PPP2 Presentation slides

creative presence

Life's A Pitch, presentation slides

(fonts went weird on issuu?)

presentation script?

I'm not sure if this is too long or not long enough...

-------

At this point, at the end of my second year of university I think I am starting to understand where I am interested in working, and how so (finally). Since last year I feel more confident, though not wholly, in my own design and concept decisions and more inspired to create work that is free and energetic.

I have almost completely abandoned digital ways of working, except for in post processing, animation and my established work style for Fuzzy Logic. It’s largely a personal choice of just enjoying physical processes more, but also being inspired by practitioners who may not identify as illustrators but rather painters or artists, such as Miroco Machiko and Misaki Kawai.

I have continued to work in a shape driven way, as predicted from last year, but after the long print making module 504 that was so simplistic and restrictive in its processes I’ve sort of rebelled from that and started to work in a more detailed and looser way. At this point I am trying to find a way of working in the ways I enjoy, with paint, with pencil, with detail that can also be applied to the often fast pace of commercial illustration.

From working this year I’m starting to identify an interest in editorial and publishing, but more than anything I think it’s been about establishing a tone of voice and taking that to any projects that come my way. I’m not sure how I would describe it, I suppose I’m interested in subtlety, some humour. I’d describe it as quiet, sometimes.

Responsive was the module that kicked a lot of things into gear, mostly because I find myself suited to shorter projects (hence my interest in editorial). My work on the Folio Society’s War Horse was a big turning point for me. I think sometimes I can become quite preoccupied with trying to make a fancy concept but with this project that wasn’t really suitable and I took some time to just make images that are visually interesting and more atmospheric. It was also my first time painting for a while, and sparked an interesting in publishing for me.

Secret 7 and my work for Coffee Shop North followed that, and the two projects worked in two quite different ways for me. Because Secret 7 was a competition and had no definite chance of being published I made some quite experimental but self indulgent images. Because Coffee Shop North was definitely going to be published and I was working for someone else other than my own gains I feel that I played it too safe and made a boring image. It’s now about finding somewhere in the middle of that I think.

Collaborative was an experience. Learned a lot about group work but also a lot of technical stuff about animation. Animation isn’t really for me past small doses.

505 was a great opportunity to play around visually (which I spent a LONG time doing) but also an opportunity to try something that I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a part of my practice- children’s illustration. I’d been a little cautious of children’s illustration because it felt like something that could be quite flat and not right for me, but in hindsight it’s something that’s really fun to do, and gives as lot of freedom to be expressive. Looking at other illustrators such as Laura Carlin I feel reassured that children’s illustration can be sophisticated and nuanced and also be part of a wider practice- it doesn’t have to define everything you do.

I felt ok about this project but felt I rushed it. I am into the concept and feel quite passionate about it and was disappointed at the results. I do plan on reworking and refining it, and maybe using that as an opportunity to send to publishers.

Life’s a Pitch didn’t require much input from me visually but was a really cool project to work on creatively in a different way and also think about that tone of voice I talked about earlier. For our project we proposed Sad Mag, a publication celebrating the bland and the mundane. It was just a really fun project and I think we stumbled upon something that is viable and unique and that we could embark on even if it’s in a smaller scale format. And we will!

Projects like Sad Mag and my zine for Thoughtbubble have encouraged my interest in self-publishing, but largely my interests lie in editorial and publishing, as mentioned before. Right now I think I’m losing out by not having so much of that kind of thing in my portfolio- losing out in terms of gaining clients but also in my own interests- how can I be sure that I’m interested in it if I haven’t experienced it? When I next have time to embark on self initiated projects, whether it is over summer on in extended practice or right now I want to engage in those sorts of practices. For example, making a piece of editorial each week in the same sort of time frame expected for it, or making book jackets/ inside illustrations for every book I read.

Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time pondering on what illustration is, and how it works for me. I find myself a little apprehensive towards illustrative establishments such as ELCAF, Pick Me Up and the general online community because sometimes it can feel very self involved, very much illustrators working for illustrators. It doesn’t stop me wanting to work commercially, nor does it mean that I’ve got something against that sort of thing or what might be considered superficial- I’m sure I make that sort of stuff all the time. But it means that I’m aware of trendiness and I’m worried about slipping into that sort of hole, and more of what sort of audiences I want to engage with my work. I’ve been feeling quite conscious and aware of art/ visual culture in general, particularly following my COP project on gallery spaces and my future plans to write about outsider art.

