Had a real good chat with Ben in my progress tutorial. They're always spot on to be honest, i always leave heading in a positive direction with plenty to think about and importantly, DO!
Main points:
• Final Major Project
This got the green light (from Patrick aswell) so it's all systems GO with "OrnitholoSEE : The Canadian edition". Had still been umming and ahhring about whether to pursue this or try and fuse my love of masks and pop culture - but i haven't been able to really find a real concept behind that one beyond the fact that i love drawing masks and 80's stuff. I wouldn't be sure where these creations would exist in the world. Plus, with all the mask designing i did for my LuchaGods project it might be good to have a go at something else for a bit?
With OrnitholoSEE there is a clear foundation and plenty of platforms where the finished article and proposed product range could exist. There is also a narrative (between me and my dad) that i could include, to make it more of a story book - but at this point, it's purely about the birds.
•Sketchbook
I had a look through Bens sketchbook before our meeting and he suggested; that even though you might be doing a certain type of work for a client, that might not reflect what you typically like to make as a practitioner, its a good to have a sketch book going and fill it with the things you enjoy doing, purely for yourself - to show that there is another side to your practice beyond the client set briefs. Which is a great point, and something that I'll have to do with my mask doodles for the time being.
He used Jeffery Fisher's Birds series as an example of someone who just went a drew lots of birds with no real concept.
• WEBSITE!!
Sorting/Launching my website asap is essential. Once that's done i can start mailing the companies on my contact list.
• Avoid agencies for the moment
I had been thinking of joining the AOI in april, and i had a few agencies on my hit list - but Ben Cox from illustration agency CIA will be visiting so should talk to him then about my work. But Ben thinks i'd be suited to the freelance way of life and my work is at the point where i can push on to find clients, with confidence.
• Mail outs
Once my site is launched i should mail people every 3 months, to ask them to check out my work, and include some sample jpgs of my work.
• Don't send postcards to people.
Contrary to what we'd been advised by John & Patrick; even though making contact with someone with a postcard sized bit of art gives a personal touch , art directors get sent so many that they have to chuck hundreds of them out. So whether any of my postcards would even be received by anyone is debatable. So emails are the way to go after all it seems.
• Risogrpahs
Consider sending people Risograph prints, and B-size prints. I explained my frustrations with the screen printing process of late, and riso printing could be the savior - as i enjoy the preparation and design process that's involved with screen printing (its pretty much how i base all my work now) just not so much the long hours put in getting poor results. The theory of Riso printing is more or less the same, but without the mess - not that id be physically making them myself this time. Price-wise, the Riso option is a whole lot more affordable aswell.
• Consider Editorial work
Something that's never really entered my mind - doing illustrations for editorial pieces?! Ben pointed out that a lot of my compositions would work really well as spot drawings for papers/magazines and that my character work could be used to good effect. Portraiture of celebs and political figures sounds pretty appealing the more i think about it - i just worry that i couldn't come with an effective concept relating to each article quickly enough! But I've looked into the Gerry Brakus New Statesman brief since then and am thinking about giving it a crack. I'll definitely be going to the talk with her, just so i can see the examples of work that has graced the pages of the New Statesman and to find out what it takes to get your work in inside it.
• Physical Portfolio
We had a quick talk about what sort of portfolio to use for my physical examples of work. The majority of people i saw at the end of year show last yeat had PRAT folios, a snip at £80 apprently - but Ben said he uses an archival box with Krystal sleeves. This allows clients/art directors to look through his work in any order they like, and put the bits they like most to one side, and look at it some more. It's an idea i really like, and something different from the normal spiral folder setup.It's also a good item to cutsomise with a bit of branding! So i'll be looking into that - although I'm not sure if we're expected to all have the PRAT binders, as of past end of year shows?Hope not.
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