Portfolio Visit 10 - Jon Hill

Times Tour

Friday 23^rd March, 2:00pm

With Jon Hill

On Friday me, Philippa and Becca went to the Times offices close to Tower Hill tube station for the guided tour of News International owned by Rupert Murdoch. The same guy, Jon Hill, who came into college and gave the Time talk last week kindly, gave up an hour of his precious time to guide us round. The offices surprisingly were less busy and chaotic than I expected. With the weather being so nice everyone had taken an early lunch before the real rush started from 4pm till the deadline around 10pm. As the tour was only at 2:00pm that will probably explain the lack of persons actually in the office, they would still be waiting for the news reports and latest information to come in.

It was interesting to see that the designers don’t have as much space to work in as I originally expected. They have a pc or a mac granted, but in terms of desk space they only have a normal desk not the huge table I have to work on at home and in the studio. I suppose thinking it through properly, a designer will work for the most part on the computer anyway and will not keep doing things manually and scanning them in like I do. There was an in-house artist practising who had his own desk and office space, he did the political cartoons for the newspaper and had won the best prize for best political cartoons for something like the last consecutive five years. The in-house illustrator however was away from her desk – just typical of my luck that on the one day I am in London and in the Times newspapers building she’s not there. There seemed to be much peace and tranquillity for the in-house cartoonist sat in his own office without the constant buzz from the television, he worked manually by painting his work and then scanning it in. I liked to see this as I often have the perception that not many artists work manually anymore, especially in an institution such as the Times who have such an expanse of technical know-how and software. Though relating to my earlier point about lack of desk space, the in-house artist had a much bigger area to work on probably due to his manual practising.

I was also surprised to see how many different desks there were; one for finance, one for property, one for foreign affairs etc etc. Not only were there an expanse of different desks but there were also three editors offices and on-site lawyers, health and money experts to offer specific assistance and guidelines for particular issues which could lead to court proceedings if not articulated correctly.

Last week Jon said to wave our portfolios at him towards the end of the tour and he or one of his colleagues would find some time to have a look through them and offer some feedback. Unfortunately, Jon and his team were extremely busy the day we went and so I felt rude asking for yet more of his time to look at my portfolio, it just didn’t seem right at the time. I know that it is best to strike whilst the iron is still hot but I think a quick email sometime with my PDF portfolio attached would be much better and more convenient for him. Overall, it was a bit disappointing to think that we didn’t manage to get our work in front of the professionals at the Times, but the tour of the building was insightful alone so not all was lost except a bit of time which wouldn’t have been spent better anywhere else anyway.

Portfolio Visit 9 - Aurea Carpenter

Portfolio Visit 9 – Short Books

Aurea Carpenter, Short Books

Pine Street, London

My second portfolio appointment in London was with Short Books located in Exmouth House, Pine Street. Short Books are a fairly small book publishing company founded by two former journalists and seem to take the more high-risk ventures that the larger houses wouldn’t look twice at. This was a group appointment for me, Philippa and Becca at 10:30 on Thursday 22^nd March. After yesterdays performance my confidence levels were even lower than usual, but my nerves weren’t nearly as bad as I sought comfort in numbers. The building itself is gorgeous with old rickety floor boards and enormous glass panes with breath-taking views out over the square, which is much quieter than in the centre, lined with cafes and boutiques.

We took the stairs up because those lifts with the manual doors scare the life out of me, they look like they’re about to go down to a coal mine! Up to the third floor and pressed the buzzer, or at least Philippa did anyway, she seemed to be as cool as a cucumber. The office staff were all extremely pleasant and smiley and pointed us in the direction of Aurea’s office. She took us into a meeting room which wasn’t as formal as it sounds due to the wooden floors and desks and bookshelves full of, well, books! Wood seems friendlier and less intrusive than glass, this I have noted over all of my portfolio visits, people can’t stare through it at me and it doesn’t sound false, just natural, I like that – at one with nature. She leafed through our portfolios individually and gave individual feedback, I was last in line. Some would see that as a blessing, others would be petrified as they would just want it to be over with, me? I wasn’t bothered either way as long as the feedback was positive and nice.

Aurea seemed to like all of my work, in particular the graphical collage characters and liked to see that I had already taken on the task of designing book jackets and photographed them in context to give her a better vision of how they would/could look. Unlike my visit to the Guardian, there were no awkward silences which I felt I had to fill and explain in, Aurea was a very nice lady with what seemed a passion for all illustration types. She too noticed that I like to use nature a lot in my work with the inclusion of animals and their environments and habitats. Unlike Sarah, she loved the hand stitched type and thought it worked really well, though she did offer a key piece of advice, to stay away from white backgrounds for book jackets, they pick up too much dirt and grease and are apparently a nightmare to work with, the dark green of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz by contrast works much better in her opinion. Surprisingly, she was interested to know how I went about making my images and how I put them together and why I preferred Photoshop to Illustrator software wise. I explained that Illustrator doesn’t like textures very much and because I work in quite a textural way, Photoshop gives me a better finish. She went on to say that she particularly looks for a designer who can create type and have a good handle on that as well as the illustration as it gives a better cohesive look than adding a separate layer on top which you can tell a mile off. Integrating illustration and type is key for her which at the moment the book cover trend seems to be a bigger focus on type than illustration. She went on to show us a current cover they were working on and the roughs that they had been sent. Another surprise was her interest in our opinions on the covers she’d received and agreed with the comments we made!

