Pet Portraits

A little bit cheesy - but for some Christmas presents I decided to make some Illustrated Pet Portraits that have an illustrative quality to them that could be displayed around the home. I was really happy with the way these came out, and felt that I really captured the likeness of the animal. To create them I used custom brushes on photoshop to give that abstract illustrative quality to the images. I think they look quite elegant with a minimal composition and will look really effective once printed professionally and signed and framed. 

John Lewis Christmas Advert (Not Impressed)

As I'm recently developing a curiosity into the world of advertising, I'm trying to be alot more critical of the advertisements I see on a day to day basis. With it being christmas now aswell, this is the time of year that advertisements are crucial to the success of a business of the christmas period. 

Like many others at this time of year, I was highly anticipating the debut of the John Lewis christmas advert 2016 - and like many others (i'm sure), I was pretty disappointed. I feel that as a student who is interested in advertising, I look up to John Lewis for their usually impressive and innovative advertising campaigns. 

Unsure if or not they really couldn't think of anything else, or they're just losing their touch, I thought that this years advert wasn't special or conceptually interesting in anyway, in comparison to previous years, and just almost seemed a bit lazy? I just didn't get the heartwarming festive feel that I usually get from watching it. 

The way that the advert was based around a trampoline seemed a bit silly/random also? (who buys a trampoline in winter?!) I loosely understand the concept, but to me it just seemed a bit forced. Maybe they were hoping to boost the sales of trampolines this year, based on their success with telescopes last year, which is a bit heartbreaking considering they are usually trying to promote other festive messages about christmas, that aren't entirely materialistic or commercialized. 

Maybe it will grow on me eventually, but on seeing it for the first time, I don't really look forward to watching it again. 

Best bet as an Illustrator is Freelance?

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that how I originally thought an illustrator would work in-house in an advertising agency, was completely wrong - My understanding of how work is commissioned has developed, and I now understand the process and role of agencies within this field of work. (I really don't know how I've got this far by only just realising this, I feel like an idiot)

Working freelance is never something that I'd thought about and quite honestly never wanted to - I'm really unsure as to if i'm driven enough to make it as a freelance artist? Also the uncertainty of a steady flow of work is really unsettling to me (as i'm sure it is to everyone else) but this wasn't really what I had in mind and I really do not have enough confidence in myself/work to make it alone...

Tang Yau Hoong

It was this image that originally caught my eye, mainly because of it's bold use of colour, however on closer inspection, the illustrative quality is also really appealing. I love that quality of looking like a basic shape illustration from afar, but with small subtle details when you look at it closely, something I'd like to aim to include in my own work.

From looking at Hoong's website, it is clear that he uses alot of visual metaphors in his work to communicate a message. This image is about overcoming alcohol addiction, which I think could be pretty explanatory from looking at it, an aspect I think I should aim for more in my work, in order to communicate. I think that the subtle use of texture and lighting is also really effective, and adds an atmosphere to the narrative in the image. 

John Lewis - Tiny Dancer Advert

D&AD recently released a case study on the John Lewis home insurance advert, which I found through linkedin. 

It describes the processes that happened when creating the ad, and how Adam&EveDDB (The advertising agency who creates alot of John Lewis' adverts) interacted with John Lewis to create the advert

Firstly, watching the advert, I think it's an amazing piece of advertising, consistent with John Lewis' reputation for innovative and effective advertisements. The way it is filmed in order to create an element of slight suspense/worry, through a light hearted and funny way is so effective, especially for the subject matter of home insurance. 

I think this advert is an effective example of how a solution can be crafted with the right amount of time and thought. It seems that John Lewis have a consistent way of conveying their brand morals, often through light hearted, heartwarming and relatable situations. 

http://www.dandad.org/en/d-ad-case-study-john-lewis-tiny-dancer/

Mccann Manchester

After my previous trip home to visit my family (first time in 4 months - oops), I received some information about a possible work experience opportunity. In the summer my parents attended a wedding, where they were seated next to the production director for Mccann Manchester Advertising Agency - where they managed to get a good word in for me and I was able to get his contact details.

