Creative futures . . done!

After blogging about the creative futures week we had, I realised just how much I had learnt; both good points and bad points. Although the majority of talks I went to were very informative and inspiring, some of the talks that we went to I didn't blog about, partly because I didn't want to be too negative when I didn't get much out of the talk. However I have been able to draw a few things from those talks that made me realise what I don't want to do and what I'd do differently (should avoid) in my career.
Along the way I have posted the advice that i've taken away from each talk but there was some general bits of advice that came up in more than one lecture.

1. The Importance of social media - This was stressed in several lectures! We should be using social networking to get a foot in to the industry, it's that much easier (So to speak) to get yourself noticed today and we should be aware of that. That being said some also said that we should be careful what it is that we're putting out there and how. It can also be dangerous with it being so easy, only put work out there that you're happy with, that represents what you do. Be aware of your Internet presence.
2. Don't be deterred - a career in the creative industries is going to be tough at times, especially getting started but don't back down, if it's what you want then push for it. Nothing worth having comes easy! 
3. Be sure of what it is that you want to do - I was never a fan of doing this, I saw it as limiting myself and so I didn't want to settle into a style or a single media. But after going to some of the talks, I realised that the reason the speakers never achieved what they wanted was because they didn't really know what that was. Some didn't work in a distinctive style and therefore tended to blend in instead of stand out, something I don't want to do! So whilst I don't necessarily know what exactly I want to do, I know how I want to work and in what media. It's a start!

So that's the pieces of advice that were reiterated throughout creative futures week, although it's not all that i've taken from the week. This year I took creative futures a lot more serious than I did last year; this year I went to ones that may not be directly related but have relevance and therefore broadened my outlook to my work. I can honestly say that I can't wait for next year!

Chip Shop Story

On the last day of creative futures, Andy Cheetham of CheethamBell JWT, but his talk was about his time before his successful career and how he got his foot into the industry.

He started by drawing comparisons between the time where he was trying to get into the industry and to the current time, where we too are trying our hand. The 80's was in a similar climate as to what we are in now, redundancy was rife and it seemed like the odds were against you. Andy was a 24 year old, recently made redundant with no job to go in to and was made worse with things such as his car being stolen. He applied for a local newspaper job but was told that he was over qualified, that he should aim higher and go into advertising, and so he broadened his horizons and applied to ad agencies in Manchester. Although he got the job and stayed for a few years, he decided he wanted to move on and realised he needed a reputation if he was ever going to become part of the industry.

He realised that to build up a reputation he needed to get noticed and did this through the awards system. He explained that he collaborated with a friend and started their own agency, and planned on winning awards for advertising. He chose to advertise Barnacles, a North Wales fish and chip shop, which unbeknownst to the judges, was owned by his mother. They created press ads that were simple but effective, ads that ran in newspapers only and in mainly local press too before expanding after a few wins. He explained that they played on the fact that people love concept and that if you have a good concept then it will carry itself. At the time they were changing the way that things were advertised, taking it past long copy and making advertising more creative and effective.

Although he faced criticism and uproar by fellow agencies, due to the size of his agency, he went on to win numerous awards (D&AD, Roses etc) and top creatives loved it! The loophole that allowed smaller agencies with smaller press runs eventually closed, which put an end to Andy's winning streak but by this time he'd managed to achieve what he'd set out to. He'd created a buzz around him, showed his potential and became one of the biggest agencies operating outside of London. His story was also the inspiration behind the chip shop awards, an award set up for those that didn't fit into the mainstream categories, and shows that creativity has no limits.

CheethamBell JWT latest campaign for John West "Discover the story behind every can".

Tips that Andy left us with:

• People still love a good concept!
• You can't hide behind the economy - push through the bad times in order to reach success!
• Put the effort in.
• People who make things happen, don't know the word can't.
• spend time getting things right.
• Know what's good out there.
• Edit, edit, edit - always evaluate yourself - be critical.

Andy's talk was very influential, and although it's in an area that doesn't particularly interest me as an illustrator, his story can be applied to all creatives and further afield! It shows that determination pays off and that even when it seems that everything is going wrong, you have to pursue in order to reach success. Triumph over adversity. Although it is not the type of work that I would want to do, however it is something that can be applied to everyone; don't wait for things to come to you. If you want something then go after it, no matter what is put against you (rules of the competitions in Andys case) and that you should never give up.

