Vanguart Exhibition Brief

'Tiny Human Killed as Mob Swarms for Selfies' 

This work is based on the reversal of roles in a recent event in which beach goers cared more for their selfies than an animals life. This work is a combination of watercolour, pen and digital.

'Huge crowds desperate for a snap with the small mammal gathered round on a beach resort after a man plucked it from the water. 

The La Plata dolphin, also known as the Franciscana dolphin, was paraded round the beach in Santa Teresita as people push through the crowd to stroke the animal. 

People continued to pass round the dolphin even after it had died at the beach in Argentina.'

source: www.express.co.uk/news/world/645244/Dolphin-dies-people-pose-for-selfie-Argentina-La-Plata-dolphin

Find this illustration on my website at: www.alicedear.co.uk/Political-Editorial

Social Media Feedback on Illustration:

Politics and Arts

http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/28681/1/how-to-draw-your-politics

Russell Smith Tips from Start-up Wednesdays

https://www.youtube.com/user/RussellSmithtips

I went to the Start up Wednesday's session with Russell Smith and he has used email to keep in contact with updates- one of these being his youtube - I haven't had a chance to have a look at it yet but it looks really helpful!

Tutorial with Jamie Mills

For my PPP module I asked Jamie for some advice for my website.

He said that he liked the thumbnails, but that the column along the left hand side (where I had put all my social media and even art foundation work etc as well as the different projects) was far too long. This was good to hear as I knew I needed to make it look more professional and he taught me how to attach links to words so for example, Facebook - would link to my A Wasp in a Wig Facebook page. He said it might be a good idea to put all of these social medias etc on my 'About me' page, and to get rid of the art foundation flickr (which I absolutely agree with!) because your portfolio shouldn't really be over 2 years old at this stage.

I think the web page looks much better as it is simpler and more succinct now with just projects, the 'About a Wasp in a Wig' page and a link to my Vimeo. Although the animations on it at the moment are not amazing, Jamie said to keep it as it adds something - showing a different element of my illustration.

He also spotted some of the images I had put up the other night, which I knew were not appropriate, that were photos and not scans… he reminded me how important the presentation is. I have used scans on all my other pages but on my 'Portraits' page I had been lazy. I will now organise some work to scan in and upload to my online portfolio (my website).

Overall this was a really helpful quick tutorial for PPP as it gave me some good tips of professionalising my website.

http://www.jamie-mills.co.uk
www.alicedear.co.uk

Abbie and Jasper Portraits

Abbie has asked me to do a portrait of her and her boyfriend. A5 size in the same style as Emma and Jen's Q&A Saturday illustration - water colour and pen.

Sarah Woolley Portrait

Sarah has asked me to draw her an illustration for her mums birthday of her and her sisters. A4 size in any media appropriate - colour can be added.

Reference Image.

Vanguart Collective Brief

First draft sketch.

http://news.sky.com/story/1643996/dolphin-dies-being-passed-around-for-selfies

I thought for one of the illustrations for the Vanguart Collective on the topic of world issues could look into the recent story of the dolphin that died because of lack of water and over heating due to the human public forcing selfies with it... basically murdering it for their own personal interests and vanity in the rarity of having an opportunity to take a 'selfie' with a baby dolphin. There was no thought or empathy to the animals well being.

It almost looks like jesus being held up as a sacrifice to the people. Or simba in the Lion King... people are not treating this like a real life living breathing animal that needs water to survive. Even if it didn't, acting in this way was not safe to the animal as it would obviously be frightened and panicked.

Perhaps even depicting the preying public as sharks or a predator would enforce the feelings and themes of the event.

