The Art Nest Academy
We Hatch Aspiring Artists Into Professionals
The Universal Framework
To get your first job in the AAA Industry
In months...not years
That every professional used consciously or not
You are close to junior level and want to get Guidance until you get a job?
Let's work together !
Next Class Starts on April 6th
If you found that page, we are the similar
You are an artist struggling to join the Industry
- You have spent years grinding your artistic technique and skills
- You sacrificed a lot to pursue art... time, money, energy, social life, health...
- You obsess about art, it's your identity and what you want to do for a living
- You want to work on the massive Game and Movie projects that sparked your passion for Art years ago
Yet... right now...
- You are stuck fighting for crumbles on commission pages...
- You graduated from Art School and realized that what you have been taught is not enough to get a job...
- You feel your technique is close enough to professional level but for some reasons...big companies constantly reject your applications...
- You feel you are missing "that little something that makes the difference" and cannot figure out what it is...
- Or maybe you landed a job in a small companies but it becomes frustrating feeling you should move to a bigger and more prestigious studio?
I've been there too...
Back in my student room in 2016...
Art being my fuel...
My identity...
My reason to wake up in the morning and grind until 3AM every night...
But also...
The source of my frustration
Of despair
Of self-doubt
With my parents, friends and family worrying about me wanting to pursue Art as a career
Telling me to "maybe get more realistic and pick a real job"
And the guilt seeing them worried about me...
The teachers in Art School telling me there was no hope for me...
...
I know this feeling
That burning desire to make it to the Industry...
So all that pain can finally disappear in an instant
And all your efforts, sacrifices and late-night grind get the recognition by the peers you crave so much
You can get that golden key to the Industry
Get the recognition you want...
And worries to disappear...
With the right approach
And you want to know the Secret?
Your technique is
probably not
the problem
Your technique is
probably not
the problem
Technique is only half of what you need to get hired
Today it's not even what matters the most anymore
Technique is accessible today
With few clicks and little skill you can generate a photorealistic render in minutes
While it was certainly an achievement back in 2015, now it is the norm.
It is an expectation now, not an argument in your favor.
Also, Luck is somewhat irrelevant...
So what truly matters now?
Your ability to target companies properly
Companies can afford to be picky
There are so many applicants...
Very little spots availaible...
And a company is not a charity organization
They don't want to spend time and money to train their employees for months before they fit the mold
They want employees who already fit their mold
People who already "get it"
Who understand their needs
Their style
Their process
Their pipeline
Their expectations
And today with remote work becoming the norm, the competition is from all across the globe, allowing them to be even more picky !
Companies want professionals who understand what is expected in Productions
Not front page Artstation farmers
Your portfolio needs to prove you understand what companies want
Companies don't have much time to review your work
Some of them have over 100 applications per day !
Your portfolio needs to show you "get it" at first glance
Your portfolio is the only shot you have to get hired
If your portfolio doesn't scream "I'm a pro" or "I could do the job" it's over...
Delete email
Next candidate
The more you fit the mold, the less companies will have to train you before you become autonomous
The less you have to be trained, the less time and money you will cost to the company
And the earlier you will become profitable to them
The earlier they think you can be profitable, the more lkely they are to hire you.
How to show it to companies?
Here is the answer...
A Targeted Portfolio
A Targeted Portfolio
Tailored to match companies' expectations
To prove you need as little training as possible...
To become Autonomous and Profitable as fast as possible
And you want to hear the good news?
It is EASY to do with proper guidance
Welcome to
Portfolio Masterkey
Welcome to
Portfolio Masterkey
A Premium Portfolio-Building Mentorship
To get your First Job in the Industry
Here is what you get
5 weeks of Mentorship
And Video Course
- I take you by the hand for every step of the process and teach you everything you need to become the ideal candidate
- 10 Group sessions, around 30 minutes of feedback per student, to review your homework, answer your questions, and give you additional guidance
- Extra workshops and sessions with former, current and future mentees, based on what the students request
Feedback and Guidance
For your entire Portfolio
- You get your own dedicated channel to post your WIPs and get feedback and paintovers
- You get feedback and guidance from the beginning to the end of crafting your portfolio
- I ensure you correct all the potential mistakes you make so your portfolio is absolutely flawless when you apply
- I ensure the pieces you do are at the absolute maximum of your abilities and beyond
My guarantee :
If you are allowed to join the mentorship,
I work with you until you get a job
- People joining the mentorship are cherry picked to ensure their level and mindset is good enough to get a job in the industry
- For every student joining the mentorship, I truly believe they can make it to the industry with proper work
- Because not everyone has the same schedule and time available to work on their portfolio, I want to make it fair for everyone
- That's why I want to help you on your portfolio building process from start to finish, regardless of how much time it takes you to complete it, for as long as you do the work
Benevolent, Win-Win relationship between Mentor and Students
- You get pushed to the maximum of your abilities, You level up, get an amazing portfolio and get massive chances of getting hired, so you get what you want
- And because you level up and succeed, We get wonderful transformation stories and results proving the mentorship works
"Tim is the best mentor I've ever had, and I've had a few.