On reflection, looking at the roughs that were sent to Aurea, the majority of them had a ‘Harry Potter’ feel, where the type imitated a magical aesthetic which suggested older teen rather than a woman’s novel. The colour didn’t suggest a woman audience and the aesthetic was more comical than was required for an older audience. It is a good tool to look at others people’s work and make a judgement of where I think they’ve made mistakes to aid my own selection of ‘appropriate’ elements.

By contrast this appointment was much more encouraging than the one I had yesterday with the Guardian. Aurea seemed interested in my views and opinions and was more involved with my work than Sarah was. Sarah seemed to sit at a distance from it and only want to give criticism whereas Aurea couldn’t do anything my encourage the three of us and give positive comments. If I were offered a job opportunity at either establishment, I would choose Short Books. Not just because of the more positive feedback (which could make me biased) but too because of the location of the offices, set in a much more laid back environment without the hustle and bustle of inner city living. The offices were also much less intimidating without the miles of glass panes instead offering a more homely wooden environment making it seem more friendly and approachable.

Portfolio Visit 8 - Sarah Habershon

Portfolio Visit 5 – The Guardian

Sarah Habershon, The Guardian,

90 York Way, London

I was stunned that the Guardian even replied to my email, even if it was four months later. I emailed Sarah Habershon at the Guardian in October 2011 for the first semester’s required portfolio visits but she never replied, or at least she didn’t reply until late February. She was full of apologies for not getting back to me sooner but in the business in which she works, sometimes emails get overlooked, which is completely understandable, especially as I’m probably not at the top of the food chain. In her reply she said that she thought my work was more suited to children’s illustration, however if I was looking for something broader to let her know if and when I would be in London to arrange an appointment. To say I was chuffed to bits was an understatement. I replied immediately and left it a week to give her chance to reply, but as time was ticking away I eventually plucked up the courage to ring her directly to try and arrange an appointment which proved to be a success. So whilst I was in London, on Wednesday 21^st March at 3pm to be precise I met Sarah at the Guardian’s office on York Way, London.

To say I was nervous is the understatement of the year, I mean this is the Guardian after all, opportunities like this don’t come up every day, and certainly not to me! The offices are enormous, a glass fortress, but at least they were well labelled (see the photo of me stood outside J) After loitering outside for about twenty minutes due to being overly punctual I began my ascent up the escalators into the main reception. Sweaty palms were bad enough but the temperature outside was a balmy sixteen degrees and I had a coat and cardigan on too, these things require more attention. The girls on reception called Sarah to let her know of my arrival and gave me an entry pass though it wasn’t needed as Sarah conducted her viewing in main reception.

It wasn’t a long wait before Sarah arrived and greeted me warmly, I hope I managed to reciprocate but due to nerves I have a feeling I was a bit hasty getting into the actual business of showing my portfolio and didn’t spend quite as long as is necessary on the formalities beforehand. Anyway, I showed her my work which went Ok. I don’t usually like the work ‘O.k’ to describe something but this visit was only worth that, mere standard. For the first time during a portfolio visit, some negative vibes were coming through from the work I was presenting. Maybe the professionals in Manchester are more polite particularly with them being aware that I am a third year student and have not graduated yet, or maybe the ‘big smoke’ just like to get to the point with honesty, I don’t know. As I was leafing through the pages, she seemed happy enough and appeared to warm to my work, but afterwards it all started to fall apart. She seemed to prefer the more graphical characters to the painterly narratives from the Helping Uganda project from last semester, though she wondered why my hand rendered type for the James and the Giant Peach cover was stitched. Although it has apparently been a while since she last read the story, she couldn’t remember stitch playing any part in the tale. Indeed it doesn’t, there is no mention of sewing machines, or knitting or stitching or anything related, the point I was trying to put across by stitching the type was that it is organic like the peach’s continued growth and James’ adventure and character development from his parents dying at the beginning to his more independent qualities at the end. Of course I didn’t say any of this to her, I would have felt rude, especially when it was she who had given her precious time up to see me. I suppose I could look at the appropriateness of my materials and how they are used in relation to the context of the subject, though I still like the idea and such issue has never been raised before. She did go on to say that she had commissioned somebody only recently who used stitch a lot in their work to illustrate an article on ovarian surgery, which I thought was going to turn into a positive, before she stated that I need to work with things that are totally appropriate to my technique. Also, I need to work out where it is that I want to be, do I want to pursue children’s book illustration, book jackets, hand rendered typefaces or editorials etc. For her my portfolio was too varied to be able to commission someone like me, she needs to see more evidence that I would be able to take on the task she would want to give which my portfolio lacks. There are too many bases I am trying to cover in my portfolio but all are done very thinly, for example I only have two editorials but that doesn’t show enough consistency, she needs to know that if she were to commission me that she would get something particular, it has to be, in a way, predictable. On the flip side, at university we are encouraged to try a whole host of different briefs to broaden our portfolios and show that we are flexible and capable or most things. For me, having a very limited portfolio would be a concern, for if I were to focus on just one particular area of illustration I in turn limit my chances of getting work after graduation, and unfortunately that is what this is all about, getting work.

