Stop Rushing!

Another thing I have learnt, while doing the editorial piece. Is that I need to stop rushing! I have plenty of time to get things done! After realising this, I started creating shapes which were neater instead of rushed messy lines. Need to keep this in my head for every project!!

Well Spring Finished Piece

Final image for Wellspring newspaper.
At first I had two legs beck to back but they began to look they they were two legs on one body and it looked a little bit silly and strange, so I decided to switch the legs around like this so you can tell that it is meant to be two different peoples legs. I decided then to place the larger titled text in between the two legs to hold the image together better, as they looked to separate before. I then placed the route of the run (not exact) underneith the legs and trainers, with some text inside this, (i think when printed in the newspaper, this text was straight and not slanted) and at the bottom are two web addresses of two runs from wellspring, which Johnathon himself asked me to put on there.
Over all I really like the piece, but once again think my main problem is my composition, I need to find a way around this and making my compositions better and less 'scatterd' or over crowded.

T.S Spookytooth

Hi Rebecca, Many thanks for your comments about my work, please find the answers to your questions below. I hope they help.RegardsT.S

What are your inspirations? and is there anyone you inspire to be like?

My inspirations just come from life, I can see something in everyday life that will just inspire me or give me an idea.

How do you come up with ideas for project which are set for you, how do you get started?

I normally just brainstorm ideas and start by drawing and find that things just happen and ideas flow. Ideas will come in the bath, on the bus, anywhere really.

When/If you get stuck, or have no ideas, how do you dig yourself out of a 'hole'?

Walk away and take a break, that normally does the trick for me.

Is there any routine to the way you work? For example, drawings onto illustrator, etc.

I start by brainstorming/then researching/rough sketches and ideas/ then develop them into more refined drawings/then final colour artwork. I rarely use computers in my work.

Is there any advice you could give to a student trying to make it in the illustration business?Draw every day, enjoy it. Get on the promotion trail and get your work seen by as many people as you can, nowadays it's not good enough to be a first class illustrator, you have to make sure the right people see it. Get yourself a good clear website created to showcase your work.

Short but sweet answers!

Playing with Textures!

Here I was playing about with something I drew on photoshop, Instead of just normalling colouring it in with paint bucket I decided to add some textures to it in different ways. Getting very into working with textures lately, enjoying it very much!

Amy Martino

Again, Love the use of textures, in the background and the element itself. Works interestingly in both these different approaches. Very unique.

Composition is very simple, main element placed in the middle of the image, it works really well as the image is lengthy in size and fits really well along the height and width.

The top image works really well and the background is hetic and crazy and the main element in the foreground is a bold colour to make it stand out.

Random selection of colours works well for these pieces, interesting.

Russell Fei

Lovely use of textures even though some of these seem to be create digitally (not completely sure though). Great shapes, very interesting and fun, makes me feel like they were possibly collages, but again not completely sure.

Compositions are lovely, Characters placed in the middle surrounded by some lovely natural shapes and scenery.

Anne Wilson

I'm inspired by this piece, I love the use of textures with in the background and then the bold block shapes in the fore ground. Interesting piece and a lovely illustration. I also like the use of colour, using shades of red and pink for the background and main image and then other random colours in small shapes, creating patterns and repetative shapes which work really well and it makes the image stand out even more than it already does. As I have been playing with alot of texture im my imagery lately, I hope to try something similar to this where I create textures in my backgrounds and leave my elements/imagery plain to help them stand out more. I think this would be an interesting way of working.

Attempting Illustrator

It's nothing special, but thought I'd have a play around at tracing, colouring and making shapes. I kinda like it, with abit more practice i'm sure I can get better!

Sholto Walker

I emailed Sholto Walker as I am quite interested in his work and practice and he send me some great answers to my questions :)

This is a small clip that he send along with his email, I think it's really cute and sweet, very simple but an effective character!