I sent him an email recently, outlining who I am etc, enquiring about the possibility of some work experience, and actually managed to speak to him directly on the phone - I wouldn't be able to get any experience as an Illustrator as they work with illustrators on on a commissioning basis. 

Since speaking to him, I have taken the oppurtunity to really find out everything about the company I could, so that I appear alot more professional when the oppurtunity finally arises.  

- Mccann Manchester is a branch off of the Worldwide advertising company Mccann Erickson.

- They have done work for Aldi (currently), Unilever, Crabbies, to name but a few. 

- Within mccann's values, there is alot of emphasis on transforming brands and businesses, through effective marketing solutions. Making the brand think differently about themselves and act differently.

- They employ a "right first time" philosophy to save their clients time and money.  

- Innovation is key.

- The different sectors within the company:

Data + Analytics

Strategy + Insight

Digital Media

Creative

Innovation + NPD (New product design)

Conversion Rate Optimisation

Video Editing + CGI

PR + Social Media

Studio + Production

Digital Design + Build

Content Marketing

- Also they are located in a huge country house in Prestbury, Cheshire, (which looks amazing)

QUESTIONS

(decided it would be a good idea to keep a list of questions to ask, to gain a better understanding of the advertising industry)

- How many projects on the go at the same time?

- What would an average day consist of?

- Is there any kind of crossover between different sectors within the company?

(will probably think of more)

Travelling Man, Poster Design

 

For the print display at Travelling Man comic store, I didn't particularly want to submit any work towards the show, however still wanted to get involved and improve my practice; so I worked on the PR, making some posters to be displayed around the shop, mainly describing what the work was, and how much it would be to buy. I originally set out to make promotional posters to go around uni to promote the show, however I was told it was too late to start promoting with only 2 days before the show opened. 

Considering I only had a few hours to turn this poster around, I am quite happy with it, but looking back I think the typeface is a bit ugly. However I think that the colours used link directly to the theme of fan art and comic books. I'm glad I was able to get involved and make this because I feel that it makes the show look a bit more formalised and professional, presenting the work in the way it deserves, and also gave me a chance to get a bit of experience in designing (even if it's not the nicest poster I've ever made).

Talk from Louise Lockhart

NOTES

- Print All Over Me 

- To get to the point of a finished looking website, there is a long process of torture 

- Matisse Collage inspiration

- Keep inspirational books around because they are a lot more rich than a screen

- Incorporates textures into her work that she finds, back of photo albums etc. 

- She submitted alot of work for The Skinny (Student newspaper) which is really good for publicity, aswell as Secret 7. 

- Risograph printing has really nice texture, especially when it mismatches, and textures.

- Teatowel printing

- Importance of Instagram, really good tool to use for Illustrators. Networking/Sales/Jobs

- Art Fairs: At first her work was cringey, but people still bought it!

- Hopes people don't realise that she uses photoshop

I'm so glad I attended this talk by Louise Lockhart, as I am a huge fan of her work and love the way she incorporates texture into her work. It was really refreshing to hear how honest she is about certain things, especially the way that she hopes people don't realise she uses photoshop. Also the idea of her work being 'cringey at first', is quite inspiring, because at times I can feel like that about my work. 

Facing Forward - Starting to think about my website

Recently I have really been thinking about professionalizing my online presence, and the importance it will have on my networking. I have used social media constantly since around the age of 12 including facebook, twitter, tumblr, and instagram for another long period of time. However, when using them, admittedly I wasn't conscious of how my posts would be received in a professional sense. So I have been working on that. I have started with a new twitter and instagram account (which I'm really struggling to stay active on as it's quite boring completely starting again).

Another platform I definitely need to fine tune is my website; my shop window. 

"Great art deserves a great audience!"

Website 

http://glmartn.tumblr.com/

This was my response to my Creative Presence last year, which admittedly does not function as a professional website very effectively. However, when looking at it I think it's clean, fresh and displays my work in an almost effective way. So when developing my actual website I intend to take elements from this and obviously improve on them. 

The thought of creating a professional website does seem slightly daunting to me because I don't feel that my work is that up to scratch to be out there just yet. Honestly I'm struggling to have confidence in my work, which I need(WANT) to gain before I start contacting art directors/employers etc. 

I used tumblr as the platform for this last year, and although it looks adequate, it's not a very professional platform, so research into site builders will be crucial. 

