Hopes, Fears and Opportunities
Looking back over last term, from September to December, it was a really a wake up for me and my work.
As I mention previously, on a few posts back, I love to draw. I really love the traditional ways of working in illustration and do not want digital illustration to take over, so I spent a lot of time trying to get better at my drawing practices.
It was a little bit of a slow start for me on my Negotiated Project that was set for me to do, but, it worked out for the best when it came to the end and has set me up well for my final project now.
I set myself a sort of ‘drawing marathon’ which meant that I just drew anything and everything. I am mostly into drawing and working with the figure, so I filled up as many sketchbooks I could with just drawings.
It helped me so much as I started to take less time and concentration over my figures, and by letting go and not being over possessive and also not caring if the figures were ‘beautiful’ or not.
Doing that practise led me to be a lot more confident with myself and leading me onto different uses of materials to work with, which truthfully, I was not inclined to use.
With the help of some wonderful illustrators, for instance Stina Perrson and Tina Berning, I managed to find my own style which I am now, rather confident and comfortable with.
Even though it was a troubling start, which consisted a lot of worry and stress, I thank myself for doing that exercise, as now it has set me up for the final and important part of my degree.
My hopes for the future are rather bright. As I have mentioned, I have now a confidence in my work that wasn’t really there before and I hope I will succeed in the future, when the time comes when we are out of education.
I realise that I still need these next extra months to build more work and more confidence and then I hope to be able to get a good career out of illustration.
The best thing is, is that we get the opportunity to meet art directors and some, like myself, get to actually go and meet with illustrators which I’m extremely looking forward to as I can hopefully get an insight of what the ‘real’ world is like in the world of a working and successful illustrator.
My hopes, which I am working on now, is to build up a successful portfolio which contains some of my best work which I am pleased with, with hopefully, all sorts of pieces that show I can be a high-quality illustrator.
I admit, I do have a few fears about the world after education, but I really do hope that the time left in university will help and give me the courage to go out into the big wide illustrating world.
One fear, which I am sure a lot of students have when their time in education has ended, is about getting a job in their particular field.
As I have said above, I am sure that talking to illustrators in the industry now, can help me with their experiences and hopefully give me some courage about when the time comes.
I have read a lot of interviews with particular illustrators, in the fashion world, who have given advice to up and coming ones, (I hope that will one day will be me!)
I do not want to say what illustrator said what as I am afraid they wouldn’t give me the permission to write it, so I will just say what I have read…
‘ Rob and steal. If one gets tired of doing this, then this will turn into your own style, if you do not get tired and carry on to rob and steal, one is not in the right industry and should look at doing another profession. ‘
‘Try to get better at what you do, all the time and stay away from the computer.’
If one wants to go into the fashion illustration industry, ‘learn more about the human body.’
‘Learn to adapt when the need arises but keep the portfolio tidy and not all over the place.’
‘Keep doing what you love and enjoy what you do.’
‘Push the boundaries… be unique and original.’
‘Respect your own personal style.’
‘Keep taking risks and don’t always aim to please.’
‘Never follow anything and do whatever you want to do and keep to it.’
‘ There is always someone who is harder working…’
The list is endless…
All these pieces of information are true and definitely worth following, which I do. It is rather nice that each and every illustrator has different tips so gives one more ideas to take in.
My favourite one, which is extremely good advice for me, is the second tip. ’Try and get better at what you do and stay away from the computer.’
As is known about me, I do use the computer in a very little way as I believe it is in a way, a bit of cheating. One has to be able to draw, if one wants to be a illustrator, one must be able to draw. One cannot rely on the computer to give you ideas and a good finished piece of work.
The opportunity I hope to have is that I will have a wide knowledge of the industry and with help from university I think I will.
They push us to stand on our own two feet and find out agencies and directors by our selves. I hope that I will gather the confidence, which comes with time, to be able to promote, and visit lots of people and I hope to get where some of my favourite illustrators and designers are.
The future is bright… I hope!