Hello everyone!

[Anvikli]

My name is Anastasia, I'm 31 and I'm from Russia. I've been drawing since I can remember myself.
But because I lived in industrial city I've never considered the posibility to do it for living. 
I graduated from the industrial University and even worked in the factory for a while where I actualy realised that it's not mine at all. 
So I started to learn art. In time I got job in game development company. Where I've been doing overhelming amount of routine work and could study a little.
Recently I made a bit savings and quit my job to work as a freelancer and to have more time for study. But study by yourself alone is quite unproductive.

I've first heard about the forums through one of Level Up sessions at youtube channel. Now filnally I decided to make an account.
It is more fun to fill the gaps in knowledge together :)

[Artloader]

Welcome to Crimson Daggers Anastasia :).

If you're self learning, then being part of a forum like this can really give you a boost. There are loads of awesome sketchbooks on here for you to pick ideas from and the folks on here will pitch in with encouragement and advice if you need it.

I recommend you start up a sketchbook thread and get involved.

Good luck with filling in the gaps :).

[John]

Hey Anvikli.

Good luck on freelancing! I hope you already got yourself a substantial list of clients on your list so job hunting won't be eating up your study time. I look forward to seeing your stuff in here. And since you already got your feet wet with game dev, maybe you can share some tips for aspiring video game artists, a position where a lot of guys are gunning for here.

And welcome to the Crimson Daggers!

[Orange Pekoe]

Hello there, and welcome to Crimson Daggers!

Hopefully you can find a way to make self studying more productive. :D Best of luck with everything.

[Anvikli]

@Artloader, thanks, I really need a boost :) already started a sketchbook thread )
I started from very basics ..now I'm fighting with cubes, cylinders and so on )

@John honestly for now I have one substantial client, but sometimes we don't understand each other and I even redone one work twice :( ...however freelance is educational process for both sides.

So here my story :) 
In my case getting in game dev wasn't difficult. Small company opened new office in my city and they were looking for mediocre artist for making scenes from photos for HOG(hidden object game). 
Earlier I freelanced as a retoucher so I knew how it can be done ..actually level of those first games was awful ) But slowly I were improving.
Then I moved to another HOG company with also opened new office.. there was a lot of small work changing a bit light/texture/color at almost finished 3d render made by skilled 3d artists.
Little by little I learned how to do pleasant pictures. I was never fond of office work so I went freelancing again but making whole pictures by myself.

All my work is photobashing so I have some feeling how things shoud be. Just looking for appropriate photos across the internet and combining them. The main thing that prevent me from fast developing it's that I've never studied basics properly. So the the main advice is to study bacics at first :)

@Orange Pekoe I hope too :)

By the way about productive studying. How do you guys collaborate to draw together the same stydy?

ps: i'm sorry for my ugly english... I mostly read or listen )

[John]

honestly for now I have one substantial client, but sometimes we don't understand each other and I even redone one work twice

I hear you. Revisions are common in freelancing. What you could do is to state something in your contract that you would only do a set number of revisions. As for additional revisions, you have to incur a fee for your services. Otherwise, somebody out there would milk you out of your time if they aren't as nice.

You can also do a simple thumbnail before you go render away!

Hey man. Here's to seeing you active here!

[Anvikli]

I've found out that they changed system how and who works with freelancers so in that case it wasn't the same person with whom i worked pefore. But, yes, it's better to write down the conditions. Thanks, man )