LinkedIn

So i'm officially on linkedIn! The stuff I've found on there so far is really exciting, especially seeing the thoughts and opinions of other people on current issues. I feel that using it daily will also give me more of a knowledge of current issues, and give me the awareness I need to be a successful practitioner, aswell as giving me the opportunity to make synergetic contacts! I'm still yet to make a post in order to engage with people on the network, not sure I have the confidence to put something really opinionated up there though? If i'm writing something I need to make sure my opinions are valid otherwise i'll just look like an idiot...

Stan Chow

Illustrator - Editorial, Advertising
- Practising for 20 years
- Used to paint but could see technology taking over. Found digital to be a more efficient way of working.
- Through Social Media, he established a print shop, because of high demand for his prints
- His work appeals to a vast audience, Pop culture/Celebrities. VERY in demand.
- He feels he is successful because of his skill in getting the likeness of a person. 
- Doesn't have time to invest in big projects.
- His creative process used to involve sketching, however he finds it easier to go straight to a computer now.
- His favourite pieces are ones with most reduced shape. 
- His most satisfying jobs are the ones 'If he needs more the client, more than they need him' (big companies)
- Illustrate things you want to illustrate otherwise you will get work for things that you don't want to draw / If you do enough of it, you will get noticed!
- His inspirations are comic artists
- He finds that Manchester is a better place for an illustrator, as opposed to London, because there is more time to breathe. Not enough time to focus on being an illustrator in London. 

A really inspiring talk, which I found really eye opening in terms of learning about how different one persons practice can be compared to another. Also the idea of vectors/digital artwork being in high demand, despite the idea of society perhaps getting bored of digital work. 

Should Illustrators be treated like designers?

http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/should-illustrators-be-treated-like-designers-opinion

"At first it felt like a lot of the audience were ready for things to change in the industry, whether that’s how illustration is priced and licensed, or how we can embrace new ways of working. Then we moved on to discussing how illustration is commissioned for its outcome—the image. At the moment, the focus is on the end point rather than everything leading up to it. 


"After all, that’s what illustrators are paid to do. And of course there are successful illustrators who have no need or interest in being employed for anything other than their artwork. But there seems to be a lot of people who are looking for a different route."

 A really interesting article that has really given me a little bit more confidence in my practice. I see my practice positioned in the 'grey area' of design, wanting to be a designer and an illustrator (an illustrator who adds their own text to their images??)

Career Coaching with Ingrid

Today I had a career coaching session with Ingrid, which was really useful in terms of organising my head and creating an action plan for the upcoming year. My main focus was getting an internship/work experience.

- Work Experience is ideal for any progression oppurtunity. Look into volunteering?
- Contacting people > Marketing/production managers
- DO YOUR RESEARCH, find out names
- Prospects.ac.uk (Really useful websites in providing employment information) 
  - Use the career planner & possible career options
  - Also use Jobs/work experience section, (advertsises oppurtunities)
- Use prospects to understand what's involved in Advertising roles
- Look into Industry papers, Drum / Advertising Weekly. Understand what's going on in the industry at the moment. Be up to date. What's up and coming.
- When applying for oppurtunities, FOLLOW IT UP. People aren't annoyed by you asking, they are genuinely too busy. Be a polite nuisance. 
- Typical salaries for Post Graduates is 22/23,000 
- Send applications even when job roles are not advertised - The speculative approach.
- When sending CV's, tailor them to specific companies/employers. Send with Covering Letter. Be clear, and show your skills. 
- Grad Schemes are very competitive, and will expect 2:1 and work experience. 
- Look at Guardian top 100 employers to work for. 
- Glass Door(?) Website where people write about their experiences of interviews with employers. 
- When researching look for Company Specific books, e.g Saatchi and Saatchi

ACTION PLAN

1. Research - Companies/Agencies you want to work for. Find out EVERYTHING. Specific people to address.
2. Make contact - Introduce yourself. Meet up(?) to talk about the roles within company/any possible vacancies/opportunities for graduates?
3. Check in with Ingrid as soon as you can
4. Send CVs + apply to wherever you can/want to work. 

