Thread: Career Advice

Keep the day career, you can always chrage just as much for your painting regardless if it is done on Monday morning or Saturday Morning. Passion can become work when you have to paint what the customer wants and not what you want to do, so keep your passion as a hobby/side job and have a full time job with medical and retirement benefits.
With a good income you can have your cake and eat it to, other wise you may be holding a sign that says will paint for food..
Solid financial security is the key to success and hopefully happiness.. note I did not say .. buying STUFF was key.. but Financial Security, as in Money in the bank to support you if something goes very wrong.. I have seen many artist come to this and other boards.. start a business and end up broke, passion does not pay the Dr bills, heath insurance does that..

BTW just to put the heath insurance in perspective for the youger crowd that may not be responsible for paying this for this yet.... top of the line Blue Cross and Blue Shield Personal Choice policy in PA for an individual not a family is currently $567 per month (wife does not work and does not want what my employer provides) That is o $6800 a year.. + drug co-pays..
so Josh, if you have spent all that money and time in school.. make the eductaion pay off and paint for fun!!!

Josh,

As the others have indicated, there are so many factors in making a living with an airbrush. I used to make a living with my guns, and we did OK. However, times have dramatically changed, and our economic situation requires a hard look before walking away from a steady income & benefits.

If you choose to follow the route of owning your own business, I'd suggest a few things to consider or to use as an honest self-assessment.

1. Business plan. Doing a quick search on the topic using the internet will provide you with a good starting point for developing your own business plan. It will also help you determine the cost vs profit formula for your niche.
2. Are you organized? Success in business requires organization.
3. Market research. Do your homework & determine if your market has a niche for the type of art-work/service you wish to offer.
4. Network. Become a member of your local chamber of commerce. For a small investment, you have opportunity to create a great network with professionals & civic minded members of your market.
5. Volunteer & give back. Some of the best investments I have made in business have been in schools, libraries & art/hobby stores. Doing a simple fundraising event for a local non-prof, or offering classes at no cost bring great return & broaden network impact.
6. Advertise. People need to know that you exist & how to find you. Word of mouth does a lot, but it won't provide a consistent income for the majority of people.
7. Are you able to diversify? In other words, do you only intend to do auto graphics, or textiles, or illustration? You may find that one type of art pays the bills, while the other type (in your market) provides a little 'icing to the cake'.
8. Web presence. This is essential, not so much from a selling standpoint, but from a marketing standpoint. The web provides immediate info to folks who are searching.
9. Financial considerations. You have to have 'income' already in the bank that you can live off until your business begins to make a profit. Don't be foolish enough to think that you can immediately begin to replace income. Many small business gurus have formulas to determine the amount of time involved in income replacement... it is never immediate.
10. Are you a 'go getter'? I have found that a lot of people do not have what it takes to own their own business. Long hours, last on the payroll, you eat the losses, you take the risks. If your work ethic is less than stellar, small business is not for you.
11. Is your talent enough to carry you? Not to be mean, but there are a lot of 'artists' who just don't have the talent necessary to provide income. This is a tough assessment, my next suggestion will help.
12. Support. You need honest people who will be brutal, upfront & honest with you regarding your business. I'd suggest 2 places... 1) an associate in the line of business you will start who is already making it. 2) an adviser outside of the business who is savvy with business. If you're married, you'll need to be certain that your spouse is fully on board... otherwise, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

Now, please understand that I don't want to be discouraging or sound bleak... reality will catch up to you sooner or later, so it's best to have an idea of it all before you begin. Owning & operating a small business can also be an incredibly rewarding endeavor.

You may want to consider maximizing your profits by working with (or for) another artist who is already established. Or, even continuing in your field of chemistry & pursuing airbrushing as a side income. Often, this can be more rewarding than 'full time' airbrushing, especially when you don't depend upon it to make a living. You can take the jobs you want, let the others go by & find great reward & enjoyment in the process.

Hope this provides a little food for thought from someone who has 'been there'.
Scrib

me myself started my airbrush bussiness about 2 yrs ago,,i still work fulltime
8h a day 5days aweek as an carpenter,and run the airbrush bussiness
at my free time,,works good,,don't have to "hunt" for paintjobs to keep a steady income,,take them as they come,that way it still feels like an hobby
even that i pay tax and all on the paintjobs.for the erned money i buy
material and paints,, well ,,what ever i need to the bussiness,,and can do VAT deduction on that,,which i can't do if i pay with my "own" money
with money coming in i get equipment,,or just let it be at the bussiness account.
never have to spend any money from my salary as an carpenter to this,,

Not sure how much of a market there is around Melbourne (I'm living there myself, also doing a course with Airbrush Venturi). I know that if you get established, you could probably make a living out of it, but I'd check how many people are doing it around Melbourne at the moment, and decide if the available market can support another professional. Aus is a fairly small market for most things, but at least you're in one of the most densely populated areas.

Good, established artists can make a living, Laurent (my airbrush teacher) does a lot of work outside the teaching, and could certainly earn a living if he did it full time, Daniel Power also springs to mind as another I've heard of. I've also met a couple of car/signwriters.

I'd get a job using your qualifications first, start earning, and keep the airbrushing as a side line. If it really takes off, then you can transition to full time (probably lots more hours for less money).

For me, I'm not sure I could do it as a living, would it still be as enjoyable painting subjects you might not enjoy, with looming deadlines? Can you put up with the peaks and troughs of income? Can you also keep track of the business side of things as well, not mention being a salesman? I also enjoy photography, but would never do it as a full time job, 'cos I'm not interested in what most people want photos of (i.e. their weddings...).