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Want to be a pro illustrator? Or already are, but fancy picking up on some
tips that may just have passed you by. Well, here they are. In bite-sized
nuggets, the 101 top tips that could just put you ahead of the field!
So, you think that you are an illustrator! You can use your application of
choice and a fair few others to boot. You can create the kind of images that
would fit well on any magazine page, book jacket or CD sleeve but have yet
to really get out there and show the world what you are capable of. Or, you
already work in illustration but would like advice on putting together that
killer portfolio or some pearls of wisdom on how to get in to see that top
art director or how to impress that illusive agent. Well, you're in the right
place - sit up straight, get your pencil and paper at the ready (illustrators
don't use PDAs) and get focused on advice from illustrator, educator and ex-agent,
Lawrence Zeegen, as he imparts the kind of industry-insider tips that will
help smooth the roughest of journeys!
What makes that killer portfolio? Why will one type of presentation always
win over another? How can the way you present your work affect the fees clients
will be prepared to spend on your work? Should you show every piece of work
that you have ever produced? Which format of portfolio will work best for
your needs? Do illustrators still need old-fashioned binders or will a CD
or on-line presence deliver the goods?
In this first section we investigate the dos and don'ts of your portfolio
presentation. We look at how to present your work to its best advantage and
which format is best for you and your potential clients. Important advice
about selecting and pacing the work you show as well as tips on what to spend
your money on...
1. Format. Depending on whom you plan to work for, you are likely to still
need that old-fashioned leather portfolio with plastic sleeves. Clients like
something printed in front of them. It works in meetings and does not suffer
from compatibility problems! Buy the best you can afford.
2. Spend wisely. Buy a leather portfolio. It will save you money in the long
run. Leather will wear so much better that plastic. It says that you take
pride in your work and may help you command higher fees as it shows that you
mean business!
3. You live and die by the quality of your portfolio. Your work may be up
against work by other illustrators. Win the job. Make sure that your portfolio
is well presented. Clean or change the plastic sleeves in your folder on a
regular basis. Good presentation is a must!
4. Be clear about what your portfolio says. You may not be with your work
every time it's viewed. Keep it clear, concise and precise. Present a positive
image. Choose your strongest work; work that you feel positive about. Don't
include anything that you may have to apologise for!
5. Who is it for? You need to show potential clients what you can do. Your
clients, usually a designer or art director, may need to show it to their
clients to get approval. Your portfolio must be able to speak to a whole range
of different audiences. Remember this when you put it together.
6. Other tips for smart professional portfolios - get into the habit of regularly
adding new printed work as you produce it, keeping your folio fresh and up-to-date.
Make sure that the running order makes sense - group work together depending
on the type of clients it was produced for.
7. Kick off your portfolio with your strongest image and end on an equally
high note. These are the most important images in your book. Keep a list of
exactly what is in your portfolio and the order it was in - a real headache
to put back together without. Clients will rearrange it!
8. Create at least two, maybe three portfolios, if you are planning on being
busy. Many designers and art directors simply don't have time to meet all
illustrators and want you to 'drop off'. Keeping more than one portfolio circulating
around means no dead time.
9. With more than one portfolio, you never run the risk of being called in
for that lucrative advertising commission at very short notice and not having
a folio to hand. It happens, be prepared and have one that sits next to the
phone.
10. Web sites. Important, useful and a great compliment to that leather bound
folio. A web site will greatly add to your client base. Directing clients
to your site means that they can view your work whenever, where ever. Cut
your courier bill by not having to ship your portfolio all over town and the
globe!
11. Be creative with your site. Use it to showcase commissioned work, non-commissioned
work and even work-in-progress. Remember to update your site on a regular
basis and let folks know that you have too.
12. The interactive CD-ROM - another extra to your leather folio but not to
be overlooked. Being able to leave this portfolio with clients is cool, so
long as it works with their kit and is bug-free! Think about your audience,
will they appreciate your extra costs in time, energy and materials?
13. Think carefully about the work you show. Don't think that clients will
want to see a couple of drawings from that iffy evening class you did over
ten years ago! Make sure that the work all sits together well and does not
cover to many 'styles'. Be excellent at one way of working, not average at
lots!
