Positioning Statement

In the space of a year, my work has progressed in ways I could never even have pictured. A few months ago I was unhappy with the quality of my work and lacking a strong tone of voice and direction within my practice. Even though we had been taught in depth about the various different sectors of the creative and illustration industry, I was unable to see where my strengths lay and my knowledge was not translating into any plans for the future. I was terrified of graduating and the industry that lay ahead of me.

PPP, Extended Practice and COP all pushed me in ways I didn't expect. COP taught me about the quality of good research and how it can contribute to the production of a considered and communicative piece of illustration. PPP helped show me where my interests lie, and how I can harness these interests into creating work that is interesting and eye-catching. Research and an awareness of typography is continuing to grow, broadening my skillset and opening up other career opportunities that wouldn't be available otherwise. Extended Practice pushed me to explore paths in image making I hadn't before, drastically improve my drawing skills and plan my time effectively.

My work now has a bold and bright tone of voice, focusing on the use of interesting shapes, printed overlays and bright colour palettes. I can see it working best within the publishing, product/packaging and environmental sectors of the industry. I am now confident there is a place it can successfully exist and that people are interested in it. 

I plan to stay in the north of England and try to establish myself here successfully as a freelance illustrator. To do this, I have a list of agencies and studios ready to contact when my Extended Practice work has contributed to my final portfolio. I would like to apply for an internship at TigerPrint in Bradford to explore product/packaging in real life. I am going to invest in a membership at the Leeds Print Workshop and continue screen/mono printing. I plan to continue expanding my portfolio by setting personal briefs and really getting stuck into what I enjoy and what I am good at. I just want to enjoy it and work as hard as I can; I'm excited to get going!