
Belgium-based freelance digital sculptor, concept artist, and VFX artist Maarten Verhoeven is our second contributor to #freelance3dartist week.
Verhoeven has worked as a freelancer, and at studios such as Gentle Giant, Framestore and Umedia.
Here he provides some advice for those just starting out, suggesting that finding ways to get yourself out there and visible is very important.

Maarten Verhoeven: Becoming a freelance artist is always a gamble, clients will come and go so there are always hard times during your career. A few tips to start and try to keep your head above water are: be relevant and play on your strengths and be strong willed.
Being freelance these days is all about being known and seen online and it’s often hard to stay in the visor of possible clients. You’re competing against the world every day again and again and outside of the physical industry and that makes it tough.
If you think you have what it takes, I would suggest building in a financial buffer of 6 to 9 months in advance. If stuff doesn’t pick up…find another venture or way to do you passion. It takes a certain type of person and it can be a great adventure to become a liberated freelance artist, but this freedom comes often with a mental price… be wary you’re running a business.
This week at befores & afters is #freelance3dartist week, a look at various ins and outs of working as a freelance 3D artist.