Wednesday, 28 March 2012

Watch This Space

I'm currently studying for my Final Major Project for my FD 2nd year, and I've got some ideas based on the project I did last year which resulted in Give Peas A Chance. I had some ideas which didn't get used, but have a lot of design potential and will hopefully show a style of humour I want to develop.

I've got some projects in mind to complete over the summer as well, including a step into cartoon animation. Anyone who knows me knows about my sense of humour and my love of cartoons, so thinking about a future illustration career, I want to do something connected to cartoons.

As the title says, watch this space!

Getting my name out there

At Plymouth College of Art at the moment, there is an exhibition of work from artists from the Association of Illustrators, and throughout the exhibition, our course has been running "The Illustration Bureau", a stall that gives Illustration students the chance to promote their work in the local community.

At first, I didn't have anything for the Bureau, but looking at the success that other people were having with their work, I decided to put forward a pack of badges with a series of different bears that I've been working on in my chosen cartoon style. I've been selling a pack of four; panda, polar, grizzly and black; for £1.50. I made one pack to begin with, and it sold within thirty seconds, so I've made more before the Bureau shuts after the Easter holidays.

Badge pack highlighted in picture. I decided to go with a bold green background and a typeface with a hand-drawn cartoon style to it to go with the style of the bears.

Looking at the exhibit, I'm glad I submitted work for it. I didn't have any luck with competitions or work placements or commissions, but this was a great way to get my work promoted, as well as a chance to talk to other creative practitioners at the Illustration Stuff Fair. It's a start, but making badge packs is something I'd consider in future to get my name noticed as an up-and-coming illustrator.


Photos courtesy of Joanna Birkett