This is somewhat off-topic... But, I see so much amazing artwork on the Friday Art Show each week, I was wondering how many people on the HAMB make their living as artists. Whether you are a pinstriper, designer, signpainter, whatever, I would love to hear how you make a living as an artist. I am going through huge struggles right now because of my choice to make my living squirting shirts, and gave up a long time ago on my aspirations to be a signpainter/pinstriper, so maybe some inspiring stories would help me decide to continue instead of chucking it all for driving truck. Todd
Nothing wrong with a job, you'd struggle with alot of choices, but there are no hit records in life .When the reality of supply and demand kicks in, you can still squirt shirts, and if it goes well, thats fine, but most of us still need to work. Most of my artist friends made a choice, and most end up working their asses off. Most have some kind of job,too. Your avatar looks neat, by the way. Good luck.
Got laid off from my 9-5 at Primedia's business to business mags 2001...decided to go back to my first love -- illustration. Hooked up with a couple of silk screen shops and have been doing t-shirt art since then...not getting rich, but it pays the mortgage and gives me some rod running cash... Suck it up and go for it...it may be ruff the first year or two, but you'll never know unless you try... PS, I ran my own boutique graphic art business catering to commercial art and ad agencies for about 10 years back in the early '80's so getting started doing my own thing, again, was no big surprise. R-
I'm there with ya......lately have been doing quite a bit of striping and custom paintwork. But not enough to quit my day job with full benefits, ya know? It's tough when ya got a family to concider. I'm hoping someday to do art stuff full time.
I am a graphic artist for a sign company, do designs, production work (what they use to fabricate the signs) & neon design/layout. Everything from a Baseball/football stadiums to honest carls auto parts. But our business has been somewhat slow lately, bad enuff that I got my hours cut back, was only for 1 1/2 months, but boy did I feel it!!! Its been slow again so I'm really hoping they dont cut me back again! On the side I do some custom painting, pinstriping, renderings & drawing (hand sketch stuff)... mostly I can only draw cars though.... try to make a little pocket cash that way. -Gary
Yo Todd, Never give up on your passion. Never. I lost my garage in my divorce, but I still do my metal work on smaller sculpture in copper for now in my spare room in my apt. Gotta work, so my day job as a studio manager/retoucher pays the bills, and then its MY time. You cant but talent, you’re born with it so burn that wick. Best, Slim.
they call us starving artists for a reason right... I do painting/illustration/striping more as a hobby. Went through college for industrial design and work 9-5 designing hockey equipment, I love my job. I would like the freedom to do my own thing for a living but I really cant complain about the day job one bit.
I've wanted to work as an artist since I was 5. My dad is a terrific artist. He never did it for a living. Just a hobby but I think he has the talent. He was my inspiration. I'm 54 and still have that dream but "life is what happens while your busy making other plans". Marrage, kids, bills. All that stuff. I'm a Autocad operator. It's the reality of life. Steady, Full time. Not terrible work. Not art though. I still do art on the side. Carving, drawing, projects for my kids. I can still express my self on the side. I only know a few people who make a good living at it. It's hard but keep the embers glowing. I have.
I was one of the lucky few I guess. Not to say that I didnt work hard to get to where i am now but sometimes its timing. Im a Car Designer for Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design in Carlsbad, California. Ive been in the Automotive business for about 13 lucky years. 11 of those years with Mercedes-Benz. I also do some side work, weather its designing someones Hot Rod ,Kustom or just a Tee Shirt design I try and make time for private jobs. Good Balance is important, as long as its all Cars.
Guess I'm an old timer, been trying to earn a living as an artist for 35 years. Its been tough, you have to promote your self, chase work all the time then spend countless hours honing your skills. So your work stands out and you can grab that small percentage of work thats out there. I been fortunate to promote my self into over 100 magazine features. That has helped a lot, along with a lifetime of experience. Its a hard way to earn a living but there is nothing I would rather do. Check out the latest issue of Rod & Kulture and Todd, that is some awesome T-shirt art, your way too talented to be driving truck.
