I receive enough emails that I thought a FAQ was justified - just so I don't have to repeat myself all the time. Here are questions I usually get asked....
Q: What do you do?
A: I provide concept art, illustration, and consulting work to the entertainment industry. Mainly video games, but also film and print.
Q: How long have you been doing digital art?
A: I started seriously exploring art on the computer in the mid 90's. But even earlier I was using my mouse on my IBM 10Mhz XT to paint in Microsoft Paint. Over 11 years professionally.
Q:How can I break into the industry?
A: The surest way to get a job in the entertainment field is to have a strong portfolio of diverse work, and getting it in front of people who are in a position to hire you.
Q: How long does it take to do a painting?
A: It can take anywhere from a day to a week depending on the complexity of the scene and the resolution of the image. A typical high quality peice might take 2-3 working days. Many of the video-game concept art peices on this site were done in 1 day. A sketch might take anywhere from 30 mins to an hour.
Q: What programs do you use?
A: I use Adobe Photoshop and a little bit of Maya and Sketchup.
Q: What custom brushes in Painter/Photoshop do you use?
A: Not as many as people think. I would say 70-80 percent of my painting is done with the 'standard' brushes. I have a few custom brushes I use here and there for textural effects.
Q: Do you use a tablet? Should I buy one?
A: If you are serious about digital painting you should own a tablet. I use an Intous 3 and a Cintiq.
Q: How much money do you make?
A: The answer, as always....not enough. This is not a career to choose if you are looking to get rich.
Q: How much money can I expect to make as a starting concept artist?
A: It varies from company to company, but a junior position should be in the neighbourhood of 35-40K US.
Q: I want to be a CG artist and work in video games or film. Should I go to school for this?
A: It is entirely possible for a person to teach themselves everything they need to know with a small investment in equipment and a large investment in time. That being said, schools offer (hopefully) professional instruction, classmates to work with, and experience in a pseudo-production environment. They also charge you a boat load of money. If I had to do it all over again I would go to school for a traditional art degree, and then teach myself the necessary technical skills to get hired by a games company. The other big factor nowadays is the internet. There are whole communities out there that are dedicated to digital and traditional art, and they are a great learning resource.
Q: How was Vanarts? I'm thinking about going there.
I actually never completed my program there, so I can't give a full fledged review of the school. From my experience there it was a decent school. Overall all I enjoyed my time there immensly and I reccomend attending an art school if you are serious about pursuing art as a career.
Q: I love my WOW/Everquest/D and D/Horizons/(insert RPG game name here), can you paint him/her/it? That would be awesome!!
A: No.
Q: I would like you to hire you to come work at my studio.
A: I usually prefer to work in my home studio environment.
Q: I would like to commision you for freelance work
A: I am a full-time freelance artist and am always interested in meeting new clients. Email me and let's discuss your needs - serious inquires only please.
Q: What are your rates?
A: Many variables affect this so it's hard to say. Usually a price can be worked out depending on such things as: time, budget, complexity of rendering, and type of work desired.
Q: I can't afford to pay you anything, but can you do some art for our mod/game/book/comic/film/whatever. It's all good because you'll get lots of exposure and should we make any money, you'll get your cut.
A: Sorry, I don't work on spec. Artists need to pay the rent too.
Q: Can I send you work for you to look at and give me feedback?
A: Absolutely. Please send me links to your work, no emails please. I will try my best to get back to you, but no gaurantees.
Q: Can I post your pics on my site?
A: Please don't post any of my work on your site without my permission. Thanks!