Best way to recruit an artist?

[JaffaMused]

I'm currently stalled on my current (first) indie game because I need art and I'm lacking an artist.

I'm a professional game developer by day, writing all manner of games on the modern consoles (PlaystationII, XBox, Gamecube etc). In this capacity I don't have a problem with art - we have a large team of artists to do everything we need.

However, I'm trying to keep my personal game quiet from my workmates (and specifically my boss) for 'conflict of interests' reasons, so I'm unable to recruit anyone I work with (I did try but the artist I can trust is waaaaay too busy anyway).

The other problem is that I don't have any money to invest up front in this venture, so I'm looking for someone who'll work with me for a cut (percentage) of the profits, (just like I'm doing) - I fear this may put people off.

I've had a few online responses but the samples I've had are laughable to say the least.

So, the question remains; What's the best way of finding a capable artist who would be fired-up to work on a project for a percentage of the profits? (There's always a chance that it won't make ANY money).

I'm looking to forge a long-term relationship here for the right person, as I have several more game designs in the pipe.

My current project is a 2D puzzle game in the sci-fi/spy genre.

PS. I cant draw for crap, I even have trouble trying to draw boxes ;)

[Reactor]

What standard of artist are you looking for? Some samples of what you'd expect might work as a good filter. Also, are you aware of what kind of an artist you should expect to work for nothing up front? At best, you'd get me, and that's not that great a thing ;) I'd be surprised if you wind up with a guy who's up there with the pros... so, just a thought to keep your expectations high, but not unrealistically high in light of your payment.

If you don't find anyone from these forums, try asking on gfxartist.com, or cgtalk.com.

[RedKnight]

Are you looking for 2d artist (cartoonist), or 3d modeler?

You can also buy 3d models at Turbo Squid.

[kerchen]

With the proliferation of easy-to-use game engines, it's getting easier for artists to make their own games with no programmer involvement. Unless you can find someone who personally trusts you, I think you're going to have a pretty hard time finding someone to make art assets on your terms. Imagine if the roles were reversed: would you commit hundreds or even thousands of hours to a project with someone you didn't know with no proven track record solely on the promise of a cut of the profits? If you want high quality art, you'll most likely need to pay up front and give a cut of the profits (and even then you may have trouble attracting top-notch talent). You might get lucky and find someone who will play by your rules, but the odds are fairly high against that happening. Good luck with your search; you're going to need it.

[cliffski]

If you want good art you HAVE to pay people up front for it. It took me a long time to realise this. Or if you really havent got the money, then learn yourself, there are plenty of tutorials out there.

[otaku]

I've had a hell of a time finding good reliable artists the past couple of months even with cash available so getting them to work for free can very difficult. Not impossible. Just very difficult. The best way I found to get artwork done consistently is to pay and already established professional who does contract art work for games. Eventually you will have artists coming to you, then you get to pick and choose, but initially, very hard.

I'm sure other people's experiences will differ from mine.

[tolik]

You would probably be surprised, but I was able to find a good artist for one of my old "kid" projects.

http://blueorange.com/BOw3/1_0_0.php?portid=19

This guy did it for portfolio as I see. Of course this is just a small example, but seeing other OSI-based projects finding talented people...

Of course, finding people to work with over-web means worse communication and understanding...

[JaffaMused]

Thanks for the replies.

The game in question is a 2D puzzle game (which could also be represented in 3D if I can only find a 3D artist).

Just as I imagined it's going to be impossible to find someone to help out without payment up front. I understand that the quality might not be as good as the pros that I work with, but that's not what I was expecting anyway.

I was hoping to find someone who was just eager to get involved with a game - I'm not doing this game full time it's just a couple of hours each night so I'm not asking for 24-7 commitment.