Understanding Advertising Agencies Roles

Over summer I've thought alot about working in the advertising industry. I like the idea of it but am not sure how I would fit in as an Illustrator/designer? What do I apply for? What preparation do I need to undertake in order to be able to apply for such roles??

I thought it would be a good idea to do some research into the different roles into a standard Advertising Agency, I found these roles on prospects.co.uk:

Client Service or Account Management
The account handler represents the client at the agency. They have a key role in the development of the advertising campaign and are the people who are in charge of the relationship with the client. Account handlers are responsible for developing an in-depth understanding of the client's marketplace and their business, their objectives and then working closely with planners to translate the client's marketing briefs into agency creative briefs.

Strategic Planning
Strategic planners represent the consumer in the agency. They are responsible for developing the key strategic insight which lies behind the advertising idea. They need to get under the skin of the consumer and understand as much as possible about them.

Media Planning and Buying
Media Planners map how to connect the consumer to the creative idea. Planners in a media agency will take a brief from the client which highlights the message that they want to communicate to the consumer. Normally the client will have a budget in mind, but sometimes they will ask the media agency to give advice on budget setting. The media buyers are responsible for negotiating with the media owners of the relevant channels in order to get the best position, timing and price for their client's media space and therefore realise the maximum value and impact from the budget available.

Creative
The creative department of an agency is where the campaign comes together. It's where that great idea or stunning visual is dreamt up. Creatives are generally hired in pairs — a copywriter and an art director. They take the client brief and work with it to invent ideas to address the brand's business problems. From here, they work with media planners/buyers and the production department in order to turn those ideas into a reality. To get a job as a creative, the most important thing is your 'book' — a portfolio of all your ads to showcase your talent.

Creative Services & Production
It is the job of creative services and production to ensure that the internal process is smooth and the ads are made to the highest quality, on time, and within budget. The people in this process need a variety of skills and can be split into three main areas — those who control the internal process within an agency, those who source the outside talent for production and those who oversee the production itself, including Creative Services Director, Creative Services Manager, Art Buying, TV Production, StudioProject Management, Traffic Management and 

Print Production.

User Experience (UX)
The UX guys are responsible for research and design activity required to deliver great online experiences. They are the digital equivalent of retail merchandisers who guide you intuitively around a supermarket.

Social Media Strategist
They have to understand how consumers interact with social platforms. It is essential that they understand how new technologies shape the user experience online. They craft ideas which are social by design and engage with the online consumers.

Web Developer
They are responsible for technically implementing digital ideas by working with creatives and UX. They take ownership of the entire build phase of creating websites.

Studio AKA Production

I found this production company after looking into advertisements I admire. This company were behind the current illustrated Lloyds TSB campaign, that I think is really heartwarming and beautifully executed. 

It was good to find out that they offer internships which could be something to look out for in the near future - but with a production studio like this, I'd be interested to find out where an Illustrator would fit in - especially if they cannot animate (I feel like this is a stupid question though and from looking at the FAQ's on their website, I don't think they seem very approachable/friendly). 

PPP3 - Who are you now?

As stated previously, this summer has been a massive turning point for me in terms of developing a professional attitude towards working/uni work, which admittedly was not fully there before. I've done alot of speculating around my practice over the summer (mainly because I've been completely terrified) and have found that commercial work like branding/advertising is what I enjoy. I have engaged with a few work opportunities over summer such as Sign Painting and graphic design briefs, e.g The Llama Park sign boards, which gave me abit of experience in communicating with clients. 

My future plans at the moment are focused towards working in advertising or branding. I have a passion for graphic design and feel that I have the mind set for it, I'm good at asking the right questions in order to develop a project etc. So for the next year I would like to focus on work experience and internships in the field. Naturally I am drawn to the creative production side of it, however, marketing and PR are other elements that I am slightly drawn to. I am not sure how much the 2 elements cross over, which is something I need to research alot more into. I have a career coaching session booked this week where I intend to ask alot of these questions. 

Illustration Trends of 2016

http://www.creativebloq.com/illustration/8-huge-illustration-trends-2016-11618888

A really interesting article, listing a range of aesthetic trends that have been noticed in the last year that show no sign of leaving. I have definitely witnessed alot/if not all of these and I think this is pretty spot on. I find it really interesting that trend forecasts like this exist, which could be really useful to a commercial illustrator wanting to remain uptodate. It could also be useful in helping an lllustrator create a timeless style?

