FIRST CONTACT
Ernanda Souza on how to go about pitching for work
Where should a graduate start their career?
Decide who you aspire to work for, and if you’re not at their skill level yet, find companies that do the same type of work but are lower level. We all have to start somewhere and not everyone is that lucky to get their first job in a triple-a company.
Any portfolio advice?
Show the company that your work can fit in with their existing intellectual property. Each project will have its own aesthetic rules to look out for. To get work into comics, you need to know what you would like to do, whether that’s covers, inking or colouring, and adapt your portfolio accordingly.
What about making contact?
Most companies have an Artdrop email address for receiving portfolios – look for it on their website along with their instructions for sending in your work, and follow these carefully. If they don’t have it, search for their art directors by name. Do not DM them unless they give you a free pass to do it. Instead, send your work to their professional email address.
Where should graduates go to get their work seen?
Art directors search for artists mostly on Artstation, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin, so make sure your work is out there and discoverable. And put your contact email everywhere!