In this post and this post also, I wrote about illustrating samples for a supposed video game company that ultimately expected the work I did to be done on 'spec'. This is the last of the designs I had done to try to get the job that turned out not to be the kind of job you get paid for.
At the time of the job posting I saw, I didn't have anything formal in my portfolio that would serve to demonstrate my abilities for designing environments. So when I saw this ad, I illustrated these pieces as fast as I could, but I was afraid I had taken too long and missed any opportunity for this 'job'. I contacted this 'client' to let him know I was completing things for him, and I then sent him what I had already done.
In the description of this 'job' ad, the 'client' was looking for a futuristic city to be designed, along with roller coasters and an armored warrior woman. I had continued my theme of placing all of these designs in the form of a comic book page (or in this case, a double-page spread).
After I sent the initial pieces I finished, that is when I got a very positive reaction from the 'client' who asked me to send the piece you see above, even though it wasn't finished. When I sent this to him, the 'client' slathered me with compliments, and told me all about his project, and then that's when he told me he wanted me to work for 'back-end' pay.
It's such a sucker-punch when you do all the hard work you can to get a job, only to get the carpet yanked out from under you. It's an education on what is real, and when you should develop a sense of when it isn't.
One day, I'm going to carve out time and take this piece to finish. I'd love to see how the roller coasters will turn out.