You are doing some great work- you know that you are. Your portfolio is starting
to look real hot. You think that you have this caper all worked out - just
sit tight and wait for the phone to ring. Alas, nobody yet knows who you are
and what you do and, even, how to contact you. So how do you attract them,
how do you lead them to your on-line presence and presents? Get yourself some
self-promotional items and quick!
Should your promo take the form of printed matter or does matter if you email
your intended audience a selection of low-res images? For illustrators the
art of self-promotion is never over, start as you mean to go on by following
this set of guiding lights...
14. The original format for illustrators promoting their work is the postcard.
Full colour image on one size and one colour on reverse for contact details.
Cheap, cheerful and quick to produce, they fit in the sleeve inside your portfolio
too. Beat that!
15. The unit cost of a postcard goes down the more you have printed. Before
you order 1000, though, think about whether you will use them all before you
are sick and tired of the image. Look at costs of shorter runs using a digital
press rather than off-set litho.
16. You could get together with other illustrators and take a whole sheet;
postcards are either printed 16 or 32 up. It will work out cheaper but could
be a hassle! If not, play the card printers off against each other to get
the best price!
17. Postcards make sense but may seem boring. Think about other formats that
you could adopt. Calendars have a one-year shelf life, if they are liked and
used. Desk tidies are naff and should be left to Blue Peter!
18. Your final choice of self-promo should show an image, your name; contact
details such as web address, email address and phone number. Sounds straightforward
but many illustrators concentrate on the image and forget the details!
19. Get your work in annuals. Art Buyers in advertising agencies swear by
them. The pay-per-page illustration annuals like Contact and The Art Book
are not cheap at between £600 - £1000 per page, but many illustrators claim
they work better than anything else does.
20. Send out a press release to all design magazines and journals when you
create high profile work. Send good large-format transparencies as well as
a concise 'story' about the job. The design press have pages to fill and you
can provide the content - hey Presto - free publicity!
21. Enter your work into national and international competitions. Many of
the big organisations produce thick glossy annuals of the best work and some
run touring exhibitions too as well as web sites that feature the work. Check
the design press for details.
22. From your web site sell limited edition, signed digital prints. Not all
publicity material has to be given away. Encourage users to download free
screen-savers you have created. Imagine your work on the screen of a computer
in a busy design studio.
23. Don't spam! Nobody wants mail that they did not ask for. Once you have
started to work for a client they may be happy to receive a regular email
newsletter or set of low-res images but wait until they are clients!
24. Contact galleries. Have an exhibition of your work and invite clients
and potential clients to a Private View. Once again, let the design and local
press know well in advance. On the night, stay off the white wine and use
the event to make contacts and meet new faces.
25. Avoid the tacky. Spending money on getting pens printed with your name
on, sticks of rock with your email address running through or cheap diaries
with your contact details across the front are not big or clever.
26.Don't waste money on getting mouse mats made up with your work on, most
designers (not all) use Macs and the Apple Pro Mouse killed off the mouse
mat!
27. Keep folk up to date with what you are doing. Spend time and cash to create
new publicity, showing how your work is evolving. Have a long-term plan for
maintaining contact with your clients and creating new ones.
You now have a portfolio itching to be seen and some publicity to die for.
What you need now are some clients or at least some potential ones! No good
going to see children's book publishers with material more suited to the mags
on the top shelves of your favourite newsagent. Very little point in showing
work that features fantasy sci-fi space scenes to that design company specialising
in annual reports for city clients! Get wise, don't waste your time or others;
target your work precisely. Be clear about what it is you do and whom you
wish to work for. Follow this set of tips and get right on track...
28. Think about buying lists of 'creatives' from companies like File FX in
London. For a reasonable fee you could have the name of all the art buyers
and creative directors in the top two hundred advertising agencies in London-
just think about how much time that could save you on the phone.
29. Spend time conducting some research. If you want to create illustrations
for magazines, browse them over coffee in places like Borders. Target the
right folks; try art editors and art directors rather than editors and writers.
30. Every time you see an interesting book jacket or CD sleeve, make it your
mission to discover who created it and who commissioned it. Send the commissioning
designer a copy of your publicity if you think that your work fits. Follow
it up with a phone call to make an appointment to show your portfolio.
