conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about London, York, Orange with the genre: Arts & Photography, Graphic Design?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'How to be an Illustrator'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: a description for a book titled How to be an Illustrator about London, York, Orange with the genre: Arts & Photography, Graphic Design
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: the author has worked as an illustrator since 1986, joining influential London studio The Big Orange in 1992. In 1994 he co-founded illustration agency Heart (London and New York). He contributed to The Education of an Illustrator, edited by Steven Heller. He is a member of the Society of Publication Designers in New York and D&amp;AD in the UK, acting as a jury foreman on its awards scheme.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the first five paragraphs for the book
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: How to be an Illustrator
  If you approach an advertising company, your first point of contact will probably be its art buyer. Most agencies will have more than one, but there will be a senior buyer who manages the others. I understand the buyer's role as that of creative hub for the agency; they are the people who buy in the creative services that an art director needs to realize the vision for a campaign, including illustration. Art buyers should know what is going on out in the wider creative community, and what is available when art directors ask for a particular style or feel of work.
  The point at which they involve an illustrator depends on the agency's approval process. An art buyer may approach you with a request for a 'pitch artwork', where you are briefed to produce an image or images that will convey to a client what the campaign would look like if it were to go ahead. Depending on individual scenarios, it might be black-and-white sketches, a rough, semi-finished colour artwork or even a fully rendered artwork – whatever is needed to convince the client to give the go-ahead on that approach to the campaign.
  With pitch artworks, there is an understanding that they are for client presentation only. A nominal fee may be offered for something less than a full artwork; in the case of a full artwork, a fee is negotiated that reflects the work involved in creating it. There are various factors involved, and we will look at fee negotiation in Chapter 4. There is also a chance that you will be asked to do a pitch artwork for free. I generally say no to this: something, however nominal, should be paid for your time. It's a point of principle and good faith, even if the fee agreed does not reflect the work involved.
  You may bypass this stage if it has already been reached using the art director's scribbled sketches or an agency's in-house visualizer. If so, your portfolio will be presented, and whether or not you are selected to execute the campaign will come down to a matter of agency and client preference. If you are selected, the art buyer will negotiate the appropriate fees with you for the artworking part of the job and for any media licences the agency may wish to purchase. The buyer liaises between the art director, client, client account handler/executive, and you.
  Most agents have very good relations with many art buyers, established over time and by working together on projects, so that each understands how the other operates. Ideally, this leads to everyone striving for a win–win outcome to negotiations, with no party left feeling disgruntled as a result of being overcharged or underpaid.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: five more paragraphs
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The other danger is not knowing the value of your work or the credentials of anyone you may end up dealing with. However, if this kind of networking is done in conjunction with more traditional approaches, it can potentially add the spice of chance and serendipity to who might contact you, impressed with your work.
  If you use a blog to promote your work, be aware of the impression comments and chatter can create. Lots of in-jokes between friends can leave someone looking at your work from a professional perspective cold and unimpressed. In short, think about your target audience, not just about yourself.
  The 'death of print', although much talked about, is much like any other prophecy – inaccurate, if not outright nonsense. Years ago, the paperless office was hailed as the way forward, but the amount of paperwork that pours through the door daily and is generated by printing hard copies means there is probably more, not less, paper in the office than ever before. If you go to see a client for that precious face-to-face meeting where you are given the opportunity to show your work and talk about it, you need something to leave behind.
  It needs to be something that holds the client's attention and represents exactly what you do. If you can afford full-colour printing on both sides of a card, I'd suggest one full-size image on one side with two or three smaller ones on the reverse. It depends on the images, but there is no point squeezing in too many if you can't see much at such a reduced scale. A certain amount of 'flavour' can be conveyed, though, and this can be enough to draw the intrigued towards your website for a proper browse through your portfolio.
  Sometimes, adding some brief text is beneficial. If you can convey fairly concisely what it is you do, and why you do it that way, in an interesting manner, it's a bonus. A brief client list is also useful. Whatever text you decide to put on your card, make sure it's well designed. This will ensure that a lot of information can be included, and that the card will still feel spacious and uncluttered. A poorly designed card can seriously undermine your work. Presentation is everything to those in the business of presentation.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reverse the sentences.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Presentation is everything to those in the business of presentation.. A poorly designed card can seriously undermine your work. This will ensure that a lot of information can be included, and that the card will still feel spacious and uncluttered. Whatever text you decide to put on your card, make sure it's well designed. A brief client list is also useful. If you can convey fairly concisely what it is you do, and why you do it that way, in an interesting manner, it's a bonus.
  Sometimes, adding some brief text is beneficial. A certain amount of 'flavour' can be conveyed, though, and this can be enough to draw the intrigued towards your website for a proper browse through your portfolio. It depends on the images, but there is no point squeezing in too many if you can't see much at such a reduced scale. If you can afford full-colour printing on both sides of a card, I'd suggest one full-size image on one side with two or three smaller ones on the reverse.
  It needs to be something that holds the client's attention and represents exactly what you do. If you go to see a client for that precious face-to-face meeting where you are given the opportunity to show your work and talk about it, you need something to leave behind. Years ago, the paperless office was hailed as the way forward, but the amount of paperwork that pours through the door daily and is generated by printing hard copies means there is probably more, not less, paper in the office than ever before.
  The 'death of print', although much talked about, is much like any other prophecy – inaccurate, if not outright nonsense. In short, think about your target audience, not just about yourself. Lots of in-jokes between friends can leave someone looking at your work from a professional perspective cold and unimpressed.
  If you use a blog to promote your work, be aware of the impression comments and chatter can create. However, if this kind of networking is done in conjunction with more traditional approaches, it can potentially add the spice of chance and serendipity to who might contact you, impressed with your work.The other danger is not knowing the value of your work or the credentials of anyone you may end up dealing with
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the last paragraph
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.