Indigo tie-dyeing inspiration

I went on an inspirational tie-dyeing workshop last week, run by Beetlefelt textile artist Carol Mowl ( http://www.beetlefelt.co.uk/) in her wonderful studio. After tying-up, pleating, pegging and stitching pieces of fabric in a variety of ways, we dipped them in the dye-bucket for 5 minutes. The colour was green when we took the samples out, but as the dye oxidised, the colour turned indigo. The real fun bit was untying the fabric to see where the dye had taken. Won't some of these patterns look just great in children's book illustrations....

Full of good heart and bad behaviour

Did you hear this fascinating radio programme last Monday, What the Scandinavians know about Children’s Literature, presented by Mariella Frostrup (Radio 4)? She discussed Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren), the Moomin stories (Tove Jansson), The Wild Baby (Babro Lindgren and Eva Eriksson), and also work by Elsa Beskow and Gro Dahle. The Scandinavian approach, with it’s strongly expressive authors and illustrators, has the voice of the child at it’s centre. The books are for the pleasure of the child. 

Anarchic and free Pippi Longstocking came out in 1945, with a promise of a better future. The 9 year old character lives all alone, with no mum or dad, which is quite nice because there is no one to tell her when to go to bed... Lauren Child illustrated a recent version, and she explains how Pippi is a sassy adventuress with independence and endless money, which is a wonderful fantasy for a child (and adult, too).

The Wild Baby has a very tired and worn out mother, but the baby is never punished for his pranks and the mother always comes to hug him and play with him afterwards. 

The author Frank Cottrell-Boyce talked about how unusual The Moomins are, because the parents haven’t been killed off, and the whole family goes off on adventures. While there are no baddies, there is a huge emphasis on quiet, maybe born out of the long winters, dark nights and strong story-telling tradition. 

Scandinavian children’s stories tend to be full of good heart and bad behaviour, dealt with in a non-sermonising way. There are no cute animals wearing clothes. Difficult subjects, like abuse, are explored too, in books and animations such as The Angry Man (Gro Dahle and Sven Nyhus).

Blk Art Group exhibition

On a recent visit to Sheffield, I called into The Graves Gallery to find a fascinating exhibition up from the Blk Group, featuring the work of Donald Rodney, Keith Piper, Claudette Johnson and Marlene Smith. 

This radical group of young black artists came together in the 1980s to make ‘defiant and thought-provoking’ work . Donald Rodney (1961-98) suffered from sickle cell anemia, and used x-rays to make up his images and examine the social/political ills of British society. Below is his image from The Britannia Hospital Series (1988). Keith Piper’s powerful Black Assassin Saints (1984) challenged Britain’s business links with South Africa at the time of apartheid. Claudette Johnson painted strong dignified women in images such as And I have My Own Business (1982). 

The image that stays with me, though, is Do. Please. A Happy Ending 1987, by Marlene Smith. It is based on a family wedding photo and made up of papers, ink, gouache and pencil in black and white, where the women are especially highlighted with more white. It has a very fragile and yet fairytale quality to it that is very haunting.

Well worth a visit.

http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/museums/graves-gallery/exhibitions/current/the-blk-art-group

http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=50013

Chorlton refurb

Images I did last month for Chorlton Refurbishment Group leaflets and website.

Big Orange Studio collective

Talk from Andy Pavitt 22/04/-9

Andrew Pavitt came to talk to us about the Big Orange Studio collective in Shoreditch, London. Big Orange can offer an internship for a Stockport College student this summer for one week, which would be a good opportunity to make contacts and get a feel for what a collective is like. Last year, Dan & Martin from Stockport were involved with an AOI poster which got mailed out with the magazine - & they were able to take 500 copies of the poster away with them.

The studio collective was started 15-16 years ago by RCA students including Andy Lovell and Darrell Rees. Peepshow, Container and Le Gun are all collectives, too. Big Orange currently has 8 illustrators and shares studio space with AOI, which has anywhere between 4-12 people, depending on any internships (AOI also take on illustration graduates – recently from RCA, Kingston, London).

Andy talked about the many advantages of a collective – pooling resources, sharing rent (£200/month each), phones, photocopier, computer network. Maybe the biggest advantage is the support network to keep you going at illustration. If you work on your own you need to be very well organised, good at promotion and not prone to loneliness. He feels they have a good mix of skills and personalities at the studio. They even share contacts, although this can be a problem at times if someone has spent a lot of time building up a contact. The Editorial contacts are maybe less precious, though. They do occasionally work together, although they have not done so recently. Paul Davis is the illustration editor for The Drawbridge paper, a good promo magazine & platform for illustration (comes out once/2 months).