31. Be polite on the telephone and keep a pen to hand to write notes. Make
sure that you have sent samples/publicity in advance. Trying to explain what
your work looks like over the telephone is not easy!
32. Invest in a good database application and get used to updating it with
new info on a regular basis. Enter a broad range of fields that include the
obvious like names, addresses, and contact details as well as the type of
company and the last time that you mailed publicity or made contact.
33. Whenever you visit a potential client with your portfolio arrive a few
minutes early. This gives you a little time to sit in the reception area browsing
their bound copies of recent publicity or current magazines they publish.
A little knowledge can go a long way...
34. Be patient, explain your work carefully but do not outstay your welcome.
Most designers, art buyers and art directors will be able to give you just
10-15 minutes. Make this time count, keep focussed on the work you want them
to see and be ready to exit!
35. Take a notebook to every meeting with a client. Take notes if you need
to and if they like your work ask them to recommend commissioning designers
that you could visit at other companies. Word of mouth can be a real benefit.
36. Be prepared to 'drop-off' your portfolio rather than always meet person
to person. If you would like them to leave comments, provide a piece of paper
taped to the inside of your portfolio and remember to put fresh promo cards
in too.
37. Keeping clients is a huge part of the job. If you are a pleasure to deal
with, you are likely to get repeat business and recommendations. Nobody likes
to work with a pain in the backside however talented you are!
It is all paying off; clients at your beck and call and the phone hasn't
stopped ringing since you sent your mailer out! The work is starting to flood
in and then you are asked to quote a fee. Find out how much to charge and
how to ask for it. How to manage your time, meet deadlines and still have
a life. What does bleed mean? What are first visuals? What does an Art Buyer
do and why? You are now an illustrator and need to know the full spec on terms
and conditions, need to know how long a job should take, what format the artwork
should take and how to get it to your client on time. This section gives you
the low-down, the full break-down on how to handle that first commission or
how to start handling those jobs if you are a hardened pro with bad habits!
38. It makes sense to join an organisation that can give you advice when you
need it. The Association of Illustrators help members with issues regarding
fees, payment problems and legal matters. Check them out at www.aoi.co.uk.
39. Quoting fees on jobs is never easy. Try to get a budget from the art director
commissioning you. Ask what they have paid for previous work of the same scale,
duration and usage. They normally know what they want to pay!
40. If you need time to think about a fee say that you will get back to them.
Use the time to call fellow illustrators or the AOI for some advice. Put your
quote in writing and date it. Get the client to formally agree in writing
to your quote or amended quote if you agree to adjust.
41. Remember, rates depend on a number of issues and it is always makes sense
to clarify exactly where your work will be used, at what size, the print run
(if applicable) and the length of time the image is to be used for.
42. A general 'rule of thumb' is that advertising work sits at the top of
the pile, fee-wise, followed by work for design companies. Book publishers
run next followed by magazines. You could create a small image for an advertising
campaign that pays £1000 and the same size image for a mag that brings in
£100!
43. With large jobs it is worth getting a contract sorted before you even
start the work. Outline the fee breakdown - with agreed amounts for visuals
as well as delivery of final artwork. Put in delivery dates that are realistic.
If the client wants it all tomorrow, charge more!
44. Know your rights! If the client rejects your work at visual stage you
can charge 25% of the full fee, if they reject on completion, through no fault
of yours, go for the full fee. Be prepared to negotiate, though, you may only
get 50%!
45. Educate your client. The visuals stage is just that. It gives you the
chance to show the client what you are planning on doing for the final artwork.
It could show the general layout of the image as well as your ideas for how
the work communicates. It is not the finished thing!
46. Learn some technical terms. Make sure that you understand the terminology
used by your client. If you are not sure what 'bleed' is - ask! Don't try
and wing it. It will end in tears.
47. Make sure that you leave the briefing session with all of your questions
answered. If not, call the client up when you get back to your studio. It
is vital that you understand what you are being asked to do. Leave nothing
vague!
48. Check what format they would like to receive the work in. EPS, JPEG; be
sure they can open it! Check the resolution it is expected in too. Understand
why newspapers are different from glossy publications. If in doubt, check
it out!
