Contents Picture Maker Explorer Inspired Story-teller Online Florence Draws In the Post (Almost) an adult Looking for work
I am a picture maker I have always loved to draw, and drawing has always been at the heart of my practice. I find the experimental stage in a project the most engaging, working with a variety of medias in different ways until something clicks and you can see it all coming together. I think sketchbooks are the most important process to my work as it allows me to explore the possibilities of a project without being too precious. I have learnt to always carry a sketchbook and a pen with me at all times, because you never know when that plant on the corner, or that particular person waiting at the bus stop, could be the key to your project. My work is primarily informed by the world around me. I find people fascinating; that everyone has different experiences, traditions and stories to tell, yet in some way we can all relate to each other. I find a lot of my inspiration from those connections. Those little things that make people human, or build up relationships upon. From conversations with those I already know, to talking to a stranger on a bus, it’s all of these encounters that make us who we are, and therefore shape my work.
Within Level 6, I have enjoyed working on numerous smaller projects, rather than one major project focusing on one topic. This enabled me to dip my toe into a lot of different areas of illustration, from entering competitions such as D&AD and YCN, to illustrating on shoes for a smaller local charity exhibition. To begin with, I found this final major project daunting. I had in my mind that everything from this course amounts to this single project and what you show at final exhibition, and I let this take hold of my work far too much. The “Please & Thankyou Project� provided me with a starting point for this project, and it kept me drawing although it was a bit of a hit and miss with what I was producing. Taking a break to enter competitions allowed me to step back from my work, and I realised I was putting far too much pressure on myself to produce a final, finished, polished outcome, when that is not when my work is at it’s strongest. I realised that it was OK to be working on numerous smaller projects that amount to one massive body of work, than a smaller finished book that would not reflect who I am as an illustrator. Learning not to overwork my illustrations has been the biggest learning curve throughout this year, and I still think
I sometimes need to have more confidence in my work and learn to put down the pencil. This last project has really showcased the variety of work I can produce, to both myself and, I hope, potential clients in my portfolio. For the last few weeks, working around the subject of death has made me realise I like approaching more
unconventional and unappealing topics within my work and turning them into something enjoyable and appealing to a wider audience. I have always had an interest in editorial illustration, and this has definitely made me consider it more as a potential career choice.
I am an explorer I am nosey. I am a people watcher. I like to notice things about places that others may not see at first glance. I like to go on trips. I like to go to new places. I like to find hidden gems. Drawing on location is one of my favourite things to do, as it makes you work in a completely different way to than you would at your desk, or working from reference. Everything around you isn’t going to stop so you can draw it, so you may only have a few seconds to catch a pattern on someones coat, or the eccentric old man walking by, on paper.
Recently, I have also been greatly inspired by the nature around me, particularly in terms of using pattern and colour within my work. A recent trip to Kew gardens showcased all the extraordinary plants in existence, and their astonishing colours, shapes and textures. I have always thought that illustration is quite an organic process and find myself constantly playing around with bold shapes and colours within my work, and find a lot of inspiration from those that appear in the natural world.
I am inspired Other illustrators, both those on my course and elswehere, provide a lot of inspiration for my work, on top of my interests in nature, film and music.
Below-left: In studio Silent Auction in February Below: A selection of my own collection of illustrated books, featuring, work by Laura Carlin, Jon Klassen, Oliver Jeffers, Sara Fanelli BlexBolex & Jennifer Uman.
Alice Patullo Boyoun Kim Dadu Shin
Margo Hoff Emily Sutton Jen Collins
Robert Frank Hunter Michael Parkin Chris Hagen
Charlotte Trounce Benoit Tardif Kris Atomic
Blexbolex Methane Studios Saul Bass
L-R:Moonrise Kingdom; Romeo & Juliet; Matilda; Pocahontas; Charlie & the Chocolate Factory; Amelie; Pulp Fiction; Mary Poppins; Spirited Away.