So you want to be a printmaker . .

Working as a freelance artist (printmaking) by Ann Bridges.
Printmaking is definitely a medium that i've taken an interest in the past few months, I tried it out and instantly it appealed to me and my work. So I was a little sad that this was the only speaker in the week that was a printmaker!
Anyway, Ann spoke to us about her experiences at college, how she developed her printmaking technique into something unique and what it's like being a freelancer.
I was worried at first that this talk would lean more towards a fine art approach but once Ann had described this process, I instantly realised i'd gone to the right talk.

Ann briefly described her work process, that is based around monoprinting. Although it was hard to understand, not being able to see it, it's a stencil, monoprint technique where Ann experiments with cutting out the shapes and rubbing, wiping and layering in order to build up an image. This is what I particularly liked about Ann, she had gone through print and then adapted it to how she wanted to work, she hadn't just taken a traditional print technique and settled for the outcome but instead experimented and pushed the technique to become something that was unique and meant that she could create a more interesting style of work.
Since i've discovered working in print, i've tried out different methods in order to then take my favourite bits of them to use for different projects instead of specialising in one technique alone. I've found some that don't work well and others that I love to work in, and so Anns technique is something that is very good to see. Someone who has tried to push the boundaries of the print process by taking it further than the traditional methods. Printmaking isn't necessarily such a popular medium in this fast and digital time, and so I personally think that it's particularly important to refresh printmaking and make good use of its unique qualities.

I asked Ann whether she felt restricted in the media, something that I sometimes worry about, particularly after completing an editorial brief and questioning if such a long process of print would work in the quick natured industry. She explained that although you work in print, you need to find a method that can be adapted; something that I think i've already thought about. For example, Ann also has a method that combines illustrations with print should she need to work to a close deadline. I also think that when you build up experience in the chosen technique, you'll learn ways to work quickly whilst still producing a quality piece of work.


Although Ann did say that she wouldn't necessarily class herself as an illustrator, she uses printmaking for imagery not just to create patterns (which is what you mostly find in fine art methods etc) and so I can apply some of the things that she said into the way that I personally work. I want to continue to experiment in print, look into linocut in more detail and try out afew techniques such as reduction and multi block. I think thats one of the things that draws me to print, the fact that there's so many forms of it and new things that you can try.

Ann also gave us some advice: Get straight into work when you graduate, don't take the summer off! Give yourself time to experiment, things will go wrong and find new things, particularly for printmakers. You should constantly evaluate your work, be versatile, let the idea and process take you on a journey. Always keep a sketchbook, always look for work, use New Designers as a launch into the industry, and finally budget!!
Lots of things to think about! Overall it was a very useful lecture that has definitely got me thinking about the way that I work and how i'll work in printmaking in the future.

www.ann-bridges.com/

Lecture via Skype. .

Martin Steenton - Blank Slate Book Publishing:One of our lecturers set up a "Skype chat" with Martin because he couldn't make it up to the university in person. Genius! 
It was a very insightful talk, I made the most notes of any other talks I went to throughout the week! So this may take some time. .

Martin currently works for Blank Slate, a comic book publisher.
He started out studying media in Uni, not knowing what exactly he wanted to go on and do but he had a passion for comics and so started a blog, with his girlfriend, about french comics. Through the blog he built up contacts and was soon getting calls for him to feature more comics on the blog, from the US and even the UK. Through the blog he was given the opportunity to translate for Blank Slate. He told us how important it was to get the initial buzz around yourself, and how useful the internet is for that. He worked for free, but wouldn't advise us to do artwork etc for free, he was simply doing behind the scenes things that he enjoyed but didn't necessarily cost him anything. It gets your foot in the door of the industry, something that Facebook, Twitter, blogs, going to conventions enables you to do. You need to get on the radar of those already in the industry and that the more visable you make your work, the better.

