What’s the first thing you’d tell someone looking to get into designing maps and artwork for fiction?
Join the cartographersguild.com . See what’s being done today. Work on your craft. Study real maps. Study fantasy maps. Work on your craft some more. Put together a half dozen examples, then start meeting editors, art directors, and authors at conventions. Study the masters of illustration. Work on your craft until your fingers bleed. Find out the art submission guidelines for publishers and submit your portfolio. Draw, draw, draw, draw, draw. Enter your artwork into the shows at conventions. Paint, draw, and keep on working hard.
It’s a difficult industry to break into. It’s even more difficult if you want to make a living creating artwork. But one thing remains the same. If you are excellent at your craft and you’re putting yourself out there, you will find those willing to pay you to create artwork.
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