Im currently a business owner of a professional tattoo studio. I originally got into tattooing to pay for college, but life does not always work out the way you want it to. Id like to fulfill my original dream and get into the game design. I have no college background, but a pretty strong sense of art, form and lighting. I did a search on blizzard to get a feel for what is required of concept and 2d artists.
What im getting at here, is what are the odds of landing a job working for a major company like blizzard without a degree? And what knowledge of programs is generally expected for a 2D Artist? What kind of elements should i showcase in a portfolio for this type of job? This is not something i plan on jumping into right away. Im trying to collect some information so when the time comes i can do it properly. Any resources that have helped you, or information would be greatly appreciated.
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A question for everyone in the industry
For a concept artist, I would say a degree isn't that important. It helps, but isn't really required.
If you want to get a job at a studio like Blizzard, go to conceptart.org. That is your competition. Draw as well or better than the best people on that forum, and you'll be fine. Good luck!
If you want to get a job at a studio like Blizzard, go to conceptart.org. That is your competition. Draw as well or better than the best people on that forum, and you'll be fine. Good luck!
Quote: Original post by mrchrismnh
From everything I've read noone is hiring without a degree of some sort.
Aye. The real problem you face, gbftats, is that there's a LOT of experienced game developers who are unemployed at the moment thx to the economy, plus a ton of game dev college programs these days turning out fresh developers who sometimes come out of school with a ton of experience. All the recruiters I've talked to over the past two years (I know quite a few) have been expressing how they've been able to really search and search to find that perfect match for the position they need to fill. They don't really need to bother with anyone without a degree, since so many people now have one (in addition to the experience they need).
So, it's still possible to get into the industry without a degree like the old days - having connections is your only hope though. And even then chances are very, very slim.
But it IS still possible, so long as you accept the long odds. Good luck!
If you don't want to get a degree you can try networking like crazy. Go to IGDA/Siggraph meetings in your area or user group meetings for software you might use as a concept artist (photoshop/illustrator/painter/whatever).
Just sending your portfolio out might not even get it looked at without a college degree for the reasons Gaiiden said, but if you've say met another artist that works for a game company in your area that has seen your work and knows you're good they might mention you when their company has an opening.
slightly related but off topic question. Do concept artists do exclusively concept art or do most companies have them doing texture/modeling when they aren't concept-ing? It seems like that would be the hardest thing to overcome without a degree as all your competition will probably have some experience doing those things as well as concept art.
Just sending your portfolio out might not even get it looked at without a college degree for the reasons Gaiiden said, but if you've say met another artist that works for a game company in your area that has seen your work and knows you're good they might mention you when their company has an opening.
slightly related but off topic question. Do concept artists do exclusively concept art or do most companies have them doing texture/modeling when they aren't concept-ing? It seems like that would be the hardest thing to overcome without a degree as all your competition will probably have some experience doing those things as well as concept art.
Quote: Original post by gbftats
What im getting at here, is what are the odds of landing a job working for a major company like blizzard without a degree?
Slim... Blizzard are one of the top companies in the industry. Many people aspire to work there so they can pick and choose who they want. You will have much better odds applying to a smaller studio.
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