I put my two editorials at the end of my portfolio, as we are encouraged to put the strongest work there. I don’t think that these editorials are my strongest pieces particularly, but I thought that visiting a newspaper would make them more appealing and by putting those at the back would reinforce to her that I could undertake this type of brief. Unfortunately, I think that this was a mistake. She thought that although the illustrations for the editorials were good, they didn’t show her how well I can work with space. The illustrations for both pieces are above the column with a single column of text below. For her they didn’t show her how they would appear in a single or even double page spread, there was no real context for them. Additionally, the Guardian deals with more conceptual ideas relating to work and finance rather than nature which my work seems to be more directed towards.

To say I was disappointed with the outcome of this appointment is an even bigger understatement than the nerves bit. I really wanted to make a good impression but with her negative attitude towards my work I came out feeling pretty deflated; all the wind and stuffing had been taken out of me. I left her some thank you chocolates and my business card on the off chance but chances are it probably went straight in the bin. My excitement of seeing the Guardian then soon turned into dread as I saw my dreams crumbling in front of me sat in the foyer of their offices. I thought it might even break me and my ambitions for a while, but to be fair, criticism is better to be sought than praise as I can work and develop myself from that. Here’s hoping that the next appointment will go better.

Portfolio Visit 7 - Paul Rose & Chris Platt

Portfolio visit 7

Paul Rose & Chris Platt

Rapport Events

Hilton Street, Manchester

Today I met Paul and Chris at Rapport Events in Manchester, an ideas led agency for whom Chris is the creative director and Paul is the senior designer. The introduced themselves as looking to ‘give something back’ and also to recruit new emerging talent on potential projects (and silly me didn’t order business cards in time!)

Both were extremely pleasant guys who were down to earth and relatable, coming straight from the print room wasn’t such a bad idea after all as even they were in jeans.

As I started to show them my portfolio it immediately became apparent that they were drawn in by my work. The Uganda images were striking and clearly held their attention whilst the collaged elements were ‘workable’ and offered lots of ‘potential’. I have started to create a set of these elements now including the spider, grasshopper and ladybird from last year in addition to the frog, apple and bird from the Grimm’s brief. They reckon that these are what the Guardian will be particularly interested in. However, owing to their craftsmanship and tactility that they could see on the very 2D paper, they asked if I by chance had the originals. Luckily, (and it was lucky as I was scanning them in this morning) I did. The one piece of advice they did offer was to take my sketchbook with me to any future portfolio visits as they in particular find the originals and the ideas behind them etc much more interesting than the final piece, although the final piece obviously shows its refinement etc.

They liked the reverse stitched type which I used for the James and the Giant Peach redesign for Puffin in 2011, but they didn’t see the need to include the stitched type I created for Grimm’s fairy-tales. One, it didn’t stand up to the former and two it had already been done earlier on in the portfolio and added nothing new to the table. I think that these are very valid points and will no doubt take it out after today. That was the only criticism that they offered though, the rest was very positive feedback.

Both guys cottoned on to the style that I am starting to develop with the collaged characters and they feel that it will work very well in a design environment. They feel that it works better than the painterly work seen in the Uganda project and is something to pursue.

When they asked about promotional materials, I told them of my plans to create coasters with my design on one side and contact details on the reverse so that the mailing I send has a purpose and not a ‘throw away’ design – it is something that can be used and kept. They were definitely interested in these! Maybe sending one when they’re finished would be a good idea seeing as I didn’t have a business card with me this time around. I definitely need to have these sorted for the trip to London later on in the month.

All in all a very good portfolio visit, thanks to both guys for giving me some of their precious time. With a bit of luck I may be on their contact list for future work, fingers crossed.

You can find more information about Rapport Events Manchester at http://rapportevents.com/

Portfolio visit 6 - Nicola Slater

Portfolio Visit Number 6

Nicola Slater

Third Year Illustration Room

http://www.childrensillustrators.com/nslater/

Today I participated in my sixth portfolio visit with Nicola Slater, an illustrator currently helping the second year illustration students at Stockport College, hence the more informal location. By having the session in college did however make me feel more relaxed and comfortable with the usually quite formal set-up. This is probably because I know the environment the session was taking place in, if anything it was Nicola who would have felt somewhat uncomfortable as it’s not her usual territory.

I’ve checked her work out online (she only seems in have online representation via an agent and not a personal web presence http://www.childrensillustrators.com/nslater/ ) and I like her use of simple shapes and hand rendered typefaces. I find researching the professional beforehand comforting, kind of like a background check to understand a little bit about them, how they work and where they are coming from. Not only this but it gives me a better idea of who I need to be choosing to show my portfolio to. Nicola had comments about this too, on how I should be seeking out more book publishers as my work is very children’s book cover orientated. I can relate to her work too as recently I’ve been utilising simple shapes with my ladybird (from the James and the Giant Peach project) inspired elements and making my own types out of stitch. By being able to relate to her work this makes me feel more comfortable too at talking with her as I feel on the same level… almost, she is a pro after all.

