18/01/2014
Blog Entry 5:
This blog entry will outline my experience as an illustrator
or within areas of illustration and my findings about each area: This will
include imagery done by myself, with all publications referenced where
necessary (see blog entry 3 for details on the use of my illustrations).
All illustrations can be found on my professional illustration Facebook Page:
Work experience so far (oldest to newest):
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| Photograph:Full Article including illustrations (by myself) on tinitus (Kelly, 2011) |
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| Photograph: Close up of an area of my illustration (Kelly, 2011) |
As is aparent from the date and my very different work style, I gained work experience whilst studying my third year, foundation in art and design course at college with FD2D Magazene, creating editorial illustration for an article about tinitus (an ailment where a high pitched sound is heard, created by the brain, which can often be uncomfortable and upsetting for the induvidual). I was asked by the editors to create imagery suggesting loud noises and how they can cause tinitus and the idea of "looking after your ears".
I came across this oppertunity by attending a networking meeting where the two editors of FD2D gave a talk about their magazine and what the aimed to acheive, this to me was the first real experience of how networking can effectively find work for an illustrator.
From illustrating for this magazine I gained experience in understanding how to work closely with a client through email to create and change imagery to a satisfactory standard. In the publication itself, my work has been changed somewhat by a graphic designer: Colour has been added (note the red areas). I put the changes down to my lack of experience and less refined style of the time; however if this was to happen now that I have established my style more effectively without me knowing, I would be far more unhappy.
Overall this was a very good experience for me, and seeing my work published gave me the confidence I need to go out and find more illustration work.
Meow Bitch Fashion illustration (2013):
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| Final fashion illustration by myself with fabric prints by Meow Bitch Clothing |
I gained the oppertunity to work with fashion student Catherine Price through networking with friends in the fashion department at University. I was asked to create a set of fashiuon illustrations in my painted style with particular animal heads which matched the animal prints on Catherine's garments wearing plain long T - shirts on which the prints could be imposed through Photoshop. My original designs were of the characters in seated positions, which did not suit the stance that Catherine had intended, so I took off the heads using Photoshop and applied them to standing bodies with arms by their sides. This experience taught me to work quickly and make changes using the aid of digital software. Catherine and I made an agreement to circulate the illustration through the use of social media site Facebook, and that I could use my Heavy Duty Illustration logo on the design.
This image can be found with all Catherine Price's fashion work Meow Bitch clothing using the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/meowbiitch
(Price, 2013 - 2014)
Fashion clothing print illustration (2013):
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| Harley Quinn illustration created for fabric print Leren Connor fashion |
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| Joker illustration createdfoir fabric print Leren Connor fashion |
Whilst working with Catherine Price, I met other fashion students and managed to gain the oppertunity to create two illustrations for promotional T-shirt prints for Leren Connor, another fashion student at the University of Derby. I was asked again to use my paint illustration style to create my own renditions of the DC Comic characters Harley Quinn and The Joker (Batman). For this project I had to ensure I was not enfringing any copyright of illustration/ art work that had been done in the past, so for reference I used my own photographs of people I know who agreed to be used. This was a learing experience for me although I was left far more to my own devices, which is preferable to the way that I work but not strictly necessary, I found that creating my own characters based on ones already created was very challenging to ensure they were recognisable but still my own design.
These designs are to be used to promote Leren's fashion work and have not yet been printed.
For more on Leren Connor Fashion please follow the below link:
https://www.facebook.com/LerenFashion
(Connor, 2013 - 2014)
Exhibition work for the University of Derby IDAHOT Gay Pride day (2013):
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| Breathe Fear Acrylic painting on card as part of IDAHOT exhibitation |
Although I am an illustrator, I feel that my practice as a painter bridges the gap between fine art and illustration, and I intend to not only create work for the purpose of illustration, but also for the purpose of exhibitation, so I chose to create artwork for this event at Derby University Keddleston Road campus. There were no particular specifications for the exhibitation work other than it had to depict something about prejudices against the Gay community to raise awareness. I chose to create a series of paintings of characters in gas masks: each gas mask protrays a potential reason for peoples prejudice against the gay community. The above image entitled Breathe Fear depicts how fear from lack of understanding can lead to prejudice, unfortunately the image here is unclear but the word "Fear" is carved into the gas mask, the adult hand in the image is a device used to suggest how adults who already are prejudice can use a child's fear to manipulate their thoughts and feelings on the subject.
I feel that his experience taught me to create more fine art based pieces to a deadline and to understand how to put my work in an exhibit situ effectively considering space and layout.
