- During the next few days and weeks, I will continue to work on my web-site and set up my on-line shop, ensuring that I produce quality merchandise in sufficient quantities. I will be producing new material in different mediums to post too.
- I will contact publishers who have requested pdf portfolios at the London Book Fair 2013, ensuring that they are sent correctly and efficiently.
- I will complete my Nikahrat book, making sure that it is both completed to a high standard and correctly printed in a professional manner. I will then pursue my contacts to see if they are interested in seeing the completed version, as much interest was expressed at the London Book Fair.
- I will produce more stock for exhibition and sale at MCM Expo and 2013 ELCAF where I will have stalls.
- I will attend an interview with the Principal of the RSA Academy, Tipton, where I have already had in depth conversations with the Director of Arts, Humanities, Sports and Leisure and the Art Advanced Skills Teacher. My forthcoming interview is related to the school’s interest in giving me a bursary to be the Art Intern during the academic year 2013-2014. In this role, I would prepare materials, work in classroom situations to support staff and work with smaller groups of sixth form students to assist them with their International Baccalaureate studies in Art and to help with BTec Art courses. I will also be required to do tutorials with students and lead short seminars on practice. My assistance will be required to produce display for around the school and assist with school productions.
- I have had recent confirmation that I have been invited to do approximately 25 hours of paid examination invigilation at the RSA this spring/summer
- I will contact the editor of the local independently published Villager magazine, Kingswinford, with a circulation of over 10,000 copies, to discuss with her the possibility of me producing art work for the magazine. I will also enquire about me placing an advertisement in the magazine to show case my work.
- I will continue to look at suitable PGCE courses for 2014-15 for teaching secondary Art. I am aware of course and entry requirements and will be making a UCAS application when the window opens, ensuring that I have successfully completed my Skills Tests prior to interview.
Wednesday 24 April 2013
Next steps for the future...
LOG LIST...
This is a general log of all the people I have contacted spoken to and sent work two over this project.
Who? The Cat's Whiskers, Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham.
What? Village gift and trinket shop.
Action? Enquired about if they stock work done by local artists.
Reaction? They said that they did but were put off about the fact I will not be living in Cheltenham after July.
Left them with... A business card.
Reaction? They were very grateful for it and wished me the best of luck.
February 20th
Who? The Cat's Whiskers, Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham.
What? Village gift and trinket shop.
Action? Enquired about if they stock work done by local artists.
Reaction? They said that they did but were put off about the fact I will not be living in Cheltenham after July.
Left them with... A business card.
Reaction? They were very grateful for it and wished me the best of luck.
March 30th
Who? The Potting Shed, Kingswinford.
What? Gift and trinket shop.
Action? Enquired about the possibility of selling any work in the shop. Took example of cards and plushies.
Reaction? Very interested, especially in the cards. However, told that the shop is in financial trouble with a risk of closing so they didn't want to risk any investments until financial security was in sight.
Left them with... sample of greetings card and plushie.
Reaction? Very grateful and a promise to keep in contact being as I will be living locally after July 2013.
April 8th
Who? The RSA Academy, Tipton, West Midlands.
What? Secondary school and sixth form.
Action? Volunteering work to help the Art Department curate a student exhibition. Meeting with Acting Principal afterwards to discuss an internship.
Reaction? Positive feedback concerning my efforts to set up the exhibition. Many students also asked for extra help with their work which I gave where possible.
Left them with... Contact details.
Reaction? Currently in discussion concerning a possible paid internship as an art technician after I have graduated.
April 14th
Who? The Court Hotel, Earls Court, London
What? Hotel
Action? My profession came up in conversation with the manager.
Reaction? He seemed very interested and began to talk about possibilities for advertisements, art in the hotel.
Left them with... Business card.
Reaction? Taken kindly.
April 15th
Who? The Puppet Company.
What? Company specialising in making puppets for educational use.
Action? Introduced myself and what i am interested in.
Reaction? Interested in my ideas and passion but told that they have in-house puppet designers.
Left them with... Bertie plushie.
Reaction? Taken very positively.
Who? Ghostly Publishing.
