#agentorder

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thl_7IN-yLU)

Sure I recognize peoples work. 

I recognize the work of the artist that did an amazing cover for TOR books, and I recognize the artist that I’ve been talking to for 6 years and he still hasn’t updated his portfolio. I recognize artists that are taking chances and doing something new and innovative, and I recognize artists that are chasing trends, creating work that looks like 1000 other artists, and ones that do just enough to get by. I recognize artists that maintain the status quo, and artists that get out of their comfort zone and take chances. I recognize artists that follow the herd and artists that lead the herd. I recognize artists that walk into a room with the attitude that they deserve respect, loyalty, and fame, and those that work their asses off to earn respect, loyalty and fame. I recognize those artists that have a passion for their craft and work every day to perfect it, and those artists that are doing enough to get by. I recognize those artists that take a $200 job and create a priceless object, and those artists that take a $200 job and create art on a time clock. I recognize artists that spend their time talking about what they can’t do, and the artists that spend their time creating what is possible in their life.

When I walk through those rows of art, looking for someone that knocks my socks off….I’m not looking for my friends or the artists I know. I’m looking for art that speaks to me. I’m looking for art that rises above the noise of the 5,000 other pieces in the running. I’m not walking along and saying “oh look, there’s that piece by ENTER ARTIST NAME HERE! I think I’ll vote for it because they are always in Spectrum.” No, in fact, if I’m walking down a row of art and I recognize an artists work, I ask myself “Are they doing something new? Are they getting out of their comfort zone? Are they growing as an artist or resting on their laurels?” If anything, I judge a artist I know harder. So you see, if anyone has a gripe with me - it’s the guys that I know. I judge them harder!

And this is my final word on the matter…

Spectrum is “the best in contemporary fantastic art”. That is the premise of the book. That is the stand the Fenners took when they created it more than twenty years ago. That is the stand the judges take when they enter into the grueling task of evaluating and judging thousands of submissions. That is the stand that ever volunteer and staff member that works on the book take on. That is the stand that every artist that submits to the publication takes on as they evaluate their work. That is the stand that the process was developed to help support.

If an artist doesn’t get into Spectrum, rather than change the rules, perhaps they should recognize they have a two options:

Option #1 - ImproveOption #2 - Submit to a book that has rules that support a publication that bills itself as the “the mediocre in contemporary fantastic art”

Yes, I recognize peoples work…

—AgentOrder

Dear Anon,

I personally hate the term “fan art”. When David Rapoza throws up “fan art” and then gets a gig with the studio that is doing the film he “fan boy’d” about….would you call that “fan art” or would you call that good self promotion? Not to mention, I know a lot of artists that get paid to create content that matches up with “fan art”….how am I supposed to know which is which when it is in a portfolio?

I look at portfolios with a few simple measures in mind:Quality - do they have it and is it consistentStyle - do they have a personal one (or more), is it consistent, and does it suit my brand or productsContent - does it reflect what I’m doing?Story Telling - Can they do it?Concept - are you high concept, low concept, or no concept?

See, there was no “fan art” filter in their. If it is good art, and it is relevant to the client you are pitching it to - that is all you need to worry about.

—AgentOrder

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Actually I’ll go as far as to say that I think “fan art” is actually a bonus in a portfolio. What am I asking an artist to do when I commission? Take a story I give them and interpret it in an interesting and effective way visually. If I see fan art in a portfolio, and I know that fandom, I can judge even more clearly how well an artist is able to work within someone else’s story because I already KNOW that story.As a bonus I also get to know a bit about what that artist loves and that’s always interesting to me. I say let your fandom flag fly proudly!

—Agent KillFee

Dear Anon,

I hate to state the obvious, but if you want to stay relevant … well, you need to stay relevant in the market. Okay, I know that is a non-answer, but there is a lot of truth hidden under that statement. You see, every artist, no matter how good they are technically, needs to constantly have their eye on the market and be aware of the changes and shifts that are occurring in the market. I coach far too many artists that were at the top of their game and then suddenly find themselves sitting on the sideline wondering what they heck happened to their career. It isn’t enough just to have a portfolio full of award winning pieces. Awards show what you’ve done in the past, not what you are doing now…or better yet, how you are looking to the future of the market.

