Portfolio Visit 2: Part 2

So the second half of my portfolio visit with Synergy Sheffield went slightly different to how I was expecting it to go! Taz had the idea to give me some more advice in actually selling ideas and pitching to clients, as that is what the future may hold for me.

As I had already told him that I had an interest in comics, my brief was to give them a 60 second pitch on a new direction for the next big Marvel comic. They gave me about ten minutes to plan my pitch an idea to them, which was really nerve-wracking because I’d been put entirely on the spot.

After I gave my pitch, in which I explained the art direction of the comic, the new characters, writing and themes, they asked me questions like what would I bring to the table, and what would make me stand out from the other applicants? I held my own and answered with some confidence, and they seemed impressed with what I had to offer.

Although it was only a quick workshop I felt like I learned loads, about handling myself under pressure, acting with more confidence and coming up with ideas on my feet better.

Finally, the guys wanted to know what project I was working on currently, so I showed them what I had done so far with my FMP, the original prints and some colour prints. I explained that the new direction was aiming to be a mix of all the good parts of my current portfolio and they seemed excited by the prospect of what might come. They told me that they see potential in the idea and as long as I worked hard for the next few weeks I’d be fine getting it all done, which made me feel better about my work.

The Synergy guys were awesome, and told me to keep in touch, so I will! They’re also interested in coming to the end of year show, so I will be aiming to please them with my final work and portfolio.

Portfolio Visit 2: Part 1

Recently I went to Sheffield for my second portfolio visit. It was with a collective called Synergy Sheffield, who are a group of six graduates from Sheffield Hallam University. The reason I chose to show my portfolio to a collective was because I was thinking about what might benefit me the most after I finished the course, and asking recent graduates who had successfully begun to establish themselves seemed like a good idea.

When I got there, I was welcomed by Paul and Taz of Synergy, and it was a very relaxed visit. I only expected to be there for about half an hour to talk about my portfolio, and ask a few questions about the collective after, but they very kindly gave me about three hours of their time!

First we had a conversation about what they did and how they survived in the world after they graduated. They noted that keeping in touch with your fellow classmates was a great way to keep yourself in the design world, and networking was paramount. They also said that there were people who had graduated who hadn’t done very well in terms of getting their work out, and that was mainly due to the fact that they simply weren’t bothered. It takes effort and care to get yourself known, and you have to enjoy what you do if you want to be successful.

Then I showed them my portfolio, which I was slightly nervous about. I decided that I would be perfectly honest with them instead of selling myself, and after they had looked through I told them how my confidence was quite low. Paul said that this was quite apparent in the work, and assured me that I had nothing to worry about, but that the work in my portfolio was quite good.  He also said that I had to make sure that I kept myself absorbed in other artists work to keep my work informed.

Contact Report: Alex McLeod

A few months back i wrote a post on a piece of Alex Mcleod's 3D work, called Terror Twilight, discussing how well it was done, from concept to finish! It never entered my mind that he might actually ever read the little essay, but he did, and very kindly offered to answer any questions i ever had. I gratefully took him up on this offer and asked him some questions that i was interested in finding out about, and McLeod didn't go back on his word! Here it is below!

Hey there,

I recently wrote a mini essay on one of your pieces, Terror Twilight. I never expected you to ever read it but i really hope I did you justice because it is such a good set!

Anyway, it would be really good to gain a little more information from you if that's ok? Also if it would be ok to put the information on the blog as well, that would be great!

1. You have so many models and sets now on your site, i have no idea how you find the time to make them all! Is there a system you go through before the production that saves time? I can imagine it getting quite confusing if there isn't much organisation involved before!

AM: The buildings are just cubes, they just have good materials applied to them. some models are from turbosquid or 3d warehouse, but i re-use everything a lot so it helps.

2. You have some very tranquil sets, and then some that are based on destruction, quite a contrast! Where do your themes come from and do you have a particular favourite?

