HEATHER LEARY'S SHOUT OUT

I’m A Freelance Artist - Now What?

So, you have everything you need to start your Freelance career. You have a portfolio, website, resume, and even business cards. Now what? In this article I am going to cover what comes next when diving into your new career.

After graduating from art school, I was quite lost on where to begin as a Freelance Artist. I never got an internship while I was in school, so I had no connections to the Animation Industry. A couple months passed and despite applying to multiple jobs on Indeed.com, I was unsuccessful. I had no clue what I was doing wrong.

I had received an email that my college was having a portfolio review event. Thus, brings me to my first important tip, go to events! The Animation Guild, Women in Animation, and Animation World Network are a couple places that hold events that can be beneficial to

you. If you are feeling particularly gutsy take your portfolio to a Comic-Con. You never know who you are going to meet let alone who would be interested in hiring you.

I realize, being an introvert, that this can be absolutely nerve wracking. If I had let my nerves get to me it would only have hindered my chances of finding work. Going to this event was beyond helpful to; my portfolio, demo reel, and resume where critiqued by those who were heavily connected in the Animation Industry. Most importantly I got my first gig as a Freelance Artist.

Let’s say you have gotten your portfolio reviewed, the next thing is to take that advice and make those changes. Now we have come to my second tip, don’t be too sensitive about your art. Artists can get

MONA LISA TWINS PROJECT

Drawings by Heather Leary

especially attached to their artwork. I have been guilty of this. This sensitivity can get in your way of improving.

Art is a very personal thing and it can be hard to receive criticism, but when someone who has a better understanding of the industry and what they are looking for it’s in your best interest to take that advice. You also can’t grow as an artist if you don’t push yourself and try new things. I have a terrible habit of falling in love with the first design I come up with for a character design. Due to this, I never push myself let alone improve my art. Pushing yourself is such an important aspect in being a Freelance Artist. It’s something I am working on everyday so I may become a stronger artist.

Your art style is always going to change. I started art school in 2013 and my art style has changed a lot since then. This leads me into my next tip, stay educated. I’m sure more schooling is the last thing anyone wants, especially when you have graduated. For artists the education never stops. Like an athlete, an artist’s skills need to stay in peak condition. I personally have found some great ways to stay educated without having to go back to art school. The Internet can be a very helpful tool to you. Which brings me to my final tip, use tools. Freelance Artists don’t need a fancy gallery to show their work. The Internet and social media are excellent to get your artwork viewed. It’s hard to get hired as a freelance artist when no one knows who you are which is why started putting my work on a wide range of sites.

©Lon Levin/Heather Leary

MONA LISA TWINS PROJECT

Art by Heather Leary

community will have an easier time finding you and you can get some great feedback. Putting your artwork on the internet can be scary. I didn’t start doing this until last year. I was afraid of people stealing my work and being trolled for something I put time and love into.

I started to fear I was getting behind other artists and that my career would never fully take off unless I bite the bullet and put my art on social media. Once I did, I found such a wonderful community of artists who are supportive and give me lots of encouragement. This only fed into my desire to create more work, develop a larger portfolio, and share my art.

In conclusion, being a Freelance Artist is not the easiest job. There’s no manual and a lot of it has to do with being at the right place at the right time. By sharing my story and tips I want to reach out to fellow artists and give them a guide so they may not have to go through the same struggles I faced while working as a Freelance Artist.

Heather is a regular contributor to The Illustrator's Journal and has work with the editor on various projects like the artwork depicted in this interview.

You can find Heather's work at https://www.artstation.com/ heatheraaleary and her animation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JnQqdDwUGk