Sleepyheads by Randall C
Blank Slate

Publishing a book is something that I would love to do in the future, both in graphic novel format and childrens publishing. So it was very interesting to hear what it is that publishers are looking for, that often publishers have different styles that they lean toward. Firstly, when you take your idea to a publisher, some will only look at finished work, they're looking for a complete skill set. Whilst the smaller presses, like Blank Slate, are more accepting. They're more focused on finding new talent, aslong as you have a good idea behind and they can see how you finish your work (media, technique, quality) then they will look at your roughs and decide from there if it has potential. This is also where making contacts can be useful, if you already have some form of relationship with someone from the publishers, talked through twitter/emails or met them at a convention, it can make a difference when you are pitching. I learnt that you have to tailor your submission to the publisher that you are pitching to. Advice that you can also use for your portfolio, you should make sure that what you are showing is relevant to who you are showing it to. In publishing terms, you need to research the style that the publishers usually go to and see if you think you'd fit it. If you don't you're showing that you haven't and you also want the best for your work, so it's in your best interest to find a publisher who will do the most for your idea.

A long day of Mr James Teacher by James Harvey
Blank Slate

He gave us a case study of sorts in the form of Daryl Cunningham, who had apparently been trying to be published for awhile before finally getting a deal. He became Blank Slates best selling book with Psychiatric Tales - proving that you should stick at it. If you are confident in your ideas and work then you should persist. Cunningham was prolific on Blogger and gained recognition from artists such as Scott McCloud. Something that Martin pointed out as very useful when trying to promote your work, established artists will often help (although there will be some exceptions). Send your work to thos who inspire you in order to get feedback, if they like it they'll often give you a quote that can be used for the book when it comes to promotion.

Copyright was also mentioned, something that definitely confuses the heck out of me! Although Martin broke it down pretty easily, there are different copyrights and you can retain the copyright by giving publishers a timed license that runs out and returns the rights to the creator after a period of time (often when the print stage is done). However if you have a character that the publishers or anyone else is interested then you surrender all rights when you sell them over. He made a point of saying that we should always be careful with what you sign, be fully aware of what you're agreeing too.

Jim Medway - Playing Out

Blank Slate
I particularly like this because it's a linocut! Inspiring indeed!

When talking about publishing, it was inevitable that we would discuss its future, with the rise in digital publishing. So, is there still a need for traditional publishers? Martin assured us that print would never completely die out, maybe take abit of a hit whilst ebooks etc rise but it would always remain. Print will always appeal to those who prefer physical media, for comic books/graphic novels in particular - the ebook market is not particularly appealing simply because they're not meant to be restricted to one format on a screen. Digital publishing also opens the door for piracy, something that is incredibly hard to control once digital sales are in place. I definitely agree with all that Martin said, I personally work in a book shop and e-readers have recently been introduced into our sales. Sales are steady (I even own an e-reader myself) however there are many hours that i've wasted talking to people about the e-reader, only for them to turn around and pick up a paperback before they head out. E-readers are popular but, particularly for the comic book market, print is still much more appealing.

So i'll finish on some advice Martin gave us. Don't - be arrogant, be difficult to work with, be unfocused, send stuff that is nothing to do with what they do, ask for honest feedback unless prepared for it.

Martins talk was very useful, to be able to see how being active on the internet and using it in a useful and creative way can  influence your career, and to see what it is that those in the industry are looking for from those who want in. After this talk it's also good to be able to see what exactly we are able to do, I never had an interest in comics before coming to university and attending talks similar to this one, which changed my perspective and realise that there's more to them than muscley superhero stories.

So go look at their website, they have some fantastic artists on the books!

http://www.blankslatebooks.co.uk/


Up next: Printmaking - Working as a freelance artist by Ann Bridges.

Character design and social networking. . .

by Jonathan Edwards.


I was definitely looking forward to this lecture, if there's one thing I love about Creative Futures, it's when graduates who have been in our exact shoes (so to speak obviously!) and to see that they've broken into the creative industry successfully and are still achieving new highs. Jonathan Edwards is a brilliant example of this.

Jonathan told his story in two parts, he started off with editorial and comic book work before investing in his Inspector Cumulus character that he accidently creating when flicking through his sketchbook. Jonathan said that he always had an interest in vinyl and collectable toys, and that is the direction that he saw his character going in. It just goes to show that you should trust your instinct, you know your creation just like you should know how much is too much, you should also know how far to push it.