I'm also doing this for no money and just a share of the profits, so I know there's at least one person willing to do some work for free with a chance of making some money :)

Just to be a little clearer, I'm not aiming at professional indie game artists here - I understand that their work is of great quality and they get paid up front for everything they do. I'm looking for someone who has talent but hasn't necessarily worked on a game before and want's to get some practice in a game environment, and who'd be willing to work for the glory of it until the money starts rolling in. I'm not trying to rip anyone off here - I just don't want to lay out several thousand dollars and get stuff I can't use.

If I had *ANY* art talent at all, I'd get this game finished with 'programmer art' and hire someone to 'nice it up', but my art sucks so much, I can't progress with anything :(

EDIT: Oh, and to clear this up...

...would you commit hundreds or even thousands of hours to a project with someone you didn't know with no proven track record solely on the promise of a cut of the profits?
I do have a proven track record as far as my programming goes (as reflected in my professional career) with several high profile titles some selling in excess of millions.

Again, thanks for the replies.

[kerchen]

I do have a proven track record as far as my programming goes (as reflected in my professional career) with several high profile titles some selling in excess of millions.

I meant a proven track record as an independent developer. While having the technical chops is important, that's only a small part of the picture when you're making games on your own. Brian Hook is no slouch when it comes to programming, yet he couldn't make a go of it with his company Pyrogon, despite releasing four titles. On the other hand, Thomas Warfield's Pretty Good games are still using GDI and nothing fancier (though I'm not implying that Thomas is a bad programmer, I'm just saying that he doesn't rely on cutting-edge tech). I wouldn't think twice about taking a revenue-sharing deal on a new project with Thomas Warfield--I'd do it in a heartbeat because he's a proven performer.

I don't doubt your technical abilities, I'm just telling you what I've learned having been in your situation a couple of years ago. I've got platinum titles in my resume, too, and that background along with $1 will get me a cup of coffee in this arena. When I need art or music, I pay up front, just like all the other talented but unknown industry ex-pats trying to make it as an indie. Having an impressive industry resume under your belt certainly won't hurt you, but it probably won't help you unless you're a well-known figure in the industry (eg., John Carmack).

[JaffaMused]

Okay NOW I get you :)

Yes, no proven indie games experience that's true - but also that is the kind of person I'm looking for. Eager for the challange rather than just in it for the money.

After thinking about it for a while, I'm going to see if I can recruit someone to do the 'programmer art' (for a profit percentage) so I can continue with the implementation, then hire an artist (for a fixed $ amount) to do a final pass at the end.

This sounds like the best approach to me so far - maybe I'll put up a notice at the local college to see if anyone is interested in being involved with "The Game".

Cheers!

[paulm]

As a professional illustrator myself, and from my experiences working with other indies, I would say your best chance is to find someone's art you like, and e-mail them with an offer and/or trade.

There is a high degree of philanthropy within the indie community, and most people will do all they can to help you if you ask them. It is true, though, that most artists will want to get paid, but if you're going to negotiate a contract for a large amount by indie standards (anything over $200), then you're best to pay it in halves or thirds.

So keep scouring places like GarageGames for the .plans for artists who are active; that is your best chance of finding the person you need.

Cheers,
Paul.

[tentons]

I think lots of artists will work for deferred payment (ie, after you publish) if you show that you are serious (ie, working demo) and if it's interesting enough that the artist wants to get involved (another puzzle game? dunno). You can go a long way just with a cool idea, though.

The best part is that once you have a good artist, it tends to attract other high calibur (potential) team members because they see the quality of your project. So it can snowball, which is nice if you have a big project and need more than one artist.

I'm also convinced that great art is critical to building buzz. Don't undervalue its power. Pay accordingly.

[whisperstorm]

Here's a few helpful links for you:

1) Charas project -- allows you to piece together your own characters:
http://charas-project.net/

2) Pixelation: http://pixelation.cjb.net/ --- a thriving community of pixel artists - many whom have mad skills. Some of them are artists in search of a programmer. Perhaps you might exchange your skills as a programmer on their project if they offer to help create artwork for your project.