I explained how I have taken the type off my illustrations of late as other professionals thought that it didn’t add anything to the overall image. Although Nicola was in agreement with this, she thought that it would be useful to have the type on acetates to give potential employers a feel for how the images would look with type overlaid. Not only this but she made a very good point of keeping all type on separate layers to the main image as sometimes the client will require changes to be made or even need it translating into different languages.

The Helping Uganda project was described as ‘African coloured’, which I will take as a compliment, bearing in mind that the story was set in Uganda, Africa so I must have highlighted that vibe well. Also, she liked the painterly backgrounds such as the green for the ground of double page spread number five in my portfolio.

Nicola preferred the ladybird and grasshopper elements as they were much more contemporary and not as predictable as the painted Uganda images. I discussed with her the struggles that I have been having (highlighted in the previous post) trying to get my current elements to look in-keeping with the ladybird and grasshopper characters. Although I have been trying to make them look part of a ‘set’ of images, Nicola asked whether I’d tried not trying? In honesty I’m not 100% sure but I think not. I have these two images etched on my brain but can’t seem to make the others fit in with their style. Her idea was to change media, use a brush or a sharpie to capture the essence of the thing I am trying to represent but be looser with the idea. For example the audience knows that the ladybird is not a ladybird by how it has been created but at the same time they know straight away that it is representing a ladybird. It doesn’t look anything like what I’m trying to communicate so try to move away from what you intellectually perceive as a wolf for example. I explained that the ladybird was a very quick illustration as was the mouse which she also liked, they took a few minutes only to create. On this she said again to keep the image loose and don’t be constricted by the traditional image. By doing this I am making the elements for the Grimm’s cover too complicated.

On my type explorations she was excited by the James and the Giant Peach attempt which is the reverse of hand stitched type but thought that the Grimm’s Fairy Tales was too neat. This type is the front and has been traced from a font off a pc whereas the other is more organic with it being freehand. Try thinking more in terms of what Grimm’s Fairy Tales connotes, for example dark, scary, woody and creeping with tendrils.

The scarab which I created for the Manchester Museum project would apparently look better and more cohesive in my portfolio if this too was created in this collage method. This is certainly a good suggestion and unlike some of the others professionals have made, it shouldn’t take too long to put into practice.

As I work quite well with space and white background, Nicola said it would be nice to see some line drawings in the background to show potential clients how my work would work with other imagery. For example if I were asked to put my ladybird next to the Eiffel Tower they would need to be able to visualise that. I think that using simple line drawings or an old nib with ink would be a very contemporary and neat way of introducing this. It is also an idea I could carry forward with me on my journey through the Grimm’s cover redesign.

Overall, if all portfolio visits were to take place in my comfort zones, e.g. the college or an environment familiar to me they would all be some much more relaxed, I’ve been nervous in practically every other. Nicola really warmed to some of my work which is encouraging, it’s always nice when a practicing professional praises your work, it gives it more credit and strength in my own eyes. I have learned that I need to take out some of the pieces that I don’t believe in fully myself as clients will wonder why they are there if I don’t support them 100% myself.

Thanks Nicola, have fun keep creating :)

Portfolio visit 5 - David Bailey

Portfolio Visit Number 5

David Bailey of Kiosk, multi-disciplined design studio

Brown Street, Sheffield

http://letskiosk.com/projects

David has a beard, a very full, very black beard, which I can’t see to keep my eyes off, especially with his constant scratching at. He appears confident and not as bored with me as some of the other designers I’ve been to see, he has a similar attitude and approach as Paul Reardon. Maybe the designers in Sheffield just have a different manner to those at the other side of the Pennines (I’m still trying to figure out whether this ‘boredom’ attitude of designers is with the area they specialise in, me, my work or the general prospect of having to see yet another student showing them their work, any advice on this would be greatly appreciated).

Anyway, we’re apparently pushed for time so unfortunately I have to rush through my work and he gives me advice at the end of all my spiel which is a different method to all the other designers I’ve been to see who give advice at the end of each individual project I’ve presented. So off I go, full steam ahead.

His first remark is that he would like to see more of the pieces I have presented in context (same as Paul Reardon). Clearly this point needs working on as it’s beginning to crop up frequently. To work on this I will rework my James and the Giant Peach book cover which I designed for the Puffin competition 2011 and start to bring my Helping Uganda book with me to every portfolio visit, I have the option to show it to the professional then, even if they don not wish to see it I have it with me in case they do – covering all bases. For this reason, the Little White Lies competition entry seems a strong favourite as it is photographed in context and printed within the magazine template showing exactly how it would look as the magazine’s front cover.

David too enjoyed the Helping Uganda images better than the mixed media characters (another case of painterly vs. mixed media) because of their tactile properties and because he can see children engaging with it well. He said that he didn’t want to sound crude, but on the mixed media characters he feels ‘nothing for them’. They are very flat and would have like to have seen them better or more so if they were presented in context (funny how the different feedback contradicts each other with some saying that the Helping Uganda images are flat because of their painterly finish and some saying the mixed media images are flat because of their use of collage).