He is very meticulous in knowing what you'd like to do as an artist so that he can provide you with his full knowledge of the industry and resources.
I mean, he is extremly detailed in his approach to help you out, to learn, and improve really fast. He explains each feedback in great detail which helped me out immensely!
I do also have to note that while it might be intimidating at first - starting a mentorship, having him as your mentor is what I always reccomend to my friends.
Tim is a very positive person that pushes you in such a supportive and wonderful way that you'll always feel extremly inspired and literally wanting to draw more.
I also have to mention that before his mentorship I felt stuck with my art and felt really discouraged moving forward to try and get into the industry, but going through his mentorship gave me alot of courage and faith in myself as an artist and that it's possible for me to break into the industry."
Jessica Nera Bargh - Croatia
Before
After
“This was the first mentorship I ever took, so I thought long and hard about whether to follow this mentorship or any other one offered online.
I'm very glad I decided to follow Tim's mentorship.
The industry insight Tim gave, for people like me who never had a formal art education, was incredibly valuable. Even despite the fact that I've already been working in the industry for a few years.
Secondly, the framework offered to target your portfolio effectively, how to target weak areas in your work and compare with peers will help me for the rest of my career without any doubt.
And even though technical help isn't really what the mentorship is truly about, we still got constant technical feedback, specific to each individual's needs, lots of tips and tricks that helped tremendously.
These little things that take your art to the next level.
I improved a ton during this mentorship and gained a lot of confidence and information regarding the professional aspect of being an illustrator/concept artist.
Thanks a lot Tim !”
Bram Willemot - Belgium
Before
After
We take you by the hand
for every step of the process
Week 1 : finding the Entrance Door
Identifying accessible companies and understanding their requirements
Benefits by the end of the week :
- You have your career roadmap planned entirely
- You know exactly which companies to start with and how to target them perfectly
- You become an expert about these companies expectations so you can become their ideal candidate
Video Course :
- Defining your goal
- Finding the first company
- The receipe to enter any company
- Understanding company mindset
- What is expected from your job
- How to show a company you "get it"
- What is expected from a junior
- Passing the Rite of Passage in the Industry
- What your portfolio must be
- Portfolio traps to avoid
- The First Job explained
- Understanding a company's art direction
- Building a reference bible
- Analyzing junior work
Bonus :
- The Foolproof Flowchart to Finding your First Companies
You can't go wring with it when choosing your first companies - The Evergrowing Company Career Page and LinkedIn List
Sorted by type and location to save you time and headache - Homework Examples
To know exactly what to do for every step of the process
Week 2 : Inspecting the Door Lock
Closing the technical gap with professionals
Benefits by the end of the week :
- You know how to skyrocket your technical level above junior level without having to watch any tutorial
- You know exactly how and where to learn the skills you lack
- You perfectly understand how to achieve the art direction, style and process of the companies you are aiming at
Video Course :
- Understanding Seniors and Art Directors
- How to do an A/B comparison between you and Seniors
- How to close the technical gap with Seniors
- Why consistency matters for your portfolio
- How to level-up efficiently : the 80/20 rule for artists
- How to save a ton of time and headache with efficient planning
- Which tools to use for what
Bonus :
- The A/B Comparison Blueprint between you and pros
Everything you need to check without missing anything - Composition Course transcript
No more boring compositions - Shapes and Colors Meaning and Symbolic Course transcript
How to tell stories with colors and shapes - Character Archetypes Course transcript
Every Character Designer must know these - Homework Examples
To know exactly what to do for every step of the process
- Visual Storytelling, Naration and Emotions Course transcript
How to create compelling visuals - Characters, Environments, Props and Creature Design Course transcript
How to create interesting designs - Stylization Course transcript
How to bend reality with credibility - Advanced Storytelling Workshop replay
The foolproof method to create intricate pictures easily
Week 3 : Crafting the Key
Defining, Planning and Referencing your Targeted Portfolio
Benefits by the end of the week :
- You have the ideal portfolio subject, tailored to the companies you are aiming at
- The entire content of your portfolio is planned and it ticks all the requirement boxes of the companies
- You save a ton of time and headache, allowing you to batch produce your portfolio as fast as possible and keeping it as consistent as possible
Video Course :
- What is a good portfolio structure
- Defining a good portfolio subject and content
- How to properly plan and research your portfolio
