Health and Safety

Did this a while ago, but dont want to print it. So i put it here. =)
I did the quiz... only 2 times to get 100%.. Im a health and safety master!

5 yrs time storyboard

Self Promotion Comparison

Illustrator self promotion comparison-

Alexandra Ball - http://www.alexandraball.co.uk/ 

Alexandra Ball has a very simple design to her website showing a few snippets of her work on the first page, linking onto further works divided into categories. It has a very clean and seamless design, the small circles leading onto illustrations with a similar theme and there is a great deal of work.

At first it is a little hard to get through, until you realise you can click on the circles and then more of them to show more works. There are very short descriptions of her pieces that give enough information without presenting a large wall of text, which makes it easier to digest.

There is an about section, titles info which gives personal details, qualifications and a short description of how she makes her illustrations. The small illustration of her expresses her personality as a bubbly and sweet person.

She doesn’t seem to have a great list of clients, and allot of her work seems personal from what you can read in the little descriptions. But it does show that she has done alot of work, for a wide variety of things from book illustrations [for her own stories to unofficial artwork for other stories] to card illustrations. However it is rather unclear whether any of the pieces have been used in a professional context.

There is a blog which is linked to the first circle on the home page [‘Today’] which isnt clearly labelled. The blog consists of what seems to be personal work and random ideas, which show off her creativity and imagination, but also shows she seems to work in quite sporadic periods, often not updating for months.

The commission section on the homepage simply details how to contact her through her agent Illustration Ltd. There isn’t a direct contact form or a personal one and no links to facebook or twitter etc.

Overall its a good website and presents her work well, but I feel she could explain a little more about how to commission and what she has been commissioned for to give a better idea of whether she’s the right illustrator to work for you. There’s a great deal of work that shows of her style well and its fairly user friendly.

Jeremy Love- http://jeremylove.com/index.htm

In stark contrast to Alenxrandra Ball’s website, Jeremy Love’s is extremely slick, modern and dark. It presents a very user friendly interface with a simple menu and update section of the front page. The gallery and bio links are easily seen and accessible aswell as contact and resume.

In the gallery section there is a Professional work section which consists of freelance work and mostly game artwork, and a personal work section with illustrations and sketchbook work. The images do take a little while to load up, but that’s due to them being at a high resolution and a fairly big scale so the details can be properly viewed. The gallery is full on concept work for games and shows of his imagination and skills as an artist.

The bio section consists of a large wall of text and a kiwi [he’s from new Zealand] , it’s all very factual and not basically telling a short biography which although is informative, isn’t very exciting.  It does show that he has worked on a variety of projects, working on the third Narnia film, working as a signwriter and graphic artist for 10 years, and currently working with THQ studios. There isnt any client testimonials but there is a clear selection of big projects he has worked on, giving a good idea of what he would work on.

The contact page is very minimal and consists of ‘enquiries email’ and ‘chat’ email, which presents him as an approachable person and suggest he works for himself. He is contactable by email but there is no phone number or any other details or explanation of the exact process of commissioning, which may put new clients off.

I do like his website and think it is very slick and professional, but it does present him to be very professional himself which may put off new clients. Its a little easier to navigate than Alexandra Ball’s but dosen’t present that light heartedness and idea of his personality.

Timothy Banks- http://www.timothybanks.com/

Timothy banks website seems to have it all, and appears to promote himself really well from it. The site is clean and organized well showing off his art, projects and sketch videos in an easily digestible way. It has a unique scrapbook feel with lots of links and looks very easy on the eye. The large illustrations and bright colours make it approachable to most audiences.

There’s a few galleries, a portfolio and a few specialised galleries featuring work from his personal projects. The images load quickly and are presented cleanly, some with descriptions and some without, making it easy to read but sometimes leaving out titles and descriptions can make a few illustrations get lost.

His ‘about’ page is written from someone else view, which dosent give the personal touch, but there is a lot of information there including a quick bio on his life and also a client list and awards he has gained. The client list is impressive, from Nike to Cartoon Network and the few awards he has one don’t seem as impressive but still show him as a recognized illustrator.

He has a very interesting blog on the site too, that shows works in progress and development of projects. IT gives a good insight into how he works and ideas generation and although not updated too regularly, it’s still good to see how he thinks through ideas and a rough scale of how long he takes to produce work.

His contact page is the most useful of all the sites and it includes a contact form for easy communication and it also has a direct email address and easy access to his portfolio. Also on the front page has links to his Facebook fan page, Flickr and twitter which makes him really easy to follow and contact on unofficial business.