I own and operate a small sign shop, but like others I have a day job with benefits as well. All I can say is if the Good Lord gave you artistic talent, don't be wasting it! You just need to find out how to prosper with it! - Breeze†
I went to a four year art college got my B.F.A. in drawing and painting. I don't do commercial work, but instead the type of work that most people I encounter say "i dont get it" towards. Though I do make a few grand a year selling my paintings, drawings, films, photographs, etc...I pay the rent by installing other artists work at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MCAD the school I graduated from and various galleries. Truth of the matter is if you want to be an artist you have to give up things....I even have had to give up cars for the past six years (though I am planning and collecting parts for a new project). If you love what you are doing you shouldn't have any questions, you will just keep at it until it works out....
Hey Todd, Keith Runawaychair here on a pleasant Georgia evening. I've been reading all the responses to your truly heart-felt question. I've been a golf course architect's artist for many years. I take his CAD digital files and 'paint' the courses as they'd be seen looking down from a thousand feet or so. I paint everything; the way the grass looks, sidewalks, roofs, lakes, trees, trees, trees, rivers, streams, cart-paths, putting greens, etc. The golf course business has stopped. Loans dried up. Haven't seen a paycheck since December 28, 2008. Boohoo. Thanks to eBay (well, sorta) and a few extra cars' sales, we're making it. Sucks big time and Obama. . . So, I'm drawing cars again for kicks and hope to have my first-ever calendar to market, but that's the end of '09. Meanwhile, I draw 14 hours a day. Play with my kids. Talk to my wife a lot more. And I've been re-establishing really old contacts and reworking old-old-old art ideas. There's gotta be something 'new' lerking in there. Biggest thing, get up everyday and pound away at something. Looks like H.A.M.B. feels your pain. GOOD LUCK! Curious, what sells at truck stops?
I've been in the custom paint , lettering and pinstriping business for over 30 years , and I still try to treat every customer like they were the first one i ever had . I've never advertised, just a lot of happy customers spreading my name .
Im a tattoo artist/pinstriper and painter of sorts,, theres good and bad times just like any business where your kinda your own boss,,but the hard work and constant pursuit of making every new piece better to see the progress is what keeps me going,,,just like car from 1st day to finished Dont give up on the pinstriping pick up the brush a few times a week and keep at it ,,, it may take a lil time but hard work and persistance always pays off best of luck
its all hustle all the time .... I quit my last "real job" 12 years ago sure there are ups and downs to doing what I do . and everyone wants it for free, but somhow I make a nice living at it . even if I didn't i wouldn't know how to have a real job 9-5 5 days a week thats for someone else. I am way better off with my work 18 hour days for 5 months straight and take the rest of the year off .... listen for me its never been about recognition or the money its like anything Ido .... if it ain't fun I don't want a part of it ... thats just me
Got laid off from my magazine photography gig last Feb. Started my own photography gig, Im somehow managing to find enough work to keep me busy. Im not make any real type of money to write home about, but I still have work that I love to do. When that dries up, then I'll think about finding a real job. Dont give up!!!! I honestly believe there is nothing anyone can't do, as long as they put their mind to it and work harder than the next guy at it.
I am a fulltime product designer for a toy company here in SoCal. As early as I remember I was drawing and knew that's what I wanted to do that "when I grew up" Product design seemed real cool- you got to draw alot and build stuff, so I went for it. It took moving across the country and a few years of working dead end jobs to get the money together, but I got into a decent school, got some training and 15 years later I'm doing great. I still do art for myself and anyone who needs it as well. Go for it!
I'm an architect, work for a small firm and do mostly technical documentation; though I'm building up a new practice with an ex-colleague at the same time, in which I get to do some design/rendering work. We've been blessed thus far, work has been coming in even in these times. It keeps me busy, too busy to draw cars, never mind build cars. Architecture has its own discipline, which imparts an approach to building cars that is a bit unusual. In architecture a lot has to be sorted out in advance, on paper (or computer). A lot of people have the misconception that a set of blueprints is like a computer programme that will self-execute when given to a building contractor. In practice one has to work very closely with the contractor because he puts as much into the final product as the drawings do. The key to a good set of drawings is having a feel for all the things you can't pin down in advance, but still being able to know that what you've designed will work. It's about knowing how much you can trust measurements, understanding "wild-card" dimensions and where to put them, being able to control where to deal with the unknown. That's why the greater part of the work on my projects currently comprises collecting information.
