Bibliography

1) Will Morris, http://whmorris.com

2) Ben Newman, http://www.bennewman.co.uk

3) Nick White, http://www.thisisnickwhite.com

4) Papio Press, www.papiopress.co.uk

5) Pirrip Press, www.pirrippress.co.uk

6) Sarah Mcmenemy, www.sarahmcmenemy.com

7) Helen Ward, http://helenward-illustrator.co.uk

8) http://www.handmadeology.com/5-things-to-consider-before-starting-an-etsy-shop/

9) https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/top-10-tips-for-starting-an-etsy/22664153555

10) https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/getting-started-with-income-and-expense/22664713439

11) Becky Lees, www.beckyleesillustration.co.uk

12) Anna Coffey, www.illustrationbyannalouise.co.uk

13) Harriet Plaskitt, http://hpillustration.weebly.com

14) Kirsty Smith- Neale, www.kirstysn.co.uk

15) Zanna Goldhawk, www.zannagoldhawk.tumblr.com

16) https://www.pinterest.com/NTUYouFirstAD/ntu-creative-cv-gallery/

Module Evaluation

Initially my intentions for myself for this module were to; become more independent and proactive with the organisation of presenting my work, develop my skills when it comes to use of pattern alongside a narrative and continue to experiment with styles and techniques. I wanted to enter into competitions so as to expose my work to a wider audience and have a more professional outlook when it comes to this side of my practice. 

When it comes to my practice, it has developed into something that I am able to work with so as to achieve the more professional outcomes. By using others projects to achieve this, it has resulted in a more consistent style and technique that I find now crops up in my work. I'm still going to be developing this way of working so I can adapt to the changing market of illustration. Whether this be to accommodate a different brief set or to access other audiences by producing merchandise to sell. 

I was expecting to develop my pattern based work alongside narratives however, it is clear to me now that narratives are not something I wish to focus on with my work. Through briefs and experiments I have found that narratives aren't a strong point for me. I have therefore adapted so I can continue the use of my successful patterns and combine it with singular or collective illustrative pieces, usually location based. After coming to this conclusion I am a lot more confident with my practice and can proceed to reach out to potential clients and enter competitions more. 
After contacting and having talks from practicing illustrators and artists I have understood further that self initiation to expose my own work is what will help in the long run with gaining potential clients. Networking is what drives the business forwards and makes for a successful illustrator whether this be freelance to begin with and then leads on to having an agent. This has supported and confirmed what I was already expecting. The interview and talks were perhaps the most useful of resources and they were able to give me insight from a reliable, working source. Their first hand experience informed my lack of knowledge on some subject and drove me to find out more.
This module has helped me gain a better understanding of where I want to take my practice in the professional world. I took it upon myself to do some research when it comes to Etsy stores, finance and going freelance as I was inspired after a talk from the owners of Papio Press and finding out the potential for where my illustrations can go or be applied to. I can now evaluate my practice in relation to these potential future outcomes and apply what I have found out. 
The process of becoming more professional and adapting my practice will be an ongoing thing as the market for illustration is always going to be changing so I will develop more and apply any other things I will learn about the industry to my practice so that I can remain current, accessible to potential clients and be professional. 
Now that I am confident in the nature of my practice I can more forwards with my research and carry on exposing my work. I wish to develop and produce a website for my work, perhaps a brand name and logo too. I wanted to develop my practice first so I can be sure that what i decide for these next steps will be something I am confident in and will see me through as a professional. These will therefore be the next steps to me learning more and developing with this professional journey as well as maintaining and keeping in mind the things I have already learned.

My Creative CV

With my CV I wanted to give away some clues as to the style of work I tend to lean towards so I have hand drawn the sketchy, ink boxes and type along with adding some watercolour. From some research I've found that I prefer the simpler CV's with just enough information on to indicate keys skills and experience with some info. about myself. I feel like I will definitely develop this CV further as I will be gaining more experience and entering more competitions as I develop my practice and expose my work. This may mean a complete redesign as the work I produce will always be developing and my CV will need to accommodate this change.

Creative CV's

I will produce a creative cv that I can adapt and change if necessary but I have done some initial research to inform my approach to the task. I have chosen a few CV's to analyse so I can see what is successful and what isn't so i can apply my findings to my own.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/552253973029605395/

For me, this one is too overrun by the image. Whilst it gives an insight into what could be the nature of this persons practice, I feel like the image is too specific and may limit the kind of work you are offered. With my CV, I want to give hints and present some elements of the kind of work that I do so that the employer is informed but I am not going to be limited to the idea that I only do a certain type of work. The written information is concise and relevant which I will also be doing with mine.

