Throughout PPP this year, I have really had the
opportunity to find my own voice and where my work exists in the world. This
has definitely been a challenge and I feel as though I will be looking for this
answer as long as I am a practitioner.
The most straightforward part of this module has
been identifying parts of the industry I am interested in working in. My work
in other modules has definitely influenced this because I discovered new skills
or how much I enjoy a particular area. For example, my work on product and
packaging in OUIL505 really confirmed that I want to continue working in this
area. Earlier on in the year I had already identified that I really liked
illustrated products and I know that interest has always been there, it has just
taken me a long time to realise that’s where my practice might fit.
Trying to find my own voice as an illustrator
has been the greatest challenge so far. I am aware that I have an opinion on
lots of things and there are issues that are important to me, but I have found
it challenging to convey this in my work. Looking at other practitioners, such
as Babs Tarr, Paulina Ganucheau and Sophie Campbell has given me an idea of how
I can use character to convey some of my opinions and how colour and line can affect
this.
Developing my creative presence has been quite
fun and as a result, the interest in my work has definitely increased. I have
created a few social media pages to showcase my work and I plan to continue
developing this so that I am on as many platforms as possible. Recently I even
had somebody commission me for a logo because they imagined what they wanted in
my ‘style’ – not my choice of words but I took this as a huge compliment and it
means I am on the right track. However, I have discovered that
maintaining these pages does take a lot of time and recently, I haven’t had
much of that to dedicate to this. Over summer I plan to really capitalise on my
online presence so that by the time I get into level 6 it’ll just be a case of
updating with new content.
Creating a promotional pack has been very
interesting. It put me in a position where I had to make decisions on which of
my work I wanted to represent me. Rather than create a logo or pseudonym as
some other practitioners do, I chose to keep the text really simple and let the
images attract people. This meant that I could have more than one design on
business cards and I could apply the same designs to other products, such as
bookmarks; key-rings; stickers and fridge-magnets. This also means that when I
feel I have outgrown a particular design, I can just replace it with something
more recent. So far, the response to my business cards has been great and I
have handed out quite a lot. I do however, need to get into the habit of having
a few on me at all times – you never know when opportunity strikes.
With my new found understanding of what kind of
illustrator I am – or that I want to be, I feel much more confident about what
kind of work I am going to be producing from now on and where I should think
about marketing it. A few months ago I sold some prints at the Hepworth Print
fair and I would love to do it again. I have considered applying for a table at
various conventions but I don’t think my work would really be suited to that
audience. Starting from now, I think one of my aims will be to get a better
understanding of the market for my work. This will help me develop my voice and
familiarise myself with the industry so that it doesn’t seem so
intimidating.
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