Will Terry Interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl2PStbysdU&t=195s

A really inspiring/eye opening video I came across whilst researching for COP, from Will Terry a Lecturer for Illustration students at UVU, giving advice on working as an Illustrator and how to succeed in the 21st century digital age. 

• You need to get to the people who are in charge of HIRING ARTISTS - directors, executives. 
• Is there room for everybody else to be chosen/picked/utilised as an illustrator? 
• Digital media is taking off  - story apps, digital e-books starting to compete with PRINT. 
• Pinterest, Deviant Art, Illustration Friday, Folio Academy, 
• School of visual storytellers, lamppost guilds - online ways to better your education.
• The talent pool is sky rocketing because of the Internet - Have so much more access to hire people? Is there room for all these talented people to get picked?

There are 2 more parts to this speech which I also found interesting and inspiring, however not that relevant. 

First Day Of Level 6

So I'm back for my final year on illustration! Quite excited about getting into a routine again, and feel like i've done alot of maturing over summer in terms of work ethic, and i'm actually ready to get started. Slightly terrified but i'm sure that's normal.

Mega Crit

Today in the mega crit I was blown away by all the talent from level 5 + 6, here's a few sketchbook pages I found to be particularly inspiring:


(1)



(2)



(3)



(4)



(5)

1 - Really lovely piece by Ian (level 6), thought that the fluid use of shapes and subtle textures looked so effective in contrast with the harsh floating shapes. Really nice colour scheme aswell, conveys relaxing feel which I'm sure was intended.

2 - I really enjoyed the colour schemes used in this character design, but also the controlled expressiveness of the copic markers.

3 - I really appreciated this realistic chair drawing; over summer i've been drawing alot of interiors/furniture (not sure why) but it's quite difficult, so I appreciate the skill - aswell as it being a beautiful drawing!

4 - From the same artist as (3), love the realistic element with the expressiveness of brush strokes, an effective I try alot to create in my own work. I thought it was really atmospheric and almost transporting. Unsure of the artist however (I know they're in level 5, ill find them)

5- A really fun drawing from Hana (level 6), I love the bright colours and the pop arty feel. Think the beach theme is communicated really well (without actually drawing a beach). Really nice use of mixed media to add texture also.

Marcin Wolski

A new Illustrator I have come across is Marcin Wolski, who I found whilst researching for my COP practical proposal. His  shape and texture based work uses colour in a quite muted but atmospheric way which I particularly like. I feel that this also helps his mages to look harmonious as a set. I also liked the use of text in 1986 (image) as I feel that it gives the image so much context about the chernobyl disaster, also communicated via the russian scripture above it. This is a technique I'd like to explore alot more within my work and attempt to push it more in the direction of graphic design. 

PPP3 Summary

Personal + Professional aims as a practitioner:

• Advertising Agency/In house designer
• Build portfolio of commercial work (completing briefs relevant to advertising)
• Improve Idea development process
• Gain wider knowledge of existing advertising agencies
• Understand advertising industry process
• Build bank of contacts 

Evidence of research into practice + Progression opportunities:

http://www.ipa.co.uk/

Networking events:

Career Advice

Advertising Agencies:

Creative Agency

r//evolution marketing

McCann Manchester - (Quite photography/film based) 

Creative Spark / Manchester

Newsworks.org (More Illustration based)

Print Marketing Based Companies:

CUCO

The Creative Clinic

Modus

Ronin - very graphic design 

Research Activities to be undertaken through the year:

Contacting Agencies - What experience/qualifications would be admirable on a job application? 

Any grad schemes, placements available?

Career Advice - In college

Diagonal Thinking - online self assessment (http://www.diagonalthinking.co.uk/ProfilePage)

(where would I fit into Advertising Industry http://www.ipa.co.uk/page/Who-does-what-Job-roles-in-a-nutshell#.V9_ewpMrK7g)

How do advertising agencies work? Processes + roles

My First Ever Invoice

This was my first experience designing an invoice for the Llama Park Information signs that I designed a few weeks ago. I used the visual identity that I created for creative presence last year which I felt was still relevant to my practice. I think the design of the invoice could have been a bit more professional and reflective of my practice, and a bit more creative? However it was quite a last minute thing so had to be done quite quickly. Overall I'm confident that I can create a substantial and fully functional invoice for my business. 