On the Little White Lies piece he said that he didn’t understand the concept of it until I explained it but I managed to pull it off because it is very well executed, photographed well (even though I photographed it and in poor light!) and aesthetically pleasing. As well the use of just line instead of block shapes is very nice and interesting and utilises good incorporation of type. I do think that the type is integrated well in the Little White Lies image, probably because it is not an additional layer but actually within the image I created. It was considered before I started to sew and therefore it looks part of the whole image, I need to do this more often rather than the type being an after-thought, which it usually always is.

He found the scarab image interesting (which both Paul Reardon and Paul Bartlett didn’t) again because of its painterly technique and style; this particular technique is what he was interested in most.

The type explorations at the back of my portfolio were described as ‘nothing to like or dislike’ they are just a good show of type experimentation.

David Bailey is currently involved in a project with CBeeBies children’s television channel and is seeking illustrators to collaborate on the project. He did seem very interested in my painterly work so I left my business card with him on the off chance he may want to contact me (though this is probably very, very unlikely and he was probably just being polite by making such positive comments).

I have provided the link to David's agency at the top of this post, please go and check him out and a big thank you for making such positive comments :)

Portfolio visit 4 - Paul Reardon

Portfolio Visit Number 4

Paul Reardon of Peter and Paul Creative Communications Agency

Prospect Road, Sheffield

http://www.peterandpaul.co.uk/contact.php

Paul keeps his scarf on therefore so do I… it’s not impolite it’s a mutual love of scarves, and hate of the cold.

I’m still nervous, though not half as much as I was during my walk to Taylor O’Brien on portfolio visit number one to see Helen Taylor. This is not the ‘I’ve not got butterflies but bats’ feeling, more the ‘just butterflies’ feeling. Paul looks me in the eye when he speaks to me which makes me feel more on his level, some of the professionals I’ve been to visit tended to let their eyes wander about the room akin to the thought that they’d rather be anywhere else in the world right now than listening to this undergraduate drone on about her less than standard work. I’ve been sat own two seconds and my butterflies fly off, he’s a cool dude.

Before the usual spiel commenced, he asked me what I was doing currently, what I wanted to do when I graduated and why I study in Stockport. This was a nice touch, it made me feel more comfortable and almost confident in the work I was about to show him. I asked for his opinion on a front cover, I don’t like the idea of a title page, all that basic information is on my business card. He didn’t have any ideas.

The first few double page spreads in my portfolio are on the Helping Uganda project I started in September last year, the really zaney stuff for kids. Paul’s a designer and I expect him, like the rest of the designer crew (Lise Brien and Craig Oldham etc.) to prefer the mixed media insects which began in January 2011 with the James and the Giant Peach Puffin competition, he didn’t. The first few double page spreads were his favourite, he liked the tactile quality of the characters and design but felt it was too restrained to be presented in my portfolio (on other designers opinions I’d not taken the finished product in – the book). Instead he wanted something he could hold and have the tangibility of the work in his hands not encased in plastic wallets. As well, he favoured the work so much he advised getting it professionally printed in a much larger format so that it could demonstrate its full striking potential. And on the thick board books kids like, not the limp paper types. By adding as much tangibility as possible such as being able to touch the stitch adds to the finesse of my work. Try to work images up to realise the full idea. If a project was started on but was cancelled etc. if there were some good strong threads, carry it on anyway.

For the James and the Giant Peach project I don’t have the finished outcome in my portfolio because the finished product wasn’t, I don’t think, very successful. Instead I have extracted some of the key elements such as the ladybird and grasshopper characters which I think do work well. Paul thought that this was a mistake, he compared it to having a thumbnail of a drawing, he was intrigued to see the whole design and I couldn’t provide him that. If the final outcome wasn’t a success but I am insistent on having the containing elements in my portfolio then it is advisable to rework the final design of the cover. It is the small details like this which I have not considered before, and points that other professionals have not raised, this goes to show that I am definitely still learning.

On this point too, he asked me never to show visuals cold. There should always be a lead up or a story before revealing the finished product because people won’t necessarily always understand the context of an image when it is presented in that way. Looking back, I do tend to neglect some of the story behind some of the pieces of work, and funnily enough they are usually the works that are either not as strong as others or the one’s that I am not as keen on in comparison. My Little White Lies competition work does show my image in context and for Paul and most other designers, that way of presenting work is much easier for them to visualise.

At the back of my portfolio I have included some typographical experiments which Paul praised. As an illustrator he understands that we do struggle with type as it’s not our area of expertise but trying to develop typographical skills now will stand in good stead for future work. He made the suggestion of collaborating with a typographer for future works, only with the final major project now under way I don’t think I’ll see much time for experimenting.

All in all Paul gave me some handy tips. My preliminary thoughts were that now I’ve got three portfolio visits under my belt no-one will be able to tell me anything new that hasn’t already been said buy one of the previous professionals who viewed my work. I was wrong. Plain and simple and it turns out that I will get some different feedback every single time in one way or another.