AM: All the work is about the process and recycling of mater, like life cycles, so death - decay - new life

3. The system of creating a whole city or land seems really fun, but i can imagine the process becoming quite tedious at times. Are there any techniques you use to keep you motivated and interested in one model? For example, working on two at once and swapping between the two maybe?

AM: I do a lot of things like that, i usually have advertising illustration at the same time so i bounce back and forth to keep interested.

4. Can you ever see yourself moving away from this style in the foreseeable future, or would you see anything you produce now more of an evolution?

AM: I dont know what else i would do :D

5. How important would you consider the other elements of the work, like lighting and photography, in contrast with making the models?

AM: They are all equally important, if they didn't look convincing then they would fall flat.

6. And finally, any advice for anyone that wants to break into the world of art and illustration?

AM: Just work a lot and try to model things you like to find your own style. once you have a body of work you are really happy with you should send it to blogs that you like, or that feature similar work and cross your fingers that they share !! :D

Thanks for your time, much appreciated!

If anyone would like to check out any more of his work other than the piece i put up, you can find his site here.

Contact Report: Soraan

Soraan is a designer/publisher i recently started speaking to over the internet about getting out of the uni course world and into the design world. He has managed to set up his own magazing, which at the moment is out digitally only but is quickly moving towards physical publication. I thought it wound be a good idea to interview him and ask him for advice, rather like he does with other artists and designers in the magazine, 7 Sades of Black.

1. What is it that keeps you motivated?

That I know my thought process is different to other people, try to always make the designs more clever than other people.

2. Who and what are your main influences, both inside and outside of the creative world?

Have had a great selection of tutors in A level and foundation, made me think differently. Dont think i can have a main influence design wise in honesty, alex trochut if i had to pick.

3. What was it that got you interested in design and Illustration?

It was just more fun, simply put. I loved maths but it was too serious, graphics is like 70% fun 30% maths in my opinion.

4. Could you try and explain your working process?

Thinking of something that no one else would have. Trying to pull out external stuff from fashion or fine art and see if you can combine it with a brief.

5. How do you overcome creative blocks?

I just take it easy. Dont stress myself out, i just leave it. It will come to me eventually. Chill out, dj for a bit or play video games

6. And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring designers or illustrators?

Don't copy people. If you find a designer your like, for the love of god dont copy him or her. Your work will always look like a cheap rip off. Be different, dont follow a trend.Right now for instance everyone is obsessed with animals like deers and that kind of stuff, who gives a shit. Its been so over used. Dont follow the crowd.

Contact Report with Christian Barthold!

Hello,

My name is Kyle and i've always been really inspired by your work. I'm studying Illustration at University at the moment and i've used you in presentations about artists the motivate me already, so i was wondering if i could ask you a few short questions that would really help me gain a little more insight into this world after studies? I understand if you don't have the time because obviously you have a very busy schedule, but if you would like to help, please just email the answers to me at curly_hart_666@hotmail.com?

yes.. no problem..



1. Throughout your creative career you have moved across many different styles, from fashion-based work to life-like portraiture. I don't have a certain style yet so seem to be jumping between many different techniques, so I was wondering what your motive is behind changing styles regularly? And how do you settle on a certain style for a set period of time?

the reason why I'm doing this is mainly down to this:
1) that i just want do do new things, and some things work out good (in terms of commissions for some years, while in other years, it doesn't work at all.
for instance, I'ver been doing my collage thing from 1998 on.. at the moment (and also last year), i mostly get commmssioned for this.

2) i try to place myself in the market as an illustrator who is flexible..
so if someone is asking me to do something which i haven't done yet, i can partly modify and get the commission.
this is also something i always try to prove with my portfolio, and in most cases it's working out – people are astounded by the variety of styles.

in fact, I've been doing nearly everything apart from illustrating for games or doing character designs.
I found out: many styles: this is something i can impress people and keep fun.

The market is getting harder and harder, so i guess that this is working best for me, personally..


