The Illustration Forum is a conference-type series that SCAD Atlanta heads up every year that invites respected illustrators to come from around the country and sometimes the world to teach a few of their discoveries in their own careers with students and newly budding illustrators soon to be in the field. Often, these illustrators will have an evening of lecturing that will challenge and educate, following up with some demos and practical lessons in their own processes. This year, we had a 2-part series starting with illustrator Teagan White, who came in mid-April, and ending with Wylie Beckert, Tommy Arnold and Micah Epstein last week. So much of what was said in this Forum that left a mark and really, set a fire. The cool thing was that each of them were so approachable, so generous with knowledge and experience. I would like to share some of the key things I learned. Whether you are graduating (like me) and trying to figure out where to go and what to do next or you still have some time in your training, these keys will help you refine your specific goals and start pursuing the steps to the career that you will love. And, even if you are not an illustrator, you can glean some wisdom that carries into any career choice. Enjoy.
1. Make your own creative community
…and fill it with people who will challenge you, tell you the truth and be a support to you when you need it.
Peers – Having other creatives around you – especially those who are dedicated to their craft and going after the big things – is so important in your growth as a creative. Their greatness also tends to inspire and challenge greatness in your own work.
Mentors – Another source of community is choosing a mentor whose work you respect and who you can be of service to. Gleaning knowledge from this respected person will propel your growth. Having regular honest feedback amongst a community that is actively making awesome work lights a fire under you to make your own great work.
Critique & Feedback – Let’s face it, sometimes we are just not the best judge for our own work. Just as it is important to ignore the haters, you’ve sometimes got to ignore those who love your work – as it may stop you from trying to grow (Beckert). These challengers will aid in refining your work into what you really want it to be.
Other possibilities – Teagan White reiterated that because it is easier for you to burn out working alone, there are other ways you can involve a creative community in new ways that make work more fun (not to mention, less heavy). These ventures help your work life have a fun, social side that naturally builds in great feedback and exposure of your work, and the good news is you can start wherever you are.
- Talk to other creatives, get into online community with artists you admire.
- Do collaborative projects
- Gallery openings and art events
- Form a creative collective
- Show work together
- Plan releases together
- Do booths together
- Share studio spaces
- Go to conferences
- Take advantage of being surrounded by so many creatives here (it may never be like this again).
2. Risk is important in ultimately getting to do the work you love
You can work for others doing work without much credit for your efforts; but if you want to do your own work, just know that it just takes a little bit of risk. Though you are not encouraged to quit your job without backup, sometimes it takes just that kind of person to risk it all to gain a most valuable direction in their work. The key comes down to having a plan and knowing what you want. Some will excel in a structured environment working under someone with good direction, while others will flourish when they branch out with their own vision. Just remember, you are not god, so you’ve got to do the work for your career to add up (Epstein). Another aspect of risk is branching out and finding avenues (which may be more profitable for your work) that may not be the “traditional way” to go (White).
3. Sometimes you’ve got to start over
Sometimes, it’s more productive to take a step back, so that you can take a step forward. Wylie, Micah, and Tommy all shared their various stories of working for so many others, doing things that served their projects, while having no projects of value of their own. At some point, each one of them took a leap to get focused on their work and made the investment into their craft. Another thing pointed out over the weekend is the importance of deciding and sticking with the decision. Tommy Arnold says “The quickest way to get through a forest, you take a straight line. If you continue to make turns, you may never get out.” In other words, if you pick something and finish it out, you can then change directions if it’s not right for you once you have come to a clear turning point. Having a few finished things is better than a ton of unfinished things. A great couple of books suggested to read – 1st: Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else, by Geoff Colvin and next, read: Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise, by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool. This will teach you to approach art in a more scientific way (Arnold).
