The outline of this blog is to help me produce a strategy for the promotion of my work to the outside world, and to hopefully clarify my aims and ambitions within the world of art…
My
name is Lauren (Lo) and I am an artist/illustrator/photographer/writer
in training. As yet, I feel I do not have a distinctive style or preferred medium,
and I am not sure whether that it as good or bad thing… I try to focus on
creating atmospheric pieces that use various line, texture and perspective with
a diverse collection of media. My aim is to create interesting, inviting and
individual pieces of art…
A
huge inspiration to me has been the works of Mervyn Peake, an Illustrator,
Writer, Poet and Painter. It was while reading Titus Groan that I really
appreciated the different approaches to writing/illustrating work, and I loved
his style of writing which was very descriptive, and the original and quirky
world and characters he created.
In
an ideal world I would love to get work as an Author/Illustrator, while still
have the opportunity to exhibit more of my paintings/photographs independently…
NOTES:
I
have decided to create a kind of brand for myself: Lo Illustration. It stemmed
from the way I sign my paintings and means I can create a logo and online
persona that I will be able to use over all media, and gives a slight separation
from my everyday self- Lo is how I promote myself as a business…
LOGO and WEBSITE TITLE:
Stamp cut from rubber
It
is a way of unifying all my online presence, for example my website, twitter and
facebook are all Lo_Illustration and it is also what I will put on my business
cards, postcards and stickers as a way of marketing/promoting my ‘brand’.
ARTIST
RESEARCH: (PROMOTION)
How
do Artists promote themselves…? So far I am finding it hard to find really
specific notes on how particular illustrators promote themselves; it seems like
a lot of hard work, contacts, perseverance and luck!! I have found some
interesting links to interviews with a couple of illustrators that I discovered
while reading ‘Children’s Picturebooks-
The art of visual storytelling’ by Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles, Marta
Altes, Katje Vermeire and Wolf Erlbruch…
an interview with wolf erlbruch...
One
piece of advice I have found while I was looking for any interviews with Armin
Greder, was from an interview with Isabelle Wingham, who recently graduated,
which is not to rush to show your work to art directors or publishers, but to
work on it until you are happy it is the best you can produce…
Another
avenue I will have to look into more is entering competitions to get exposure
for your work, and also look into joining societies or clubs, which can be a
good way to gain contacts…
I
have previously had business cards made when I was part of a group exhibition a
few years ago, but my details needed to be updated. I had used Moo.com and had
been really happy with the quality of the outcomes that I decided to use them
again this time. I wanted postcards and stickers as well as the business cards
with a selection of the types of work and styles I do, all with Lo_Illustration
present and these are the outcomes…
BUSINESS CARD:
POSTCARDS:
STICKERS:
I
wanted another way of promoting myself, but with more of a handmade/crafty
feel, something that was more interactive. I have previously made mini books
out of matchboxes and thought that would fit nicely with the promotion of my
book…
A-Z GUIDE OF THE
SEVEN SEAS
I
felt that I could use the book to hold my CV in and a Business Card, and that
would be something I could send off to Publishers or Agents that may stand out
from the ordinary. It also meant I would have to look into creating a CV that
was more artist based, but have enough details ie. Work experience/ charity
fundraising etc and that for a full CV and References to email…
This
meant that I really had to have a number of illustrations including the front
cover of No.12 Sutherland Rd ready that I could incorporate this into the mini
book. Once I had done this, I had enough images to play around with, and had
made a decision on the process and medium that I wanted to use. From that I
made mini copies of all the illustrations that I could print out and use to
create the content of the matchbox. I created a new image as a background and
then played with the idea that this could be my CV, so it would have a mini
wordless narrative of the story with all my details overlaid…
First attempt of Artist CV
and Mini No.12 Sutherland Rd…
The
problem with this idea was the execution of each of these mini books, and
whether they would ultimately look messy and unprofessional, which obviously wouldn't give a good first impression, and that they were not big enough to hold any of
my postcards…
As
a promotional pack, it would be nice to use the collection of postcards like a
mini portfolio, therefore I needed a package that would fit these as well as a
CV, a business card and the stickers, while looking professional, but
interesting…
I
went on to the site EcoCraft and found some plain box envelopes that would be
just the right size to fit the postcards, but I would have to re-think the
design and CV to work better with this product.
