Lectures and Talks

Paul Farrell                                                                                                                          24.2.15

http://paul-farrell.co.uk/

'Peacock print' from butterfly series

• Printmaking is key. Variety of products, cards, posters varying sizes can produce quickly done in themed series.
• Simple style helps with brand design- more recogniseable
• Nurture your style- keep doing more work to find it
• ephemera- collect things you like appeal to you, good frame of reference for your work, constant inspiration.
• Time is key
• Being original-keep working at it
• Have consistency in your style and its quality
• Constantly create to keep your work alive and to have a large body of wok to offer
• Think commercially to survive when working independently. 

A style constantly changes, Paul Farrells works inspired me to try more techniques so my style is not limited and by doing so I can keep working to find a consistent style that suits me.




True Believers Talks                                                                                           7.2.15


Crowd Funding your own comic

Means of funding your project online.

Crowd funding proposing a project get people to back it offer them incentives, merch sneak oreviews depending on money they donate. Kickstarter , indiegogo, patreon.

• Emma Vieceli: comic artist serialised web comics, stories run as free webcomics can fund this with advertising on the site. Donate button on website.
• Patreon: less money than Kickstarter but more regular and can be constant because people sponsor you for a certain amount a month/year. 
• Use Paypal
• Kickstarter: short time takes constant effort to keep on top of. Keep updating as the kickstarter happens. Top pledge is you putting a value on what your project is worth.Be careful what you offer, can you afford to give that much away for free? Don't forget p&p or printing costs! Be something novel and interesting people can get excited about or already have an established fanbase. Harder to communicate difficult concepts, people will back what they understand. Can fail by not reaching target, can fail making the money but losing profit giving out freebies.
• Crowd funding- more important to reach a lot of people donating small amounts then a few people with large amounts because you need to advertise and gather fans at the same time. 
• Social media is KEY. Helps support everything you do. Get involved in things. Social media is a marketing tool.

The crowd funding talk was interesting but there is a lot I have to do before reaching that stage such as creating an online presence for myself. I think trying to do a kickstarter alone would be difficult and confusing for me so I'd think about using it when involved in a group project. Patreon would be good once I have a good style, online base and an ongoing project I am working on, such as a comic. 

Helen Ward                                                                                                                       29.1.15


http://helenward-illustrator.co.uk/

Page spread from 'The Animals Christmas Carol,

• Animals realistically illustrated with personalities and great care
• Hand done no computers at all.
• Children's books self initiated, she writes and illustrates as she has the ideas then later finds publishers
• Get a good bodyof drawings of an animal/character to understand how they move then can draw in other positions
• Layout paper
• Good brushes
• Easier to sell to clients stories they already know e.g new version of a fairytale, then original
•  stories

Look into: the illustration cupboard (website). The Impey Colllection,British library. Giovanna Garzoni

Helen Ward's work is beautiful and I greatly admire the fact that she doesn't use technology, everything is hand drawn. I prefer producing work by hand an it is good to know that it is possible to have a career this way. I would also like to write and produce my own work and then present the roughs to publishers rather than working to commision or working with writers but think I would have to establish myself as an illustrator first.

Jenny Bowers                                                                                                 22.1.15

http://peepshow.org.uk/illustration.php#JennyBowers

Graphic bright colourful geometric patterns shops window displays promotional materials editorial

Flag pattern
Afternoon Tea, Japan

• Part of the Peepshow Collective studio in London
• Being part of a collective is security as more jobs, group projects; they made an animation for Diesel
• Get printed stuff to show people, send round to clients
• Continually have exhibitions: such as in advertising agency they like to have work in lobby can do so for free. Installations; commissioned and with given budget
• Getting work seen is key, individual profiles on website and group work too keep up to date
• Collective positives: outside of usual practice work together to do something different. 
•                                   Working to same brief pooling resources, sharing contacts, sharing costs
•                                    Design agency has more appeal not just one persons individual style can adapt to different jobs.
• Jenny Bowers has an agent in America more widespread work but has to adjust for time difference.
• Self initiated projects lead to commisions don't turn down jobs need skills for everything and anything
• NEVER sign away copyright! Can sign away for a period of time (in contract) not perpetuity.
• Never put anything you don't personally like on the site.

Places to look into:

Peepshow Collective. Human Empire- Berlin. Big picture Press.

After Jenny Bowers talk I can see the benefits of forming a collective and that it would help you to get more work and start making a living solely on illustration as you get more jobs as a collective.


Illustration Symposium                                                                                           18.10.14

Will Morris

There were three speakers at the Illustration Symposium Will Morris, Ben Newman and Nick White. 

I especially liked Will Morris's inky style and all the markmaking he uses in the backgrounds with more solid inking over the top.

He is a comic book artist and is going to attend the Thought Bubble- alternative press fair later this year in Leeds.  

He gave advice and insight into his practice, he tries to aim at producing a page a day on commission which is around £100-£150 per page. When planning his layouts he creates his page around a 'significant moment' which will take centre stage and the other work fits around it.

You have to be efficient with your time when on commission and must do all experimenting with your techniques and style in your own time.

His work appeals to me and I would like to know more about his techniques so I will attempt to contact him for some work experience.

Nick White and Ben Newman's work didn't appeal to me as much but Nick White gave the advice of 'only give your clients the roughs and drafts that you are happy working up, otherwise you know they'll pick the one you don't like'.