Just kidding, it is not easy to make it in this business. I was the oldest of 12 kids and learned early on that you really do have to hustle and know how to implement street smarts in order to make it in this game. My Dad got on disability when I was 10 and I learned how to make do for myself at a young age. If I wanted to survive I had hustle and think for myself. Although Dad did striping and other crazy stuff with cars, I never really took an interest in it until after I got married in '76. I soon realized that I had problems with authority and that mean't I could not work for a boss. So in 1979 after a few jobs, I started painting signs, did $20 stripe jobs that looked like crap and life was all hard. I realy didn't know what I was doing but the thing was I kept going. Even though we were kicked out of several houses, lived in our vehicle a few times and literally starved, I kept on going. Fortunately for me, my wifey stuck with me all the way. And no, we had no assist from the family and the wife did not have a job. I was too embarrassed to even tell the relatives what was happening and I was too proud to accept defeat. As time went on working at what i believed in, I eventually got into paint and body and custom work. In the 80's I had 5 businesses going but still striping in between all the hysteria. In late 80's I closed up all the headaches, moved from south Houston between San Antonio & Austin and kept on swinging the brush. I traveled the car show circuit doing nearly 30 a year for many years, still went to Houston a few times a month as I kept my customers from there, did the dealer thing and basically drove several million miles in 20 years of traveling. But here the key to my independence as it is now - I kept building my private clientele. We learned to survive the rough times how, raised 3 kids, the wife never worked more than 4-5 years total out of 33 and we always seemed to make it despite the odds. You will find out that Success comes from focusing on a particular idea and doing something about it everyday. Nothing ever comes easy in this life. If you want to do art, or build cars for a living or stand on a corner begging for food, it takes dicipline and the strength to get off your ass and do it. If you focus on what you want, (even though I was totally blind about all that stuff in the beginning), work right, you'll eventually get what you want. Even during this time of economic hardship, people still spend money. You just have to figure out what they need and give it to them. Mikey
graphic designer in a company that manufacturers retail diapers and other personal use products for all the drug, supermarket and discount stores across US and Canada. We produce packaging and all sales and technical material and surf the HAMB. I get my kulture fix from silkscreening shirts and artwork ala hot rod to sell at car shows and galleries. Would not do it any other way.
I read your post and felt your question. All I ever wanted to do was fix cars. My dad went to Chicago Art institute on the GI bill out of WWII He worked for Ford doing assembly document art and lots of other "Art departmment" stuff. He also worked at Bendix during the Apollo missions and did art for their Apollo project stuff. He was my hero and a spectacular artist I have been blessed with his tallent I'm an amature pistriper, artist and a trained and experienced automotive painter. A friend of mine got me striping at Billetproof Mich last week end and wouldn't listen to my bulls*^% about how "unworthy" I am. I also work for GM - for now. I have spent time with some of the best design artists in the business at GM - they all say KEEP DOING IT. Never stop doing what you love to do. We all have to make ends meet, but we have to (in my opinion) keep after what we love. If that avatar is something you can paint on a shirt - you are already there! Its cool! Keep doing it - real artists are always needed!!
This thread makes me proud to be a HAMBer and hotrodder. This is the best post ever about life and passion for art, hot rods and cars. Props to all the insight and wisdom to all you guys. You young bucks (& does), pay attention.
Tattoo. That's what I've been doing the last 32 years.Traveled, met many interesting folks,still at it. http://www.hebegbtattoo.com/ http://www.myspace.com/hebegbtattoo
I worked for 14 years as a graphic designer in the newspaper industry - slowly morphed into a MacIntosh Technician (fixing my own stuff, then others, then paid to do it) and I haven't looked back. I still design on the side, love to draw and paint but never have time, but I don't miss working for sales morons and bitchy customers. It was fun, but I don't want to go there again.
I agree. This thread is inspiring. I will be losing my job as a graphic artist for a printing plant at the end of the month. So I will be at a crossroads as well and this helps. I'm not as talented as most of the artist on here though.
Todd, Keith again. I airbrushed t-shirts several summers. I found a sporting goods store next to a high school. They supplied all the team gear, and printed their booster-club t-shirts. The boss let me put up a sign at the street and I sprayed his t-shirts. Built in inventory! The 1st Spring /Summer business was really steady. 2nd Spring /Summer a bit slower. But, I moved shortly to a college town and sprayed shirts at a t-shirt silk-screening company. Of course, I could fit everything I owned in my old Cadillac. Ah, the good ol' days. . .
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