This one is sided more towards the outcome I wish to achieve. With elements of their practice coming through but not too much to pin them down as doing a limited selection of work. Their information is clear and again to the point and presented in a personal way with a selected typography. 

A much more graphic and very simple approach here. Whilst it is creative and is directed towards something this person is possibly inspired by or their work it directed towards I feel it doesn't give as much information as I'd like to give. However, it is an interesting, simplistic concept. 

The separation of image to text is for me, a good balance. Like the others hints as to what kind of work they produce is given with there again being good amounts of information that isn't overwhelming. The hints of colours and recognisable symbols with the writing makes it more engaging and a memorable CV.

I will be editing and developing my own version of a creative CV to try achieve the effect I want taking into consideration ones I have seen and will continue to look at.

Group Poster Project

As a group of 6, we were given the task to produce poster that were typography based and with limited to no illustrations. We chose to use the subject of 'Things Your Mum Say.' This was a relatable subject to many so I found it be a fun little project to do.  

We brainstormed our ideas to come up with a few choices we could choose from.

1) Eating your crusts will give you curly hair.

2) Nettles don't sting in august.

3) The harmful rays go after 3pm.

4) Don't sit too close to the TV or you'll get square eyes.

5) Carrots make you see in the dark.

6) Santa's real.

7) Don't eat yellow snow.

8) Don't let the bed bugs bite.

9) If the wind changes your face will stay that way.

We each chose one to do and experimented with typography to see what would work best. 

We all discussed our experiments and developments so we could make informed decisions when it come to the final piece. This process was very helpful and I was able to adjust my ideas and combine things to make it the best piece it could be from my developments.

This was my final piece. I think the typography takes centre stage but I felt it needed some other element to represent the phrase so I added some patterned details to infer the nettles. Bringing this element to it I think make it a lot more visual appealing along with the added colour to correlate to the them of the piece.

I enjoyed working in a group to discuss the ideas and development but when it came to an outcome working individually worked best for me. With further projects I will seek advice and constructive criticism when necessary so as to get an outsiders take on my work so I can develop it further if necessary. 

Work Experience

For my work experience I decided to enter into competitions so as to expose my work to a wider audience. This is what I have been wanting to do more with my work so I feel this was a good step to take in order to partially fulfil this. I entered two competing with 2 piece for one and 4 pieces for the other. The Cheltenham Illustration Awards 2015 and Hiii Illustration 2015 International Competition were the two I entered. Now that I have developed my practice and the process I take to come to a final outcome, I feel this was a successful submission as I was able to show a few different pieces of mine that still focused on the approach I take to a brief interns of an outcome. 

In terms of illustration in the professional world, allowing myself to have exposure to new people can only be beneficial and as it allows for me to show off my best pieces and gives me the confidence to continue with the nature of my practice as this has developed a lot recently.

Whilst waiting upon the outcome of these competitions I can further my exposure with more competitions and also take time to refine further my practice and process so as to be more prepared with future work and entries.  These are the first competitions I have entered so I feel that professionally I am still learning and will be more prepared in the future with other competitions. 
The two pieces I entered into The Cheltenham Illustration Awards competition. produced the pieces with the same thoughts and idea and behind them so they are in a way variations of each other.

For the Hiii Illustration 2015 International Competition there was a very open brief. I was therefore able to select pieces that show off the kind of work I produce. I chose 4 to use for this. 

Group Presentation

As a group, we were given a hypothetical situation of what we would do with £200 in terms of selling our own products and how we'd seek to make a profit from it. 

We decided we would head to Tewkesbury Craft and Gift Market after booking a table there for 6 of us to share. 

A bus would be the cheapest option for us, so we'd arrive early to set up our display of products. 

During the day we would rotate around so that some of us were manning the table to sell our products and some of us can be going around the venue to see what else is on offer and try and network with others. 

We calculated our budget so that our £200 will be spent in the most efficient way possible. In terms of the products we'd sell, we decided to make prints on tote bags and cards. We can each have an evenly shared amount of each so that we can all have some products to apply our designs to. We thought that as part of the build up to this event, we could take some time to promote it ourselves and let people know we will be there so as to hopefully bring in more customers, so business cards and Facebook promotion was also involved in our budget.

Our profit was obviously going to be dependable on how many products we actually sell. We worked out how much we'd sell each products for though. As the day went on at the event we'd adjust prices depending on if they were selling well or not. 

I found that working as a group for this task would make it more efficient if we were to go through with it. Each person could then work with their strength, whether that be printing, finances or organisation of the event. Splitting the cost of a table at an event like this would be more sufficient also as there would be a chance to make a better profit as well as showing a wide range of products on the stall. 

An event like this would be very beneficial to my practice in terms of networking and exposure and also help me learn more about these kind of events so that I could take part in more in the future. 