Jonathan touched on the issue that i'm currently having, the fact that we just sit around waiting to be asked to do something, I feel like someone is going to come along and ask me to do a commission etc whereas it should be me going out and making myself known. And that is what he did, he took his character to Play Lounge, a company that aims to represent the latest innovative toys that aren't necessarily restricted to child play. From there he was connected to Crazy Label another company dedicated to toy manufacturing. Jonathan had a very hands on approach to the production of his toy, having constant feedback with the manufacturers, referring to his original design and concept and even designing the packaging too. This is something that is particularly inspirational, how he was dedicated to creating a toy that reflected his original idea and not become distorted when it easily could.

In both parts of his story, social networking had a huge part to play in the success of his work. For Inspector Cumulus toy, the popular blog ToysREvil caught on to it and created a buzz around the character. Jonathan advised that we should use Twitter in order to get our name know whilst still in Uni, so that come graduation you've already got a head start. Now this is something I wholeheartedly agree with, and do try to put into practice however that send button because awfully daunting when you're sending something to, maybe not the most famous illustrator, but someone you admire. It's something I'll have to get over, and hopefully will with confidence!

Second part of the story- Alongside his partner Louise Evans AKA Felt Mistress, he has produced window displays for Londons best retailers including Selfridges and boutiques. They play to each others strengths, Jonathan comes up with the character designs then Louise (magically) turns them into felt toys. He described their experience with working with Selfridges, being featured instore and the window displays. They seem a very hard working pair! I was amazed to see that all of their characters connect in some way, a sign of a well thought out and detailed concept.
They also got intouch with a Japanese agency in order to take part in a residency in which they would create characters, something that played to the cultural differences of toys being a much more popular market in Japan as opposed to here in the UK. This again showed that you shouldn't be afraid to approach people with work, especially if you feel passionate about what it is you do.

The thing I like most about Jonathan (and Louise) is that he stays loyal to his style. During some of the talks this week, you can see how the illustrator has changed their original concept so much in order to satisfy the client or designer, whereas Jonathan, even when dealing with big named clients, stuck by the way that he saw his character in order to create the best possible outcome. That is definitely something that we as emerging creatives should remember; stick to your guns!

So, the parting advice, was that you should draw inspiration from wherever possible. Jonathan told us that he draws inspiration from things around him; people observing in cafes, shapes, real people (sometimes well known).It's something that I like the idea of but never seem to getting round to it or never have my sketchbook to hand, maybe i'll try to better myself during the summer. But the inspiration part has changed the way I look at things, I try not to close myself off to things, always listening to what people are seeing and if it can be used in some way, drawing and making a note of things that inspire me or ideas that I have so that I can revisit them in someway and some point.
He shared that he was once told that you either draw realisitically, with proportions etc or you draw using shapes, and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. He said that for him it was a lightbulb moment and he suddenly realised that he had been doing it wrong the whole time, then turned his focus to shapes. I feel like he's triggered my own lightbulb moment, hopefully, so we'll see how it goes!
You have to get through the bad in order to improve, so the next time i'm sketching something and it looks awful, i'll finish it before I cry! This is something that I need to realise, I expect everything to look perfect the first time I do it, which is obviously not going to happen but I should learn from it and do it better the next time. Keep a sketchbook, set yourself goals, connect through social networks. For me, it just shows that if you find something unique, have good ideas and execute them well, abit of self promotion and you'll go far!
This talk also made me think about collaborations, its obviously had a positive effect on both parties work, one compliments the other and it goes to show that if you find the rightwork that influences/compliments yours then it can be beneficial. It's something i'll consider in the future.
A thoroughly enjoyable lecture, and dare I say, the best one yet (who cares if its only Tuesday!).

 All images belong to Jonathan Edwards - www.jonathan-e.com/

"I like to draw dead things" . .

Illustration and animation by Karen Cheung.