Hi Becca,
Here are my answers to your questions.
Best of luck for the future.
Sholto

Sometimes, i find myself sitting there staring at a piece of paper, or just not wanting to do anything, due to lazyness, being tired, or just plain cant be botherd, is there anything that you do to give yourself a boost and get on with things? Or is there anything that you do differently to get yourself going on your 'off' days?
I've wonderd a lot about this myself because I often have to struggle to get in the right frame of mind to do some work. I think a lot of artists find they are quite resistant to 'work', but know when they are actually engaged in a decent project, they become very focussed. It's getting into that space of engagement that's often the challenge. As an illustrator, I am frequently working to deadlines, usually for clients who themselves are under a lot of pressure. They expect deadlines to be met. It is my desire not to let people (and myself as a professional) down that is often the final motivator that gets me working. That said, when I'm not up against a deadline and the commission is not that inspiring, I'll often just walk away and find something else to do with my time. I've found over the years that just sitting staring and worrying over not feeling motivated just makes it worse.

When not having a project to work on, or in your spare time, when you feel the need to be creative, how do you come up with random projects for yourself? As when I'm in a creative mood, I end up sitting for hours wondering what to do.
I usually do one of two things. Either I sit with a sheet of paper in front of me and just start drawing things as they come into my head, or I refer to some ideas I've had and start developing those to see if they are worth pursuing. It's important to value your own ideas and when you have them and you don't trust yourself to remember them, to note them down. This is why keeping a sketchbook is useful. I find some of my best ideas never come when I'm in my studio.

Is there any type of music, or songs, or films you ever put on in the background while you do your work to help you get inspired?
To be honest, the way I work is kind of fraught. I'm either on a happy high as I work, or as irritable as hell - and this can change from minute to minute! My experience is that if I have music on at the same time, it's very distracting because it's either driving me mad with it's annoying rythmn or lyrics or whatever, or just heightening any sense of achievement I might be experiencing. If I listen to anything and because I'm over 35, I listen to Radio 4.

What are your inspirations? and is there anyone you inspire to be like?
Because my degree was in painting, much of my inspiration has and continues to come from painters like John Bellany and Stanley Spencer, but illustrators such as Robert Crumb, Ronald Searle and John Burningham also influence me. If I'm really honest though, my influences come from an enormous range of sources, from Francis Bacon to "Finding Nemo". I don't aspire to be anyone but myself.

Is there any routine to the way you work? For example, drawings onto illustrator, etc.
Yes. I think a routine or (better word) 'method' is very important for all artists because it makes what can often be the chore of getting an idea into a finished visual form far more rewarding. I always begin with a pencil drawing on the same sort of paper with the same sort of dip pen. This gets out of the way a lot of the decision-making which can be so stultifying at the early stages of a piece of work. It also helps make your finished work recognizable as your own because you become very skilled with your chosen methods and materials. For me and my sort of work, the initial drawing is everything - the idea, the composition, the line quality. In that order. I think it's important to make the point that I reached this working method after years of working in all kinds of ways with many kinds of materials (watercolour, pencils, acrylic, conte). Don't feel too tempted to drop everything in favour of one thing when you're starting out though. You need to experiment and learn. You need to do the time.
I'm not a great believer in the idea that digital technology has really advanced the art of illustration. It seems mostly to have speeded up the job and cheapened the production of printed illustrated material for publishers. Therefore, although I routinely use Photoshop and Illustrator to finish and colour my drawings, I wouldn't say they were crucial to the outcome of my work.

Is there any advice you could give to a student trying to make it in the illustration business?
Be yourself and value you own ideas (even if no one else seems to!). There are an awful lot of people trying to be illustrators. Many of them are very skilled, but only a few of them are really themselves and can transmit that consistently through their work. Finally (and boringly), BE RELIABLE. Most clients are looking for a job that is well presented and delivered on time. Perceived genius comes a very poor second.