What? Publishing company specialising in teen fantasy and sic-fi narratives.
Action? Took my business card and explained as to what illustrations I specialise in.
Reaction? Seemed very interested.
Left them with... Two appropriately themed business cards.
Reaction? Taken thankfully but asked to write down my e-mail address.
Who? Ivy Group.
What? Book publishers of all sorts of categories.
Action? Asked to speak with an Art Director.
Reaction? Told there was not one available but given contact details and instructions to send a PDF portfolio.
Left them with... Business card.
Reaction? Taken thankfully.
Who? Egmont UK.
What? Book publisher specialised in brand books for children and apps.
Action? Asked to speak with an art director.
Reaction? Told one was not available but given details to contact and send a PDF portfolio to the appropriate person.
Left them with... Business card.
Reaction? Taken thankfully and commented on such "cute little characters".
April 16th
Who? Templar Publishing
What? Book publisher specialising in children and teen with some gift and object books.
Action? Arranged an appointment to speak with the Art Director.
Reaction? Really impressed with my portfolio, really interested in The Nikahrat, could see me doing work in more editorial illustration and working on my own narratives. Suggested I begin to look for an agent.
Left them with... The Nikahrat.
Reaction? Very grateful and made comments on taking it back to show the 'head office team'.
Who? Marvel Comics
What? Comic book company.
Action? Arranged an appointment to speak with the Art Director.
Reaction? Very interested in my line work skills and themes. Unfortunately, they couldn't offer me any work but they directed me to Knockabout Comics.
Left them with... Business card.
Reaction? Very thankful and wished me the best of luck.
Who? Knockabout Comics
What? Comic book company.
Action? Arranged an appointment to speak with the Art Director.
Reaction? Very impressed with original narratives and clever writing. Commented on my strong gothic influence coming through my line work pieces but unfortunately couldn't offer me anything. Referred me to Blank Slate Comics and also suggested seeking an agent.
Left them with... Bertie Plushie.
Reaction? Very surprised and thankful with comments referring to giving it to partner as a present. Also wished me the best of luck at Blank Slate.
April 17th
Who? Orion Books
What? Book publisher.
Action? Arranged an appointment to speak with the Art Director.
Reaction? Commented on strong style and interesting narrative themes. Suggested I move towards editorial illustration and seek an agent.
Left them with... Business card.
Reaction? Taken thankfully.
Who? Andersen Press.
What? Children's book publisher.
Action? Asked to speak with an art director.
Reaction? Told there wasn't one available but directed to go the right person to send a PDF portfolio to.
Left them with... Business card.
Reaction? Taken Thankfully.
Who? Summersdale Publishing.
What? Book publisher.
Action? Spoke with staff to enquire about speaking to an art director.
Reaction? No one available but given contact details and instructions to send a PDF portfolio.
Left them with... Business card.
Reaction? Taken thankfully with comments about nice design.
Who? Walker Books.
What? Children's book publisher.
Action? Asked to speak with an art director.
Reaction? Told no one was available but directed to the right person to e-mail.
Left them with... Business card.
Reaction? Taken thankfully but asked to write down e-mail address.
Who? Indepenpress Press Ltd.
What? Independent book publishers.
Action? Asked to speak with art director.
Reaction? Told one was not available but another member of the stall team sat down to look at my portfolio. Told it wasn't really what they specialise in but they were interested in my narratives.
Left them with... Last 'Moxley'.
Reaction? Taken thankfully and comments were made on the writing style and the illustrations complimenting the theme.
Who? Self Made Heroes.
What? Comic publisher.
Action? Asked to speak with art director.
Reaction? Told one was not available but the team member sat and looked through my zines and commented on the originality but suggested I create a more resolved collection of works into an anthology.
Left them with... Business card and last 'King'.
Reaction? Taken thankfully and wished me the best of luck.
Who? Distributers for Flanders.
What? Distributer of German and Scandinavian publishers.
Action? Asked to speak with an Art Director.
Reaction? Told there was not one available as they were only a "middle man" but I was given a contact list of all the publishers they worked for.
Left them with... Business card.