Group Tutorial with Ben

Notes

New York Times - Illustrations - A Brief History of the Art - Watch!
Don't need to make a Flash website because it cant be seen on Ipads which people use when commuting.
Worth sending your work to the Guardian because they may file it on the system.
Sherry - Art director at the folio society.
Vanguart/Soho/UHMB/ About AWIAW/ Penguin/Puffin - Clockwork orange etc.
Read a lot of essays about semiotics and theory etc.
- Rick Poyner
- Steven Helen
- David Crow
David Gentlemen Out of Africa Cover.
Rotland Press work Ben did for free because he got things out of it- it was worth it.
David Hughs
JD Passada - Mexican Revolution Illustrator.
Roland Topor
D&AD
Heart Agency

YOU NEED TO MAKE A CLIENT LIST
AOI Contact list.
Advertising/Publishing/Editorial
Cater emails to these people.
Don't use words such as 'portfolio' 'new work'
Get knowledgable on print.
-300 dpi
- 3mil bleeds
- cmyk
- PDF
Portfolio - Include Different Formats.
Matt Dorfman is an image maker rather than an illustrator.

List of 50 people

GET CONTACTS
Send work out - atleast x4 a year.
lino prints?
postcards
envelope art
lazer cutters/vinyl cutters
screen print
small folding
Make little books

Email
Spell name right.
Little blurb - something personal
e.g. 'I heard its snowing in NY' (illustration of them in snow) www.alicedear.co.uk

Art directors like illustrators! Take portfolios to see them. Send email saying I am a student from Leeds and would love to show you my portfolio if you have a spare 15 minutes.

Agencies with 40ppl max are good.
Handsome frank?

YOUR PRINTED PORTFOLIO NEEDS 20 PIECES!
Get printing.

Websites are online portfolios
- Bill Bragg illustration
You can have paintings/personal work/briefs
Ben Jones website
Martin Haake
Matt the Horse
Hand writing on website looks nice and creative

BIG KAHUNA
Boards
Yoga
Book on travel
Indian Poems
Laura Carlin
The Iron Man - Interactive Book/ The onion Escapes
Childrens book - interaction walker books

Contract you can put one use only. - re print may be 50% payment.
Draw and Travel - website

Jonny Hannah - prints.

Patrick Group Tutorial

I found this really helpful to hear about everyone elses problems and how they could be resolved as well as some of my own... the key to mine is figuring out how I want my creative presence on packs and online etc. I think this will be resolved if I keep on working on ideas in my sketchbooks etc and dedicate some definitive time towards this issue. I have not been putting it at the front of my priorities.

Notes

• Creative Presence Brief - READ ON ESTUDIO.
• Business Card.
• Letter Head. 
• Creative CV.
• Print Based Promotional Pack. 
• Evidence of work on PPP blog. Remove waffle and keep it purely professional. Be critical!
• For all work consider at the forefront of your mind: INDUSTRY, MARKET, END USER.
• Contact people and record all interactions.
• I need to make a list of contacts. This is essential to invite people to the end of year show.
• Continual Communication! PESTER POWER. Who is going to help you get to where you need to be? Think mail art, hand written letter and envelope. 
• All businesses need new blood!
• Think agents and publishers. Illustrators are good but soon they will be your competition. 
• Contact Anthropologie (their artists and their creative directors etc) 
• Recap on Big Heads (online). 

Website Thumbnail Troubles!

http://alicedear.co.uk/

Finally I decided, following a group tutorial with Ben, to just keep my thumbnails simple. This has a more professional, simple and effective feel to the page rather than over complicating the images.

Wasps!

I am considering and experimenting with logos at the moment and one thing led to another and I made a glittery wasp...

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/139117784705/110216

I then experimented with this image burst app called boomerang and made my image have a bit of movement. I did this to show off the glitter catching the light but also to add a lifelike element to the wasp illustration - static quick movement like a wasp...

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/139132939405/110216-glitter-wasps

I also played around adjusting colours, hues and saturation on Photoshop, I thought it would look effective as a GIF changing colours quickly. This was fun but I would definitely need a SIMPLER logo... something which is not in my nature to draw!

Creating a Professional Look for my Thumbnails

I have been trying for the last couple of days to find a way of presenting my thumbnails in a way that they can all work as a succinct set and link together my various projects while still showing the differences between them. I really want negative space to play a big part in my website because I always over complicate things in my work so it is crucial my website makes this work look professional and not over cluttered. Negative space, a large amount of white, is a good way of doing this as it challenges me to work in a simpler format.