- How to prepare the proper tools and techniques for your portfolio
- How to properly organize your portfolio
Bonus :
- Portfolio Structure examples for different jobs
Every specialty has different nuances, we are covering all of them with clear examples - Banger, Safe and Fresh portfolio subject suggestion list
Over 150 amazing subjects sorted by categories, In case you have no ideas or want some - Portfolio Content and Design Roll Tables
In case you need some interesting twists to your designs, showing your attention to details - Homework examples
To know exactly what to do for every step of the process
Week 4 : Disarming the Traps
Nailing the Hiring Process
Benefits by the end of the week :
- You eliminate 99,9% of the opportunities recruiters have to disqualify you
- You gain an unfair advantage over 95+% of your concurrence during the hiring process
- You eliminate a ton of stress about the hiring process, interviews, art tests, negotiations...etc
Video Course :
- How to properly present your portfolio
- How to make a banger CV and avoid being disqualified with it
- How to write a relevant cover letter to score points when being read
- How to Nail Industry Gathering Events (= the best places to get a job)
- How to nail Interviews
- How to nail Art Tests
- How to win against Loaded Questions during Interviews
- Interview killers and traps to avoid
- How to negotiate properly and secure a decent salary 100% of the time
- How to close the deal and move to the company's location
Bonus :
- Complete HR Interview Breakdown
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly explained to you - Interview Preparation Checklist
Includes answers to Loaded Questions
Week 5 : Harvesting Rewards
Once you get hired, replicating the process to access the next step of your career
Benefits by the end of the week :
- You know how to increase your Rates/sSalary and climb the hierarchy
- You know how to apply the process of the mentorship to every stage of your career, regardless if it is your first job or a Senior Position
- You know how to protect yourself from Crunch and Drama in the Industry
Video Course :
- It is just the beginning of a new chapter in your career
- How to get Creative Freedom
- How to raise your Rates/Salary
- How to get a Promotion
- How to navigate Corporate Politicas & High Positions
- How to properly pay your Student Loans
- Work Etiquette to respect for a smooth career
- Why you must not obsess about only one "End Game"
- How to develop mental fortitude when applying
- Epilogue : Happy Artist = Happy Art
Bonus :
- Life Access to Workshops with former, current and future mentees
Learn more even after the mentorship - Life Access to Alumni Private Community
Former, present and future mentees will be your first professional network
For most artists, the professional skill
Is the missing element
Between where they are
And wherever they want to go
"In 2019 I came across one of Tim's posts in an art group offering private art lessons and for a couple of hours he was charging pretty much all the money I had at the time.
However after our initial conversation I could tell he really cared about helping the people that reach out to him and so I decided it was worth it, even if could afford only one or two session per month.
In the years that followed I worked a night shift job in order to have time to practice during dead hours while using all of my free time to practice, go to sleep and start all over again.
It wasn't easy but Tim's guidance and honest feedback on my work were crucial for my improvement.
He would eventually invite me in a trial run for his mentorship and the information on that course were invaluable.
It gave me a clear path to follow to reach a goal that seamed so daunting, even unreachable at times.
I kept practicing and trusting in the process and in the end of 2022 I got my first job as a visual development artist.
Even though nobody is going to do the work for you if you want someone to provide you with the map and the tools required to get to your destination Tim is the right mentor for you."
Gerasimos M. Chatziparisis - Greece
Before
After
Nobody in the Art World is focused on teaching the professional part of the job
Finding this knowledge is hard
It's a ton of research and you might stumble upon terrible advice...
Sure, you could watch 300+ hours of podcast to try getting fragments of knowledge scattered across 100+ videos...
Then try to piece them together in the right order
And do the work on your own, hoping you did not miss anything...
Most Art Schools are already too busy teaching the technique...
Or else they don't know how to teach the professional part...
Or else they don't want to teach you the professional part...
Because they could sell it to you as an extra 2-years curriculum...
Or maybe...because teaching it would expose them not providing you Industry-ready education?
Most Art Platforms are also very busy teaching the technique...
A lot of artists who made it to the industry are either not interested in teaching it
Or else don't know how to put it into a universal system that works
And while a lot of mentors could definitely give you great tips on how to get a job, even the best 1-hour explanation is not likely to tell you exactly what to do for your very specific goals and situation...
And we are not even talking about guiding you during the building of your entire portfolio...
Or helping you with the hiring process...
