PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Skills I have developed
Recording and documenting my work to a high standard… this is a skill I feel i now understand the value of because it improves work organisation (personal and professional) and presents you well to the outside world or viewers of your work.
knowledge on print production like bespoke and pre print… This information is key to know if you intend to work in the creative industry because it entails understanding all the considerations to successfully get a job printed. knowing about CMYK, stocks and formats, bespoke print processes like screen printing are key (and very helpful) things to know if intending to work in the creative industry. (which i do)
In depth understanding of how to use design software - this is a key part in the development and production of design work, but it has also become a key part of my practice as an illustrator, helping me to finish illustration work off to a high standard that looks professional.
These are skills that I see as invaluable to my development as a creative professional and I see them as doubly important key things to know as an aspiring freelance illustrator.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKENSSES
here are a few important strengths and weaknesses of mine.
my biggest strength is illustration, and i've built on that during this course by harnessing software like illustrator and photoshop. being able to use a waccom tablet has opened up new possibilities for where i can take my illustration.
A weakness of mine is rushing concept generation stages of projects, and this can be addressed by being clear about what the brief is, and taking more time to plan and explore concepts.
COLLABORATION
I have done a few collaborations since being on the course, at first I struggled working with others but the best way i can describe how I feel about benefiting from a collaboration is that you have two of these (ears) and one of these (mouth) so use them accordingly. Collaboration has helped me to be able to bounce ideas off others to get the strongest possible result. The benefits of collaboration are endless because with every new person you collaborate with, you learn new skills, techniques and related industry which in turn adds to your knowledge and skills, diversifies the work in your portfolio and generally improves on and makes you reflect on what you do as a creative.
RESEARCH VISITS
I wanted to find out about print resources and facilities in leeds that I can use when I am a freelance illustrator, I decided after visiting a large printing business (duffield) that I should visit and contact some different types of printer across leeds to see what is available to me. Before talking about these places, i want to briefly talk about duffield because i imagine we all know what they do very well by now.
DUFFIELD
Duffield are a large digital and litho print company that have ethical and environmental awareness for their services, and produce high quality print resolutions, so the price reflects that, but they would definitely be good to use for a client with a high budget, they turn digital jobs around in a morning so they are a quick service also. (plug plug plug!)
FACTORY 4
Factory 4 are a non profit organisation who own a screen printing facility as well as a framing, woodwork and upholstery facility. They operate on a booked pay as you go basis for use of the space which is ideal for going in and producing print work for IE craft fairs or book fairs when small runs of bespoke work is needed.
SUCCESS PRINT
Success print is a small business where i spent a few days watching how smaller businesses develop client relationships. This was a useful experience for me.
BUILDING CONTACTS
I have been building a list of contacts of my own which consists of businesses, agencies, business associates, potential clients and fellow creatives. Im doing this to almost make sure i know that people know who i am, what I do and how to reach me, its also a really good way to network with people to get jobs and exposure for your work. Its also a great way of having a dialogue with people in your support network to keep them aware of you and to outsource with.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Over the easter holiday I have been getting my branded identity up to scratch and putting together stationary, a solid foundation for a web prescence which has the potential to grow and starting to promote my work to outlets like computer arts, creative review and more creative blogs and magazines.
BRANDED IDENTITY
I wanted to create an identity for myself that was really simple, and that could in time become easily recognisable as me and the freelance illustration service i will be providing. I did this by developing first a simple, bold logotype using avant garde bold and regular, the full stop is actually custom, because avant garde's full stops were square..?
To compliment this logo and to use as a more creative form of identity, which really says what I'm about, i developed a simple visual icon of my own head in character form. I made it so I can change the emotions , heres a small selection.
I think the two compliment each other together, as well as work well separate which was important to me in my considerations when i was designing them both.
LOGOS PLACE: STATIONARY, professional
ICONS PLACE: WEB & PROMO, creative
at the moment vie got business cards printed.
PROMO / EXPOSURE
Promtion thinking about it for a few weeks
website online
social functions and sites eg twitter, linkedin Facebook
emailing magazines and blogs for exposure
one reply so far, computer arts feature in exposure section of mag - came quick, surprise! only just got site online and already got that
good start, but keep ball rolling
regularly update sites + finish press pack ready to send
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
At the moment my plans consist of networking more and building my contact list up, because i do feel that I am now in a position to start asking design agencies to bare me in mind when they are looking for an illustrator, I'm aware that my approach will not suit all jobs, so I also need to make sure that I am advertising my services properly, being clear about exactly what it is that i do, i have been doing this in conversation with potential clients at the moment, but I think if this was clear in for example a promo press pack, it would be much better.
street art is something Im also going to start pursuing once I'm off the course, only really in a sense, to advertise my work, and i do understand the risks involved here. Some examples of why I see this as an option for my work.
A personal note:
The MOST important thing that this course has done for me, is that it has made me realise what I am - I am an illustrator, who has good knowledge of the design process, software and client liaison. This course isn't a means to an end for me, but it has become more of a stepping stone, which has opened up a world of possibilities and shown me how and where to find the opportunities that will help to define my place in the creative industry.
Open publication - Free
publishing -
More christThe presentation whent really well, and it just goes to show how much a bit of planning can boost your confidence when it comes to a presentation. I whent first out of everyone to get it out of the way, but once i was up there, i actually really enjoyed talking openly, candidly and honestly about my progress on the course, and my plans for after the course. For me, it was a really enjoyable two days, just listening to everyone speak and to find out what they have all been up to. What astounded me was how different everyones presentations were, but also how clearly you could see what everyone was about through their presentations.