Tansy Myer

Tansy Myer, Another Illustrator that I came on across on illustration web. Gorgeous pieces of work, love her 'Girl'collection, brilliantly done and love the use of pattens and small elements aswell as the girls themselves. I hope one day to be as good as her on illustrator/photoshop!

I feel inlove with her work straight away so I decided to get in contact with her and ask her a few questions and she got back to me pretty quickly which I am very pleased with :)

Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for your thoughtful email. I really appreciate your kind words.
I very much understand that being an artist involves a lot of struggle. Creatively we can ebb and flow. I have found over the years some ways to help this but I struggle too. I'm glad to share with you my thoughts and perhaps they will be useful for you.

Firstly, What are your inspirations? and is there anyone you inspire to be like?
I am inspired by so many artists - I especially love the work of Lisa Yuskavage. I aspire to keep pushing myself and doing higher quality, deeper work as I see so many amazing artists doing.

Sometimes, i find myself sitting there staring at a piece of paper, or just not wanting to do

anything, due to lazyness, being tired, or just plain cant be botherd, is there anything that you do to give yourself a boost and get on with things?
First off, you always have to remember to do what you love and are passionate about.
If you are tired, don't start a new project. It probably won't be that good if you do. I can be a bit nocturnal but I have learned not to start a new painting late at night and instead wait for when my energy is at peak because I don't want to sacrifice quality.

If you find yourself not getting into a project you need to step back and figure out how you are forcing yourself into the piece and instead focus on something that is fun and exciting for you to draw.
Always do what you love. If you don't love what you are drawing then change it. If you are loving one piece of a drawing but don't feel as good about another portion of it , then erase that portion. Allow yourself to be flexible, self-edit, and only draw something that you want to draw. It sounds simplistic but that one thing is my mantra in my head - do what you love. There are no rules. Draw whatever you want to, what your best at and if you push yourself to get in touch with what you want to express your art will always improve.
I also go back and forth on pieces and have a few different types of things I'm working on at the same time. Use whatever tools will help you create what you want to create.

Or is there anything that you do differently to get yourself going on your 'off' days?
I have found it really helpful to do some writing to help jumpstart an idea. Poetry, a short story, or even just lists of things or even attributes you would like your art to contain or be like, Also go to your old standard - a comfortable way of art making for you and just allow yourself to do something easy. That could be going back to lined paper and a ball point pen and drawing like you would doodle in class, or getting out the watercolors and just trying to make some cool color drips. Forcing yourself to make something you're not feeling just won't work. You have to be excited by what you're doing. I would also recommend trying new materials or sizes if you're feeling off.
When not having a project to work on, or in your spare time, when you feel the need to be creative, how do you come up with random projects for yourself? As when I'm in a creative mood, I end up sitting for hours wondering what to do.
That is a great time to go to a museum or an art gallery. To get some creative inspiration and a reminder that art is whatever you make it- no rules, it's your self expression.It has been very helpful for me to find a continuing theme that I can keep building on. That may help you to keep coming up with new pieces

Is there any type of music, or songs, or films you ever put on in the background while you do your work to help you get inspired?
I like to have music - and movies on - that kind of go with the mood of whatever I'm creating and help keep my energy up. Anything that will help you buckle down and spend the time necessary in your workspace to get where you need to.

Is there any routine to the way you work? For example, drawings onto illustrator, etc.
Everything I do starts as a pencil drawing. I also layer my drawings with lots of sheets of vellum or tracing paper so I can get the drawing right and add things onto it without screwing up what I have already done. I then scan them in and if I'm going to turn it into a digital piece I color it in Adobe Illustrator. If it's going to be a painting in Photoshop I size it to the panel I'm going to paint on, print it and either project it or use carbon paper and draw it on the panel/canvas.

