Hi, just call me RJ. My Passions are videogames, art and comic books and have been illustrating and drawing comics for a while now and just recently decided to make art and games a profession. Thus I have truly put my nose to the grind stone and balls to the wall in trying to reach my long term goal of breaking into the gaming art industry.

I am 21 and already enlisted in the airforce for 6 years. Right now I am on delayed enlistment so I should be shipping out for Basic in aound 6- 12 months. I am saying this beacsue due to money issues, I cannot pay for college and have decided to serve and after my 6 years, use the GI bill to gain a degree in game art. However I will sharpen my skills and prepare myself on my own time while in service to be as skilled as I possibly can be.
Having said that, I have done some studying and scratched the surface of 3d modeling, animation and programming and had deduced that It is benificial to Aquire a solid grasp on all aspects of these areas to maximize my chances of getting that dream job. So I will be engineering my own games from scratch, But of course, my strength would be the artistic aspect of it.


Here are my goals:

1.) Learn What Hardware will be required to acomplish my goals.
2.)Learn what programs will be required to acomplish my goals.
3.) Learn the programs.
4.) break into the art industry. (Illustration, comic books, acomplish some freelancing basicly. doesnt necisarily need to be game related.)
5.)Make, atleast one, quality, solid, well functioning game that would be artisticly compettitive to other professional level games in the market.
6.)Get my degree.
7.) Keep up with technology.
8.) get a job in the targeted industry.

If there are any more things I should add then just say so. I forsee me posting quite a bit here in the next few years, Thank you for your time!

Here is some of my art; to let you know where i stand. I always embrace critiques.

or you can go here http://eddieble.deviantart.com/

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/ironwarredoneflattened700.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/2girlscolorsng700.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/apples-1.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/ninjaportfinal.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/sorceressfinflat.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/telsafinished.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/girlflttendapmsrk.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/roboticheatfinshrk2.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/madportfoliowhip.jpg

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/Layersofpoo/robotgirlconfinished.jpg

or you can go here http://eddieble.deviantart.com/

[Edited by - RJBonner on November 17, 2010 10:48:45 PM]

While it's perhaps a moot point now, college is a bit more affordable than it might seem at first. There's a large amount of gift loans and even free money for pretty much everyone going to college if you look around (or simply via the standard fafsa route). The GI bill is certainly a viable route as well, and provides a bit of leadership/worldly knowledge/character building depending on how things go.

Your goals might be a little far fetched, but everyone's are when they start out. As you learn more, they can be refined.

Certainly the art is pretty solid, and good artists are worth their weight in gold.

Ha, thanks man, the way I see it Ive got 6+ years to work off of.

^ I realy apreciate the input man! I realy will, as I already do, push myslef to broaden and sharpen my skills.

one question though, I plan on self teaching myself on spare time and then, after I finish service, go to school. By then, I should have the artistc ability to work competitivly and suport myself as an artist(doesnt have to be game related); and hopfully the economy will be more robust.

I dont think I could be in service and get quality game art schooling and work on personal prodjects.

or did I misunderstand somthing?