49. Don't trust the colours on your monitor, check chosen colours against
print spec charts! Check how the job is being printed. Will all your chosen
colours be easily achieved from the four-colour set? Avoid some oranges- they
can go mucky.
50. If the job requires 'specials', colours printed using specially mixed
colours, check the client has authorised this. Using silvers and metallic
colours in your artwork will add to the print cost.
51. RGB or CMYK? Be sure that you format the artwork correctly. Is the image
for screen or print? Set your application up properly before you start your
job. It is very simple to forget and submit in the wrong format.
52. When you are commissioned to create an illustration, you sell the rights
for its reproduction, unless otherwise agreed. The illustrator retains the
ownership of the artwork itself as well as, more importantly with digital
work, the copyright. Remember this!
53. You can charge 100% of the original fee for the sale of the copyright
but then lose any rights to the work. Make sure you consider the pros and
cons.
It all seems so easy being a professional artist, what could possibly go
wrong? Get yourself organised early on and make sure that nothing does. Setting
up a studio or office is not just about browsing the IKEA catalogue for trestle
legs, you know. Keeping the Software Police and the Font Bureau happy as well
as being street legal and paying tax on your earnings takes organisation.
Keeping track of your invoices and making sure that your studio is insured,
so visitors can't sue when they trip on your portfolio are just basics. Being
an artist and a business man/woman has to go hand in hand if you are going
to avoid pitfalls. Many, often over-looked, issues and tips and are covered
in this vital section...
54. Get legal; register your business with your local tax office. You are
likely to be classified as a 'Sole Trader' and will have to start paying tax
on your profits. Get organised right away!
55. Employ an accountant. Best practice is to be recommended one that understands
the job of the illustrator. They can then advise on tax deductible items to
keep your tax liabilities down.
56. Invoice work as soon as it is completed. Make sure that your invoice includes
all of the details of the work carried out and to whom you would like the
cheque made out to. And where you would like it sent too, of course.
57. Legally your invoice must carry an invoice number. You can start the running
order at any number. You may wish to start at 00100 so that you look to your
clients, like you've been trading longer!
58. It is likely that your invoice will sit on a couple of desks before it
is finally paid. State your payment terms on your invoice and start chasing,
on the phone, as soon as that period is up. Start with the accounts department
and work your way up the food chain, if you get no luck.
59. Software should be street legal and legit and you should use only fonts
that you own. The software police are watching you!
60. The life of the illustrator can be lonely. Are you the kind of person
that enjoys working from your own in the back bedroom at home? If not consider
a shared studio. Scan local newspapers for studio space. Shared facilities
mean less financial outlay.
61. Get your studio equipped. You will need the following; phone, answer-phone,
mobile phone, email (with ADSL or ISDN if you are sending artwork down the
line), fax (if you produce visuals on paper), CD Burner (archive your work
as you go), good lighting and a very comfortable chair.
62. Get into a routine. Arrive at your studio, at home or elsewhere, at a
regular time. Forget the world of day-time TV and get tuned into the reality
of checking your email, reading your post, chasing unpaid invoices and all
other associated tasks before you start actually illustrating.
63. Get insured. Get your studio insured. Get your portfolio insured. Insure
yourself against injury, unlikely but may happen. Studio insurance covers
you if a visitor falls and breaks a leg and having your portfolio insured
means that if it goes missing (quite frequent an occurrence) you get some
financial remuneration.
64. Think about the kind of computer you are going to be using. A desk top
machine tied to your desk in your studio five miles from home may not be ideal
if you like to work late into the evening. You may wish to go portable and
have the flexibility of working anywhere.
65. Read the design press on a regular basis for news about projects that
design companies are involved in and news of new companies starting up. You
don't have to buy them all, get back to Borders or your local library.
66. If you move studio, make sure that people know. A change of address card
is a good excuse to send out more promotional material. Obviously, if people
don't know how to get hold of you, they won't.
You have followed the tips so far; you are a lean mean illustrating machine.
You can hunt down clients, track down new business, quote to within a quid
of the client's true budget. You know shortcuts across Soho to get you to
a briefing in less than five minutes and can call the art director of the
latest top style mag by his christian name and yet still something is missing!