Llama Park: Animal Information Sign Commission

The Llama Park is a family attraction located in east sussex, where I have had the pleasure of spending a few days this summer. I was approached by the general manager (also one of my good friends) and asked to use my design skills to create some information signs for the park. Once again, although this wasn't a huge opportunity to practice as an illustrator, It gave me a bit of experience in meeting deadlines and importantly, executing creative work to a professional standard (as I was being paid for it). 

My photo from the park. 

I began with a simple idea of what the client wanted, examples of existing information boards, which I thought looked a bit crappy. I understand that the function of the board is to provide information clearly, however I felt that could be done in a much more stylish and family friendly way.  

Reference Material

Throughout the process I struggled to give the boards a creative flare (It's a really boring job!) So after countless attempts at trying to organise information, I found that the boards with the most images were obviously more eye catching. I found a way to present the photographs in an exciting way (having their ears poke out of the circle) which the client loved, and found appropriate fonts/colours that matched the environment of the park. 

What I came up with:

(and about 25 more)

 Although this job was quite boring at times, I admittedly liked the simplicity of it. I honestly didn't feel the need to add my own illustrations to the signs as it would've been way too much work towards something that could be achieved just as easily with photography. So this was a pretty run of the mill graphic design job. I think graphic design is something that I definitely do not want to discard from my practice, even if I am doing a degree in illustration? 

Spot Of Sign Painting - Daniel's Cafe, Ilkley

Over summer, I was contacted by a friend opening a new coffee shop on Ilkley highstreet, which was in need of a sign painting on 2 sides of the shop. I was asked because of my artistic know how and access to printing facilities, but also because it'd be a great opportunity to get some work in a creative field (and obviously the payment.)

I exchanged a few emails with the shop owner about the dimensions/colours/textures of the sign. Preparing the stencil was quite a nerve wracking process as I had not been to Ilkley prior to painting the sign, so my stencil had to fit perfectly on to the beam or else my first trip to Ilkley would've been a wasted journey.

The sign in the end was spray painted on, but because of the material I printed the stencil onto, it made a bit of a mess, so the real work was actually in touching it up, amounting to about 4 hours stood on top of a ladder with some paint stripper (not that fun, scared of heights). The second sign was fairly easy as I'd learnt from the previous mistakes and did everything possible in order to stick the sign down fully. 

Driving past, a few weeks after I'd painted the sign

Overall the experience was a valuable one, also prompting me to think about how much my time is worth. As a student and a non professional, doing work for a just starting out family business, my original price was unfortunately knocked back as it had not been agreed prior to making the sign (Big mistake I know) - however I was able to get all prices for my materials and travel etc, and make a little something for myself. I was slightly disappointed with my payment, however it was my mistake for not agreeing a price before, something I have definitely learnt from. 

Adam Avery Gif for The Guardian University League Tables 2017

I really enjoyed this gif used in order to communicate the different career paths from University for the online Guardian University League tables 2017. I think that the concept of the train in the image/gif is simple but really effective, especially in the way that it is animated and presented, a really light hearted yet punchy image. 

http://thesuffolkpunchpress.com/projects

Looking at Avery's other work, I really enjoy his use of colour and shape, and feel that his work is very in keeping with trends right now. Notably his work translates very effectively into moving image which is something that I feel I should be investing more time into as technology advances. 

Creative Presence: Final Images

Creative Presence: Presentation

Life's A Pitch: Final Presentation

Creative Presence: Applied Designs

Logo

This is my logo that I have designed using only typeface and colour. Colour isn't a massive factor in this design, and think it would work just as effectively in black and white if I should need to reproduce it cheaply. I think my logo is elegant and composed and reflects professionalism. I have purposefully chosen to use only lower case lettering, as I feel it has quite a naive approach and gives it a more friendly feel, especially with Futura, my choice of typeface. 

Business Card Designs

Creative CV - with business card included