Evaluation

The importance of the PP module has become much more apparent over the course of this year. I have always been reluctant to showcase my work through a website or online social media as I felt my practice was still developing and that it wasn’t ready. I was looking at the end of the course as a point where my practice would be a finished product but after the Hanbury Symposium and talks from visiting lecturers it became clear that this was not the best approach. The professionals we heard from talked about their practice constantly progressing since they left education, informed by their experiences in the industry and personal projects. My online presence and identity should then develop alongside my practice. My website, social media and portfolio should be reflected upon and curated regularly to make sure they present an appealing and accurate representation of my practice at that time. 

When I was designing my website I looked at a range of professional illustrators’ sites to get an idea of what was necessary, what worked well and what not to do. I decided to keep the site simple, made up of three pages: a gallery, a ‘contact’ page and an ‘about me’ page. My first attempt at writing a description of myself and my practice was too formal and after talking to tutors I decided to change it. I wanted to communicate that I liked telling stories through my work, but rather than just say that, I decided to demonstrate storytelling through the ‘about me’ section, expressing my passion for my work. I created some GIFs of my character designs to use on my website to bring my characters to life and make the website more interactive and appealing. 

I printed out a first draft of illustrations for my portfolio which gave me the chance to get feedback from tutors and visiting professionals towards the end of the module. That feedback combined with the advice we received at the Hanbury symposium has helped me to understand what it is that publishers and agents look for. My portfolio needs to develop alongside my practice in the same way as my online presence. I also need to keep printed A3 copies of a wide range of my work so that I can tailor my portfolio to the specific agent or publisher it is being presented to.  From the talk by Chloe Morgan from Plum Pudding I got a good understanding of what children’s book publishers and agents specifically look for in a portfolio. I need to create character study prints that show my ability to maintain a character consistently through a range of emotions, actions and scenarios. I need to have the confidence to include development work. My portfolio should include character designs that are common to children’s books such as animals and children, and a variety of scenes from vignettes to full bleed page layouts. A key piece of advice I was given when arranging a portfolio is to start and end strong to create a positive initial impact and to leave a lasting impression. It is important to make sure the portfolio is varied and balanced throughout. Views on how to do this will vary from person to person but it is an important consideration when deciding where to place work within the portfolio. 

As part of my professional practice it is important to understand the legal, financial and ethical responsibilities of a freelance illustrator. There are a number of government organisations that can provide information related to self employment. Illustration specific advice and support is available for members of The Association of Illustrators who provide information on all aspects of professional practice including pricing, contacts and finance. Maintaining a professional network of illustrators can also provide help and information on these issues as well as support and encouragement. 

Over the course of the module I have developed a plan for approaching publishers and agents and have already started sending portfolios and manuscripts out by email. I have just had some manuscripts printed to send to publishers that only accept physical submissions. I have contact information for some of the visiting professionals that I have met this year and plan to contact them over the summer once I feel I have fully implemented what I have learned throughout the year. We have the Hanbury Exhibition in July that I am using as a target to finish two publications I am working on as personal projects. I plan to have them printed so that I can give them out at the event. I also plan to attend the Bologna Book Fair next April to expand my network and introduce myself to publishers. Throughout this process it will be important to maintain my online presence as it will be used to maintain and build upon my professional network. My online presence through my website and through social media will act as a representation of my practice, persona and brand. It needs to be an appealing, well-crafted and accurate representation of what my practice is, how it can be applied and why I do it.