I am a story teller Everyone has stories, big and small. I like to work with narratives, whether they’re inspired from lyrics, films, books or the everyday. I really enjoy working along to music, and the stories that different songs and lyrics can depict. I have always watched a lot of films and find them very inspirational, particularly in terms of colour. The director Wes Anderson is favourite of mine, as you could almost take any frame of one of his films and turn it into an illustration down to the composition, colour palette, and way it has been shot. I also take a lot of interest within French cinema, as it has a completely different aesthetic to that of films produced in the UK or America. I think taking inspiration from different cultures, whether from film, illustration or design, has had a particularly positive impact on my work, as a subject can be approached completely differently in terms of colour, shape and content. I have a lot of books on my shelves at home. Particularly picture books. There is something very satisfying about a book having illustrations cover to cover, and I don’t think they should necessarily just be targeted, or thought as, only for children.
Some picture books are absolutely beautiful, (although sadly, a lot of them can also be hideous). I love the work of illustrators such as Oliver Jeffers, Jon Klassen and Laura Carlin, illustrators who are producing a new wave of picture books that adults are starting to take interest in. By doing my dissertation on this topic, it made me think of how illustration and it’s purpose is changing in this country. Companies such as NoBrow are offering illustrated books now primarily targeted at adults rather than children, and they are offering a whole new realm within which illustrators can produce work. They also provide evidence of the need for physical books, which I fully support. I appreciate how technology is opening up a lot of doors for illustrators, in terms of jobs, whether it be providing an illustration for an online article, or networking through social media. However, I believe there is nothing better than holding a beautiful book and being able to physically turn it’s pages. It is a whole different experience being able to hold something tangible, feeling the paper and smelling the ink, and I hope to continue producing my work in a physical format, as well as a digital counterpart.
Working on a variety of collaborative projects over the course of Level 6 has resulted in a number of successful zines, “Umbrella”, “Kelp” and “Muddled”. Working on these really pushed my practice into a new way of working, in both format and content. Working on a collaborative narrative, and in a short space of time, was challenging but produced fun outcomes for all of us, as well as showed my weaknesses and what I need to improve on.
I am online Website
Although my website has my own domain name, hosting it through tumblr means I still get traffic from a much larger audience. Using tags on my work means that work in my online portfolio will still come up in relevant searches, therefore my work as the ability to reach more people. By having my own domain name, florencedraws.co.uk, I maintain a professional image, yet it means it is easy to update my site and post work as I am not yet confident in coding a site myself.
After a lot of deliberation, I have recently joined Twitter, mainly just to maximise the potential audience my audience can reach. However, I have realised it offers a lot more to illustrators than just that, after responding to a callout for Amelia’s Magazine to illustrate an article on her site. This platform allows me to reach more professionals and potential employers, alongside my classmates, and therefore will hopefully lead to more opportunities for my work.
Blog
Keeping a blog lets me post work in progress, as well as work that isn’t quite up to portfolio standard. By doing this, it gives potential clients more of an insight into my working practice, and therefore even more potential to be hired. Blogs can also be updated far more regularly than my site, and my keeping it up to date it will show current projects I’m working on and keep my profile as a practicing illustrator more active.
My illustration page on Facebook was to again maximise my online presence on social media, therefore my work can reach the maximum potential audience.
I think Instagram is one of the most valuable tools an illustrator can have. Although, as I mentioned earlier, I prefer to keep documentation in my sketchbook when I am out and about, taking photos is also a valuable part in my work in terms of inspiration and development. Instagram has enabled people to share their work in progress and inspiration in a purely visual manner, therefore acting as a visual version of twitter acting as a stream of visually interesting images. I think this has been an invaluable tool within my progress within my time on this degree, as it has allowed a visual documentation outside of my sketchbook, as well as let more people access a different side to my work and inspirations.
Pinterest Pinterest has pros and cons. Much like Instagram, it offers a whole new side of visual inspiration and research, and to all be collected in one place alongside each other is particularly helpful at the beginning of a project as it acts as a mood board. In terms of other illustrators on there, it can be interesting having an insight into the inspiration behind their work. However, there has been some occasions where work and images have not been credited, therefore it is a bit of a gamble having my own work on there and not knowing whether it will lead back to me or not.