Reaction? Appreciated but refused as the team member thought there would be no use to them.
EVALUATION: London Book Fair 2013
I arrived in London on the Sunday night so I could be at the venue early to set up and organise the stall to the best aesthetically positive appearance. With the help of Benedict on Monday and Wednesday morning, we were able to set up the stall and wait for the students who I was expecting to arrive for the first two hour time slot (09:00-11:00 am).
In terms of last minute clarifications, I used the Facebook group I had set up specifically for the task of contacting students about the Book Fair. People seemed to be online a lot more around the date of the Book Fair for one reason or another and this worked to my advantage as they checked Facebook regularly so I didn't have to wait too long to have several replies and confirmations.
Portfolio: I was really pleased with how my portfolio turned out and how well it represented my talents and skills. The overall feedback was positive, with many people commenting on the fact that they believed I had a good skill and very good execution of thoughts and style when concerning characters and line work. A lot of people commented on my material sample I had printed too and wanted to feel it.
Website: The website was live but as far as I know, no one looked at it while I was at the Book Fair.
Twitter: I used my official twitter account to comment and tag the London Book Fair Team about what my thoughts were on the whole experience. On Wednesday, after sitting in on some very interesting Egmont Publishing talks and releases, I commented on how good they were. Not long later, the book Fair team retweeted my comment and replied.
It doesn't sound like much of a triumph, but it got me exposed to a very large range of people.
 |
| Screen shot from my Twitter page. |
Business cards: The business cards did very well! There were some nice comments about the work I had used and the sleekness of the layout. I did have some people question where my e-mail was and this has now lead me to rethink the next time I have any printed. No bad comments were made however and only one book distributor refused to take one.
Moxley: All copies went on Monday. Each one received a surprised, pleased reaction to the fact it was free and people stood and read it to the end, commenting on how the illustrations were simple but did the poem justice.
King: All copies went on Monday. I wasn't around unfortunately to see them go.
Bertie: Received very well! Took six and came back with two. People who I gave them too were very shocked and took them gladly, even if they hadn't read the limerick. After they had I got the impression that they understood the character and the presentation more.
Earrings: Only able to make two pairs due to time and resources. I wore one pair and left the other pair on the table for promotional giveaway. Luckily, I was at the stall when they went. I was able to talk to the woman and she commented on how interesting they were and asked if I were selling any more on a online shop. When I said I was planning to but didn't have a shop yet she asked to let her know when I did set up a shop and we swapped contact information.
Bags: Bags all went but I was never around to see them go. From this I can only conclude that they were successful.
Tuesday 23 April 2013
PLAN: Getting ready for The London Book Fair 2013...
Voluntary organisation of the Pittville press stall-
With a month in advance, I have volunteered to be the main student presence at the Pittville Press stand. To help out members of staff and organise other students attending, it is my duty to set up a rota to make sure all students attending experience being on the stall and interacting with the public and potential clients. This is a challenging task as it is difficult to contact a group of people all at once and try allow them all free choice about what they can do. Of course, it is the individual's right to not volunteer to assist or to turn up, however it is my responsibility to remind people if they have promised to help and have others willing to help incase anyone doesn't show.
It would be unprofessional to leave a stall empty and most certainly loses custom!
After finding out key times of opening/closing and specific illustration talks, I have devised a timetable for the three days. As the stall is quite small in size, no more than 2 students/tutors can be minding the stall at once. Everyone is trying to act professional and mature and a group of students usually leads to gossip and chatter, putting off some of the more professional businessmen.
Each time slot is 2 hours long except for one on Wednesday afternoon which is 60 minutes before a publishers talk starts. Two hours sounds like a long time but if the stall is busy and there are lots of people to interact and talk to, this goes quickly. It also gives people minding the shifts before or after enough to time speak with other stalls or publishers or relax for lunch/ exploring.
Business cards-
I ended up designing six variations of business cards. This allows me to give out very specific one to the right potential clients. Also, it maximises my opportunities concerning a wider exposure.
I have full colour, minimal colour, characters, line work, cuter themes and darker themes. I also have one directed at The Nikahrat. Making things more interesting, I have a mixture of portrait and landscape orientated cards too.