4. Get to know and decide on the work you want to do
This is really the starting place. Before deciding where to focus your efforts, you need to know the direction you want to go. A few questions will get you started on your way: What kind of work are you wanting to do? Who do you look up to? Whose work inspires you the most? Make a list and visually compare them. Why do you like their work? What do they have in common? Pinterest is a great avenue to evaluate the sum of the artists you love and your creative interests. Do you love whimsical, brilliant colors, beautiful lines and the style of Greece? Do you love Disney movies or can’t get enough of Manga? Why? Maybe take some time to journal a bit. After you identify what kind of work you love, identify what you need to do to move into that direction. Where do you have gaps in skill, knowledge, experience?
5. Make a plan: Identify where to improve and cultivate your own style by mastering the fundamentals
So, you aspire to be a Disney animator, a comics artist, a writer or maybe a book cover artist – Now is a good time to identify what things you need to progress in, to get to these levels? At times, we stop at a style that seems unique, not realizing our style may be pointing to what we need to work on (Beckert). Again, you’ve got to take a step back to take a step forward.
Identify where needs improvement – Parts of your work that are a little less developed – places of insecurity, which may be labeled as your style – if you have a place in your work that needs work, face it. “Many stylize away the things they do not know how to draw.” Show people your work (I know, I know, scary – but necessry) and ask for feedback: what needs to stay, what needs to go and what exactly do you need to work on. Honesty is key here.
Fundamentals – Some specific areas for illustrators and those who draw for a living, Beckert, Epstein and Arnold all mentioned in some way:
- Perspective drawing ability
- Anatomy skills
- Draftsmanship
- Understanding of composition
- Ability to plan out your work in advance
Draw in perspective and draw from reference. Teach yourself – research, listen, learn, glean – train seriously to develop that muscle memory – after all, there are a ton of resources out there (Arnold). “Basically, just render the crap out of everything” (Beckert). Beckert even got a perspective drawing exercise book from the library and made it her job to do the exercises. Once you dedicate real time to bringing your technique up to standard, your work will rapidly improve – it’s about the focus (Epstein).
Other ways to keep growing – Teagan White had some awesome suggestions as well that give opportunities both for networking and for your work to continue to develop.
- Take classes
- Do workshops
- Apply for residencies
6. Now, get to know your process
There are reasons artists have processes – it covers the bases and it helps to make the most out of time without waste. Processes are about the steps you take to complete a work. Many will start a project with some research, sketching and thumb-nailing ideas that are sifted through for best composition and turned into a more refined sketch that then has final rendering added for dimensionality. What does your process look like? Does it breed originality? Do you love watercolor and ink? Do like a little digital or a lot? Does it work for getting the job done to a high quality? Does it need a little experimentation and tweaking? Have fun with it and try to find the process you will most enjoy, while still getting the job done. The key is having a process that works for you (and that does not waste time).
7. The internet is your gallery – only show your best online
Cultivate a very specific online presence; get rid of your work that no longer represents you well (Arnold).
It is super important to have a really good brand presentation, to market yourself (White). And, try not to post too much personal stuff on your professional pages.
Here are a few of the most economical and effective tools:
- Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube
- Behance
- Dribble (graphic design)
- Society 6 and other web stores, like Etsy and In Print
8. Don’t sacrifice your values for money (Teagan White)
You don’t have to work for anyone that directly represents something that you are morally against. You will also be happier doing the things that your conscience drives you to care about. Also, your work has more avenues than traditionally depicted avenues. Branch out a bit to find out the different ways you can earn a living while reserving time for what you take pleasure in. It’s worth it to find ways to be able to do the work you enjoy. So, do some research and find it. Also, if you are absolutely passionate about something, find a way to perhaps do work that will benefit or spread awareness about it. Reaching out to causes and charities to donate designs or giving them portions of proceeds, can be super fulfilling and a way to connect your passions.
9. Have a life – “the best art comes from life experiences.” (Teagan White)
Nuff said. Now, go get a life – your life. Ahem, if you don’t know what that means, try going to a museum, joining a club, going on a hike, read a book, have a conversation, journal. Find out what you enjoy and that will feed you creativity more than nearly anything else.
Life is too short to just drift along hoping to get where you want to go. So, why not make a plan, be a bit more specific about where you want to go and start making decisions that will get you there. Here’s to a summer of unplugging for a bit and getting plugged in to the direction of the life you want.