Remember you are an artist. You must feed your habit too. Stay inspired, stay
motivated and stay busy even when the phone goes dead! Some top tips on how
to stay an illustrator even when the chips are down...
67. Keep creative. Push your work by adding to your portfolio, with work that
you want to do rather than just work you are paid to do! You can lead the
type of work that you are offered by showing similar examples.
68. Visit exhibitions for inspiration. Look at the work of other illustrators
as well as artists and photographers. Examine methods and techniques as well
as the ideas in their work. It is a good idea to buy exhibition catalogues,
or postcards if your budget is limited.
69. Read more fiction. As an illustrator you are expected to bring text/copy
to life. If you read more and create thumbnail sketches of ideas in response
to these texts, you'll keep in practice.
70. Read more factual and non-fiction work. Illustrators need to get under
the skin of a subject and understand the issues raised in a writer's text.
If you get to grips with the copy you stand a far greater chance of illustrating
it well.
71. Go the theatre and the cinema. Engage with dance or opera. Above all else,
enjoy other art forms. You can take inspiration from all sorts of sources.
It may be as simple as new combinations of colour that you see in a theatre
costume or the framing of particular images in film. Be inspired!
72. Draw, draw and then draw some more. Take your sketchbook everywhere and
use it in cafes, bars, on the bus and in the park. If your work does not rely
on drawing but more on photographic imagery, keep your camera with you at
all times.
73. Get yourself invited to exhibition private views and meet other artists
and illustrators informally. Normally getting onto a mailing list for a gallery
is as simple as phoning and asking!
74. Check out local groups run by the Association of Illustrators that meet
on a regular basis. Many groups invite busy professional illustrators to give
slide lectures about their work and experiences; learn from others.
75. If you are really short of work, offer to work as an assistant to a busy
illustrator or illustration studio free of charge, for the experience and
to pick up more tips. You'll make coffee, mix paints, book couriers and hunt
for reference materials.
76. Use dead time to produce work for competitions. Real dividends can be
had from winning or being a finalist in illustration competitions. You can
get your work recognised and seen by others and often an unknown illustrator
will come to prominence through this route.
77. Meet other illustrators on a regular basis. Swap stories, contacts and
advice. It is vital that you keep in touch with developments in the illustration
world. It is good to have a shoulder to cry on and an audience for your positive
stories too.
Tired of schlepping around town trying to meet and greet the young guns of
the design, publishing and advertising worlds? Want some other bod to do it
for you? For an average of 25-30% of each job that they get for you, some
other bod will. Meet the illustration agent! The dos and don'ts, the good,
the bad and the ugly of the agent are revealed in this section. Lots of pros
and cons to help assist you in making that choice and some tips that will
help you stand out from the crowd if you decide that an agent is top of your
must-have list. What should you expect, what should they expect and how will
the relationship be as fruitful as possible?
78. Illustration agencies are businesses. To operate they have to make a profit.
This means that they must represent busy illustrators and plenty of them.
If you are not happy being part of this business go straight to the next section...
79. Still here? Want an agent? Investigate the agencies that are out there.
They all have different areas of expertise. Hunt out the one you and your
work are most suitable for. Be sure that they operate in the areas of illustration
that you do.
80. Be prepared to give up 25-30% of you income in commission but recognise
that agents can command higher fees. This may well make up for the commission.
If you are lucky enough to be taken on by an agent check what percentage they
take first. Feel free to negotiate.
81. Just like clients, agents are very busy too. Don't hassle but be polite.
Offer to send samples and wait to hear back when they get the chance to call
you. Offer to visit- they will want to meet you if they like your work.
82. Ask the agents that you meet about their techniques for getting artists
work. Do they rely on just printed publicity? Do they have a web site? Do
they go out and tread the streets with portfolios? Are they pro-active? You
need to know this kind of information.
83. Agents charge (on top of commission) a percentage of the costs of advertising
an artist. Make sure you understand how much this may cost you in your first
year? Can you afford it? Do they want the cash up front or will they take
it from fees owed to you? Check the details.