I have left the back of the card blank to leave space for writing extra information. It also makes my logo sticker stand out better. I took inspiration from a tutor when designing these business cards when choosing to have a single-sided or double-sided card. I decided to go with single-sided because if someone like the image on the business card, they are going to most likely keep it in a place where that is visible. Having the website on the same side makes it easier for the view to remember or type into a search bar.
With many phones and other devices easily accessing the internet, I have only given my website address because all other contact information is on my website.
Bertie plushie-
I created an odd but sweet looking character called Bertie. Her story is in the form of a limerick that is printed on her attached tag.
The limerick twists to an odd perspective at the end and this distorts the sweetness of the character once the audience knows more about her. She is a small, compact size and in terms of packing for display, her tag, though large in size compared to her, fits nicely behind.
I also have my logo and website on her back.
Books and zines-
I have had some printing troubles with making my books and zines so I do not have a large amount. I still have some as example pieces to showcase what I can achieve.
EXTRAS-
Earrings= made with inkjet shrink paper.A very nice thought! I will see what reaction they receive and I may consider making more in the future.
Bags= Always useful things to have! Clever way of advertising to passing people too.
With a month in advance, I have volunteered to be the main student presence at the Pittville Press stand. To help out members of staff and organise other students attending, it is my duty to set up a rota to make sure all students attending experience being on the stall and interacting with the public and potential clients. This is a challenging task as it is difficult to contact a group of people all at once and try allow them all free choice about what they can do. Of course, it is the individual's right to not volunteer to assist or to turn up, however it is my responsibility to remind people if they have promised to help and have others willing to help incase anyone doesn't show.
It would be unprofessional to leave a stall empty and most certainly loses custom!
After finding out key times of opening/closing and specific illustration talks, I have devised a timetable for the three days. As the stall is quite small in size, no more than 2 students/tutors can be minding the stall at once. Everyone is trying to act professional and mature and a group of students usually leads to gossip and chatter, putting off some of the more professional businessmen.
Each time slot is 2 hours long except for one on Wednesday afternoon which is 60 minutes before a publishers talk starts. Two hours sounds like a long time but if the stall is busy and there are lots of people to interact and talk to, this goes quickly. It also gives people minding the shifts before or after enough to time speak with other stalls or publishers or relax for lunch/ exploring.
Business cards-
I ended up designing six variations of business cards. This allows me to give out very specific one to the right potential clients. Also, it maximises my opportunities concerning a wider exposure.
I have full colour, minimal colour, characters, line work, cuter themes and darker themes. I also have one directed at The Nikahrat. Making things more interesting, I have a mixture of portrait and landscape orientated cards too.
I have left the back of the card blank to leave space for writing extra information. It also makes my logo sticker stand out better. I took inspiration from a tutor when designing these business cards when choosing to have a single-sided or double-sided card. I decided to go with single-sided because if someone like the image on the business card, they are going to most likely keep it in a place where that is visible. Having the website on the same side makes it easier for the view to remember or type into a search bar.
With many phones and other devices easily accessing the internet, I have only given my website address because all other contact information is on my website.
Bertie plushie-
I created an odd but sweet looking character called Bertie. Her story is in the form of a limerick that is printed on her attached tag.
The limerick twists to an odd perspective at the end and this distorts the sweetness of the character once the audience knows more about her. She is a small, compact size and in terms of packing for display, her tag, though large in size compared to her, fits nicely behind.
I also have my logo and website on her back.
Books and zines-
I have had some printing troubles with making my books and zines so I do not have a large amount. I still have some as example pieces to showcase what I can achieve.
THE NIKAHRAT
MOXLEY
KING
Earrings= made with inkjet shrink paper.A very nice thought! I will see what reaction they receive and I may consider making more in the future.
Bags= Always useful things to have! Clever way of advertising to passing people too.
PLAN: Promotional material...
Preview of 'The Nikahrat'.
I have the first 15 pages complete to go towards my FMP narrative project. I would like to make a small number of books to take around the London Book Fair mainly to show art directors. This is to promote my original work but also to test its potential popularity. I could meet a publisher willing to consider the book once it s finished if the preview attracts them enough.