Illustrating for a short story by a first year creative writing student (2013):
During my study, illustrators were sent an email by tutor Richard Levelsy regarding working with creative writing students. Those who were interested attended a meeting where we were informed that a group of students in first year creative writing had created renditions of the Grimm's fairy tales, for the purpose of educating children in using punctuation correctly: As I had never considered childrens illustration before I felt this was a good oppertunity to find out if my style was suited to such work. Each illustrator spoke to and was assigned a writer which seemed to suit their style of work best. The writer I was assigned, Debbie Kruger had written a rendition of Tom Thumb which had been renamed Comparative. I was asked to read the text and to ilustrate a front cover and 3 main areas of interest, equally spaced out within the story. The stories were created for reading on as kindle or ipad, meaning that everything had to fit the Indesign format outlined by the creative writing tutors. Above images have been created using acrylic paint, biro and watercolour.
Whilst undertaking this project, I found that to work as a children's illustrator I had to be more delicate with the subject matter I would illustrate and that although I am open to working with childrens litrature, I much prefer illustrating writing intended for adult reading as I find it more interesting to my own taste and I am able to have more artisitc liscence without considering censorship too heavily.I found that for this project I had to use rather simple subject matter, which I often avoid, so this was good practice for me. Illustrators are currently awaiting to hear back from the creative writing tutors about wether our work is going to be part of an ebook which is intended to be used by schools and parents.
Pretty Litter Magazine Christmas card and wrap design competition (summer 2013):
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| Christmas card 1 |
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| Warpping paper 1 a |
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| Wrapping paper 1 b |
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| Christmas card 2 |
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| Wrapping paper 2 |
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| Christmas card 3 |
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| Wrapping paper 3 |
Through my Heavy Duty Illustration page on Facebook I was contacted by the manager of creative competitions for Pretty Litter Magazine, who informed me of a creative competition which was currently being run. The Manager told me that with my style of work I may have a good chance of winning if I was to enter. I read the brief which outlined that to enter the competition I must design three sets of wrapping paper and 3 Christmas cards fior the Christmas edition of the magazine. I felt this would be a good oppertunity to work to another deadline and design something I had never considered as a path I might persue in illustration before. Whilst I am studying, I feel it is important to look at every aspect of illustration that interests me or that I have not fully considered in order to soul search and fully understand what area(s) of illustration I may intend to work within when I leave university.
Illustrations for The Writer's Quibble online University Magazine (2013):
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| Competition entry 1 |
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| Competition entry2 |
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| Front cover or The Writers Quibble Magazine October 2013 |
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| Original illustration for Swansong for a raven |
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| In magazine format Swansong for a raven |
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| Original illustration for Halls of Glory |
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| In magazine format Halls of Glory |
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| Original illustration for The Forerunner |
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| In magazine format The Forerunner |
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| Original illustration for Angel's Beginning |
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| In magazine format Angel's Beginning |
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| Original illustration for Vertigo |
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| In magazine format Vertigo |
During the second semester of my second year, some friends from the illustration course alerted me to the student run magazine, The Writer's Quibble and their use of illustration student's work. I contacted one of the editors who informed me that for September's edition of the magazine, all illustrators interested were creating two images based on past pieces of creative writing for an informal competition (images marked competition entry 1 & 2). Unfortunately I did not win the competition, however I was runner up so I was asked to illustrate the October 2013 edition of the magazine instead of September.
For the October edition I was asked to create a front cover based on the subject "Origins". To me the title seemed too open to interpretation, and as I was to design the cover before seening any of the written pieces that would acompany it in the magazine: I decided to make the cover design rather obvious due to the lack of direction, by portraying what I though others may think of directly when considering "Origins". My cover was an image suggesting science vs religion through a missing link type character holding a bible (image marked front cover), the editors were happy with this illustration.
After creating the cover I was asked to create one illustration per short story that would go in the magazine. The first piece of writing I was given, Swansong for a Raven, I found to be a very graphic story about subjects such as murder and rape, that I felt very uncomfortable in illustrating; i spoke to my tutors about how to proceed and they advised me to illustrate a rather innocent area of the story, the raven character. The more stories I received the more I began to realise that most of them had very little to do with "origins" and when my illustrations were published online (as shown above), they had been badly distorted or haad filters over them which I did not agree to. I still count this as a valuable experience, due to me learning about the dangers of working as an illustrator, which I wish to share with others so they do not make similar mistakes. Hindsight states that I should have made an agreement with the editors to check all work and documents containing my work before they were published, but being as this magazine is not widely popular or known about I feel that it has not been a huge blow to my reputation as an illustator.
Overall, I feel that working casually as an illustrator whilst studying has allowed me to gain more experience of the potential areas in which I may choose to persue as freelance work when I leave university, I also feel that through these experiences I have questioned myself as an illustrator and how I am capable of working when colaberating with others.
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