Brand New Business Cards!

Although I was happy with the business cards i made i thought it would be good practice to get some printed more professionally. I used moo.com because i could order just 50, the price was Ok, and i could have as many images on the front as i liked, so having a range of business cards, not just one design. I think they turned out really well and although i may change the design at some point and want to make more, they didn't cost alot and next time i can print more of a new design.

Self Promo Box

This is the final product i have made for the Self Promotion module (Look At Me!)
I have created two versions of a Self Promo box, containing various handmade items designed, in synchronisation, to promote myself and my work.

Box 1

I used good quality card so that the structure of the box would hold. The colours I used were chosen to fit in with the rest of my self promo materials and my other artwork. Included in this box is: a business card, a postcard, a sticker pack, a badge pack, a creative cv and a contact sheet.

Box 2

 I used the same card as for the first box but i reversed the colours and printed patterns on one side of the box as a reflection of my work to make it really stand out. Inside this box is: a business card, a postcard, a shark sticker pack, a set of different badges, a creative cv, a contact sheet and also a handmade resin shark badge. This is what i like to call my 'Deluxe box' and i made it with the intention to send it to specific clients who would be more interested to see what 3D applications my work can take and also clients i really want to impress!



Although my self promotion materials may cost more to make and send i think it will be worth it in the end. The illustration industry is notoriously hard to get into and i think the most productive way to look for work in this sector is to be selective about which clients to look for (only clients i would be happy to work for) and focus all of my energy on promoting myself really well to them rather than sending out something of less quality to a large range of clients whom i may not particularly want to work for in the first place. I am proud of the self promo materials i have made and at this stage of my degree i would be happy to send out one of my boxes to a potential client to seek work.

Self Promo - Statement

During my second year I have experimented with new methods of creating images. This is reflected in my portfolio by the range of work I have made using different techniques including, traditional painting, sketching, digital drawing and 3D model making. My digital skills have improved this year so a lot of my artwork is digitally produced/enhanced compared to last year. Research into other illustrators, and the illustration industry, has introduced me to new ways of working, looking at images and trying to find my own unique visual language. By constantly drawing this year I think my drawing skills are also still improving which is reflected in the line work of my illustrations. A great thing about my portfolio, I think, is that it all fits together. I was wary at the beginning of the year that I wouldn’t be able to find my ‘style’ and that if I tried to put together a group of images then nobody would be able to tell that the work belonged to one person, let alone that I created it. However, even though there are images, which are completely different because of how they were created, I think there is a sense of consistency within them and their differences somehow help to form a cohesive collection of images.

Next year I want to try and narrow down the ways I work in, maybe even merging a few of them to find a way of working that really suits me and shows others who I am as an illustrator. I also want to delve back into resin making; it was a challenging experience but very rewarding too. I can see from my research scrapbook that working in 3D has always been in the back of my mind and I really enjoyed model making for Independent Practices and that hopefully shows in the final products I made. I want to really hone my sculpting skills to produce work at a professional standard for my third year and perhaps look into making models that reflect my 2D work more (creating better character designs as a basis for my models).  By the end of the third year I really would like a clear idea of who I am as an illustrator, be able to produce work I am proud of and promote myself well enough to begin my career in illustration. ­

Summer Research Scrapbook

During the summer of 2013 I spent weeks scrapbooking all of the things that were inspiring me at the time and would be a positive influence on the way i work. I included everything from business cards, random images to artist profiles. I also used some of these things to inspire some of my own work which i included in my scrapbook.

Evaluation

To promote myself digitally, I created three very different websites. Firstly, I created a portfolio website which is running on Cargo. I am using this as a professional space where I can host my best work and where I can direct people when I am looking for commissions etc. I chose to create my cargo website in a similar style to the ones I had researched, using a plain white background to complement the images but with extra hand-drawn elements to keep it individual and stylistically similar to my artwork. I also took into account the usability of other artists’ portfolio sites: the navigation was simple and easy, the layout enabled visitors to have a glimpse of different works with the ability to then enlarge the image and find out more. I have changed my Cargo site recently so that it fits in with the self promotional material I have created, leaving potential clients with no doubt as to whose site they have arrived at and what kind of illustrator I am. I plan to keep my portfolio site up to date as I create more work and use it in my future practice and hopefully upgrade to create my own URL as I become more established.