84. Ask about organised meetings for the illustrators represented by the agency.
If they happen regularly, it means that they have happy artists and is a good
sign. It is useful to have a meeting point to discuss issues with other illustrators.
85. Agents may expect to have sole representation of your work. They may want
to handle your own clients too. Are you prepared to hand them over? Another
point to discuss before making a final decision.
86. Think carefully about how you present your portfolio at any meeting. Agents
will be interested in who you have worked for as well as how your work has
developed. They will be thinking long term investment. Think the same thoughts!
87. Agents do not tolerate artists working for the agency's clients without
declaring it. Some clients are slippery. Don't make the mistake of losing
your agent because you have working behind their back!
The life of the freelance, self-employed individual appeared so care free,
didn't it? Start work when you pleased, take as long for lunch as you wished
or even a long weekend - never did like Mondays! That was before the parents/landlord/building
society (delete as necessary) started to demand the rent/mortgage payments
(delete as necessary) and the bicycle/motorbike/car (delete as necessary)
needed a new tyre/MOT (delete as necessary). Suddenly the safety net of the
world of PAYE seems far too enticing. You need a job in illustration and you
need it fast. Get cracking before the few out there are snapped up! Follow
these tips on securing that position and wait for your first monthly pay cheque
to roll in...
88. More and more design companies are starting to employ illustrators or
designers that can illustrate on permanent contracts. Check the design press
for ads and be prepared to send samples and CV at short notice.
89. Approach publishing companies and greetings card companies if seeking
full-time positions, they are still the most likely. Write a covering letter,
introducing yourself and your experience and expertise and be prepared to
follow it up with a phone call.
90. If given an appointment or interview, be on time, be presentable and know
as much as you can about the company. Ask intelligent questions and be keen-
all fairly obvious tips but easily overlooked by some.
91. Offer to work on a temporary placement basis to gain experience. This
is a must if you are a recent college graduate. In return for poor payment
you will get good experience and hopefully a project or two you can add to
your portfolio.
92. Once on a placement, demonstrate yourself to be so good they have to ask
you to stay! Don't complain about working long hours - it is the done thing
in design and advertising. Get yourself noticed, ask questions and offer to
help others out with presentations.
93. If you want to go into freelance illustration but would like to understand
the business in more detail first, try seeking a job at an illustration agency.
You'll meet lots of illustrators and clients and see projects through from
conception to completion.
94. Other areas to try your luck at include studio management. Be the person
responsible for keeping a design studio running. You could be involved in
all aspects of the design process- one moment discussing projects with designers,
illustrators and photographers and the next checking proofs on press at the
printers.
95. Keep a record of all contacts whilst looking for work and after you get
the job. These will start to prove invaluable. All designers and illustrators
have favourite printers, repro houses, places to source reference and the
list will start to grow. Use your contacts and keep them in an organised fashion.
Some tips do not fall into neat little boxes so here are the best of the
rest, the ones that nearly got away. Creating top illustrations, maintaining
great promotional material, building a hot portfolio, running a studio and
a business takes a lot of skills - make sure that you get into good habits
early on. Take time to read this section and follow the instructions carefully.
Some may sound obvious, some may appear plain dumb but, rest assured, they
all work. Take daily and complete the whole course. Does exactly what it says
on the can!
96. Make sure that your client is pleased with the work that you have produced.
Many designers are simply too busy to call to let you know that they have
received your artwork. Phone them to check that the work was ok- they'll appreciate
it.
97. Don't 'lift', 'copy', 'borrow' or be too 'influenced' by the style of
another illustrator. Forge your own look- it is the only way to create real
lasting interest in your work. Be original.
98. Make sure that, where possible, you are given a credit for the illustration
you have created. If you have a web address, ask the designer to use it in
the credit. It will add to the traffic to your site and may easily lead to
further commissions.
99. Produce work to the deadline given, unless you have an agreed extension.
If the deadline appears unworkable ask for more time before you take on the
job. If you spot problems, resolve them early on.
100. Chase up copies of the work when it is in print. Do this as soon as the
publication is out. The art director or designer should be happy to send you
three or four copies free of charge. These 'tear sheets' are what will make
up your portfolio.
101. Have fun, work hard, play hard and good luck!
© Lawrence Zeegen