Another of my lessons then is to secure as many portfolio visits as I can between now and graduation – not just because I have to as part of the professional practise aspect of the course but because I have now realised that I need as much varying advice as I can get in order to further myself and my professionalism… but the scarf stays

Portfolio Visit 3

Thursday 24th November

10am appointment with Lise Brien @ The Chase

Manchester

This visit was the one that I felt most comfortable with out of the three, not necessarily because it was the last of the three, but because I have been to The Chase before. I spent a week working there over the summer on a work experience placement and I have been in regular contact with Lise since and find her very approachable with any queries I may have.

The pre-nerves then weren't so prominent although they were still there to a certain degree. Lise always seems to comment on my appearance which gives me confidence in how I present myself at least (my work presentation however, could probably do with much more work!) Unlike my other portfolio visits, Lise conducted hers in the reception area, which also made me feel more at ease as it seemed very informal and much more friendly, almost like we were on the same level, she came down to me. Whether this was a technique she uses for ‘newbies’ or how she would conduct a professional portfolio visit I’m still unsure. Either way I would like to think that she treat me as she would a professional illustrator.

The actual presenting of my portfolio is what I find most difficult, not because I’m not confident in the work I’ve included in it but because I’m not confident in talking about my own work, I’m my own worst critic. I suppose nobody else can know my work better than me and I do need to talk about my ideas and how I produced the pieces etc, I still just find it an awfully excruciating process, most probably because I know I am being judged. After presenting my limited portfolio to her she supplied me with her comments. I know by this point I need more work in there, preferable 20 pages and currently it stands at only 8 strong pieces. As she represents a design agency and not illustration she could only really provide me with how she would view an illustrator’s portfolio, which is understandable. The first six pages are illustrations I created for the Helping Uganda Schools project and although she thought they were very nice and child friendly they are not something that she could base a possible commission on. Unless a design agency is looking to commission specifically for a child audience (which is very rare) these are not something that she personally would be overly interested in. This point was useful because I realised that I could and should be rearranging my portfolio every time I make a visit because not all agencies etc. are the same and are in fact looking for different things. For example if I were going for a portfolio visit to a publishing company my children’s book illustrations would need to be at the front however when visiting a design agency my more graphical elements need to be at the front with the children’s book images more to the back.

My James and the Giant Peach characters designs were much more attractive to Lise. These incorporate collage and stitch and to her are much more usable in her line of work. She commented on their representativeness and quirkiness and appeal much more to a designers use and on how I was very specific with my collage materials making them much more robust. It would be worth exploring the individual elements more to see if I could make them even more refined. The simplicity and graphical quality allows more flexibility in the design market. There is a hint of realism but the surrealism gives them more caricature. They are a much more elegant solution and are more distinctive than the former book images. She went on to say how she could visualise a train of insects produced in a similar manner branching out into flowers too and the stitched lines representing water, ground and skies. These images have much more potential to work on different levels, although they would work for children too. She made me realise that children at age 3-5 can also interpret quite sophisticated visual language too, it doesn’t always have to be so literal.

To sum up, I think Lise was very interested in my work because she has children of her own. If for example I were to attend a portfolio appointment where a designer in particular doesn’t have children maybe children’s book illustrations would not be the most ideal work to present. Lise’s comments on the James and the Giant Peach characters is commendable as I really enjoyed making these characters and they were much quicker to produce than some of the more laborious children’s book images. Suprisingly, Lise asked me to contact her again in 6 months to show her how I am progressing so that she too can review my work, fingers crossed it may turn into something more J

Portfolio Visit 2

Wednesday 16^th November

10am appointment with Craig Oldham @ Music

Manchester

My second portfolio visit was to Music on Silk Street, Manchester - a rather posher area of town, and away from the distractions of spending money - always a plus!

My appointment was with Craig (the guy who came and did the lecture a few weeks ago) so I wasn't feeling altogether the same nerves as I did on my first visit. Or maybe it was that I am becoming more confident with my work and in presenting myself? Either way, not knowing Manchester all that well, I certainly still did have nerves about finding the place especially with it being so far off the beaten track (and I thought Taylor O'Brien was difficult to find!)

He invited me into the 'bubble' - a meeting room with glass walls on two sides making me feel actually very exposed, a good job I sat with my back to the rest of the office. He had no shoes on I noticed, he made me feel at home straight away.

I still need to find a presenting method that suits me better; I still don't know when the appropriate moment is to start showing my work after all the pleasantries etc. Any pointers anyone? I don't want people waiting for me to start and at the same time don't want them thinking me rude by cutting their conversation off.

Craig explained that 80% of the time a portfolio visit is for an agency etc to assess you as a person and not necessarily the work. Usually you would have sent work through ahead of the visit as a taster of what you are about and essentially this is the work that a designer or agency base their appointments on. The visit is to vet you, to make sure your character would fit within the company and that you possess all the qualities they require, and then of course an expansion of your work which they will have already seen some of.