Overall its a really good website, and has all the good things of the other two sites and more. It presents him as a really successful illustrator, but the ease of contact make him seem more approachable to clients, unlike Jeremy Love.

What about me?

Taking upon all the good points of all of these websites will give me a good chance of self promotion, and at the moment I promote myself through a personal blog and that seems to suit me fine at the moment.

If I had clients and other illustrations work beside my persona l stuff, maybe a website would be better, and enable me to present all my works clearly without having to scroll through a blog. Its important to make whatever I do, user friendly and present me as an approachable illustrator to potential clients.

In 5 years time...

Hopefully...

I'd originally done one with me as a teacher, but im unsure thats what i want to do anymore so I went for something more generic. Its basically me at the moment, but with proper commissions for book illustrations and maybe even some vinyl toys or something depending on how the Toy Making module goes for Complimentary Studies. 

I did it in a more mature painterly style, to suggest how my style might evolve in a few years time.. I dont have the patience to do something in this style at the moment... Takes far too long! 

Self Promotion strategies

All the different kinds of Self Promotion out there...

Self Promotions Pros and Cons

Blogs/Twitter etc

• Quick and easy, anyone can set one up
• Can put up a new post in seconds
• Can be viewed by most people [with an internet connection]
• Mobile devices ever more compatible with such services to make it even easier to view/post
• Blogs can be easily modified to show off creativity and personality
• Twitter can be used for instant broadcasting to a wide audience
• Its FREE!

• Blogs can only be commented upon/followed if you are a member [Same for Facebook and DeviantART]
• Can be hard to get noticed
• Its hard to find the real person [many copy cats out there, particularly on twitter]
• Not accessible to people with no internet, successfulness of the blog etc depends on target audience
• Self censorship, have to be careful what you say/post sometimes
• Susceptible to 'Trolls', people who just post random rubbish and spam

Business Cards

• Small and formal 
• Can come in many different forms
• Fairly Cheap to buy in bulk
• Can make them however you like
• Something tangible that the client can keep hold of for future offers
• Can be easily distributed

• If you've got no money at all, then its not easy to print them
• Can easily be thrown away
• Depends on client/audience whether its a successful way to promote [young kids aren't likely to hold on to them for long]

Sticker Bombing

• Depending on audience, It can be a quick and fairly cheap way to promote
• Instant inpact, will get message across quickly

• Generally frowned upon, if not illegal
• Stickers size limits information
• Susceptible to weather conditions... eg. Rain
• Wont work for everyone

Postcards

• Much like business cards, easily distributed
• Bigger then said cards, so more information can be communicated
• Allot of people collect postcards 
• People may be more likely to spend a little money on a postcard beachwear they could be seen as small prints
• Fairly Cheap, depends on paper quality which may affect its successfulness
• Could be found everywhere, shop windows, art fairs etc.

• Not everyone's cup of tea
• Easily thrown away
• Still not much space to put information, have to be sensible what image to use as it may be all the potential client will see of your work
• Free postcards are great, but charge for them and it may not be as successful
• Can be expensive, depends on paper etc.

Competitions

• Big competitions can give great coverage and promotion, but do have to be prepared to put in the work
• There is always a competition running somewhere
• Cash prizes are always great
• Other prizes can really boost career and aid production of art [eg, art materials]
• National recognition, depending on competition

• You don't always win [obviously]
• Some competitions can put an extra workload ontop of current uni work/illustration work
• Have to be very self motivated

Possible work placement

We got told about this in our emails and in our contextual seminar-

'The Book Project at College Road Primary School.

We are currently creating a book about the area they live in, not in a stuff history book way, but more of a by kids for kids annual style book.

We want it to be bright, funky and very image based. As part of the book we will be writing a comicsection in which a character goes back in time and goes on an adventure(sneaking some history in).

The children will write the comics and roughly draw them but we need someone to properly draw theartwork for the book.

We are looking to work with someone who would be willing to come into the school and work with a bunchof wild 8-9 year olds?!'

This is really exciting prospect, and Id love to be a part of it. Im still unsure where I want to go in my future, so some proper experience in the field of education and art based work for a client will be really valuable and help me to evaluate my aims.

However, I dont feel confident enough to take on something like this at the moment, Im very new to Plymouth so going on my own to a school Ive never seen before Is very scary and not something I feel capable of doing just yet.

It is a real shame, and a great opportunity as book illustration is something else that I find really exciting. It would be easier for me to get work experience in a school nearer to me or at the one my mum works at, If i still think thats an area I want to explore for my future. 

