AD 33 Evaluation

Professional Conclusion

Evaluation

I feel I have got a lot out of this project as an illustrator. I chose two projects that required very different skill sets and both challenged me in terms of what I thought I knew and what I could physically create.

I was quite confident with my first project, the resin models, because I had already tried the process before so I knew what to expect, what materials would cost and how to source them. However, it was still a difficult task because although I understood the process it is still physically demanding and needs a lot of preparation time, good initial designs and patience! I think I did well with my time management for this project; I used the easter break to do most of the physical work of making my resin models which meant I had easy access to ventilated areas, all the materials I needed were there and luckily enough the weather was on my side also so I was able to spend a lot of time outside, finishing them before I had thought I would. I was glad to be able to complete the whole process of creating these models at home because I wanted to demonstrate, mainly for myself, that I was able to design and make a specialist, handmade, designer product from my home which was suitable to sell or exhibit. There are not many outlets for illustrators who make resin or any other types of toys/models, mainly online shops, and with career aspirations in mind I wanted to assure myself this could be a viable option to complement my income as an illustrator.

I am very pleased with the outcomes of this project, I feel that the models are of a standard that I would be confident in selling them, online or at fairs etc.

I was much less confident in terms of my abilities for the second project only because I have never attempted to create a picturebook before. This didn’t stop me from trying, however, because I am confident that this is what I would like to see myself doing in the future. It was a long and demanding process and, being me, I think I got ahead of myself a few times and didn’t allow enough time for the development stage of this task. I should have put more time and effort into the early draft/thumbnail stage of this project because this would of given me a stronger idea of the outcome I was striving for. In the end though I created a set of 4 spreads for a picturebook, wrote my own narrative and I am pleased with the outcomes. Some of the images could be improved but I think that in terms of composition they are strong images. When I think about this project in terms of showing it to potential publishing houses, I am glad I do not have a complete and refined outcome because I know that many edits would take place and I know that the story may likely change too, so having a loose outline of the general story arc and aesthetic style is enough, I think.

This task was really challenging, there were a lot of elements to creating a picturebook that I was not even aware of before but it has by no means changed my opinion about wanting to do more of this sort of work. I loved working with watercolour, creating characters and having fun with a simple story.

My third project turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed my two weeks at Hallmark and it has really made me think about the different avenues my work could take me in. I made some 3D models out of clay, painted them and had them photographed and manipulated them digitally to correspond with a certain trend I was working on. This was completed within the first week and it was great to see a project from start to finish in such a small amount of time! Usually I think that my 3D models are quite specialist and I would not have thought about using them as a greetings card concept but applying them to a card range made my models more commercial, but in a positive way. It was fun and exciting to be working in a way that was familiar in some respects but also new in others, creating work that I would never have done if not for the briefs that the creative team set for me.

The second task they set me was to create some hand lettering and I was really excited about this brief. I had never had an interest in typography before really. I used it to accent my work but never used it as a focal point. The main aim of this brief was to create designs which held the type as the focal point and the illustrations were to set it in place and help with composition etc. I used watercolours for the type because of the trend I was asked to follow which was very soft and feminine. I am really pleased with the results and I created a range of card designs that are a great addition to my portfolio.

Working at Hallmark made me see that I really would not mind working in this sort of environment. The studio is a fantastic creative space and there are so many different styles of illustration used by the company. Although my main goal is to illustrate children’s books I have seen some amazing examples of illustrations which are intended for a young audience being created at Hallmark and I think it would be a great way to create a body of work for my portfolio that would reflect the kind of illustrator I want to be.

Sometimes when I think about how different my three projects are, and the outcomes produced by them, I wonder which avenue I should take or where I would fit in within the illustration industry. However, after thinking it through, I think it is a good thing I have different applications of my work. My main goal may be to illustrate for children but I can also produce models and toys based from my illustrations which can help to supplement my income as well as showing prospective clients/employers that I have a diverse skill set and have fun with what I do. I think that by maintaining my illustrative style across these different applications gives me a unique body of work and hopefully is different from many other illustrators in the industry.