I think as I start to market myself I’m becoming more self-aware of everything. As an illustrator, I’m just going to use my name because I’m too indecisive with that kind of thing but have managed as this for 21 years. I wanted to keep everything about my ‘branding’ simple. My plans for business cards are just slices of my work because that’s what I want to get across to people, and to do more of. Website wise and social media wise this is quite simple too. I want to let the work breathe and also fear over complicating it/ making it too tacky if I did try that kind of thing. It’s not what I’m about.  

Social media is a tricky one, but I think I’m starting to use it more to my advantage. I have a fair following on Instagram and tumblr and whilst I find that I’m not necessarily getting jobs through them they are at least a nice archive/ good place to talk to other designers/ a place I can show people my work in lieu of an actual portfolio website.

Looking towards the future! I’m starting to place where I want to be but at the same time don’t want to limit myself and get too narrowly focused whilst I still have the freedom of university- and even post university is that freedom really gone? But I’m looking to engage my work in more practical contexts. Over the past year I’ve been talking to a few illustrators, mostly graduates, but what would really be valuable is making connections with art directors and publishers.

DREAM BIG OR ELSE U WILL GET SAD

Thinking about keeping the *brand* going across all the goods I send out to people. I made an invoice based on AOI recommendations and a creative CV, though I'm still not entirely sure in what context creative CVs work when you can also have cards and mailers. Maybe it could be sent with a mailer?

The CV is still a bit of a prototype... describing yourself is hard when you're not yet sure what you're trying to get across. Being GOOD at stuff I suppose!

(This all said this could all be used online too)

Olivier Kugler

Kugler's work was vastly inspiring in regards to the physicality of it (wow, reportage etc) but also in the power of what he communicates, and what he covers. I'd love to know how he gets the courage to just talk to people, particularly to ask to draw them!

One of the things that I mostly took on a personal level was

"Don't wait for opportunities"

(paraphrased... "don't wait for opportunities, get people drunk and make them give you jobs")

my first review

excellent

online presence

I've already established something of an online presence so plan to keep going with the tumblr and instagram I already have. I'm trying to make my tumblr a little more formal, but it's not a portfolio so I'm still uploading fun little sketches etc. Personally I think the best instagrams are those with a personal touch, so I use my IG as a mix of pieces, sketches, and things I've found/ think are fun. It gives it a little personality. I have twitter but don't plan on using it in a professional sense, so have made it private. Twitter has been useful for me though, and is how I have met a lot of other practitioners.

Name dropping is weird and I've had friends google themselves and find themselves on this blog (hello if that's you right now)(Marianna) but seeings as PPP is after us making contacts...? (cringe)

I mostly get to know people when they've just graduated, I'm not sure why or how but graduates are keen to get around! I had illustrators Marianna Madriz and Wai Wai Pang stay over with me here in Leeds whilst they were here for Thoughtbubble. I've also met others through the internet and later events such as Thoughtbubble and ELCAF, like Lottie Puncheon, Lucie Ebrey, Jonny Clapham, Harry McKenzie, Lucy Haslam, Seekan Hui, Lizzie Houldsworth...

All these people have provided me with some excellent top tips regarding arts education, graduation, the illustrative life in general but are also very nice people!

Making friends with illustrators has been really helpful but if I'm really going to be schmoozing I should probably go after art directors and publishers too. Schmoozing is weird though I hate the idea of it and I think the people being schmoozed do too. Just make friends to be friendly!!

I have also begun making a portfolio website through Cargocollective as mentioned before. I am hesitant to set it up fully and advertise myself a lot through there because I don't feel that my actual portfolio, work wise, is there yet.

http://cargocollective.com/mollyfairhurst

business cards?

Business cards are probably useful but I'm struggling to think how I make them. I could spend a lot of time making a new image for them or doing something innovative with their shape but I'm tempted to just take from what I already have and present it in small format, with my details on the back. Keeping it simple, and presenting the kind of work I'm pleased with and would like to make more of, upfront.

---

The proposed design

painters and makers

Mogu Takahashi and her mum. There is something so charming about her tone of voice. It's so care free.

As time goes on I'm finding myself more reluctant to work digitally and much more keen to work in paint and pencil. I just can't get digital to look how I want and I'm not sure if I can express that in words. Though my work hasn't really been that loose I'm finding myself really interested in painters like Miroco Machiko and Mogu Takahashi who's work is wild and expressive. I'm keen on this kind of practice, and am not really finding it in people who identify themselves as illustrators.