The studio is open 24 hours/day, and this is really important in order to meet deadlines, especially for editorials with daily papers and work in America, where there are different time zones. Toby Morison sometimes comes in at 5am to meet a deadline, and then takes a kip in the studio!

The disadvantage to a collective? You need to fit with others and their music tastes. The dynamics change with the mix of people, and personality clashes could be a problem, although it has not really been an issue at Big Orange.

I had thought I would prefer to work as an illustrator from the comfort of home, but I can now see the numerous advantages in working as part of a collective and pooling resources and support. It would be a lot more expensive, though, and the pressure to find work would be more intense in order to pay the studio rent.

Agents Who Needs Them

Does an illustrator need this middleman in the creative process? What do agents do for their percentage? Can they enhance or hinder your career or creativity? What methods have new illustrators used to promote themselves in the past and what methods do I intend to use?  

An agent isn’t for everyone, and agents can be quite choosey who they take on. Also, they rarely represent new graduates. The main problem is finding the right agent for you and the right mutual agreement. The AOI’s The Illustrator’s Guide to Law and Business Practice (Simon Stern 2008), the AOI's Survive (2001) and Darrel Rees’s How To Be An Illustrator (2008) have loads of advice on this. A lot will depend on how much self-promotion you want to keep on doing and whether you are keen to have direct contact with your clients. Also, illustrators can be keen to get an agent because they think doing so can give them security and employment, when this is not necessarily the case. Darrel Rees points out that having an agent can actually end up feeling like a prison sentence! 

The Society of Artists' Agents (SAA) was formed in 1992, and this works with the AOI with the broad aim of improving the working practices between illustrators, agents and clients. The AOI lists agents who are members of the SAA on their website. The AOI also has a chatroom where many illustrators post up their experiences of agencies.

What do agents do for their percentage of 20-30%? The agent can offer experience and professional advice, use the reputation of the whole agency to promote you, give you access to a particular pool of clients and negotiate the larger more complex jobs on your behalf (Rees 2008). They also take portfolios to clients, keep portfolios updated and fresh, do invoicing and paperwork and act as a buffer between the illustrator and the client (Stern 2008) Joy Monkhouse, the design manager from Scholastic Educational Publishing, said (at AOI Children’s Book seminar 2007) that they always go through agencies to get illustrators, rather than respond to individual illustrators.  

You have to find the right agent who deals with your kind of work. Darrel Rees points out that by using an agent, you may lose the chance to start learning from your own experience and to establish your own client base. Some agents are happy to let the illustrator deal with editorial work, while they concentrate on the higher-paid work (advertising and design group). The AD for Gardeners World told me he tended to deal directly with illustrators rather than agencies (although he did use Inkshed agency), perhaps for this reason. Ian Pollock told me (telephone interview 2007) that his agent (Inkshed) was there for the big job. Jill Calder had a UK agent (Eastwing) for a short while, but then decided she would rather do her own promotion in the UK, but she let another agent, Friends and Johnson, promote her in America and negotiate any big jobs in Europe, such as advertising campaigns. Jill reckons agents can earn you more money for a job, if you have the right one. This is because they are a step removed from your artwork, so they can be very good a telling you where and when you need to market your work, but not all agents are this good (email interview 2009). Andy Martin finds that his agent (Heart) gets him plenty of work and is good at negotiating high fees on his behalf, and this make his hefty monthly promotion payment to the agency worthwhile. Andy has an agent because he got fed up going out and getting work. Andrew Pavitt has had a couple of agents, but they did not work out for him. Illustration Web gets Chris Corr about one third of his work. In other agreements, the agent finds all the work, but this can be a problem if this isn’t enough or the right type. Therefore, it is very important that both the illustrator and the agent are clear on what they expect from each other from the outset.  

Stern (2008) suggests that this agreement should include the following: 

*Area and market.  

*Ratio of agency staff : illustrators (much more than 1:8 could mean not enough work is coming in)  

*Amount of work. *Commission (currently 25-30% basic commissions, 20% editorials, 40% for work outside UK). 

*Promotional expenses (who pays for what).  

*Terms and conditions (copyright & artwork ownership) 

*Invoicing procedures  

*Accounting (how & when illustrator paid & right to inspect accounts) 

*Agency liability (insurance against loss of artwork) 

*Parting company (when does payment of commission cease?). 

Darrel Rees also suggests that you should find out how the agency gets commissions, what clients they have and how they deal with client contracts and disputes. Also, it may help to find out what driving force led to the agency becoming set up.  

