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