Francess Moffatt

In this lecture we were introduced to another successful local illustrator named Frances Moffatt, who specialises in fashion.

Frances Moffatt studied BA Hons Fashion Marketing and worked with assistant accessories design at Luella, received a PGCE and studied an MA in future design illustration. She realised she was more interested in fashion illustration in her final year of studying, which I think is quite inspirational as it assures us as students that it is okay not to know what we want to specialise in immediately. 

found here

She created this image 'Sunglasses girl' and included it within her MA portfolio where it was selected by New Talent and given national recognition, which was a huge turning point for her as an illustrator.

She then set her own website up, sending her work to book publishers, greetings card publishers (who were working for Marks and Spencers) and different magazines.

One of the publishers she had contacted was Batsford publishers, "a leading publisher in the areas of fashion, design and illustration, practical art, textile art, heritage and chess." 

They approached her roughly 18 months after she had sent her promotional mail out to them, showing us that we should not lose heart when contacting agencies.

She began to grow more interested in childrens fashion illustration and greetings cards, looking into these areas with more detail. 

Frances created many commission pieces whilst finding her feet in the industry, 35% of which went to the company she worked for for each: The Bright Agency, which is a company specialising in childrens illustration. This was a big stepping stone as it enabled her to become known in this area of the field and develop her confidence working on childrens fashion illustrations. 

She created some childrens sticker books which she claimed was hard work as it involved a lot of time and correcting. Her first published pieces appeared in Go-Girl Magazine (a magazine for young girls). 

Frances Moffatt uses the technique/process of creating her studies using pencil and ink, and then further editing her studies using Photoshop. I quite admire that the artist combines both traditional and nontraditional techniques to create her work, and it gives them quite a tidy and professional look as well as keeping the quirky feeling of them alive. As an artist, she prefers to be working with people rather than at home alone. 

Here is her working progress in order: 

• Picture research
• Pencil sketch
• Draft layout in Photoshop
• Awaiting approval
• Ink in, create layout and tidy up in Photoshop
• Submit work as PDF file

found here

She stated that being a student did mean that she had more time to put into her work. Frances also explained to us that it is hard to get work agreed upon as all agencies want different things, so it can take a lot of time before final images are reached. The process therefore requires patience and determination. 

Another company she was approached by was Paperlink Greetings Cards who create stunning occasion cards, however she disagreed with what they wanted and left them. It was then that she was approached by Batsford, who actually had already a specific project in mind for her. This was a childrens exercise book based on fashion illustration.   

her book

She used the same timely working process as described earlier to create this book, and it was the first project she really enjoyed. She found it a struggle to complete it because of the issue with time and money, but it was a huge success in the end. She had to take accurate measurements for the book and used typography by tracing over font in this product. 

Batsford Interview with Frances Moffatt. Frances exclaims that this company were a pleasure to work with. 

She holds stock lists with companies such as V & A, National Portrait Gallery, Tate, Baltic, Amazon, Waterstones, TK Max and Oliver Bonas. 

Frances Moffatt is currently teaching to earn her money. 

The whole journey she has been on up to now she feels as though has given her freedom in the creative industry. I found this lecture to be very inspiring. I strongly admire the work of this artist and as well as this I have took influence from knowing she did not always know which path to take on her way, but has found great success in the field and loves her job. I found her optimism very influential and have also took on board more ideas for potential careers for myself in the future. 

The pitch

Before we were given this lecture, we were asked to research the one of the individual printing techniques that are available to us to perform with as illustrators. We were to chose from the list of techniques which was given to us:

• Risograph
• Letterpress
• Screenprinting
• Etching
• Lithograph
• Anything else of our choice

We were asked to research the process of the technique as well as the ways it is used, the companies which specialise in this method, the cost of it and how other illustrators and designers use it. 

I had chosen to research the Etching technique, and had to prepare myself for later giving a pitch on this subject, with an aim to sell this technique to my peers and convince them that this was the best technique available to use. 

I found most of my research for Etching here.

What I discovered

The process:

When gathering my research on etching using the above site, I learned about both the original method and process for etching as well as the modern day techniques used. Throughout the original process, a metal plate was covered with a waxy drawing surface which is unreactive with acid. The study of the artists choice was then scratched into the ground (waxy surface) with a needle, exposing the metal beneath. A tool used throughout this process was an 'Echoppe' which was used to swell the lines and create different effects. The plate is then washed with acid, dissolving some of the metal and leaving in its place the original lines sunk into the plate. The remaining elements of the ground are then also cleaned away. The plate is then cleaned all over and wiped thoroughly, leaving ink behind in only the engraved lines of the drawing. The plate is then taken through the printing process with wet paper, which when pressed against the plate picks up the ink from inside the lines and makes the print appear. The use of the metal plate is of a high advantage to the artist who can then continue using it to create identical prints countless times before the metal is worn out. 

The process of etching is regarded as a form of monoprinting and can also be combined with the technique of engraving and aquatint. The method overall varies and there are many different techniques that can be used when etching. For example in our print room at university, we complete the process very similarly to that of the original, however we use more modern materials and the process has developed greatly over time. We are fortunate enough to have cheaper, safer and more efficient ways of creating etchings. 

Ways it is used:

Etching is used to create varied and detailed prints. It is a very beneficial process because it enables us to create varied lines and patterns. It can be used to capture things like photographs, portraits, detailed drawings or expression.

Companies specialising in that method of printing: 

A company that uses etching is The London Print Studio who also encourage people to join courses at their institute to practice the technique and learn more about it. I couldn't find any specific companies online which use the etching process regularly and sell etchings either alone or amongst other works, however I do not believe that this is actually the case, as the likelihood is there are many incorporations who use the printing technique of etching on a regular basis for their work. 