For
the first design I covered the whole box with the image of the front cover of
my book, but I felt that may be too much, and the effect was lost when the book
was assembled. Because I
glued the image to the surface of the box, it warped slightly, and I am not
sure it looks particularly professional…
Next
I tried one with a single image of the front cover design on the back, with a
ribbon round to secure the lid, and an address label and logo (which I will
have stamped in black ink, instead of printed) I felt the front was a little
bare though so I need to reconsider…
Tried
with same image on front and back, better I think, but still not sure whether
this is the right design- still not that professional looking?! Bit amateurish?
REDESIGN
OF CV:
I
quite liked this design as it continues a style that I’d like my book to have,
but it isn't particularly easy to read. I wanted something that is different,
and not a boring plain example, but it will not be effective if it can’t easily
be read.
So
with that in mind I had to reconsider design. I purchased some really lovely
recycled thin card from EcoCraft when I got the envelopes because I wanted the
CV to feel more substantial and to compliment the feel of the boxes. It then occurred
to me that as a single sheet in a box it would be better if it was double
sided, and that as a major part of my promotion was my writing skills. So I
tried to combine the two, one side I would have a concise Artist CV and the other
side would have an example of my story…
Examples of
background- had to consider textures, tone and colour, and which one the text
would be clearer to read from…
FINAL
CV DESIGN:
PORTFOLIO:
The
next thing I had to consider was my portfolio, an online one (website) and a
hardcopy that I could easily carry everywhere (as another form of self-promotion).
With this in mind I decided to get an A4 black hard backed portfolio with removable
plastic wallets. This means it’s really easy to carry and handle and I can
easily adapt the contents to suit the occasion, and keeps all the work clean
and undamaged. Having a hardcopy of examples of work also show how well an
image prints which is particularly useful if your work would be put in print,
ie. Editorial, book illustrations etc
As
a portfolio, I wanted to make a sure that it can be a showcase of my work, and
the types of skills I have acquired. So I want it to be varied in the styles
that I can do, and to make sure I have examples of life drawing, colour work,
tonal, photography, painting, printing and narrative, but the best examples of
each. Do I put in an example of my writing?
Because
my main aim to begin with is to get representation from a literary agent (specialising
both writing and illustrating), I need to keep in mind pieces that would appeal
to them or that would work within a book form…
I
will also need to consider layout and presentation, what work will sit well
together, what will complement each other well and how it flows as you read it…
As I have decided on an A4 portfolio, my images will have to be printed on good
quality A4 printing paper.
The
first image I have chosen is an example of life-drawing; what I really love
about this piece is the use of line and mark-making, and shows basic drawing
ability and composition.
This
image is another example of life-drawing, probably my favourite (I sold this piece
recently) Love the composition and pose of this piece, and it again shows basic
drawing ability.
The
third image is an observational drawing in pen. Again I love the quality of
line and it shows a basic drawing and compositional, as well as tonal, ability.
The
fourth image is again an observational image in charcoal and watercolour
pencils. I wanted an example of animal/insect drawing to show that I can draw
more than just figures, as well as using colour and another medium…
This
is one of a series of illustrations in pen that I produced for an exhibition I did
a couple of years ago. I thought these were quite effective and showed a
different style of illustration that focused on line and tone.
These
next two are also from the same series and gave more examples of that style and
the scope for working with a pen and a simple cross-hatching process…
The
eighth and ninth images are a couple of my photographs- taken on a trip to
western-super-mare. I use photography in my work a lot, and it shows another
skill that I could work in.
These
next three images are from a series of illustrations that I produced based on
Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast books- I love the atmosphere and sense of space that
these give. It is another style and process that I use to produce images, using
layers and I think these are really interesting to look at…
The
thirteenth image is my olio piece, and another style of illustration, using pen
and ink and gouache. It is a more surreal piece and was a comment on the development
of the green-belt.
The
following two images are part of my current project and again are different in
approach. It uses a similar layering process as the Gormenghast pieces, but
with the introduction of more colour and figure. This is more of a children’s
book illustration, and gives another variation of style that I can produce.
The
sixteenth image is an example of my biro on canvas work that I was producing in
small series (sold one in the red riding hood series) so I thought this could
be quite a different style that has potential to be interesting…
The
seventeenth image is a screen-print that I produced as part of a book. It was
one of the better examples of my printing work, as well as showing the basic
drawing ability.
