Sophia Watts
Personal & Professional Practice CREATIVE REPORT – OUIL502
Initially, when thinking about who to contact for the creative report I was undecided between talking to an agency or practitioner, as I had specific queries around both areas of expertise. Because of this I contacted two people. I had met Rian Hughes previously at the awards night for The Book Illustration Competition and found him very articulate and interesting to talk to. As someone who has worked in the industry for 33 years, across disciplines, I wanted to know more about his secret to longevity. He had a lot to say about the process of learning, adaptability and innovation, which is an important aspect of a designer's practice. At the very start of considering of who to approach for an interview, indicated in my industry research presentation, was Handsome Frank illustration agency. I admire a lot of the illustrators housed by this agency, including Paul Blow and Tom Haugomat. The selection process of how an agency works is also something I was intrigued by and I wanted to know more about what their idea of good illustration is. My line of questioning centred around this, I also wanted to know more about the importance of adaptability, including examples of my work with the intention of gaining feedback on techniques I should hone in on within my practice. Jon's response to this was that I should choose one or the other, becoming a master of one method and making it less confusing for potential clients. Recently, I have become much more accustomed to using digital methods, stemming from the shape and detail I liked to include in my paper cut work. I also got given some examples of both techniques to look at, including Quentin Monge (digital) and Helen Musselwhite (paper). When asked about what makes a piece of design/illustration successful, both contacts gave me similar answers. Rian condensed it down to three main factors; originality, fitness for purpose and skill in execution. Jon, however, explained that really great pieces of illustration are those fit for commercial use, conveying a feeling or message, but also makes someone want to buy it and put it on their wall. I liked the idea of this a lot, as I try to make my work aesthetically pleasing, whilst having a deeper tone or meaning behind it. In regards to a portfolio, Jon also advised me about what employers like to see in a body of work. These things include people/portraits, food/drink, objects, technology, buildings, cars, animals and maps. My aim over summer is to try and incorporate these things into mini-briefs I set myself, maybe based around editorial projects. The general advice around trends in the industry was not to follow them too closely, they come and go, so you can become pigeon-holed quite easily. This is something I am trying to consider a lot more within my work, I want to create and establish a visual style that works timelessly. Getting such comprehensive answers made me realise that there are people who are willing to advise and help you as an illustrator. Over summer, I intend to work out who I want to contact and why, with the intention of creating a network, responding to the goals I have in regards to where I want to take my practice.