2 years now while I was too burned out from Studio work (concept art for computer games.) and honestly, to...

Thanks for all the comments! I will do my best to reply to most of them, even if it sometimes takes a while, reading these always cheers me up a lot!

Wanna ask me direct questions? Come hang with me on Twitch sometime where I paint and give feedback
Suzanne Helmigh Twitch channel

Disclaimer: The artwork posted in my journals are not made by me but artists I admire. This is my way of sharing their incredibly work with the rest of you. All these journals are based on my personal experience and that of artist friends. English is my second language and I have dyslexia so do note I am prone to make mistakes. I write these journals to remind myself of the things I've learned.

Thank you!