These
next two pieces are examples of my painting. I thought that it would be a good
idea to show various mediums and styles. These are two different ways that I use
acrylics.
The
twentieth image is ‘A wolf in sheep’s clothing’ and is another variation of my
line drawings- this with an element of humour and maybe character, but
simplified in approach.
The
next is another example of my painting and felt it showed a better colour
usage, and gives a more whimsical feel that could be used in children’s books specifically…
These
two are more examples of my photography. I think they show a good eye for
composition and detail, with a more graphic feel.
The
next two are more examples from my current work. They are specifically for a
children’s book and I think they have an interesting quality, are rather
stylised and more characterful than some…
This
piece is called ‘the ringmaster’ and shows another drawing style and type of
composition…
The
next piece is another photograph. I think this is an interesting image and
composition, with good light and tone.
The
last piece is another style of drawing in pen and ink. I thought the drawing
was quite strong, and it is an image you have to look closely at to understand
the message…
Having
put the portfolio together it does have a lot of variety and jumps from
different mediums and styles… I am not too sure if that is the best kind of
approach to a professional portfolio, so I am going to ask different opinions
and get some more advice.
Notes/lists of publishing
houses and literary agents…
I
have recently started writing short stories and illustrating them, and have
found I really enjoy writing. I would like to incorporate that in my work more.
For my FMP I have written and illustrated a children’s book so my first step
was to look at different publishing houses and the routes one should take to
get work in the publishing world, and the first step seems to be ‘get a
literary agent’.
After
researching various publishing houses, and the types of work they look for and
their submission process, most will not accept work from an unrepresented
Author/Illustrator, they deal only with agents…
There
are a lot of different Literary Agencies around who get hundreds of submissions
a week. So with this in mind I need to stand out- in a good way- from all the
rest… Individual agents have different tastes and can be looking for different
things, so I should contact the ones that may be more open to my style of work.
I need to look at their current list of Authors and Illustrators and the types
of work they are producing and whether my style would suit or bring variety… and
be prepared for rejections but keep going anyway…
On
their websites they have a lot of information on how they want to receive your
submission, most seem to prefer Email, and a couple only accept Emails. So
firstly they expect a covering letter, a synopsis, an example of your
manuscript (or the full manuscript if it is a short children’s book) an example
of the illustrations, a link to your online portfolio (if you are an Illustrator)
and your contact details… They will then contact you if they are interested in
seeing more.
As
I am looking to promote my first manuscript No.12 Sutherland Rd (my FMP) I
needed to have that to a point where I am happy with the first draft, and a
couple of good examples of the illustrations I want to accompany it with, and a
front cover design... along with a covering letter and up to date synopsis.
In
the meantime I will look at applying for work experience in any publishing houses;
most offer a couple of weeks in a department of your choice, though these tend
to be editing, marketing or publicity. Though it would still be good experience
if not directly what I would like to do.
I
have also been asked to do a joint exhibition with a local artist I know, in a
local gallery in Stroud. This will probably not be until Christmas time this
year or early next year, but that will give me plenty of time to create a small
collection of paintings/work for the space that we hire out. But it something
that I can start working on over the summer and another useful way to get my
work seen and potentially drum up interest in my website, as well as a reason
to produce posters and more promotional pieces specifically for that
exhibition.
I
also have some work up in a couple of businesses in Stroud and London. This is
a really great way to promote myself in the general public, and another place I
can have my postcards accessible to many types of people…
Examples of some of the
work…
WEBSITE:
Following
my original idea of ‘branding’ I bought the domain name loillustration.co.uk
and also used this for all my online presence ie. A facebook page and a twitter
page: Lo_Illustration, and I have linked all three…
I
had no experience of making websites so I decided to use weebly to help build
my website. I had created a logo and my website title, as well as a brief
introduction for my home page, as well as a couple of illustrations. There are
then links to three other pages, Portfolio, Projects, and Contact. My online
portfolio has all the images that I used in my physical portfolio as well as a
variety of others. They are split into drawing, painting and photography
sections, but gives a much broader idea of what types of work I can do…
As
a continuation of my ‘brand’ I have started using the same font that I used on
my website (IM FELL) for my CV and book, and the next time I rework my
promotional items I will use that font for those as well.