Otto Dettmer told us, in his talk at Stockport, that he had tried but failed to get an agent, because agents weren’t interested in getting editorial work and needed a clear style, rather than a conceptual one.  

How do graduates promote themselves? Otto Dettmer used to go to London once/week with 7 appointments for the day, seeing ADs and agents. His editorials in the daily papers now act as good promotion, which he supplements with mail-outs of screen-printed promo work to ADs. Gillian Blease followed AOI advice and did mock-ups for papers which she mailed out and it has taken her 10-15 years to get to this point, and she still does regular mail-outs. Chris Corr won a drawing prize which started him on his travels and ultimately into the travel market. Jill Calder took her portfolio to lots of ADs, listened to their advice, lightened up her style and did lots of networking. She had a style that was flexible without being Jack-of-all-trades. Jill reckons it took her a year to get known in Scotland and a few more years to get known in the UK, when she got work with The Guardian & The Telegraph & also got taken on by an agent. She believes you really have to really be in love with illustration, so no other job will tempt you away, and be prepared to do some jobs as freebies and to do some really crappy jobs too. She suggests you should take advantage of free folio websites and networking events and make as many contacts as possible...be patient, be proactive, organise exhibitions, stalls at festivals, invite loads of designers, and spend money to make money. Jill uses her blog, The ispot, Flickr, 741 Illustration Collective and her website for marketing, and she has links with other websites and blogs, too. She emails out too, and sometimes sends postcards, but she believes nothing beats a visit with a folio and word of mouth networking.  

What methods will I use? Firstly, I have to sort out that fantastic portfolio (could be a problem) and get my website working. Then I need to continue contacting ADs by phone, mail and email. I will target editorial work and publishing, enter competitions, approach environmental charities to do freebies and try and follow Jill’s advice wherever I can on networking. I may need to try and get a children’s book agent (such as Frances Mckay) in order to do b&w linework for children’s educational materials. I had hoped this would be my foot-on-the-ladder work, unless I can get access to this pool of clients directly without an agent.

Agent: Friend & Johnson

American agents who represent 8 illustrators ( including Jill Calder, Ann Field & Paul Wearing) & 12 photographers. Offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco & Texas. Jill Calder involved with advertising for entire New Yorker magazine in April 07.
"JILL CALDER'S WHIMSICAL ILLUSTRATION TAKES OVER THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINEThe April 16, 2007 issue of the New Yorker magazine featured Jill's work in a narrative series of ads. Annually, The New Yorker allows a client to take over all the advertising in the magazine. This year, it was Mass Mutual Financial Group. And although The New Yorker selected about 40 illustrators for this client and their ad agency (Mullen) to choose from, they eventually chose just one illustrator to get the entire job done and that is our very own Jill Calder!" (Friend & Johnson website Jan09)
http://www.friendandjohnson.com/

More from Daryl Rees

'How to be an illustrator'  by Daryl Rees

Agents

Illustrators are often keen to get an agent straight after graduating because the idea of an agent creates the illusion of security & employment. However, an agent is not a source of immediate & constant commissions. If you have the wrong agent and the wrong agreement “what began as an exciting step in your career could end up feeling like a prison sentence!”

The agent can offer experience & professional advice, use the reputation of the whole agency to promote you, give you access to a particular pool of clients & negotiate the larger more complicated jobs on your behalf.

You have to find the right agent – who deals with your kind of work, but where you can still stand out. You may also lose the chance to start learning from your own experience & to establish your own client base. If your contract with the agent doesn’t allow you to seek your own clients too, then you could feel trapped. Need to agree an outline of understanding based on mutual trust & respect. Find out how they get commissions, what clients they have, how they deal with client contracts and disputes, what promo materials they use, how they became an agent & why...Be wary of anyone who tries to get you to sign a contract in haste without giving you time to read it thoroughly...

How to be an illustrator by Darrel Rees

How to be an illustator by Darrel Rees (founder of Heart Agency)
(2008 Laurence King Publishing, London)

I had this book for Christmas and it is full of useful information and advice. It also features interviews with art directors (Luke Hayman – Pentagram, Mark Porter - Guardian, Simon Esterson – Esterson Associates, Sarah Thomson – Art Buyer DDB, Wladimir Marnich – Marnich Design) and illustrators (including Aude van Ryn, Brett Ryder, Micheal Gillette, Sam Weber, Marc Boutavant, Yuko Shimizi, Rui Teneiro, Jeffrey Decoster). There are chapters on getting started, preparing your porfolio, job-hunting & interviews, producing the first job, financial tips, sharing studios, agents and promoting yourself.

