More than one student has approached me about the choice between going after a diploma ( or degree) in Animation ( character animation), Illustration for Comic Books and Graphic Novels, or Concept Art (video game art and design, animation art and design).The students’ main concern seems to be about future employment. My advice is to build a strong skill base. This will leave you flexible and able to adjust to the potential changes that lie ahead. If you have a love of painting and drawing and solid traditional fine art skills, including composition and design, and color theory, and also have computer skills, you are well positioned to be adaptable.Animators are hired by video game companies as well as animation companies. The same is true for concept artists. Graphic novels are proliferating , and so is the need for interesting novels and people who can draw them. So follow your heart!

There seems to be a mistaken idea that jobs in concept art are not available. I just read this on line:

Game Developer Census details nearly 600 companies in North America

by Scott Jon Siegel Jun 29th 2007 1:15PMFiled under: Business

The CMP Media Group has an exhaustive list of every significant game publisher and developer in North America. The publication details approximately 510 companies in the United States, and an additional 80 in Canada….In addition to the comprehensive directory, the census also reveals that over 39,700 individuals are currently employed by the games industry in the United States, and around 8,100 in Canada. Of those employees in the United States, over 46% are working in California, with Washington state a far second at 11%, and Texas third with 7.37%.

In a time when traditional fine art skills are in short supply, this would indicate that people with these skills are, and will be, in demand. Max the Mutt has been visited by both EA and UbiSoft, and we’ve had graduates hired straight out of school even before we offered an in depth concept art course of study! If we didn’t feel that this course of study would lead to employment, we wouldn’t offer it.

However, working at anything that doesn’t really interest you can be misery. We can’t be motivated by fear. Ask yourself what you really love. When you have a passion to learn something, doing the work - the work you want to do - is not a burden. Start by following your heart. Then add as many related skills as you can, and you’ll have lots of job possibilities.