Zanna Goldhawk - Papio Press

Co-founder of Papio Press, Zanna Goldhawk uses her decorative work to apply to merchandise. Starting with the small items such as the badges and postcards has allowed her to gain a following and recognition so that her business can expand. Although she has a partner with her Papio Press business she has still created pieces under her own name. Handmade pieces of illustrated jewellery. The fact that they are handmade, I feel makes the final piece seem more personal therefore worth the prices asked. 
The progression of her work through the different merchandise is something I will take inspiration from. Starting small and working/ networking your way up to further your success. 
I am the most attracted to her presentation of work. Simple packaging that include relevant details like a website and a logo make for a memorable piece. These details are what bring all of the different elements of the piece together and are things I am beginning to now consider for my own practice. 
A logo design and branding name will make my overall practice more professional and will be beneficial when making potential contacts. Goldhawk has been successful with her work here so I will therefore be taking inspiration from her anther business for this aspect of my own practice.

www.zannagoldhawk.tumblr.com

Kirsty Smith - Neale

Neale's works are ones to look at more closely for they are presented using a fine line and small details. She takes a more graphic approach when it comes to her business cards but still follows the clear concise lines in her illustrations. The small pops of colours help further the capturing of character and atmosphere of the places she has illustrated. The neutral colours used for the main background make the illustrations the centre of attention. 

It is clear that I am very interested in illustrating a place/ building when it comes to my own work so once again my initial attraction to Neales work is obvious. It is the simplicity of her final pieces with the fine lines and the fact they are in postcard form. I like the idea of being able to apply a piece of work to lots of different merchandise whilst it still being aesthetically successful. Although presented only on postcards, I can see her work would work well on other things such as, like Harriet Plaskitt, a tea towel or other useful homeware pieces. 

Her hand crafted slim line boxes finish off the piece as a whole and is something I wish to experiment with for final touches with my projects. I feel that with these small additions to a final piece will make the work as a whole more successful. 

www.kirstysn.co.uk

Harriet Plaskitt

Much like the work of Becky Lees, architectural elements are a part of the focus in Plaskitt's work. Once again this was an initial attraction as I too, have these elements in my work. The simple application of her illustrations to merchandise are appealing as they are both useful and aesthetically successful with their crisp lines, and simple compositions on a clean white background. 

The fact that the illustrations are formed this way and are applied to useful merchandise makes the products desirable and perhaps collectable. The adaptability of the illustrations have the potential to fit multiple environments (e.g homeware shop fronts) and products. This is something I wish to explore in my work so I can pin point and expand on an audience. 

Plaskitt includes extra details in the packaging such as a wash temperature on the tea towel and the fact it was screen printed. These small pieces of information gives the customer confidence in the piece and the willingness to purchase. 

As mentioned with Anna Coffey, the thoughts behind the work impact an audience as much, if not more than the illustrations so this is what attracts me to the work. 

I will be thinking more about the way I want a certain audience to react to my work so as to perhaps make it more of a success for this is what I am most attracted to with Plaskitt's work. Initially it will be the illustrations that are seen and draw in a customer but what goes with the work is what I find to be more important. 

http://hpillustration.weebly.com

Anna Coffey

Using recognisable and relatable subject matter in her illustrations makes Anna Coffey's work draw in a range of audiences.  We reminisce over the illustrations as she associates them with emotions and nostalgic imagery. I think because she has chosen postcards as a main merchandising product they become more of a keepsake item allowing the recognisable illustration subject matters to take the leading role. I think being able to relate to a piece of work makes it all the more successful and appeals to a wide range audience wise. 
Something that stand out most to me is the fact that she relates emotions to inanimate objects whilst it still being a relatable piece. On her website she has other pieces that consist of small tutorials. For example, 'Smokey Eye Essentials'. A relatable piece for a target audience making it more desirable.
After looking at Anna Coffey's work, it makes me think more about the message or emotions I'm trying to infer in my work as a more important factor than the actual piece. Whilst still making a final piece as aesthetically successful as I can, I want to take this way of thinking into consideration with my own work so that a reaction from the audience can be achieved. For me, this is what stands out the most and makes Coffey's work a success. A relatable, emotion provoking piece that makes it desirable. 

www.illustrationbyannalouise.co.uk

Becky Lees

When it came to Becky Lees's work I was initially attracted to the subject matter of buildings and architectural patterns. These kinds of thing crop up in my own work too so I was instantly intrigued. Her colouring book full of compositional variation brings more excitement to it. With some pages full of repeat patterns with architectural qualities and other pages of stand alone buildings, the jump from one to the other keeps the audiences attention.

A colouring book allows the audience to get involved with the final outcome of the illustration. They can manipulate it to answer to their owns tastes further with the use of colour. 