A few things you can do to help get your mind in the right space:• Track what work is being used by the top companies in your industry.• Track what artists are “killing it” in your industry and deconstruct what it is about their work that is making them in demand.• Watch for trends in story-telling, tropes, genres, visual narratives.• Be aware of trends in visual styling, presentation, medium, techniques, etc.• Look for “under dogs” - little known companies, products or artists that suddenly appear with a splash. Be aware of why they suddenly get noticed.• Stay attuned to promotional strategies that get a lot of traction, and learn from what they are doing.• Get outside your normal industry and see what is happening in other industries that you see influencing your industry in the future. Start the band wagon, rather than trying to jump on once everyone else has discovered the “new thing.• Seek to be an innovator rather than a follower.

Probably the most important skill you can nurture is the skill of authentic self evaluation. It won’t do any good to recognize trends and shifts in the market if you can’t evaluate your work in relationship to those movements. If you don’t have the skill, then find someone that has the ability to evaluate your work and keep them close and happy.

—AgentOrder

Hi tomparsonsart 

Every AD has their own preference for ways that artists stay in contact with them, and before anyone else gets a chance I’m going to put my 2 cents in  :)

I love physical items - business cards, postcards, etc. I hang onto the good ones and keep them on file, or on my wall for easy reference.

—AgentOrder

…and now the rest of the gang can chime in :)

AgentDeadline here,

I like Emails! I keep very few postcards and feel bad for the trees. 

Postcards are ok IF a) I like the art and b) it’s art I can use for one of my projects. Option A is hard to predict, but you can research option B and save a tree if I don’t ever use anything that looks like your work.

—AgentDeadline

I find physical mailers a waste of time/money unless it’s something more involved/special than a postcard. If it’s just an image of your work I’d rather get it via email with a link to your site. But I’m lazy and don’t like to type in URLs. But clearly other ADs feel differently. It’s not going to hurt you if you send me a postcard, but if you think I’m keeping every one of a thousand postcards/bizcards i get a year and could even find them when I needed them, you crazy.

—Agent KillFee

Hi alexandergrahovsky,

I “like” lots of work, but that doesn’t mean it is relevant for the brands or products that I work with. That could be what you are tripping over. In the world of commercial art, it isn’t about like - it’s about matching up your work with a client that doesn’t just like your work, but needs your work.

My suggestion is that you spend some time really getting real about your art, and who it is out there in the commercial world that really needs your work. The number one skill set we can develop is the ability to be objective about our work and evaluate it not as an artist, but as a potential client.

The Other Side of the Coin

Now, that all said, there might be something else in play. This one is a little more insidious. There are a lot of artists out there in the freelance world that do work I like, but I don’t quite need. in this regard, I’m talking about that more subjective issue of good enough, but not good enough to knock out one of my standard artists on my roster. As an AD, I have a finite amount of projects, art commissions, and potential to work with artists. If I’m commissioning 100 pieces of art during the course of the year, I have only 100 potential artists I can work with (at the most). I’d love to say that I’m going to go out of my way to work with every new artist I meet that hits my standards, but the truth is that the bulk of my work is going to go to artists that I have worked with  in the past, do consistently solid work, hit there deadlines, and create work that I love. If you want to break into that roster of 100, you have to do more than just have work that I like, you have to produce work that I need so badly that I’m willing to bump an artist I’ve been working with for years. 

Needless to say, this isn’t something I do lightly. Every time I work with a new artist I’m potentially putting my job on the line. Folks forget that AD’s keep there job because they get art done. An artist that blows a critical deadline, creates a piece that brings the Eye of Sauron onto the AD, or leaves the AD hanging in some other manner doesn’t just get themselves a bad name - the put the AD in a position that compromises their integrity in a job. We love our jobs…so we tend to be a little protective of them. Next time you are talking to an AD and getting pissed because they won’t give you a chance, think about that concept and find ways to show the AD how you will help them protect their job. Better yet, show the AD how you will help them get accolades by working with you. Now that is a powerful place to come from when promoting yourself.

Now get out there and create something!—AgentOrder