Hanbury Symposium Recap

The event was very interesting and informative.  The speakers were very impressive and I found that all of them had a wealth of knowledge beneficial to my development, not just the ones specifically linked to my practice. They highlighted the importance of collaboration on projects and the ability and potential to work on a number of platforms in a variety of roles. Versatility is an appealing trait to a potential agent and benefits all. 

We heard about the role of agents from Blink Arts, Big Active and B&A. They were especially keen that their illustrator clients should be able build on their skills to be able to manage or direct projects. They talked about trialling illustrators before signing them to the agency to make sure that they demonstrated an appropriate level of professionalism (eg in terms of time management and reliability).  As one agent said, their role is to “make sure everybody plays nice”. An agent will make sure you are being treated fairly and it is important that you trust their opinion and ability to get the most out of your potential. Agents provide knowledge of the industry and can help you navigate contacts and disputes, but illustrators should not rely on agents for everything. You need to actively promote yourself. 

The main buzzwords from every speaker were individuality and personality. Some of the agents warned against looking at the work of peers too often, as they see a tendency of illustrators to mimic successful practitioners. They did point out that there is a place in the market for this but up-and-coming illustrators should begin by developing their own identity. Ricky Richards pointed out that if everybody had the same inputs then they would also have the same outputs. This highlighted the importance of working with your own interests and beliefs instead of trying to conform to trends. 

The industry is highly competitive and even high-quality illustration can appear generic and fail to stand out. A number of speakers said that they are drawn to work that has depth of meaning behind it, especially when the artist is able to communicate intelligent and complex themes in a clear and simple way. The main focus is on ideas and how they are communicated, and the adoption of a specific aesthetic appears to be a secondary consideration.  Agencies aren’t looking for one specific personality: some illustrators are confident and others are more anxious and reclusive.  Both personalities are evident in the illustrator’s work and both are appealing.  One is not better than the other.  What must be remembered, however, is that new perspectives and unusual visual references stand out in a busy industry.

The implication for my own practice is that I must be brave enough to work in my own way and not take too much influence from other people’s work. My aim must be to produce more narratives based on my own experiences, ideas, opinions and personality. I need to be confident in my work and be bold enough to experiment without feeling constrained by pre-existing aesthetics or my comfort zone.

All of the agents spoke about the importance of social media presence, some even saying that it can be a determining factor in whether they work with or sign an illustrator. There was recognition that some media platforms may have passed their peak but there was no suggestion that social media is fading as a powerful promotional tool. All of the speakers emphasised the importance of keeping up with the most up-to-date social media trends.

The process of establishing contact with agents and publishers was acknowledged to be challenging and potentially intimidating, especially since the sheer number of illustrators submitting work makes it hard to stand out. The importance of researching the person/company you are contacting was emphasised, as was the need for a human and personal approach. Avoid generic ‘dear sir’ emails which are often ignored.  Asking for advice is a good way to make initial contact, as lots of industry professionals are happy to give help to up and coming illustrators. Take time to edit your portfolio: a smaller portfolio full of high quality work demonstrating a range of skills is much better than one where the impact of the best work is diluted by inferior pieces. Always lead with a strong piece. Similarly, include an image or maybe two in an email to catch the recipient’s attention as they scroll through emails full of text.

We should always be proactive to create opportunities for ourselves and maintain personal projects that best demonstrate our individual personality. There no excuse for not producing quality work or complaining about not receiving good briefs when you can create them yourself. We should build and maintain a network of contacts: this is something that we can start now with other students at the university and beyond that with professionals within the industry. This will also act as good practice for communication skills and help to make us more confident communicating with professionals.