Heres my story...

[arkain]

*sorry for my english, i am french :-)*

Ok , iv graduated in graphic design 1 year ago , and i failed to find a job and i felt like throwing everything i knew away from my mind...and i think theres a part of it was because i had more fun drawing characters and monsters and such , i always had more fun in my illustration courses at school. and i have a low self-estime wich doesnt really help...

That year after my graduation i felt kind of depressed and worked at some crappy places for 8$ an hour doing repetitives chores...so i decided that ill try to go study in another field...doing my research i found this school giving a course of Machinist , i thought that creating and building metal pieces and stuff would be great since it has a bit of creativity and alot of jobs opportunity... so i went and took that course.

When i started my course has a machinist i gave everything i got to learn this new profession , studied after every course at least 1-2 hours a night for 2 weeks. but after a while i started to feel insecure about what i was doing and was a bit scared of failing / injuring myself with the machine and stuff...and the fact that almost everything i was doing wasnt successful put me in a downhill loop. so i gave myself another 2 weeks and... it didnt work out for me. so iv quit this course.

Now i am in a dead-end in a way... i dont want to work has a graphic designer....but i want to be an illustrator / concept designer. I still live at home with my father / mother and my father told me after iv quit my machinist course that i should do what i love to do.

He told me that i can stay at home and study / practice art and work on my portfolio (for illustration) without any pressure , has long as i practice and work on stuff and not goof around...*i accepted with joy with his offer* instead of working in a hard labor / low $ job all my life....

The problem i am facing is that right now i feel like that i am not really good enough to find any job in the illustration / concept field and that it would take so much time to learn all these thingson my own that and even after , 1-2 years of practicing i wouldnt be able to find a job , even after all that practice. I dont want to disapoint anyone , i would love to make art for a living but at the same time i feel depressed and low motivation to work on my art since it look so far ahead , that i dont think i can reach that goal...

i was thinking of buying a scanner to post stuff on this website , maybe that would help me motivate myself , since i got no one really to show my artwork. iv started studying anatomy froma few books ...

i dunno if someone can give me tips and such on my story .

[Seedling]

Yes, if you start from the beginning it will take you some significant time to get yourself up to a professional level as an illustrator. But if you have the support of your family, the time to commit to it, and if you can keep your depression from interfering, then you can do it.

Your English is quite wonderful, by the way. :)

If you want some help getting started, try the link in my sig called “Concept Art 101”.

Cheers!

[Hyskoa]

Step 1: Get a part time job if the costs cover all your expenses.
Step 2: Night classes in modeldrawing.
Step 3: Draw every available moment, make studies, check out Seedling's threads, just don't let that pencil lay down.
Step 4: Collect underpants.
Step 5:
Step 6: Profit.

[Seedling]

Step 1: Get a part time job if the costs cover all your expenses.
Step 2: Night classes in modeldrawing.
Step 3: Draw every available moment, make studies, check out Seedling's threads, just don't let that pencil lay down.
Step 4: Collect underpants.
Step 5:
Step 6: Profit.

roflmao! :}

[BadGeometry]

Step 1: Get a part time job if the costs cover all your expenses.
Step 2: Night classes in modeldrawing.
Step 3: Draw every available moment, make studies, check out Seedling's threads, just don't let that pencil lay down.
Step 4: Collect underpants.
Step 5:
Step 6: Profit.

A very good set of steps.

Another thing you can try, and I said this in another thread, is to look at illustrations that inspire you, and as always, put a positive spin on it. I know it's very difficult to get over one's insecurities, but try it out!

Instead of thinking "Wow, this guy is way better than I am", think "This is what I could become!"

Give it your all! I know you can achieve your dream!

[JonZ_]

Si tu es francais comme dans Quebecois, est-ce que tu as ete voir dans le site grenier aux nouvelles?

[otis]

Your english is very good by the way. All I can offer is to keep doing what you enjoy. Everything Seedling has told you is good, but really when it comes to just ART....anything goes. Don't give up!

Don't limit yourself by your own preceptions.

[HunterKiller_]

Step 1: Get a part time job if the costs cover all your expenses.
Step 2: Night classes in modeldrawing.
Step 3: Draw every available moment, make studies, check out Seedling's threads, just don't let that pencil lay down.
Step 4: Collect underpants.
Step 5:
Step 6: Profit.

You did it wrong! It's like this!
...
4. Collect underpants.
5. ???
6. Profit $$$.

[ReCreate]

There are pleanty of websites where you can find formitable jobs. You gotta look and you gotta have skills ;)

[wickeddiana]

There is really no reason why you can't achieve your goals. It sounds like you have the support of your family, which is a great help.
Every artist starts out somewhere. Yes there is a long road ahead, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the process. if you are passionate about what you are doing, it won't seem long at all.