@mastafran
Step Zero: Make actually good art.
@MetalChocoboGirl
really appreciate this insight. artists can sometimes be a bit cagey about income and their experiences in industry, so the transparency is a breath of fresh air. i think it's important that the community moves in this direction. all artists can benefit by knowing their worth.
@littletinyegg
I love this conversation!! when I tell people irl I'm a freelance artist they often want to hear about work I've done for clients, and I'm glad to name drop and give that legitimacy to myself, but my (sparse af) client work is the most distracting, least profitable, and borderline painful to create compared to my independent work. I almost see client work as a donation towards legitimizing and adding to my resume. I wish I would have seen this when I was first starting out and was glamorizing "getting hired". Hiring myself is so much better lol
@heroiam4067
probably the best art business channel right now
@grantholomeu3725
It's basically cutting out the middle man. Your art --> consumer, or your art --> company --> consumer
@exileisland2675
One of the biggest reasons Im an artist is so I don't have to work for others. Knowing it's less lucrative just reinforces that choice.
@zazamospanapolus
Having worked at several of these events as an Exhibitor whenever I see Artist Alley I always try to go out of my way to visit the artist booths. That's where all the really cool and unique stuff is anyway! I've been following your content for a while (as I've also seen you at a million different gaming and anime shows) and it's so fascinating getting to see the business side of the artist. Thank you for this.
@caringfamily8132
Inkwell's experience working for clients versus working for himself proves an important point: your ability to maximize profit is greater working for yourself than somebody else. Capitalism - our economic system - is based on controlling the means of production. By controlling resources used to make something, like workers and the products/services they make, capitalists (business owners like Disney, in this example) funnel economic output upward. In other words, workers (artists) get paid a minimum; business owners, since they own what workers produce, reap all profit - forever - of what their workers make. Here, Disney paid Dustin (as an employee) a whopping $1,500 for one month's work. Wonder how much Disney (capitalist/owner) will make from this one picture....forever? Got it, doing work for big outlets beefs up the resume, can be huge ego stroke, and make for awesome bragging rights; however, as video revealed, owning one's work can yield much greater profit, in the long run, than working for someone else. Disney really gets what business is about, so should artists!!!
@vonnart
ANd yet another banger. Keep em coming Dustin! 🍵
@fyreheart13
This might be one of the most hopeful videos I've seen in regards to living as an artist in a long time. I really appreciate it, and your openness. Thank you!
@benbowers3613
Really digging the "traditional" b--roll clips overlayed with anime
@GodLovesComics
Sooo you took the...red pill (once;)? Actually that card is beautiful and while you "only" made $1500 for it, you can forever add "Disney artist" to your resume which sounds incredible. It probably also ups your rate for future commissioned illustration work, even if that's not the way you want to go.
@minggegusha
I’m so glad you are debunking these myths about the art industry! Since I was a child I wanted to be an artist. My parents however were not supportive, which nowadays I accredit to their lack of knowledge about the industry in general. From a young age I was taught that in order to make a “stable” living I had to build a thick resume and get hired by a good company. Funny thing is, I ended up going along this route in a completely different career field I thought would be “more stable.” I have artist friends that kept on doing art and now make a living from it. Life lesson: Pursue what YOU want to do, and stop internalizing other people’s misconceptions! You define your reality! Now I am pursuing art again after all these years wandering the white collar world aimlessly, and I am finding the experiences you are sharing to be immensely helpful. Thank you!
@marcofabro
After losing 1FW this is the kind of content that makes me want to continue pursuing being an independent artist. Sadly AI has put a dark cloud over my motivation in the last 12 months. Thank you!
@rimeila
Your videos are so valuable for starters, like me, and giving a good and clear perspective on how things works, so thank you !
@createbyspark
Always appreciate your raw honesty and transparency! We need more of this kind of genuine content that can educate both artists and clients alike to respect the craft.
@alexl1938
dude, i love you so much for sharing and being so upfront. I just started taking art seriously as a full time last summer and i hope we're at the same con one day so i can thank you in person 💗
@colleen3690
I have one of your prints from years ago and it's still one of my favorite prints! (dragonfly knight)
@KawaiiStarz
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. It was very interesting to see how both sides work. I look forward to your next video!
@qrbitsart