How to choose between freelance and studio life

Decision time Is it time to go your own way, or are you better off working in-house? Dom Carter asks pro artists for their views…

Is it time to go your own way, or are you better off working in-house? We discuss the pros and cons of each route.

Careers are constantly marked by forks in the road, with digital art being no exception. Whether it’s settling on a niche in the industry, or opting to pursue further education instead of paid work, there are plenty of big questions artists have to ask themselves. One of the toughest choices to make is deciding whether to go freelance or work in a studio.

Going freelance has the lure of flexibility, whereas studio life offers security and human contact, so how is an artist meant to pick a route? Personal finances, current skill level and career aspirations are all key factors to consider, but given that the industry can throw you a curve ball, sometimes the choice is made for you.

This is just what happened to freelance concept artist and illustrator

Deiv Calviz when things started to get shaky at the local outsourcing studio that he worked at.

“A lot of people were being laid off and projects were being cancelled,” Deiv says. “I was one of the last few people left in the studio. By this time, I had begun to take on some freelance work for a trading card game. It was a project that would span a few months, so freelance had started to become a better choice.”