Is there any advice you could give to a student trying to make it in the illustration business?
First off, have a consistent style and a nicely designed website and portfolio. Educate yourself on contracts, your rights, usage rights, fees. It never hurts to be proactive and know your rights and your value. Always have a contract looked over by an attorney. Find one that works with artists and they may help you for a reduced fee. The investment is worth it, especially if it's for a big project.
Be up front and highly communicative with clients about every aspect of a project. Always put everything in writing. After speaking with a client , follow up with an email going over the discussion you just had, the fee you agreed upon etc. so you are both on the same page.
Also, you don't have to just immediately pop out a fee to a client if they want to know how much you would charge for something. You usually won't have enough knowledge up front of what they want and need time to think about. Get back to them and if it was a broad or vague proposal from the client then give them a range and negotiate. Always factor in the number of revisions you are willing to do and keep control on the project and client so you only spend the allotted amount of time on the project.
This is a business and you must always balance opportunities with your worth. Don't scare away clients or opportunities with a too strong business attitude, but just be sure to be educated on what you're dealing with. In the US a great resource is the Graphic Artists Guild's "Pricing & Ethical Guidelines" handbook.
For clients that could be paying you, i.e companies, brand, ad agencies etc I really would not encourage doing spec work or any kind of work for free or for the "exposure." I do think it's good to reach out to arts organizations, other artistic sorts of things in exchange for them linking to your site or whatever works for you.
You will encounter a lot of rejection and difficult business dealings, this never changes. Stay strong and just keep on creating the best work you can.
Good luck Rebecca! Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Tansy

Great reply, what a lovely lady :) very please. Thanks Tansy!

Wellspring Brief- Bupa Run

Some Ideas and compositions for my wellspring brief. The page I got give for the newspaper was Page 10, The great BUPA manchester run. Simple Idea using trainers, encorporating the BUPA sign with in them. Here are some playful compositions, there will be more to come!

I wish I'd done this

Matisse- Sorrows of the king.

This image is named La Tristesse du roi, which translates to, Sorrows of the king/ the sadness of the king. It was created by Henri Matisse in 1952. The image is 292 cm high by 386 cm wide and it is held at the National museum of mordern art, paris. The image was created by using cut out pieces of paper covered in a single colour, a matt gouache made up of pigments, lime and gum arabic and then cut up with scissors and stuck down in an abstract way. The enormous potentional of this approach to working became apparent to Matisse, for it was neither drawing nor painting, but a combination of the two. He said "Instead of drawing an outline and filling in the colour...I am drawing directly into colour". It was with this technique that he was to produce a number of monumental pictures during the very last years of his life; these are works on a par with the greatest classical compositions. This technique derived from cubism a half century earlier.

There are several distinctive shapes in this abstract collage: a guitar, flying yellow petals, and a wide array of colours that clash in a cacophonous way. The blending and contrasting of blues, greens, magentas and yellows in this piece shows Matisse's mastery over the years. The background has been collaged with block squared shapes and colours including blue, pink and yellow and a small black square in the top left corner. There are 3 main elements of this image, all three seem to be portrayed as people. 2 of them being very similar in shape, very rounded, with small details of the human figure, including hands and feet, one of them looks as if it is sitting playing the guitar and the other playing what looks like some sort of drum, and the 3rd figure to the right, being completely different in colour and shape, it is made up of curved shapes and patterns and it looks as if it is possibly a female body. Matisse uses colours and symbolism in this piece to represent the sorrows of the king. This image is known as Matisse's final self portrait. He represents himself by the black form, like a silhouette of himself sitting in his arm chair or wheel chair, surrounded by the pleasures which have enriched his life; the yellow petals fluttering away have the gaiety of musical notation, the odalisque green symbolizing the east, while a dancer on the right pays honor to the female body. Also there is a wide array of colours which try to capture the emotional impact of royal sadness. All of these Matisse themes are combined in this masterful painting or collage.