On
the ‘Projects’ page I decided to put up an exert of my current manuscript,
No.12 Sutherland Rd and an illustration of a couple of the characters, to try
and generate interest or anticipation as well as letting people know what I was
working on…I have the website address on my business cards, postcards, CV and
on my other online pages as well as using word of mouth to promote the website
itself. I will have to use the social media pages to promote any updates or
news to direct back to the website. When I exhibit new work I will use that
opportunity to promote the website, and have postcards and business cards with
the address on hand to pass out to anyone who wants them…
NEW
PORTFOLIO:
After
getting various opinions on my portfolio I have decided to rework it. I will
still use an A4 format as the work I hope to get is for publication and would
not likely be printed in a larger size so it gives a good idea of how the work
could/would look in print. My current portfolio is a ring binder with plastic
sleeves to display the work. The only problem with that is that the plastic shine
can distract from the work, and being restrained to the ring binder is more
restrictive and not as easy or flexible to view. I decided to look into other
options, and settled on a simple card folio in black to display my work, and
have reprinted my images on middleweight cartridge paper with a light textured
surface, which is much nicer to handle and has a better print quality.
I
have also reassessed what images I put in there and what kind of impression it
gives. Some of the images I originally put in there I will keep, like the life
drawings and the observational drawings, but I need to give a clearer idea of a
style or process that a client can expect. I will still keep my website as a
more general portfolio so there is still a variety of my work accessible…
The
first four images of my original portfolio remain the same, and in that order,
followed by my screen-print (no.17).
Next are the two photographs from Latvia (no.22/23) followed by a new
piece, an example of painting and is part of a series with the ‘man with wings’
(no.18) but the tonal versions of both…
Then
the next three are the Gormenghast pieces that I had in the first draft of the
portfolio (no.10/11/12) The next six are pieces from my publishing project last
year, and use a similar process to my current FMP and as a series work well
with the colour palette and use of space and tone as well as texture…
The
rest of the images are from my current FMP, some of which were in my original draft…
These give more of a strong indication of where I am at the moment in terms of
my visual language, and are more of the direction I see myself going…
Overall
the paper that it is printed on makes a huge difference to the feel and quality
of the work, and I think comes across more professionally than that of my original
one and I would feel happy taking this to the LBF. My only worry is that there
may be too many images to look through? I think you could flick through them
and still get a clear idea of my strengths and the type of work I produce.
Over
the last few months I have found it very hard to juggle multiple projects at
the same time. I find I focus on one at a time and get swept away with that
particular project and find it difficult to jump between… this is something I
am going to have to acknowledge and work on if I want to be professional and
complete work within deadlines. Time management and organisation are two areas
that I will have to be particularly strict with if I want to work
professionally and acquire a good working reputation…
I
found a good link from Nate Williams which gives some good advice on how to be
a professional Illustrator…
writers digest/guide-to-literary-agents/picture-book-agents
This
is a link to the writer’s digest website and a page with various articles about
literary agents, and advice from authors/illustrators. Definitely a really
helpful website to bookmark.
And
another article by the guardian with Emma Block…
‘What I've learnt so far: have a good
online presence, be nice to people, know your industry, don't just do what's
expected of you – work harder and do more, learnt to accept rejection, value
your work, be patient and love what you do.’
I came across this
blog as I was looking for literary agents, and having looked through it does
have some useful information, if not a little outdated now…
This link is to a
blog by Anna Goodson who is an artist rep and an agency owner. This was
actually quite helpful with portfolio tips (online and offline…) and has links
to other articles which are also relevant. After reading this I feel I may go
back and look at my website again… maybe less examples of work with a stronger
sense of my style and approach…
I have found this
module really helpful in making me focus on what my ambitions are for my work
and what direction I hope to see myself go after Uni. Through this process I
have learnt a lot on who I am as an Illustrator and how I am going to try and
get there. Originally I hadn’t really thought to look into getting
representation from an agency to get work as an author/illustrator and I had no
idea on how to get it either. Now I feel I have been better prepared for what I
will have to do and work on to get to a professional standard and to pursue a
career as an Illustrator. My main objectives at present are to get a manuscript
and a collection of illustrations, in a distinctive and accomplished style that
I would feel happy sending to agencies or art directors after I have completed
my degree. I will have to start a personal blog that I can link to my social
media pages as well as my website which will hopefully keep an ongoing update
of my work and projects.
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