----

2. Do you prefer to create your own work with the idea of freedom, or to work for a client which brings you tighter restrictions?
I give in that i hardly do anything at all, when I'm not getting commissioned.
most f the time, music is in my head.. (I play guitar and compose for my 2 very different bands..)
I'm badly resticted by myself.. and have big problems to sit down drawing at all!!!

... it only works in holidays when i have time or when i make some christmas gifts for my family.

I am also not as successful as you might think i am ;-))
and for me that's something I really something that gets me moaning – I guess I'm a good one,
i think that I'm possibly the most flexible illustrator in Germany (i know hundeds of other ones.. so I can tell.)
But I also like to earn some money and want some commercial success.. this is the thing that's keeping me working mainly..
normally it works out.. and I'm working very very fast.

but for myself.. i nearly draw nothing.. big problem for me.
----



i try to resolve this problem by doing life drawings , really fast ones.. (20-30 minutes each piece..)
.. so i make a drawing-date with some female model and then I have to work, if i want or not.. and can't escape this.

this is something really rewarding and also helps you keeping your techniques fresh.
.. to see huge drawings on the floor after some hours of painting is just great.
and you get some direct response from your models.. who normally are very excited about the drawings, too.
.. these reaction is something which I hardly get when working for commissioners.
most people i only know from telephone. never seen them.

generally it's hard to keep the fun in your work, when getting commissioned, and if you do this for 15 years or more, it's getting hard .. really ..
so the best thing is to be working on private side-projects all the time..
in my case, these are life drawings.. (at this point: the black and white pieces..)


----

The Fashion style came along when i felt that this is something for me, some new style that I can participate doing (in 2005)..
and i wanted to get a cd-rom for a Free Images Company, that i had worked for in 2001, when I realised: oh.. the composing stuff will soon be out..
so i put 120 images together on 2 cd-roms within 3 months.. photography, composing.. and using some illus already done.

unfortunately, the second time doing this (the fashion stuff.) , my project was sacked, cause they sacked my art director there, just in time when i was finishing the project.
I was really angry and could't convince the creative director to finish what we started,
even if i knew that this style would be very successful over the following years, and it did so.
I couldn't convince her.. and they had no idea ...
the good thing about this was: 5 months of experimenting led to some 70 images that on one hand:
never appeared on cd-rom and i never go money for this either.. but: the style was shown in many books about illustration,
from these 70 pieces.. i guess ore than 30 appeared in books and mags..
Big image success.. but hardly any award financially.. ;-)

i guess that's how you came across me..
I'm still angry about that company, for the fashion style was at that point something that was to be very popular – I backed the right horse.
i know i lost thousands of Euros by this.... grrrrrr....

----

3. When working for a client how do you begin your creative process and does this affect your creative style in any way in terms of technique?

it depends.. some people have a finished idea that they want to be realized.. i prefer to devellopp ideas by myself,
and normally, i work out ideas and afterwards I see what technique would be suitable (in case the commissioner hasn't picked up a style at that point.

i have one ore two regularly commissioners who know exactly what they want
and can think beforehand how i would realize this. these are very professional..
other commissioners have no idea at all.

---

4. I really like your style when you mix photography and fashion together, especially with your abstract backgrounds and use of colour, for example in the fashion-music-sport section on your site. How do you go about choosing these elements?

just try out things.. and don't be threatened.
this fashion style was a style that i collected many different drawings together in photoshop and tried out..
at the starting point it was a collection of many different dwawings.

from real realistic people drawing to blind-drawings.. calligraphy, i tried out nearly everything at least i was drawn.
i did this because at that point i nearly draw nothing any more.
so this was also good for me to get back to drawing again, which i normally don't do at all.

maybe you think I'm devellopping something new every day.. but to be honest, I haven't found a new exciting style for years..
and i've had a hard time in the meantime and nearly lost my interest in drawing .. and I hardly manage to sit down and experiment - up to now..
cause I've been doing this for x years.. since 1996, when i got away from the ad agencies more and more.
but if you've been doing this for such a long time, you have seen everything possible and it doesn't excite you like it would have done when being a student.
you get the impression that you've seen everything before.

at the moment i keep doing the same things again and again (mostly collage) – this is working out all the time (commercially)..

other styles don't get commissioned at all, unfortunately.. like the painting/collage style on woodboards.. that I enjoy doing them very much..
I really tried to push this into the market – but I was not successful.
or the fashion stuff. nearly no commissions over the years, and I didn't experiment with this any more... shitty..