I'd googled Karens work before the lecture, to see what was in store and fell in love with her quirky style. She opened by saying that she initially studied zoology at Cambridge before trying again with illustration, a theme that is definitely reflected in her work.
She went on to show us an animation she had made, Headache Hotel, which can be viewed over at http://www.karencheung.co.uk/animation/animation.html.. along with other animations!
She has also made a childrens book, Shleepless, a book about a young boy having trouble to sleep, heavily ininfluenced by French picture books. However the unusual underlying tone, even though she won the macmillan prize! has left publishers unwilling to publish it with concerns that it may frighten children. Personally, I absolutely love what I've seen, the quirky concept, the mixed media techniques used throughout the book and the overall look, it's something i'd love to see on the shelf in work! I admire that Karen Cheung has pushed the boundaries of what is accepted as a childrens book in Britain, and glad that she hasn't conformed in order to get a deal. I hope in the future publishers come to their senses!

Karen got an agent soon after graduating Bristol University, and said that when putting your portfolio together you should consider what it is that you want to do; if you want to do editorial, they want to see people etc, concise, and that you should have different portfolios if you work in different styles. Karen didn't wait around for the jobs to come in but instead took her portfolio and went door to door in London to see if anyone liked her animations, before getting a call from 12foot6, fitting into their in house style and working there for a couple of years. This self promotion, to me, seems terrifying, I obviously need to become more confident in my work!

Karen also gave some insight into what it's like having an agent, that it helps to be versatile, to stand out from what others are doing, and that the downside is that you sometimes get passed work that you wouldn't normally take. This is where I begin to frown, simply because Karen has a style that is incredible and although that only my opinion, I can't be alone in. She showed us some work that she has completed through the agency and I can't help but think that maybe she was being a little too versatile. Some things she described as "not even remotely similar" to what she usually does, and she didn't seem as passionate about it as when she was talking about her animations or her book. Obviously i'm aware that it's easy for me, a clueless and naive student, to say that you shouldn't take on the jobs that mean you change your style. I understand that when the jobs there and you have grown up stuff to take care of, you're going to take it, however i'd like to think that i'd only do it to a certain extent. My style is the way that I work (although i'm still working on it) take it or leave it. . . I say that now and i'm sure if you check back in a year or two and i'll be drawing god knows what for god knows who!! Or something . . 

Like those before her, Karen finished by giving some needed advice: Work hard, trust yourself, listen and have fun. Explore, don't restrict yourself. And after graduation, be brave, work even harder, persevere and don't take it personally. Always be critical, it'll help you produce the best quality of work. Oh and apparently TAX is important! All gems that know doubt i'll forget. .

So, for me, Karen was definitely the highlight of the day. Her work just clicked with me, she seems like a lvely person and her ideas and the way she works is inspirational. I like how she has combined her illustrations with animation, something that I would like to look into in the future, although I don't think it would be a way in which i'd consistently work, but I do have a few ideas in which animation would be a possible way of communicating it. All in all, a wonderful guest speaker!

All images belong to Karen Cheung,  http://www.karencheung.co.uk/index2.html

Up next: Character Design and Social Networking by Jonathan Edwards.

Making a living from comics!

Building an audience: Making a living from comics by John Allison.

Although i'm a general illustrator, I do like the idea of producing some form of graphic novel at some point in the future. I've got a few ideas that would suit that format so I figured we'd tag along to the lecture.
I'll start off by saying that if there was an award for most entertaining lecture, John Allison would probably get it! I always envy people who seem so natural at talking in front of large groups, mainly because I become a rambling, bright red mess!

Anyway, carrying on from the last blogpost, John never trained as an illustrator at university but had a love of comics and thought he was a decent artist so he made webcomics on the side of his job. He is mostly known for his 2 latest webcomics, Scary Go round and Bad Machinery. Now personally comics can be abit hit and miss, mainly because of the way they are done. I tend to prefer handrawn and traditional methods of artwork as opposed to computer based images, so Johns work is difficult for me. He started off as a traditional artist, switched to Adobe Illustrator, then to another computer programme before deciding to go back to handrawn for a while. From what he showed us, I definitely prefer the handdrawn stuff, mainly because of personal preference, however most of Johns lecture was not about artwork but (as the title suggests) the importance of an audience and making it in the comic book industry.
John told us his progress from comic book strips on the side to where he is now, telling us that an internet audience (although I suppose it can be applied to any audience) can be hard to please. Readers don't particularly like change, whether its with characters, artwork, style or writing and that it is always important to consider the audience that is intended when you are doing the work, whatever it may be. You need to be consistent and control the amount of change, particularly in one piece of work. Something clear from Johns work is that it has changed dramatically over time, I can't help but think that, although your style of work will inevitably change in some way, i'd like to refine the way that I work early on in order to have a more consistent style.