Portfolio Masterkey
solves that gap for you
With a Simple
Step-by-Step
Actionable
Framework
# Step 1
Choosing the right companies to start with
It allowed me to develop my professional expertise
# Step 2
Figuring out how to close the gap with pros
It gave me the keys to reach and exceed junior level
# Step 3
Crafting a properly tailored portfolio
It got me in touch with Ubisoft when I was 21
# Step 4
Not messing up during the hiring process
It was enough to get me hired at Ubisoft
# Step 5
Producing consistently new, better work
It allowed me to not have to apply even once in the last 4 years
Stacked together, at equal technique
You gain a massively unfair advantage
Over your concurrence
It worked for me
My friends
My students
And every professional in the industry
So it will work for YOU too
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to do it properly, you can count between 4h30 and 6 hours of work per week for the homework
For the video course, there is an average of 1h30 of videos to watch per week, these are delivered on Saturdays so you can watch them during the week-end
This leads us to around 6 to 8 hours of work total per week for the work
The group sessions assume around 30 mins per student. So on average these should last 3 to 4 hours
No worries, if you have to leave, these are recorded and available as replays almost immediately after they are done
Yes ! And available as replays almost immediately after they are done !
If you watched the Free Course, you can confidently apply when you reach Commission Hell / Semi-Pro level or above.
If you are unsure about your level, feel free to apply anyways, if you show the right mindset, there is no problem to allow you into the mentorship.
However, if you are under that level, be aware that you will have to do extra work or work for a longer period of time after the 5 weeks in order to reach pro level.
We got people attending the mentorship while they were about to start a year in Art School and it still benefited them tremendously !
All that matters is the right mindset
All the communication and Group Sessions will happen on Discord
The Video Course and sessions replays will be available on Systeme.io
English
A microphone, an internet connection, and if you want a webcam
For the work, just your usual gear and softwares
We understand that unexpected events occur
If you happen to miss a session, don't worry, you can watch the replay and we will make time during the next session for you to catch up
In the event of multiple absences, we will work together to devise a suitable catch-up plan, provided this benefit is not exploited
It depends on how much time you have available every week for your portfolio.
Some former mentees able to work full time on their portfolio managed to make it in 3 months
Some other mentees, working a full-time job, took 6 months to craft their portfolios
In any case, for as long as you do the work, I keep working with you until you get a job
This mentorship is a portfolio-building one and focused on the professional part of the job, not just the technical part of art
However, this mentorship is meant to get you to level-up A LOT
You have seen some Before/After on that page already, you can see way more here
In Week 1 and 2 we discuss in depth about the art techniques and tools you need to develop
During Week 4 and 5 you will also do a "test piece" and receive feedback and paintovers on it. It is a crucial step in preparing for your full portfolio
And for every piece of your portfolio, you will be pushed to the maximum of your abilities and beyond
Absolutely !
The mentorship is style and job-agnostic.
I got to Art Direct and Oversee students across various styles and topic, and the skills you need regardless of your job are grounded in Art and Design Fundamentals, which can be applied universally.
Regarding the mentorship, all you have to do is transpose the principles around the "Portfolio" to your Demoreel / Showreel, but 100% of the principles explained in the mentorship are applicable to any artistic job in the industry !
Absolutely !
As I said, I Art Directed and Oversaw several projects and classes that were stylized, the principles are the same !
This happens quite frequently as our dream jobs are often very high-end companies hiring only seniors.
While there might always be some exceptions to that rule, it is crucial to accept that as part of our artistic journey, it is part of the process to find some companies hiring juniors, start there and keep working on our professional journey by applying the same framework explained in the mentorship.
Exactly as you did for that first job, you apply the framework again for the next job, then the next one, then eventually your dream job.
Again, it is all about perseverance and doing the work to become the perfect candidate for that company, and this is exactly what this course is about.
In this case, the course/mentorship is perfect for you because you will need to strongly target a company that wants you enough to either relocate you or let you work remotely.
Also, after the world changed massively with Covid, the industry realized that it can still function very well with remote work, and this allowed a lot more companies to hire people regardless of their location. Also it sparked the creation of a lot of remote outsourcing studios.
These are massive advantages for us.
Totally !
And actually around half of our past mentees were already working their first or second job in small studios.
It's very likely that you have accomplished part of what is mentioned in the mentorship without ever deeply thinking about it and understanding how it works universally, or else the studio you are part of was more flexible on their requirements than the AAA industry.
The mentorship is there to get you out of your comfort zone and allow you to move forward by understanding how to aim for the next step in your career, whether you're just starting in art or already have a few years of experience behind you.
Additionally, the mentorship will likely help you increase your rates.
Because I've been successfully applying this formula with students for over 6 years.
Because I went from art school dropout to AAA Concept Artist to Art Director using this exact process, all of that while actually not being a massively popular artist in the industry or with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram.
Because I have more than enough results from my former mentees to prove my method works and I share these results all the time in total transparency. These speak louder than any word or marketing tactics.
Because you can confidently let you ask any current/former mentee on The Art Nest Discord about the mentorship if you want and I know the mentorship will be heavily recommended.
And because very little to no other mentorship online is solely focused on that other 50% of the artist's job and providing that much content about it.
Still don't trust me? Have a look at the Free Course to let what I do speak for me.
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