I explained to Craig my working method where I stay away from the computers because the work appears quite flat - I don't like that quality in my work. His comments were that he respected that and the majority of the work that our year is churning out is quite vector and illustrator based. But by stuffing so much detail and information into my images they are becoming more flat than if I had just kept it that bit more plain. Patterns would be a good example to use, they don’t overload the image but they add some information. He particularly liked page 4 of my portfolio because it was the one page where I am experimenting with ideas (see the crocodile peeking through the grass) and technique (the yellow cultured pattern on the red background and wash backgrounds behind the vignettes; it has more texture and is therefore more interesting). This is something which Craig thinks could definitely be developed. I need a connecting thread to link my images together, the Uganda Christmas story book for example lacks this ‘connector’, and pattern would be a great way of introducing this. From this, I can take away that I need to look at my production method more – how can I develop it and which elements really work, alongside adding more pattern where appropriate yet keeping it playful.

There is an apparent ‘nice contrast between figurative and abstract’ in my Uganda images. Craig also likes the tactility of the characters I have produced so far. However, when someone is looking to commission an illustrator, they need to have faith that you can fit their bill. Craig explained that because all of the work in my portfolio is aimed at children, and children’s book illustration a design agency such as his would have difficulty visioning me doing a package job for the new Mac. I need to be able to show my versatility in my portfolio too, he suggests trying a project which is more macabre and dark. University should be the time to be taking risks and experimenting and making full use of the facilities available to me because in the ‘real world’ the deadlines and demands are too tight to be ‘arsing’ around. It’s ironic he should say that, for the next brief this semester we have to choose a competition brief, and I was going to choose the Brother’s Grimm Fairy Tales competition launched by Puffin, maybe the Penguin competition aimed at an adult audience would be a better bet. Something dark and macabre would definitely show this ‘versatility’ quality in me better.

A portfolio should reflect my interests and my hobbies and who I am as a person, not just someone who’s jumped through the hoops to produce one for the sake of having one. Therefore I should be entering competitions and making my own briefs to produce work that I am enjoying and having fun with to be able to show in my portfolio.

In all, my portfolio is too child heavy. It needs more variation to show my skills and flexibility.

Portfolio Visit 1

Monday 7^th November

10 am appointment with Helen Taylor @ Taylor O’Brien

Manchester

Today I visited Taylor O'Brien on Newton Street, Manchester, for the first of my three portfolio visits this semester (and hopefully even more to follow). Taylor O'Brien work on brand inspiration usually for corporate companies such as Orange, Kelloggs and Helping Uganda Schools (whom I myself collaborated with on the Christmas story project).

Helen Taylor is the Creative Director at the Manchester office and was more than kind enough by giving me some of her precious time. To say I was nervous at the bottom of the stairs was an understatement, but by the time I'd climbed the four floors (in 4 inch heels!) I was starting to perspire somewhat.

That awkward moment when you poke you head round the door... there was no reception area, just a floor of heads staring into their machines. Having said that all the staff were very polite and friendly, and all the men are currently part-taking in Mo-vember, or so they feel obliged to tell me, only some have heavier beards than others (the banter in the office was of such a natural nature it felt endearing that they wanted to include me in it). I was worried that I wouldn't find the office due to it being down a side street off the main track of Picadilly so allowed some extra time in case I got a little lost. It was a toss up between being 20 minutes early or risking being late. From being young people have drummed it into my head to be early because it makes a good impression, yet I'm not sure if it came across as unprepared and unorganised.

Whilst waiting for my appointment slot, Helen sat me on their comfy couches, and here came my next conundrum, do I just sit? Do I check my emails? Or do I have a look at their glossy magazines? I want to look interested and not ignorant tapping away on my phone but I want to contain my nerves at the same time. For my next appointment I will take a small book based on my dissertation, if nothing else it will keep me occupied and provide another topic of conversation if things dry up.

When the presentation started I got into the flow of things quickly. Helen was great to talk to and made me feel very much as ease, she led the conversation after telling her I was unsure what was expected of me having not done a portfolio presentation before. I only have 8 pages in my portfolio and I knew before I left that this would have been a sticking point. Of course I will have a full portfolio by the time May comes but I have only just gotten to grips with a working method I'm comfortable with. I don't have any work from last year that I'm confident with.

To try and pad out what little work I had in my portfolio I took in some current work I'm working on at the moment to highlight the tactile quality my work has. Helen has suggested putting in some work from the last couple of years to show where I have come from and how I have developed my work over my undergraduate course. This is definitely something that I can aim to achieve for Thursday (my next portfolio visit with Lise Brian a The Chase). Additionally, the work I have produced for the Helping Uganda Schools project needs the type removing as it doesn't add anything to the images. Helen did say that working in industry, the type is something that a designer would usually take care of anyway but to take it off for future visits.

It was agreed that the style of my work suits children's book illustration more than it would editorial for example and Helen suggested contacting publishing houses as a way of getting my foot in the door. My attempt at contacting Penguin has proved unsuccessful, and as a large company probably inundated with thousands of emails of a similar nature everyday, I can honestly say I wasn’t too surprised. A step forward could be to contact smaller book publishers as a way of getting my name 'out there', email doesn't work as well as mail drops, mailing actual pieces of work particularly something tactile that a publishers can hold. Helen says that what works well for her won't always work as well with other agencies, but it would be worth a shot (she knows the industry much better than I do after all!). However, she doesn't recommend just turning up on the off chance that someone will have a free hour - it is a very pressurised and busy business. It could be very awkward to turn up and no-one be able to see you, on both parts.