My second site is in the form of a blog. I use Tumblr to share not only my finished artwork but also some of my sketches and thought processes behind the work I produce. I have found that Tumblr is a more personal platform for promoting artwork and I am really enjoying the social aspect of it too. Following other artists on Tumblr keeps me up to date with what they are making, keeping me constantly inspired to create more illustrations! Although the aesthetic is different to that of my Cargo website, I think that the artwork and colour palettes help to identify my Tumblr page as Mine. I wanted to keep my blog looking different to my portfolio site anyway so that when people visit one they can see what I make and when they follow the link to my blog they can see why I make it, which I think is important for potential clients/employers to discover.

My third site is a ‘page’ I have made on Facebook. This is less formal again but I have found it very useful. It is really easy to use and relatively easy to get your work circulated. ‘Sharing’ and ‘Liking’ enables a broader audience, allowing friends of friends to see and share artwork. I have been selective with the work on Facebook, even though it is not as formal a platform as Cargo, I still think that potential clients can see this and it is important for them to see me as a professional. The only thing with Facebook is that, at the moment, you cannot personalise it much, so aesthetically it may not fit in with my other digital sites but I think that the images on there, and the banner, makes sure that people recognise the page and I think there is a cohesion between all three sites which reflects me as a person and my illustrations.

Website Implementation

I have created one of each of the websites I have researched; a portfolio site (running on Cargo), a blog (running on Tumblr) and an illustration page on Facebook. Check it!

 http://cargocollective.com/charmainemcdonough

I use my Cargo site as a professional space to show my best work. I have not included any sketchbook images, development or anything but I have included a link on there to my blog so that if a client was interested more in how I work then they could see my stuff in a more casual way. This site is primarily for potential clients and I have tried to keep my images cohesive too so that when someone visits my website they know who I am as an illustrator and what they would get if they hired me.

I have recently changed my Cargo website, the banner and layout in particular, so that it compliments my artwork better. I have used the same colour scheme as a lot of my other self promo material and tried to incorporate some of the other aspects of my work/style such as the typography and patterns. 

http://www.facebook.com/charmainemcdonoughillustration

My Facebook illustration page is quite simple but I use it quite a lot. Its great for sharing artwork I am working on and getting some opinions. My work is shared between friends mostly but then other people can see it as it gets shared more. It has been surprising to see how far my work can get on a social media site and I was recently contacted about a commission through Facebook so I am definitely glad that I created the page!

http://charmainetheillustrator.tumblr.co.uk

I am really fond of my Tumblr page. I share all sorts on there, my finished work, my sketchbook images and my inspiration. Like Facebook, when things get ‘shared’ on Tumblr, they spread fast, reaching lots of people. Tumblr is also a great way of finding other artists and seeing what they are up to and what inspires them. The ability to ‘follow’ people is good too because you can keep up to date with what other illustrators are up to and with other things happening in the broader illustration community.

So, since writing this i have updated my Tumblr page...again! The pumpkins, although cool, have been on there for ages and i just feel that all of the work i have been producing doesn't really fit in with how my blog is looking. Now it looks like this...

I think it looks much better now but still needs some work. The patterns may be a little too 'in your face' and i need to get my own typography on there for the title. 

Website Research

The internet is a great way to get work out there, to be seen and meet new clients. However, the internet is flooded with artist’s new portfolio websites so it is important to stand out and create an effective self-promotional platform. Another good thing about having an online presence is the ability to connect to other people from all over the world; Social networking can be an effective means of meeting other artists as well as potential clients.

Portfolio Sites:

The most effective portfolio sites I have found are the simple ones. With white backgrounds, reminiscent of gallery spaces, and easy navigational tools, these sites focus solely on the artwork of the illustrator.

For example: 

Blogs:

Sites such as Blogger and Tumblr are great for artists to share their work and gain followers but in a less restrictive environment than a portfolio site. Blogs allow you to add artwork that may be not be finished yet, work you are doing for personal use or for collecting inspirational images from other artists. Although this wouldn’t be the primary site I would show a potential client, I recognise that it would be a great way to show thought processes etc and other things you may want to communicate to a client but wouldn’t necessarily be able to on a professional portfolio space.

Social Media Sites:

Websites like Facebook and Twitter are a great platform for meeting new people. Not only are friends on Facebook but also more and more professionals, agencies and artists are using these sites to communicate and, sometimes, talent scout. The ability to personalise these sites is greater now and it is an easy way to collate some images together.

A good thing about Facebook Pages for illustrators is the ability to leave comments on work etc. It’s a good way to see what people are responding to and what images they like: an easy way to do a bit of market research! Also these sites, as well as blogs, allow people to ‘share’ artwork and pages that acts like a ripple in that your work just grows and spreads, reaching people who you may not have been able to reach before.