Session 2

Session two was another recap on a session from a similar time last year, but more in depth and to see if our understanding had developed. We had to identify different areas within the illustrative practice and separate each area into product, context and function. It was useful to see how (and if...) our opinions had changed, as we should know more about illustration than we did this time last year.

If we don't know what illustration is, how can we expect to be successful illustrators? We have to know where our work will exist and where what sort of jobs we will be looking at when we graduate. Context was weirdly hard to list; we realised that "context" itself is a very broad term and could be sub-divided into physical context, conceptual context, disciplinary context etc. 

Product = what

Context - where

Function = why

Drawing = process

Image making = visual language

Illustration = communication

A brief = a problem we are there to solve.

Worries for when we graduate...

• Not getting work
• Being exploited/not getting paid properly
• Style/development stuck in a rut
• People stealing your work (copyright issues)
• Not enjoying the work any more

A nice quote: "Creative people answer questions with another question."

Big Heads - Kyle Webster

I found Kyle Websters skype lecture quite interesting; it wasn't what I was originally expecting. He is as much of a businessman as an illustrator, as he has combined his creative skills with entrepreneurship to create his Photoshop digital brushes, which are massively popular and have made his name huge. 

I also found how he doesn't work with one particular style for all of his commissions quite interesting. He explained it as "whatever the client asks for, I can do", which is really different from what all of the other Big Heads have said. It depends what you want to gain out of being an 'illustrator' and whether you care about the money loads (you do have to make some sort of living), but he is definitely a good example of how you can use your talent in different ways and really make a profession/business out of it. 

I didn't really like Websters work that much; he is very talented, but I like work with more texture or intricacy than what he creates. 

Points to take away:

• Digital brushes won't make your work instantly amazing; you need to be able to draw first.
• Learning to sculpt can be a good way of really understanding the anatomy of a subject you are trying to draw.
• Have a nice space to work in.
• A business idea can be great, so do it!

Study Task 1

5 things I have learned so far on the programme:

• That I need to start appreciating my own work  and identifying my strengths to develop any further.
• You can never do too much experimentation.
• It is good to research from books, magazines and galleries and not just use the internet.
• It is also good to keep up with contemporary illustration work to get a good understanding of the profession and current demand (where my work could fit into the industry).
• That planning my time and actually sticking to that plan is very important. 

5 things I want to know more about:

• How to get interesting textures into my work using analogue methods (e.g. screenprinting without a flat colour outcome).
• How to market my work well after graduation and not be ripped off. 
• How to  eventually work for myself and actually make some money.
• About graduation schemes and internships.
• About more editorial opportunities.

5 strengths:

• Colour schemes 
• Line quality
• Optimism!
• Diversity in the media I use; will try anything.
• Sociable (good at making valuable contacts?)

5 things I want to improve on:

• Get better at managing my time!
• Get better at composition and frame, to add depth.
• Get better at using texture within my work.
• Confidence within my work
• To get more involved in external projects e.g. commissions for friends and competitions. 

5 Websites/Online Sources that demonstrate my areas of interest within the creative industries:

• itsnicethat.com
• thisiscolossal.com
• theaoi.com
• nousvous.eu
• nobrow.net

Lynnie Zulu - I love the way she uses bold shapes and colours to create her fashion prints! Shape is something I want to get better at working with so she is a good person to refer to for inspiration.

Drew Millward - amazing screenprints and how he manages to get so much detail into each colour seperation (something I also want to get better at).

Matt Forsythe - Can adapt his style to fit whatever he is working on but retain enough for people to know its his. I also love the textures and magical worlds and stories he creates. 

Quentin Blake - childhood idol! His characters are just the best ever. 

Laura Callaghan - love her colour schemes, how she uses pattern, the badass characters AND the watercolour textures.