Again the importance of networking was touched upon; you should make contacts with those who work like you (something twitter is amazing for!) go to conventions (mainly comic book orientated) and to study successful people, learn from the best!

John parted with some advice: Exposure is meaningless, Always keep learning, expose yourself to new things, learn to be a pain about money, be careful what you sign and that business cards are thrown away, be remembered!

This lecture definitely reminded me to consider the audience, no matter what it is you are doing, who is there to read/see it. Even if it reaches beyond that group that you have in mind, do it for someone other than yourself. This isn't something I consider in depth usually, but in future projects its something i'm going to try to have at the forefront of my thinking.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Creative Futures Week - Key Note, Angus Montgomery.

So today was the first day of creative futures, a week of guest speakers from all creative backgrounds, who come in a talk about; what they did, what they do, what we could/should do. An incredible week, if done properly. . .

After the usual introduction speech and a less than usual speech about the life and times of William Shakespeare, stepped up Angus Montgomery, editor of Design Week, a magazine focused on design education. He introduced himself as a journalist, not a designer and expressed his envy of being in a room full of creatives. For me, it's not until someone reminds you that not every has a form of creative skill and it's definitely something that I occassionally take for granted.
Although his lecture was primarily focused on design (obviously) it was quite relevant to those who want to break into the creative industry in some way. He quoted many different people ranging from illustrators to editors and all had a similar thing to say; industry needs fresh talent, importance of marketing yourself (With a link to Shakespeare, who was mentioned at the start). But the one that stuck out for me was by Greg Quinton, he said to: Get off the internet (don't look at what everyone else is looking at), grow through collaborations in whatever way possible, and love what you do. The last one made me think of a quote i'd heard recently, Do what you love, and you'll love what you do. Something that's incredibly important to me, and something that is surely a must to everyone in some way. This will also crop up in a later post about another guest speaker we heard.

Angus also mentioned studio fees, a current problem for up and coming creatives due to the possibilities of universities charging £9000 per year for education. He asked the question to the same people as before, would you pay? and the overwhelming response was YES! Of course I think this is a very easy answer when you've already graduated and have a career within the industry! I don't think it's as simple as "ofcourse I want to do what I do so i'll pay whatever I need to".
In studio we're asked whether we think being creative can be taught, and the majority answer with no, simply because we all agree that we were never taught to have the ideas we have, we simply need a little guidance now and then of whether we're doing the right thing and what we can do to make it better. Is that worth getting into a ridiculous amount of debt for? It's definitely debatable! For me personally, Uni has helped me sort out what it is that I want, taught me that there are others who think like me, appreciate the same things I do, and how to execute the ideas that I have. Going to University doesn't make you an artist and there are plenty of examples of people who didn't study what they do and yet they suceed none the less.

He then finished off with some examples of the best uses of design that he's seen in the past few years, below are some of my favourites from his pick.

 Alan Clarke, Olympic posters.
http://www.alanclarkedesign.com/

I like how Clarke manages to use a minimalist technique of poster design and manages to show movement that instantly draws attention.

PearsonLloyd Design Ltd. A&E redesign.

http://www.pearsonlloyd.com/

PearsonLloyd recognised a flaw in the health system and set out to solve it, I love it when design can be used beyond aesthetic reasons. This design not only looks good, but also meets the needs of the public, who in this case, needed something that would  clearly show them what was happening around them.

So, overall, Angus Montgomery opened the week with a talk that definitely made me think. It made me think about how design can be useful for illustration, how grateful I should be that I have something i'm passionate about (and hopefully good at), and how important it is to not only remain passionate, but to show it when going for those jobs. He pointed out how important it is to stand out above the rest when trying to break it to the industry, not only portfolio wise but also in the way that you present yourself. 

A very thought provoking lecture!

Next up is: Building an audience; making a living from comics by John Allison.