it's just
my opinion by Lon Levin
I may be wrong. I want to say that upfront. It's just,... I'm suspect of artist reps. I've had a few and most were not very helpful. I'm sure I'm not the first illustrator to say I followed my reps advice and took the wrong jobs. Jobs and projects that lead me down a path towards complete burnout or my own demise. In retrospect I blame myself for those kind of mistakes more than anyone else, because I was hungry to get work in a certain area and (how many times have you heard this?) It seemed like a good idea at the time. However I find fault in any artist rep who points you in a direction they know isn't good for you just to make money. When I started my career as an illustrator I had no idea how to get work. There was only one rep working in LA that I knew about and he repped around 10 illustrators. On top of that he had a top illustrator named Hank Hinton at the time and my work was similar so he passed. Work was hard to come by so I took some art direction classes at night and got lucky with the teachers I had. I soon found out that my illustration skills were helpful to me as an art director. I got a few free-lance jobs then landed a position at 20th Century Fox as an art director. I was now in a position to give out work instead of asking for it.The reps soon came knocking at my door. For two decades I worked as an art director, creative director and finally an art department head. I handed out hundreds of projects to different art reps. Some I like better than others. I came to see how they operate and how they
treat their artists. Of course the top artists always got preferential treatment. However, if they weren't available the reps would pitch their look-alike artists. Eventually you'd have to settle on a stand-in or a copy artist. You paid a little less and the art was not as good but the execs were happy. The artists however was branded as second class and it probably hurt their chances to get top dollar at that studio in the future. Down the road, that artist might go to a place they never expected. They reach their level of i n c o mp e t e n c e a n d s t a rt t o lo s e wo rk because they were not playing to their strengths. It happens in the entertainment business, children's books and now in gaming and film visualization. And sometimes behind the artist who takes that trip is the rep nudging them all the way. Yes, the opposite happens as well. The stand-in impresses the advertiser, they step out of the shadow of veteran illustrators and become stars. Again the rep might be the player in the background helping the artist carve out a career that highlights their best abilities. What am I saying? Choose wisely, think about your career path and know your goals. Work with a rep who "gets" you. If it not working with your rep find another or go your own way. Don't be so hungry for work you'll take anything and certainly don't let a rep talk you into something you know you're not trained to do. Be smart, be patient and practice your craft daily. Your time will come.
