good knowledge dropping here. most of the good ones are covered but heres my 2 cents
Backup your work, saving often is a good first step, but when you are done for the night, take a copy of that file you just spent hours working on and throw it on an external hard drive. Make sure your file names are meaningful, I usually add the current date to the file name when making multiple copies. You may never need it but when you do you'll be glad you took the extra couple seconds. If you got the bandwidth backup to a remote server. Being organized will help you avoid problems in all aspects of working with computers.
Respect the art. Know that the people whos work inspires you spent their time to come up with an image that you can now draw from and emulate. Using other peoples images/styles/technique in your work is great for learning and prototyping, but if you are going to do a professional project for someone you should always make it unique. It's not forbidden to emulate or even replicate in some instances, but make sure you give respect and credit where it is due.
Never be afraid to try something new. The only way to come up with that one of a kind image is to make your own path. Try different settings on your camera, different blending options on your layers, different combination's of all of the millions of settings in whatever editing program your working on.
Lastly value your work and your time. It's ok to do some things for discounts or possibly even free, historically artists do not get rich off their work, it only truly becomes valuable after their death, but dont make a habit of giving away your time to those who would otherwise have to pay for those services. Take pride in the work you do (as long as its worthy of being proud of) and dont undercut your self and everyone else in the business by taking a suckers wage for a professional service. Times are tough but if this was something everyone could do well then why are they asking you to do it?
Backup your work, saving often is a good first step, but when you are done for the night, take a copy of that file you just spent hours working on and throw it on an external hard drive. Make sure your file names are meaningful, I usually add the current date to the file name when making multiple copies. You may never need it but when you do you'll be glad you took the extra couple seconds. If you got the bandwidth backup to a remote server. Being organized will help you avoid problems in all aspects of working with computers.
Respect the art. Know that the people whos work inspires you spent their time to come up with an image that you can now draw from and emulate. Using other peoples images/styles/technique in your work is great for learning and prototyping, but if you are going to do a professional project for someone you should always make it unique. It's not forbidden to emulate or even replicate in some instances, but make sure you give respect and credit where it is due.
Never be afraid to try something new. The only way to come up with that one of a kind image is to make your own path. Try different settings on your camera, different blending options on your layers, different combination's of all of the millions of settings in whatever editing program your working on.
Lastly value your work and your time. It's ok to do some things for discounts or possibly even free, historically artists do not get rich off their work, it only truly becomes valuable after their death, but dont make a habit of giving away your time to those who would otherwise have to pay for those services. Take pride in the work you do (as long as its worthy of being proud of) and dont undercut your self and everyone else in the business by taking a suckers wage for a professional service. Times are tough but if this was something everyone could do well then why are they asking you to do it?