'Moxley' zine.
The poem of 'Moxley' was first created by me back in November 2012. I attempted to make screen printed copies using white ink on black paper. Although this was a very good idea and forced me to work in a personally unconventional way, I didn't get the desired results.
This time, I aim to digitally print the zine, giving the black and white contrast a stronger effect. I would like to see how the zine would work on a smaller scale too. Making 'pocket-sized' books is always a sweet idea, bringing the content down to a more personal level.
Copies of 'Moxley will be handed out to publishers who seek original works but don't have an Art Director available to speak to me.
'King' zine.
Inspired by Jamie Mills' "Wake", this is a concertina strip of paper, with the poem and illustrations looping around the corners. "King" is a much more stylised and specifically themed original poem and would not be suitable to give out to lots of publishers. Therefore, these will go on the Pittville Press stand for people to take if it attracts them.
Plushie.
Small plushies seem to be very popular both to make and to be bought. They are also a fantastic way of exposing characters. Using an original short piece of writing, I intend to create a character that would work well in plushie form.
This, I am predicting, will have a warmer welcome and attract a wider audience as any character translated into plush form instantly becomes 'cuter'.
Business cards.
Business cards are very important! They are a quick source of exchanging contacts with potential clients and also a great way to expose samples of your skills in illustration. A person will pick up a business card if they like the layout and the image, so I need to make my cards interesting and clean looking.
Stickers.
For this particular purpose, I want a bulk of stickers made purely for my illustration/brand logo. It's a nice touch to pieces, like a signature. Hopefully over time, this logo will be recognised and people will be able to tell that it is my work, even if the styles are different.
RESEARCH: Promotional material...
CASE STUDY 1: Chris Haughton
The main message that Chris Haughton tries to convey with his products is his strong beliefs in fair trade and the environment. Alongside images of products on his shop, Chris also includes images of the women who work at a home and charity where his products are made under environment and fair trade guides.
The addition of extra information found on Chris' blog emphasises the importance of his continuous involvement. Here, he documents visits he embarks upon to Nepal to visit the charity and view the amazing products being made by hand.
Following this pledge to be hand made, organic and fair trade, Chris' products reflect their designer's aims through the use of natural plant dye, renewably sourced raw materials and hand-printed methods.
CASE STUDY 2: Donna Wilson
The main message that Chris Haughton tries to convey with his products is his strong beliefs in fair trade and the environment. Alongside images of products on his shop, Chris also includes images of the women who work at a home and charity where his products are made under environment and fair trade guides.
The addition of extra information found on Chris' blog emphasises the importance of his continuous involvement. Here, he documents visits he embarks upon to Nepal to visit the charity and view the amazing products being made by hand.
Following this pledge to be hand made, organic and fair trade, Chris' products reflect their designer's aims through the use of natural plant dye, renewably sourced raw materials and hand-printed methods.
 |
| 'A Bit Lost' handmade plushie. |
 |
| Detailed shots of packaging showing item description plus statement expressing the company's values and mission. |
 |
| Item description on shop describing the bag's features and production information. |
 |
| Item description on shop showing the production information of these hand-printed lamps. |
 |
| Photo accompanying the 'A Bit Lost' plushie showing one of the female workers following a pattern. The use of clean, light working space and good quality technology show the potential buyer what their money does to help a just cause. |
CASE STUDY 2: Donna Wilson
Donna is a fantastic case study to look towards in terms of producing fresh ideas on a regular basis and general product entrepreneurship.
Her website is a hosting site for the many products she creates, with her designs stretching from glasswares to her odd characters, first made by hand from reclaimed clothes.
It's good to see that Donna has been successful in creating a living solely from products. She found a niche market at the right time and used rising popularity in illustrated objects and modern kitsch to her style of art's advantage.
Running like a proper business now, Donna's site has a range of overlapping categories. All products fit into an object category, yet there are "£25 and under", "Matching Sets" and "New Product" categories too. This is good for reaching a wider audience with a mixed number of needs and desires.