She moved on to ask me whether I prefer conceptual briefs or being given someone else's vision to illustrate. This is a tricky one, but a question whose answer I need to articulate for if I get asked again. I think both have their advantages and disadvantages, I'd like to know that my work has some of my idea behind it too. Also, I need to add some working drawings to my portfolio to show how my ideas and work develop from their initial thoughts to the finalised product. Helen said she would always want anyone she commissions to show that they can develop ideas and realise their full potential.

I asked if they commission illustrators for their briefs, apparently where possible they like to realise the brief in house because they like the excitement of getting involved in the image making too. Obviously the more technical aspects they need to commission illustrators. Over the last few months to years they haven't commissioned that many because of the corporate image their clients want to create. However, Helen sees things going full circle and over the next few years illustrators will be commissioned more as companies want to realise something different and mould breaking for their branding.

I found the experience extremely helpful, as showing my portfolio to a potential employer first time around without any prior experience would have been awful. It gave me a good insight into what a girl should wear to these events too, suited and booted is apparently not appropriate! Smart is appropriate because I'm visiting someone else's business.

Over all, the feedback I gained was positive and very constructive, Helen didn't beat about the bush which I found endearing, I would much prefer to know where I stand and be honest. I will aim to make all the changes that she suggested before my next visit on Thursday where I will then be able to get feedback on the better version. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Helen for giving me her time and effort, it was very much appreciated and a very worthwhile experience.

From this experience I have identified that I need to be showing my portfolio to publishers and not design agencies (the work isn’t really what they are looking for after all). I have identified that I want to be a book illustrator (whether this is for children or adults is yet to be discovered). Obviously, there needs to be more work contained in my portfolio, which I already knew. And I need to keep the type to a minimum on the images, not being a designer myself I’m not really qualified to show this to its full potential. In future portfolio visits I will ask if they know anyone in publishing who could help move me forward.

Please check Taylor O'Brien out, a great team of people :o)

http://www.taylorobrien.com/index.php

More feedback :)

Hi Chloe,

Thanks for your interest and application to LOVE.

Unfortunately we have nothing available for you at the moment, but we will keep you in mind should anything suitable arise.

Re the portfolio visit I have passed on your email, so should anyone have some spare time they will be in touch.

Best wishes,

Holly

Holly Bee

Office Manager

LOVE.

3rd Floor / 65 High Street

Manchester / England M4 1FS

Telephone +44(0)161 907 3150

Fax +44(0)161 907 3155

lovecreative.com / @ehuplove

So far the contacts I have made with industry have been very tiresome and for the most part, lacking of any results. I do have an appointment on Monday 7th November with Helen Taylor and fingers crossed all goes well. Additionally, I am working on my portfolio currently to ensure its in the best shape possible for then.

In a bid to try and secure all three of my visits before Christmas I think more phone calls, postings of actual work and 'drop-ins' may be necessary in order for anyone to take me seriously.

Portfolio Visit!

Thankfully, I have finally made some headway on the portfolio visit front. I have an appointment with TaylorO'Brien in the Northern Quarter, Manchester on Monday 7th 11am. All I have to do now is get my portfolio into ship shape! Here's a copy of Helen's response to my email;

• Re: Portfolio Visit‏

12:01

Reply ▼

Helen Taylor

Add to contacts

To Chloe Jones

Hello Chloe,

Thank you for your note.

I have a busy week coming up next week so suggest Mon 7 November at 11am. How does that work for you?

Kind Regards

Helen



--
Helen Taylor
Creative Director

T +44 (0)161 236 0013
M +44 (0)7970 656 584
E helen@taylorobrien.com
W www.taylorobrien.com



Brand Inspiration: STRATEGY | CREATE | COMMUNICATE
Taylor O'Brien, Studio 47, 47 Newton Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M1 1FT

Boring but important legal stuff: This email and any files or attachments transmitted with it are confidential, subject to copyright and intellectual property rights and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. Any copyright or intellectual property rights in this email and any files or attachments transmitted with it remain the property of Taylor O'Brien Ltd. Any unauthorised dissemination or copying of this email or its attachments, and any use or disclosure of any information contained in them, is strictly prohibited and may be illegal. All rights in this email and any attachments are reserved. If the communication has been sent to you in error, please contact us immediately and do not show the communication to any other party.



On 27 Oct 2011, at 12:18, Chloe Jones wrote:

> Hi Helen,
> I'm a 3rd year illustration student studying at Stockport College. During this year I have been tasked to contact industry to gain some constructive feedback on my portfolio in an attempt to boost my confidence with my work and to develop it further where necessary (of course anything more would be a huge bonus!)
> I understand that you are extremely busy but if it is possible to arrange an appointment, at a time convenient for you it would be much appreciated.
> I wait in anticipation of your response
> Kind Regards
> Chloe Jones
> Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device