... so i returned to collage..


5.I usually work using analogue methods but sometimes want to touch up or add to my work digitally,
but i have trouble getting my final pieces looking finshed. Have you any tips that might help bring the two media together?

generally.. it must be a good combination, and you got to have taste.
decide whther you want t have a drawing piece in the end or a composing.

... i can't tell right now– show me some of your work.

there's at least two things i can tell you: If you devellop something,
1 ideally.. it should be looking like the work of no-one else – and always be looking to be yours so people notice this,
the best thing is: taht it looks like no-one else coult hav done it like you did.
i know that is very hard to manage...
2 it should always be fresh looking !!! because: this is how you can convince people – they always want to see something refeshing.
You should compare it to the work of other illustrators all over the world. so you get to know where you stand.
3 don't mix up too many styes - keep them minimalistic in style and consequent
4 people always should notice that you had fun doing your pieces.. (very imoportant) .. ;-)

5 and generally: and most of all:
my belief is: authenticity is the best – in any form of art.
( ...look at the work of Hope Gangloff (from NYC) – this is really really authentic.
you can always see: that's a Gangloff piece .. authentic people are the protagonists.. and the seem to be very picked from real life... next door people..
i guess that's why she is so successful.
....know what i mean?

cheers! chris
...so end me some of your work then.. ;-)

Contact Report: Christian Barthold

Hello,

My name is Kyle and i've always been really inspired by your work. I'm studying Illustration at University at the moment and i've used you in presentations about artists the motivate me already, so i was wondering if i could ask you a few short questions that would really help me gain a little more insight into this world after studies? I understand if you don't have the time because obviously you have a very busy schedule, but if you would like to help, please just email the answers to me at curky_hart_666@hotmail.com?

1. Throughout your creative career you have moved across many different styles, from fashion-based work to life-like portraiture. I don't have a certain style yet so seem to be jumping between many different techniques, so I was wondering what your motive is behind changing styles regularly? And how do you settle on a certain style for a set period of time?

2. Do you prefer to create your own work with the idea of freedom, or to work for a client which brings you tighter restrictions?

3. When working for a client how do you begin your creative process and does this affect your creative style in any way in terms of technique?

4. I really like your style when you mix photography and fashion together, especially with your abstract backgrounds and use of colour, for example in the fashion-music-sport section on your site. How do you go about choosing these elements?

5.I usually work using analogue methods but sometimes want to touch up or add to my work digitally, but i have trouble getting my final pieces looking finshed. Have you any tips that might help bring the two media together?

Thankyou for your time!

Kyle

Shaun Tan: CR

Just thought i'd stick this in while I'm on a roll here. It's just an email between me and Shaun Tan from my foundation year. It was from when i first saw his artwork, and my favourite piece of his intrigued me so much i thought i'd just go out there and ask. This was a decision i made off my own back, and i didn't think i was even going to get a response since he's been involved in films like Wall-e, so was pretty excited when he replied. This will give me the confidence to contact future illustrators.

Hi Kyle,

Thanks for the email. Unfortunately, I don't have much time these days to comment on student's work or offer advice about technique, colour or composition. Of Grandpa's Story, I can briefly say that the medium used here is a cheap, fine-tip ballpoint pen, over ink and thin gouache washes, on watercolour paper. The effect is a bit like etching, but far simpler, and not very technical. As far as other tips, the best I can do is just point to the images themselves - all answers are there :)

Good luck with your diploma!

Cheers,

Shaun Tan