Her bunting and business cards correlate to the type of work she creates so make for a recognisable brand. In terms of a professional outlook, this will be something I am going to be designing and creating. Business cards with clear contact details to allow for self promotion will help along the process of networking with potential clients making for a memorable contact. 

When it comes to my own practice, I like the idea of having the audience being involved with the final product. However, the main focus of a final product would be the buildings I would illustrate. Lees's work has inspired me when it comes to seeking out new place to draw as reference. The small touches like the bunting are things I will now be considering with my own work. Extra little promotional material will only ever be a good thing along with a main focus final piece. 

I think I will need to take more into consideration the target audience of my work and how I will aim it at them the most successfully. Once I have pinned down where my target audience lies, I think overall, my work could be more of a success. 

For me, I would say that Becky Lees product and illustrations answers to wide range of tastes making for a successful piece which inspires me to think of the smaller things to help along the self promotion process. 

www.beckyleesillustration.co.uk

Starting an Etsy Shop | Extra Research

After completing another narrative project and a previous one where I used decorative qualities and pattern it is more clear to me now that I am not as interested in pieces involving narrative. Pieces that can be editionable such as postcards, clothing prints, and applying designs to be merchandised. I have therefore furthered my research when it comes to starting up an Etsy shop. Having this extra knowledge on the subject will make it a more informed choice if this is something I decide to do. 

Theres a lot of questions I would need to ask myself before beginning the shop so that I have all my facts and everything is organised. A few of those being;

- Are there competitors out there and what can you offer that they can't?

- Do you know what it costs to make your product, how mush time it'll take, what yo need to charge to make a profit?

- Who is your target audience and how will they find you? Social media, referrals, word of mouth, business cards?

- Are you able to put in the time to maintain the shop and keep it updated?

Appearance of the shop online should be well presented. A visually exciting and engaging banner with an informative shop description. When I have a specific product idea this will be something that'll come easier. 

Much like other research and talks I have had, networking is only ever a good thing when it comes to promoting and putting the word out that you are producing work. Having a blog up and running and interacting with others that may have similar interests is going to work in my favour as I can make new contacts and respond and refer people in the direction of my shop whilst still making friends along the way. Answering queries or general questions about what it is that I do will put across a professional image to potential customers/ clients. 

Patience is very important especially when only just starting out. Regular self evaluation will help the success along. Sales will more than likely not be instant so sometimes going back to the drawing boards to reinvent certain aspects of the shop and keeping things fresh and inspiring to customers should be something that is part of a regular routine when it comes to my shop. 

When it comes to the money side of a shop, I will have to become more informed on this side to it. However, I know that good bookkeeping and an organised system will come in handy. I am in contact with an accountant so I will be asking them for advice when it comes to this aspect of the business. 

Helen Ward

Having a talk from Helen Ward proved to be useful and inspiring to me when it comes to her techniques an knowledge on the field. I had seen her work before and found the way she uses paints very interesting. I was able to gain further insight in to her processes and her professional side. 

She is particularly practised when it comes to imaginary animals. She has learnt from reference and built up skills to perfect the structures and how they move. She does however prefer to to make up her animals as they cannot possibly be wrong. 

When Helen is creating final pages for a book, she is sure to produce in non chronological order. Your style will always change slightly throughout the pages of a book so she does them this way so there is not a dramatic style change at the start and end of a book. If I make more books in the future this will be something I use so there is a better consistency throughout. 

She says that it is better if you can write your own books and stories as a writer will more than likely have an idea in their heads of how they wish the outcome to be and it could mean you veer away from your way of thinking and working. However it is still a goof idea to be connected and network with writers so that future opportunities are not hindered.   

Ward suggested that it is better to sell your ideas and work to a publishers if they already are familiar with the subject. For example, an adapted, well known fairytale. I can see why this would be true as a target audience would be already established and it is already a popular piece of literature so can therefore be easily sold. I definitely agree with this however, new ideas are still something I'd want to venture into. 

Onto Helens techniques and processes she has some very visually exciting work. I liked the idea of working on brown paper with black and white ink. I think the whites bring something different and capturing to these pieces so I would therefore like to experiment with this too. When creating her book pages she quite often draws a box so as to make sure her proportions are correct and it acts as a guideline space for her work. In terms of creating book pages I think this is always a great plan but in the general illustration sense I'd find it constricting. 

Helen had lots of interesting and inspiring thoughts and ideas which I will take on board and apply to my own practice. 

http://helenward-illustrator.co.uk

Final Book Page

For my final book page for the group project, I wanted to portray the day to day life of an illustrator. I think I've captured the elements of something typical of an illustrator. After all pages are printed, I will be spot colouring all of them using red watercolour paint.