Job Profiles

Illustrator Job Profile-

Illustrators combine art, design and creative skills to develop ideas and produce original visual images for a wide range of products including books, magazines, animations, computer games, websites, sales brochures and reference materials.

An illustrator should-

• have excellent drawing and IT skills
• be able to work to a brief and adapt their style if needed
• have an understanding of the context in which they are working
• know the audience they are aiming at
• be able to conduct good research
• have a high level of creativity and an eye for detail and design
• have good communication and negotiation skills
• be able to work within budgets
• be self-motivated and able to work to deadlines
• have a good general knowledge and an awareness of current affairs
• have good initiative.

Illustrators work throughout the UK. Most illustrators are self-employed and often have other paid jobs while they build up their business. It is a competitive area of work.

Many illustrators employ agents to promote their work and pay a percentage commission for their services. Many illustrators also have a web presence to promote their work. There are also websites that allow illustrators to upload their work for potential commissioners to see, often for a fee.

There are no set entry requirements to become an illustrator. However, most professional illustrators have a degree in illustration or another art-related subject such as graphic design or fine art. It is important to have a high level of illustration ability, an extensive portfolio of quality work and self-promotional skills to obtain work. Getting work experience through an internship in a relevant field such as advertising or publishing may help.

Most illustrators are self-employed and work freelance. They are paid an agreed fee for each commission, which varies widely. Earnings may range from £5,000 to £50,000 a year. Some extremely successful illustrators may earn £250,000 a year or more.

Source-

http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=46&catalogueContentID=131


[‘illustrator’ is a broad term, and I feel at the moment that it is defiantly where I want to go. The earnings are very uncertain, but that dosen’t effect me decision. I believe I have enough skills and determination to mean that this is a suitable job for me.]



Animator Job Profile-


As an animator, you would bring drawings or models to life on screen. Your work could be used in animated short and full-length films, television cartoons, adverts, computer games, music videos, websites and movie visual effects.
Skills Necessary-

• creativity and imagination
• good drawing or modelling skills
• patience and concentration
• accuracy and attention to detail
• good computer skills, preferably including graphics and animation software
• communication and presentation skills
• the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• good teamworking skills.

Income can start at around £20,000 a year, but with experience and skills one can earn up to £40,000 a year.

To become an animator, you will need skills in drawing, modelling or using computer animation packages. Some animators are self-taught, but many start by taking an animation or art-related course to develop their skills before looking for work.

You can get into the industry with qualifications in relevant subjects such as:

• illustration
• graphic design
• computer programming
• model making or sculpture
• 3-D design
• multimedia design.

Source-
https://nextstep.direct.gov.uk/PlanningYourCareer/JobProfiles/JobProfile1396/Pages/default.aspx

[An animator would be a really interesting career to look further into, I would need to work with some of the 3d modelling and animation programs first as I have no experience at all. If i were to go into animation, maybe an animation specific course would be a good Idea. Apart from the technology side of things, I feel it could be very achievable and the income looks good. So maybe its a good career to go down?]

Higher education lecturer job description-

Higher education (HE) lecturers facilitate learning and carry out research activities in universities and some colleges of further education (FE). They teach academic or vocational subjects to undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 upwards. Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical laboratory demonstrations, field work and e-learning. Multimedia technologies are increasingly used.

Most HE lecturers pursue their own areas of research and develop these in order to contribute to the wider research activities of their department/institution.

Administrative tasks take up a significant part of the working day. Many lecturers also take on a pastoral role with their students. As HE lecturers progress along their career paths, they may be expected to undertake a managerial role.

Work activities vary according to individual areas of responsibility and research. Progression to managerial posts will also have an impact on work responsibilities.

Tasks typically involve-

• §  developing and implementing new methods of teaching to reflect changes in research;
• §  designing, preparing and developing teaching materials;
• §  delivering lectures, seminars and tutorials;
• §  assessing students' coursework;
• §  setting and marking examinations;
• §  supporting students through a pastoral/advisory role;
• §  undertaking personal research projects and actively contributing to the institution’s research profile;
• §  writing up research and preparing it for publication;
• §  supervising students’ research activities;
• §  undertaking continuous professional development (CPD) and participating in staff training activities;
• §  undertaking administrative tasks related to the department, such as student admissions, induction programmes and involvement in committees and boards;
• §  managing and supervising staff - at a senior level this may include the role of head of department;
• §  representing the institution at professional conferences and seminars, and contributing to these as necessary;
• §  establishing collaborative links outside the university with industrial, commercial and public organisations.