I tried a few different ways of doing this. I was considering black and white as this would tie them all together, however I just thought that really didn't fit to the themes in my work which are all about colour and colour is just such a driving force in why I like art.

I thought then that maybe a wasp image in white on top of the images may work, I still haven't explored this but I decided to go with a plain frame because the thumbnails themselves are quite complicated so I thought another image (a wasp) on top may again over complicate the presentation. I decided to adapt the original images on Photoshop by copying and shrinking the original image within a frame of the image border, with a white gap inbetween. For now I am happy with this format and I think it works well at creating a consistent look within the thumbnails on the home page.

Of course this is ongoing progress at creating a professional website and no doubt will change soon.

Professional Email

After realising most of my accounts are linked to my university email address and also for professional purposes, I decided it was crucial to make a new professional email address.

My new email address is: alicedearillustration@gmail.com

Website

I bought my domain name www.alicedear.co.uk which I chose over awaspinawig.co.uk because I wanted something versatile that I can use long term, even if I choose to re-brand my self and my illustrations. 

I uploaded my collaboration work with fashion communication student Robyn Shaw as my first post because I think these illustrations look more professional than some of my others.

After I uploaded them I realised you have to click on the image in order to see the post/page and the rest of the images. So I edited my thumbnail image on Photoshop so that it had a 'Click Here' on it. This way the audience has the directions necessary not to miss out on the post. 

Now I've done the text but all the colours and sizes are all different and I don't like it looking that mix matched so I will be making an overall design with a set shape and size as a template and play around with how I can put the individuality of each project into that. looking at other peoples websites will definitely help.

I think maybe having the thumbnails in black and white will allow me to keep the image but keep the front page succinct. However I am cautious about this because all my work is often about colour. So it would sort of look like this: 

Artist Research: Neil Bottle

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/i/interview-neil-bottle-textile-designer-printer/

I decided to research into an interview with a printed textile designer for inspiration for my Q&A Saturday blog posts and brief. I found this on the V&A website and it was such a good find because their are loads of other interviews there which I have never realised before. I will be reading these because at the moment I feel very stuck for what to do after uni!

Exhibition: The Vanguart Collective

http://thevanguartcollective.tumblr.com/post/138693393084


This is the project that Janin proposed as part of her Context of Practice module. I think it sounds great and I have told her that I will get involved with whatever she needs me to do. I will also be submitting work for it but that may not be used. This will be really good experience and fun to do! I work in events and parties as my part time job so I will be happy to do anything she needs. So far I have just invited my friends to like the Facebook Page, and hopefully I will get a few likes from them because I have quite a lot of friends from art foundation that are still in the creative industries that may be interested. 

Massive Fail

I tried to make some birthday cards. They were rubbish and I hate them. I hate them for many reasons. I don't like the colours, they look too DIY and not professional at all (this could be adjusted by making them visually more professional on Photoshop but I don't like the designs enough to bother with this). I hate the designs themselves, they don't look very celebratory and quite boring too. I always find it weird that is possible to design and make something you don't like.

Artist Research: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty Exhibition

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/138615376480/alexander-mcqueen-savage-beauty-exhibition

London: Saatchi Paintings and Other Finds.

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/138615401020/weird-finds-in-london

Saatchi Gallery Death Exhibition

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/138615474045/death-exhibition-at-the-saatchi-gallery-in-london

Work Experience and Internships Research

prospects.
Graduate talent pool.
Dutch uncle.

Water Colour and Gouache!

Inspirational Artists!

I was on Instagram and found Vicky_od




I really like her simple colour schemes and clean cut water colour technique.

I also found oanabefort on Instagram:

She also uses a limited colour palette for her work which makes the design of it much more professional and seems to allow it to work as an image a lot more succintly and appeasing to the eye. The eye is not confronted by any clashing colours etc, it makes the artwork look more pleasant to have hung up in a home etc. It does not challenge the audience.

Start Up Wednesday's 03/02/16

A book I already own but must read!

This will be really helpful after uni during summer!