I am Florence Draws The personal practice unit of this final year really provoked me to think about who I was, and wanted to be, as an illustrator. When it came to Hayley’s workshop on writing about yourself online, having to summarise my work within one sentence proved to be the hardest. I work in a lot of different materials, covering a variety of topics, but it made me realise that my work actually has a fairly strong aesthetic that holds it together, which was even more noticeable once I had pieced my online portfolio together. I found this workshop to be a turning point in my practice as it made me consider my strengths as an illustrator, as well as consider how I want to come across to potential clients. My work is very colourful, playful and often humorous. My primary technique is drawing, so the name “Florence Draws” felt most appropriate, as it describes both my practice and it’s childlike appearance. My dream client would be Anorak magazine, as I am a massive fan of their publications, but also think my style would be suitable for their brand, as it tends to be simplistic, bold and colourful.
Anorak Magazine Issue 31 Marcus Oakley
I am in the post In terms of mailing out promotional media to potential clients, I hope to stand out to clients by creating something different. By creating a small single A4 page zine, it’s limits the cost to me when it comes to printing, but showcases more of my work that just a single business card. For bigger clients I would really love to work for, such as Anorak, I plan to create a small promo pack (mock up on the right) with a portfolio-zine, business card, badge and branded tea bag in a small branded “milk carton” package, as it will be more memorable and I’ll hopefully stand out against other illustrators for sending something physical in the post.
I am (almost) an adult It is terrifying, yet exciting to know that in a few short months I will be out in the real world! My plan after graduation is to move back to Farnham with my parents for a short while. Being just outside of London this will still mean I am close to a majority of Illustration hubs and freelance work, as well as exhibitions. I plan on hopefully picking up freelance jobs whilst working to save some money to go travelling around Europe later this year. I think this time is the best to do so as I have nothing to tie myself down anywhere, and think it will massively inform my practice as I want to continue illustrating whilst I am travelling. Alongside this, I am also going to be part of a new collective, “Flapjack”, with some fellow coursemates, Lewis Craig-Carpenter Maia Fjord, Allie Oldfield and Hope Sloan. After working together successfuly on our zines “Umbrella” and “Kelp”, as well as all working hard on fundraising events and the organisation of the exhibition, we all get on well, have a variety of skills and strengths and know we all work hard, so hopefully good things will follow!
This summer, I am also holding a stall at “Knee-Deep” Festival, potentially alongside some of Flapjack collective. As my Dad works in a college back home, I am very lucky to now have access to screenprinting equipment once I have moved home, so I am hoping to produce some tshirts, zines and prints to sell at the festival. Any outstanding stock could then result in me opening an online shop, but I want to have a decent amount of stock and products available as it is more likely to then be a success.
After playing a key role in organising, fundraising and branding the end of year exhibition, I think this experience will prove to be particularly useful and beneficial to my future. Although the past few months have been tough, I have learnt a lot in terms the work the that goes into putting on events, as even the silent auctions in the studio took a lot of preparation. Skills Learnt: - Time keeping - Budgeting - Stonger branding/ logo development skills - Keping on top of social media - Professional write-ups/ sponsorship emails - Leadership skills - Patience. Patience. Patience...
I am looking for work Employment Experience Sainsburys Customer Assistant/ Checkouts September 2008- April 2013 Archie’s Launchpad Supervisor of children’s play area and cafe Summer 2012 - present The Queen’s Head, Farnham Bar staff and table waiting Summer 2013 - present Education A Level English Language (Grade A) Media Studies (Grade A) Graphic Design (Grade B) Early Modern History (Grade C) General Studies (Grade C) Farnborough Sixth Form College September 2008 - July 2010 Foundation Diploma UCA Farnham September 2010 - July 2011
BA (Hons) Illustration AUB Bournemouth September 2011 - June 2014 Exhibitions Silent Auction, AUB - Nov 2013/ Feb 2014 GotSole?, May 2014 Brighton Open House, May 2014 End of year show, AUB, June 2014 High Noon Show, London, July 2014 Skills - Hand and digitally rendered illustration - Hand rendered typography - Confident photography, layout and basic graphic design knowledge - Confident skills on Adobe Photoshop and InDesign - Basic knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, Flash and iMovie - Leadership and organisational skills after voluntary involvement in organising and branding the end of year exhibition, High Noon Show.