My nephew wants to become a game artist. Is this a good career?

He *MUST* learn how to operate as a responsible business person too. He has to learn the professional end of freelancing, in the case of the very good possibility he doesn't end up working as a staff artist. He has to know how to manage himself as an independent contractor. This is really really crucial. There are tons of really talented artists out there who are living paycheck to paycheck because of poor management on their part, or because the people who hire them may be predatory. It depends a good deal on who he ends up working with, and in what part of the country, but he must know when hes getting took.

He must also learn soft skills of professionalism. Meeting deadlines, acting like a pro, dealing with people, etc.

Think of who will be hiring him.. business people, who's job it is to get their projects in on time and underbudget as possible. Even art directors have a little bit of business savvy, leadership and negotiation skills in them.

He has to learn basics of art too, not just how to draw whats popular now, or anime styles. not just digital stuff. a traditional background in art would serve him well as shadowofdeath said. he might want to think about what part of game art he might want to do. if its into animating the characters or doing figures, he might want to look into figure drawing, character design, how to do character rotations. If he wants to do background art, he might want to look into learning aobut layouts and composition and such. Even if he wants to do 3d modelling and such, a fine art or traditional art background is important.

If he wants to, he can try to *coughpiratecoughcough* some software and pick up some books to help him get started, then he can skip those classes if he goes to art school.

in the end, if he really wants it.. it *can* be a good career... but there is a really high career drop out rate. a lot of people who try never get in, or end up doing something related to it, but not exactly what they wanted to do.

anyway i wish him good luck.