New illustrators often begin by doing editorial work, because there is plenty of work here (plenty of illustrators too). You need to contact the design director, art director or senior designer. This information is often in the newspaper or magazine.

Promoting Yourself

This chapter has loads of tips and stresses how important it is to make the most of your ‘debut’ appearance when you first leave college. 

Need to sort out:-
Small well-printed cards (ideally full-size image one side & 2 smaller images on reverse) to send out monthly
Website for quick access
Enter competitions
Enter annual images book (eg AOI) if possible
Pursue self-initiated projects (leading to exhibitions or self-publishing to send to clients)

There are 3 stages to promotion:
1 To get you contact with client
2 To maintain contact with client
3 General profile-raising

 Vital to compile some sort of database of clients, along with what promo work you have sent them & on what date. This needs to be updated regularly too (3-6 months). Need to include following information:
Company/public name, name of contact, position
Address, phone no, fax, email
What promos sent & when
Last time met them
Last time they commissioned you
Last time they called a porfolio of yours
Fees/rates
If moved

It seems that making the images is only a fraction of what the illustrator does!

Agencies

I have been looking at the following agencies:- Inkshed, Central Illustration & Eastwing. I note that both Inkshed & Eastwing do stock illustrations too. 

Inkshed represent almost 30 illustrators, including Ian Pollock, Lo Cole (illustration physical illness & mental health), Leonie Lord (illustration - I love to eat sardine sandwiches), Michelle Thompson & Rose Forshall.

CIA , founded by Brian Grimwood (musicians illustration), represents over 80 illustrators, including Jeff Fisher, MH Jeeves(Illustration -woman playing violin with a saw), Adrian Johnson, Tim Marrs (Go Green illustration), Paul Wearing (black woman, white lines) & Sarah Young (figures with butterfly).

Eastwing Illustration Agency represents about 25 illustrators, including Nelly Dimitranova (wonderful linework), Rhona Garvin (swimmers), Damian Gascoigne (bike), Matthew Richardson & Ian Whadcock.

Agents Who Needs Them

I have been looking at the AOI’s The Illustrator’s Guide To Law & Business Practice (2008, Simon Stern) and it’s full of useful info. and some great illustrations too (Lasse Skarbovik, Andy Smith (illustration above), Kenneth Andsersson, Nigel Owen, Paul Bommer, Sarah Coleman, Lyn Moran, Harriet Russell & Russell Cobb). Section 9 looks at agents, and here is some of what it says. Finding the right agent can be very difficult, and having found one, the agreement between the agent and illustrator needs to be clear from the start. It is important that the illustrator knows what licences are being granted, what invoices are being sent out and has last word on price, deadline etc.

What do agents do for illustrators?
* help promote work
* give illustrators access to ‘agent-only’ annuals
* give illustrators access to buyers and organisations who prefer to go through an agent.
* give illustrators access to certain types of promotion (eg special agency promo packs, joint promo with others)
* take portfolios to clients
* keep portfolio updated & fresh
* negotiate for you – especially important with high fee jobs with copyright issues (advertising and design jobs).
* do invoicing and paperwork
* proof and artwork chasing
* act as a buffer between illustrator and client

Agreements with agents
Even if there is no written agreement between the agent and illustrator, there is still a contract between them. Best if there is at least some sort of written checklist of what the agency will do and what it expects from the illustrator. This can be confirmed in an informal letter, and could include the following:-
• area and market (eg some agents happy to let illustrator deal with editorial work while they concentrate on the higher paid areas – advertising and design group)
• check out ratio of agency staff: illustrators (much more than 1;8 could mean not enough work coming in)
• how much work?
• commission (currently 25-30% for basic commissions, 20% editorials, 40% for work outside uk)
• promotional expenses (who does what and who pays for what
• terms and conditions (illustrator needs a copy of standard terms & conditions under which agency trades. Eg does agency normally consult the illustrator before accepting terms & conditions other than their own? Copyright & artwork ownership)
• invoicing proceedures (if invoice on illustrators behalf, the illustrator protected should the agency go bankrupt, but VAT issue)
• accounting (how & when illustrator paid, right to inspect accounts)
• agency liability (insurance against loss of artwork)
• parting company (when does payment of commission cease?)

I went to a Children’s Book Seminar last year where Joy Monkhouse, the design manager from Scholastic Educational Publishing, said that they always went to agencies to get illustrators, and wouldn’t respond to individual illustrators. Considering the pay for this illustration work is on the lower end of the scale, it is annoying that the illustrator has no option than to go through an agent. The other issue is that agencies are reluctant to take on students straight after graduation, so you have to figure out a way of getting work published before you can even approach the agencies.