Presentation and script

Portfolio

My portfolio is finally starting to take shape. During my portfolio review I was advised to consider the general theme of my work (horror, comedy) and how my portfolio should represent that. For example the two digital mouse pieces don't seem to fit in with the rest of my work as much as some of the other pieces. The colour palette is also different with them. 

As I develop my practice further, I need to consider my colour palette. Most professionals continuously use the same set of colours throughout all their work which is something I intend on working on. The colours I've noticed myself using are the colours I tend to find myself wearing/buying which clearly comes across in my work. 

Outcome of making professional contacts

Making a Linkedin account has allowed me to contact professionals and alumni that could be useful to my developing practice. Overall, contacting through people through email, Instagram and Linkedin has given me some advice for the future rather than just being thrown into the world being unaware of where I should be. 

Speaking to recent alumni (last year) made me feel less nervous about graduating. Most graduates from last year are still working at a normal full time job and making personal work alongside. Others, such as Emma Knowles, are working in a design based environment to get experience. However, she keeps her personal work aesthetic completely separate from the her job. 

Alumni from a couple of years ago such as Joe Boyd are now more experienced and are constantly taking on more freelance work. He explained to me that it was difficult to get paid work straight from graduation and finding work is still an ongoing process. He also mentioned how working in a studio has aided his work ethic because it separates work from home. Knowing that you're paying for a position at a studio makes you more motivated to make work that you could potentially be paid for. 

On Linkedin (mostly) I have had conversation with professional freelance illustrators and hiring agencies. I had a useful conversation with Scott Balmer who mentioned that sending postcards of your work to newspapers/magazines is a useful way to get your work noticed and then possibly used alongside an article. This is something that was also briefly touched on at Hanbury. Social media is also now a useful place to get work noticed in the modern day and I'm constantly trying to keep up with my instagram account. 

Overall, the experience of being able to make connections with professionals on various levels has advised me on where to head in the future. It's helped me feel less nervous about not having my work 'out there' as much as some others might seem to AND KEEP MAKING WORK.

Comparing my work to current professionals

Contacting recent alumni and seeing the work that they are currently making after graduation has allowed me to compare my own work ethic. There was a mixed response with the people I have spoken to. Some of the recent graduates are still working full time in retail and continuously making work on the side. Others are now working completely freelance. 

When looking at more professional illustrators such as Scott Balmer I have considered how I need to continue working hard and step up my game. I have had a conversation with him on Linkedin which has given me an insight into his work life. 

His work has been seen in books, newspapers/magazines and stand alone illustrations. As well as having a varying aesthetic to his work which seems to vary from flat vector based imagery to more three dimensional, detailed pieces. 

His website and blog are both up to date (something I've been struggling to keep up with whilst at uni - being well aware it's going to be harder to keep up with in the future). 

Knowing that Scott Balmer has been working in the industry for many years and I'm still developing my practice I don't like to compare myself too much, but I am well aware that I need to keep working hard and consider the growing competition around me. 

Promo Package

 

When considering how the application of my work might affect my professional stance it needs to be placed where it would make it stand out from the others. For the Hanbury Symposium (and wherever needed in the future) I decided to make my business cards at more of a postcard scale. I did this because it suits my work more due to the bulky aesthetic, as well as making it stand out more against the smaller business cards surrounding it. 
Stickers also seem appropriately suited to my work because of their simplicity. However, if I were to make these stickers again I would consider making the text smaller and adding my whole last name to make it easier to find me. 
Maybe in the future, when I have created more finalised pieces of work, I would consider making a small zine to compile my work into a mini portfolio with contact details for people to take away and for me to hand out to other professionals. Either this or possibly a short comic strip that could be done when my pumpkin/devil characters develop further. 
I've tried to keep all of the branding the same throughout my business cards, creative CV etc to make it clear that it is my work. 

Cost of Living

I did the cost of living sheet similar to last year to work out my financial obligations. At the minute water, gas etc is all covered under my rent. However, in the future this is something I need to consider more. As well as the car's insurance cost and MOT prices. Thankfully, my phone bill is a lot cheaper than last years which has knocked payments down drastically. Having my car now in Leeds has however cost me more money to run it. I try to avoid driving where possible and want to continue to do this (also considering the environmental impact it has). I may need to look back at this spreadsheet in the future to calculate how much I need to earn to be able to fund my lifestyle. I could drastically cut back on spending money on clothes and cosmetics to save a little more money. 

Next year, if I do a teaching course then loan is still applicable to me (depending on where I study). I'm also planning on taking on full time work over summer and where possible when I move back home to save money for the future to fund my practice.

Who's my target audience?

Throughout the year, my target audience hasn't changed drastically from my previous work. However, since this year I have focused more on character design and book illustration, this may have broadened my audience. 

Currently, my target audience is:

• Young adults 
• People who read left wing newspapers/magazines
• Interested in politics 
• Character design 
• Literature fans (especially classic literature)
• People who read graphic novels/comics

The last 2 points have been added into my current work as I have focused more closely on being less political and working more freely by creating fun, bold characters in different situations. Whether it's taken from a classic book e.g. Frankenstein, or that I have made it up.