The composition of this image works very well, the center of the image is the black form, which Matisse portrays as himself. This shows that this shape, or portrait is a main element of the image. Matisse's ideal working practice was perfectly tuned to what he called the 'rhythms of nature', as Compositional elements refer to the natural world, a dancer, leaves/petals and flower motifs, they are sign-posts for the viewer. They point to a presence, a decorative fullness in which the notion of context, as it is understood in the Western tradition, is almost obliterated. Matisse took up paper cutting when his hands grew too arthritic to paint. His paper cutting became his artisitic vehicle and expressed the same ideas in the main that his paintings had, he did a vast number of cuttings and they depicted different things: expression of jazz music, the circus, dances etc. Stylistically they fell into the category, fauvism, as that was Matisse's forte: it is characterized by the use of brilliantly clashing colours to express rhythm and vitality.

The reason I have chosen this image and wished that I had done this is because it shows Matisse's abilities and shows that he didn't give up his practices when his hands got too arthritic . I love the contrasts of colour, bright and playful, like something you would find in a childrens book. Simple yet distinctive and bold shapes give again a playful feel. The image itself looks as if it is a page from a story book, and were getting to 'the good bit', with 3 characters, who are they? why are they in the image? It is an interesting image and its fun to learn about. Also, I love how the image has been created, a mix of collage and paint, which is what I have been workng with over the past few prpjects. Though my work has more textures and stronger shapes I still feel Matisse and his cut outs are a huge influence to me and possibly other illustrators.

Things I have learnt.

After the James and the Giant Peach Brief, I have learnt how to play and work with textures well, I have finally found a style that I love doing and I am comfortable with, which is great! I tried many different styles, such a print and polish poster design, all i liked doing but working with collage and texture makes me feel comfortable and I really enjoy doing it! I also learnt some new skills on photoshop, I have never been great with it, but I am getting better which is deffinatly a good thing!

Tim Bradford

I contacted Tim Bradford asked him a few questions and he got back to me in 24 hours which I am very pleased with.
Here are the questions and Answers he replied with,

On 1st March, 2011, at 13:53, Tim Bradford wrote...

Hi, Rebecca, thanks for the email... Great to hear from a fellow illustrator.

Are these questions to do with an assignment you're writing? I'll try and answer them as best I can for you below.

Tim.

What are your inspirations? and is there anyone you inspire to be like?
Nature and people mainly... any design or art form of any kind can inspire me, I love film especially... I think sometimes I anspire to be a little bit like everyone that inspires me if that makes sense!

How do you come up with ideas for projects that have been set for you? How do you get started?
I just start drawing. I don't know of a better way to work through ideas... I'm a visual person so thats what comes first, you have to be critical all the time to make sure it communicates well.

When/If you get stuck, or have no ideas, how do you dig yourself out of a hole?
It's normal to have off days every now and then and can be frustrating, I find a good way of refreshing yourself is to change your surroundings... I sometimes relocate the studio to a quiet place in the garden, or take my sketchbook out into town and draw people... also draw at unlikely times, out of normal working hours when you can be less critical, that can often start off some interesting ideas.

Is there any routine to the way you work? For example, drawings onto illustrator, etc.
Pencil sketch... colour up in illustrator... tweak in photoshop... thats the usual set up but sometimes if it's black and white or two-tone just a pen will do before taking it into photoshop.

Is there any advice you could give to a student trying to make it in the illustration business?
Join the AOi and take the advantage of the benefits of being a member... Get close to London (it helps with meeting clients)... keep developing your work... try and get an agent who can give you some great publicity and just be open to stuff!



I am very please with his responses, he is a brilliant illustrator with great advice! Thanks Tim

What Motivates Me?

Things that motivate me are good, fun briefs, something that may be a challenge, something I wouldn't do randomly in my spare time. People also motivate me, if i know someone believes that I can do it, that motivates me. People such as my Boyfriend, friends, family and Ian Murray! Suprising people, showing them how good I can actually be! Also creative things in general motivate me, and good illustrators. As I would want to be that good some day!