How to make money as a Fine Artist in Nigeria.
The only award I ever got in High School was that of Overall Best Student in Fine Art. Seems like such a waste now…well maybe not. I used to be good at drawing, in fact technical drawing was one of my favourite courses. The only snag was I had no interest in pursuing it as a career, I mean, apart from the fact that I wasn’t so passionate about it, it is common knowledge that only a handful of fine artist get to earn a decent living and hey my African parents wouldn’t have entertained that kind of career move.
So over the weekend, I met a talented Nigerian Storyboard artist. He is brilliant and his work is freakishly good!.more importantly, earns a good living. I was too curious, what is the difference between him and thousands of artists who have nothing going for them apart from their talented drawings. How is he able to get people to pay for his work, consistently. I had to speak with him!
I did just that and here are my key insights.
- Perfect the art of Story telling; A lot of people can draw and paint. The real Art is the STORY you tell with it. Telling stories on canvas, digital or traditional. Once you master these, you would find it easy to pitch for jobs, for both individuals and corporate organisations.
- Stick to your briefs, most people don’t care what you see, they want you to see what they see; the mistake artists make is to keep drawing their own view. The ability to bring to life what others see is what gets you paid. This is what gives your talents and skills the commercial viability. Practice the art of telling other people’s stories accurately.
- Innovation and Technology is your friend; Digital Arts, Illustrations, Graphic Designs, Storyboarding, Comics, Animatics and Animations are some of the ways to commercialise your talents- Stay woke with technology. Several apps and softwares that makes your drawings super cool are abundant and accessible.
- Go to a Formal School, and Keep going; Talent is not enough, Learn and keep learning. School has a way of shaping your mind and thinking, increases your professionalism. Don’t make that mistake, further your education and keep doing so.Youtube and online courses are your friends
- Network with Connectors; Story telling is the crux of brand building , marketing communications, film making etc . Ensure you are part of that ecosystem. Animatrics Artist, Digital Artists, Brand Managers, Scriptwriters, Creative departments of Advertising Agencies are your clients , Be visible and reachable. Tailor your services to their needs.
Commercialising your talents requires that you understand the scope of the industries that require your services. Stretch your knowledge limits, be informed and be voracious in reading.
Attend industry events — it will inspire you.
There is an annual festival for creative people and geeks called Lagos Comic Convention. British Council also started Comic Connect Africa last year for people in the creative space.
I would love to see more artists becoming commercially relevant and versatile in their career path.
P.S — The Nigerian Story board artist I met is Ibrahim Ganiyu- the lead animator behind Lagbaja’s ‘Surulere’ animated music video (2003), he did Set Design and concepts for Akinwunmi Ambode Inauguration Ball in (2015), motion graphics Illustrations for Heineken Video Advert (2014) and a lot more fantastic projects. He is a graphic designer who graduated from the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. Presently, Ibrahim runs a communications design company ‘Imperial Creations Studios Limited’ (ICStudios) as CEO and Executive Creative Director. He is the creator of the ‘June 12’ comic and has achieved so much, we can’t even mention all. His core strength is his creative mind channeled most times through illustrations, animations, Graphics & Design and through comics.