Her website is a hosting site for the many products she creates, with her designs stretching from glasswares to her odd characters, first made by hand from reclaimed clothes.
It's good to see that Donna has been successful in creating a living solely from products. She found a niche market at the right time and used rising popularity in illustrated objects and modern kitsch to her style of art's advantage.
Running like a proper business now, Donna's site has a range of overlapping categories. All products fit into an object category, yet there are "£25 and under", "Matching Sets" and "New Product" categories too. This is good for reaching a wider audience with a mixed number of needs and desires.
 |
| Shop front. |
 |
| Most interesting item that Donna sells. (Personal opinion) |
 |
| Most engaging/appealing plushie character Donna designs. (Personal opinion). |
 |
| Page for £25 and under. |
 |
| Page for new items. |
CASE STUDY 3: Jamie Mills
In my opinion, Jamie has been a respected illustrator since he was in his final year of the Illustration course and I was in my first year. I admired the small books he produced and the consistency in his fine, detailed style throughout his work. Now, I can admire his products. Although creation of new products seems to be slow, there is a constant stock and he usually isn't caught out of selling out at shows. This shows good practice and business skills.
The particular zine "Wake" interests me because of it's length and concertina layout. I also really like the idea of the story looping round onto the back of the paper. Use of a clip and a extra tab of paper to act as a closing bind makes the zine lie flat and in shape. The clean design compliments the graphic, almost Scandinavian looking illustrations. The use of a different colour paper is a nice touch too. If done on white, the zine would not have appeared in such a professional manner.
In my opinion, Jamie has been a respected illustrator since he was in his final year of the Illustration course and I was in my first year. I admired the small books he produced and the consistency in his fine, detailed style throughout his work. Now, I can admire his products. Although creation of new products seems to be slow, there is a constant stock and he usually isn't caught out of selling out at shows. This shows good practice and business skills.
The particular zine "Wake" interests me because of it's length and concertina layout. I also really like the idea of the story looping round onto the back of the paper. Use of a clip and a extra tab of paper to act as a closing bind makes the zine lie flat and in shape. The clean design compliments the graphic, almost Scandinavian looking illustrations. The use of a different colour paper is a nice touch too. If done on white, the zine would not have appeared in such a professional manner.
 |
| Etsy shop front. |
 |
| Photos, description and price of Jamie's zine "Wake". |
PLAN: Website...
From these case studies, I have drawn up a plan which I intend to follow when creating each section of my page.
Start page:
Logo in the centre of the screen. This is then a link to the home page.
Home page:
Navigation titles along the top. Link buttons to Facebook and Tumblr blog down the left-hand side. The home page will consist of my about me section, with a drawn self portrait and a Twitter App.
The Twitter app will allow people to view my social media activity, allow potential clients to follow me and also allow them to Tweet me directly from the app.
Gallery:
The gallery will be split into four categories, Pen and Ink, Paint and Pencil, Textiles and Sketchbook. Each button will then direct the viewer to a 'SimpleView' gallery show containing the appropriate content.
Contact:
The contacts section will include my e-mail address and links to my Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter.
Collaborations:
I thought it would be important to have this page as I am involved in a couple of collectives.
Shop:
This will be a link to an external site once I have set up an online shop.
For now, it will just be a page saying "the shop is coming soon".
Start page:
Logo in the centre of the screen. This is then a link to the home page.
Home page:
Navigation titles along the top. Link buttons to Facebook and Tumblr blog down the left-hand side. The home page will consist of my about me section, with a drawn self portrait and a Twitter App.
The Twitter app will allow people to view my social media activity, allow potential clients to follow me and also allow them to Tweet me directly from the app.
Gallery:
The gallery will be split into four categories, Pen and Ink, Paint and Pencil, Textiles and Sketchbook. Each button will then direct the viewer to a 'SimpleView' gallery show containing the appropriate content.
Contact:
The contacts section will include my e-mail address and links to my Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter.
Collaborations:
I thought it would be important to have this page as I am involved in a couple of collectives.
Shop:
This will be a link to an external site once I have set up an online shop.
For now, it will just be a page saying "the shop is coming soon".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)