Salaries for higher education (HE) lecturers range from £30,500 - £40,000+ (salary data collected June 2009).

Although this area of work is open to all graduates, undergraduate and doctoral degrees relevant to the post are required, along with:

§  demonstrable experience of (or clear potential for) teaching;

§  the ability to produce original research for peers;

§  early publication of academic work.

Entry without a degree is not possible.

Entry without a PhD (or nearing completion of a PhD) is difficult. However, for more vocational or specialised courses, expertise in the relevant field may be just as valuable as a PhD.

Source- http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/higher_education_lecturer_job_description.jsp

[Ive always wanted to teach to older students, and teaching higher education has become more recently a good idea. I think it would make sense to maybe consider this later in my career, when maybe have the money and its is the right time to further my own education and further better my chances of working as a HE lecturer.]

Disney Interactive Internship

Potential Work Placement Idea-


Disney Interactive Studios UK are offering an internship placement program for 12 month placements to 2nd year undergraduate students who have an interest in the video game industry, and are equipped with the right skills to work alongside our London based production team.  
Targets students are those with a strong interest in games, animation, film making or art and design, and would like to work as Creatives at Disney Interactive Studios. 

Key responsibilities-

• Ability to create high quality presentations, videos, concept at and storyboards.
• Assist in developments and communication of Ideas
• Evaluate games in development. 

Experience required- 

• Studying an Art/Design/Multimedia degree 
• Good visual communication skills
• Proven competence in at least one of the following- Photoshop, Flash and Video editing software.
• Knowledge of Powerpoint, Microsoft word and Outlook

Personal Attributes-

• Must be comfortable with working on their own and as a team. 
• Must be creative and be able to communicate ideas within a group. 
• Be motivated and enthusiastic. 

This would be a great opportunity to do as it is something that I find really exciting and am really interested in. I feel I have enough experience and enough of the skills I would need to apply, however it isn't something I would be interested in at this current time. I dont feel I have enough confidence to push myself out there yet and be more independent.

It is definitely something to remember for the future though! [Near future that is] 

Why choose illustration as a career?

 I’ve always loved art, and particularly loved flicking through pictures books and encyclopaedias since a young age, digesting the illustrations more than the words in most cases. I simple love to draw, and have been doing it all my life, so to pursue a future in this field has always been an aspiration of mine.

 I constantly find inspiration from books, games, film and music, being subconsciously influenced and filling my head with ideas for illustrations. It seems natural for me to read a book for example and instantly draw characters or scenes from it, expanding upon these to create my own narrative to spin off from the original texts. You could say that illustration comes naturally and i find it a great hoppy as well as a career prospect.

 At the moment it is only a hoppy, and although I do free commissions for people on internet forum and work alongside indie game makers [people like myself, creating low-tech video games], making custom artworks and illustrations, i don’t produce work for money. The thought of actually gaining an income from something that I take to be a pastime and something I find effortless, is very appealing.

 I would like to pursue a career in teaching [preferably lecturing illustration or teaching art] and have freelance illustration as a secondary income, but there are many different careers within illustration that I could lend my hand to leaving me a wide choice of jobs should my plan not work out.

 Other fields that interest are animation or game design. Ive always dreamed of seeing my drawing, animated, and I already dip into game design, as i said before, working with indie game makers and producing artwork for my own game designing exploits. Illustration is a rich world for me, with many paths to go down.

 Another aspect of illustration I have, is working with clients [free work] and the enjoyment i get from receiving a brief, working on an illustration and seeing the excitement and happiness it brings the client is really gratifying and really gives me a boost of confidence about myself and my work. Illustration can be appreciated and viewed by everyone, so there is defiantly and client base out there, and an audience to acknowledge your work.

 Id like to think that in my future, ill make an impact on society in some form and help people, so aiming for a career in illustration and/or teaching of it, will no doubt do that. Be it sharing my knowledge and ideas with students or bringing stories to life and aiding advertising with images etc.

 However, it is apparent that illustration is a tough world, and it can be hard to get yourself known, but through hard work and networking its possible to get big clients and lots of acknowledgment. The strife and thought of achieving that is highly appealing, and I sense the achievement of doing so is great, making my future an exciting prospect.

In short, Illustration is my life, and always have been. To continue doing what I love till I can’t do it anymore is more than I could ask for in life, and would make me very happy. 

Life Snake

I added some colourificness to show certain parts of my life.
Illegible handwriting also included =(