u/sssun0108

Hi everyone, new to the sub and eager to learn!

I graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. In the past two years I have struggled to find employment in architecture, and recently took a long hard look inward and finally came to accept that I really do not want to be an architect. I am planning on dropping all else and doing an intensive self imposed boot camp to build a background art portfolio.

I am completely new to the animation and background art world, so I was hoping to find some guidance and to be pointed in the right direction. Apologies for the long post, I have a few questions and would greatly appreciate any and all input, big or small, thank you!

1. Is it necessary to pursue an additional degree? I am fairly confident in my fundamental art skills, I paint beautifully, and I have experience in spatial design, 3D modeling, rendering. However I also know that I lack the professional, structured instruction and industry insight that you would get from an academic setting. Is it sufficient that I prove myself through my portfolio, even though my educational background lies elsewhere?
2. What should I focus my portfolio on and how do I format it? I have seen Ryan Cecil Smith's portfolio referenced a few times on this sub, though he is quite established in his career, and I would appreciate it if anyone has examples of more entry level portfolios that I could reference. Should I establish a world and draw different scenes/perspectives of the same location? Or should I showcase various different types of backgrounds and environments? Do I stick to one style to be cohesive or display my various abilities across different styles and mediums? Should I choose between 2D or 3D or should I show both? Basically at this entry level stage of my career is it better to establish a definitive style and highlight my strengths or to show a wide range of abilities? Also how many images/projects is the standard best practice?
3. Location where the jobs are, is NYC Viable? I am based in the US and I have been planning a move to NYC. I am aware of the big animation job spreadsheet and it seems like most jobs are located in California or Texas. I am not opposed to relocating wherever a job takes me, but I have been planning to move to NYC for a while, I love the city and would really like to live there even just for a few years. Is this realistic? I know entry level opportunities are already sparse at the moment I don't want to further disadvantage myself.
4. Is traditional art an acceptable medium or should I focus on digital? I love traditional painting mediums the most, and I am more comfortable and skilled in them, specifically watercolor, gouache, and acrylic. However I can do digital as well and I am willing to intensely practice if it's what the industry demands. Would I be at a disadvantage if my portfolio is mostly traditional?
5. How do I advertise myself and get my work out there? Is LinkedIn the best place to share my work and look for opportunities or is there a more industry specific site?
6. What else should I learn? I am proficient in a variety of traditional mediums, Photoshop, Procreate, software I used for architecture like Rhino, Autocad, Vray. Should I learn Maya or Blender? Are there industry software or tools I don't know about that I should really learn?
7. What are other resources I can look into? I am not particularly attached to the "animation" aspect, I mainly just want to paint and/or design backgrounds and environments. This could be animation, video games, book illustrations, etc. Is there a better sub for that type of focus? Or Youtubers, books, podcasts, LinkedIn pages, Facebook groups, literally any resource or direction would be so greatly appreciated.

Thank you for reading all this and if you decide to share any advice. The more I think about it the more I am certain I want to make this pivot, but I don't know anything about the industry and don't know anyone I can reach out to in real life so it would really mean a lot to find a community here.