Miroco Machiko

Mogu Takahashi

Disa Wallander is also someone who's work I am interested in, her use of mixed media and innovative narrative. Everything I'm looking at here feels expressive but also… subtle?

Disa Wallander

I still plan on working commercially, but I don't think that means that everything has to be flat and tight.

things to include in my presentation?

• thoughts / opinions on illustration. not a rant, but observations
• my professional practice that isn't necessarily professional, side projects, self-publishing, painting etc
• Off the Page/ experience at galleries/ openings. Could mention upcoming Coffee Shop North book launch and how I hope to be more confident talking to people there!
• working in traditional media. hating print making (should keep it mostly positive though)
• hopes for editorial / publishing but how I need to improve my portfolio for that
• struggles with long winded projects (504/505)
• Sad Mag
• Responsive?
• kind of people / projects i'd like to work for
• vague plans

Base it on the task we did before?

future self initiated projects

I'm not sure what kind of thing we'll be *set* to do over the summer /  next year but I was thinking about how I don't have that greater examples of what I want to do to go into my portfolio so I should work on that. When I have the time / opportunity I'd like to start making work relevant to publishing and editorial.

• Take one article a week and illustrate it within the sort of time frame expected for editorial work
• Illustrate a book jacket/ inside illustrations for every book I read (luckily I'm not the fastest reader)
• Refining and reworking the children's book I designed for OUIL505

OUIL505 evaluation

I really enjoyed being given the opportunity to write my own project but with it came a few hinderances. Mostly it seemed like a prime time to test what I’m interested in as a practitioner- not yet sending portfolios around but needing to establish what I want to do so I can get on to that soon.

I struggled with time management and planning, which isn’t usually something that gets me. I found it hard to come up with a solid idea so distracted myself by playing around stylistically and visually. This was valuable, but more time spent on the concept was really needed. 

The book was my main focus throughout the module and I don’t think that was necessarily a bad thing, or unlike how real publishing works. I am quite fond of what I have made, but to say I had spent so long playing around visually I’m disappointed with the illustrations as a collection. I was keen to go full colour and textural after the limitations of 504 but it made it hard to keep them consistent. I also wish I had made them looser, more energetic. I feel that many of them lack depth and detail, all things that I think would make more exciting images. That said, this project along with some of 503 has sparked a slight change of direction for me, and even though I’m not fully happy with these illustrations they are definitely getting closer to what I do want to achieve.

The text in Too Much is the most complex I’ve ever tried typographically. I also did it in a short space of time, so it’s not the most considered, but it’s made me think about thinking more about lettering/ type. I may not need the skill, maybe it would be given to someone else to do. But it’s a good skill to have, whether it’s to give input on a graphic designer’s work or to do it myself.

I feel like because I didn’t manage my time so well, because I prioritised other modules despite caring about this one on a personal level more, that the final book was quite a rushed job. I am interested in it as a concept, and would really like to remake it and refine it, with the intention of sending it to publishers, if not to have it as a portfolio piece / my own enjoyment. The writing is a little odd, and I think the pacing could be smoother. The idea is there and it’s something I care about, so would like to work on more. 

I think it would be really interesting to see what an actual child would make of this! I don’t know / have access to any children so haven’t been able to get their much valued feedback. I have been keen throughout to target it at children and not just the illustrated goods market, but at the same time taking heed from other illustrators keen to not be overcome by the idea of ‘child friendliness’ in picture books. I’m pleased with the tone of voice I got across in the book, I think it is subtle but hopefully also exciting, but really I won’t know what a child would think unless I asked them.

Making a range of illustrated products was quite a new concept for me and at times it felt like it could be quite over-commercialising. I don’t care if someone does plaster a character on any kind of merchandise, but it didn’t feel quite right for this project. I also wonder how much input the illustrator/ writer of a picture book has on the design of merchandise. Admittedly the range did come as quite an afterthought, mostly because I had literally forgotten about it due to my poor planning. I think I did well in creating a range of products that accompany the main title in a thoughtful way. I’m pleased with the idea of the note book but am not sure if I got the idea across in the right way. 

All in all I am feeling encouraged by this project and what I’ve seen from other practitioners that children’s illustration can be sophisticated and valuable to my own work. I’ve learnt about my own practice in terms of visual style, tone of voice and what contexts I would like to work in. I know what I would do if I reworked the book and do plan on refining it. This module has been the project that has felt most relevant to my own practice and I can see it having context outside of the university bounding.