The cost:

After looking into the different elements of etching such as the materials (1 and 2) etc, I have learned that etching is quite affordable. I did not find an exact price for how much etching costs creators, however the materials are reasonably priced especially for their quality, and knowing we no longer have to use things such as metals and acids makes the expenses much more cost effective. Also, very many art based institutions across the world hold access to etching machines and materials meaning it is obviously not difficult to keep up with the prices of these. 

How illustrators and designers use it: 

Many artists over time and centuries use the etching process for their own individual uses. It has been used for newspapers, advertisements, posters and framed art works. Many artists use it like they would any other form of art, and use it simply to create masterpieces. 

Artist Rembrandt, famously used the technique of etching to create many of his works during the 1600s. I think that his creations are beautifully created and detailed, especially when considering length of time ago they were created. 

Image found here

We can see here that the artist has captured a particular scenario in this piece. I admire how the artist has used darkness and light in this image and also how the detail varies to create this, as well as an interesting composition. We can see how he has used varying lines in this study using the etching process to create bold and intricate marks.

Image found here

Here is an example of how etching can be used to create portraiture pieces. I think this is a stunning image and we can again see how the artist has varied the thickness in his lines. It has an ancient feel to it, however this is interesting because the techniques he has used are still very accessible to this day.

found here

Here is an example of how etching can be used to create landscape pieces. The artist has used different techniques in this piece to give varying textures which I think adds very interesting elements to the study. It also creates an incredible atmosphere and the detail he has managed to capture in this drawing is very inspiring. 

Many artists continue to use the technique of etching to this day. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the lecture where I would have been able to pitch the information above I found when researching the technique of etching. I am hoping that there will be another opportunity to do this or something similar soon as I am aware that it is quite a crucial part of our development as it enables us to prepare for scenarios and situations we may face in our future careers as illustrators, if working for companies that rely on advertising in this way. 

I do also intend to practice etching much more in the future, having very limited experience with the process. I would also like to experiment further with the other printing techniques that are available for us to practice with at university, such as the ones I discussed earlier. I think that it is important to give each one a go and see where this could take me. 

Sean Sims

Recently in our professional studies lectures we had the pleasure of being introduced to a very local Brighton based illustrator and designer named Sean Sims. He himself was a CCAD student between the years of 81-85 which is quite inspirational, as he has gone on to work for big clients such as the guardian. He studied a variety of topics which included design history and illustration, all of which have had a great impact on his work over time. Within his workspace, Sean Sims surrounds himself with ceramic character creatures that he has collected, each are quirky in design and these as well as childrens books, work by Alan Green, motivational quotes and posters from the 40s-60s influence his work and creative drive greatly. He is also influenced by Harry Stevens travel posters, finding their childlike, bold and graphic qualities admirable - and there is quite an obvious link between his and this artists work when you compare them together.

An example of Harry Stevens work found here

An example of Sean Sims work found here

Sean Sims does lots of different kinds of work, ranging from publishing, editorial and newspaper. He also works for a lot of specialist magazines. He regularly illustrates the 'How to' section of People management magazine, although because the work isn't constant but on request, the income and wages he receives are not regular. When illustrating for magazines like this one, he takes extracts from the text and illustrates that one element, because a lot of the time the written work on a whole is difficult to understand. This is how he creates a visual message from the written one.
He uses a quirky, adult kind of style but sees it best to have a couple of styles handy to rely on depending on what kind of approach you are looking for in your work. He often creates montage illustrations and uses what he describes as 'standardised' male and female characters. He takes on each job that comes to him no matter what, and no matter how dull it might appear to be. His work often represents graphic design, if the article he is working for does not ask for much, which he sees as mundane.

Work for the 2012 London olympics found on his site

He advised us to keep an extensive variety of work on our online portfolios, because often companies will seek out illustrators and base their decision of who to use for their project based on what they see there, so it is indeed better to show that you have a variety of ranges and approaches for whatever they might want to use.
Sean Sims prefers to work straight on to the computer rather than a sketchbook, and his choice of software is Illustrator, which he has taught himself to use gradually. He prefers to use this because he would rather his work look 'flat'. When he was trained in illustration, he did not have all of the same advantages as students like myself have today in terms of technology, but since this has developed over time, he has with it, which is a positive for him because as a student of my age he didn't thrive over creating physical pieces and hated using acrylic paint. In spite of this, Sean will occasionally work with pen and ink, but this is before scanning them in and then developing them on Illustrator.
His processes include taking images from google to work from and reference, although if he is working for another, he has to negotiate and keep up conversation with his client. He will also occasionally reuse his old illustrations to further develop for new projects. He enjoys working on character design and will often use limited colour in his studies and also limited shape.
The artist has worked at creating an animation for the yellow pages, which can be downloaded and watched here. Companies like this sometimes give you a colour palette to work from, and if he has freedom on his colour palette he will often harmonise them, as this is his personal preferred way of working.

A clip from his Yellow pages animation, image found here

Some of his work involved adding very simple and small illustrations to accompany pieces of text in newspapers, but of course he more than often has to create very detailed works for companies.
He also often works at creating some childrens activity books where stickers are made, which he finds very enjoyable to do. These can be seen here. And another example of his childrens work:

found here

He finds that different jobs take different amounts of time which can unfortunately but inevitably create difficulties, therefore time management is very important.
Sean Sims has been a greatly successful illustrator, and has worked for and been invited many other big names. Some of these include:

• Fisher Price (USA)
• Marshmallow (childrens publishing)
• Penguin books
• Mothercare
• Sainsburys
• Thomson airlines

His designs have been used for a variety of things, such as lunchbox covers for kids and greetings cards and gift wrap. I found this lecture very inspiring considering this particular artist is very successful and originated from CCAD like myself. I think his work is very nice to look at, and I admire the artists unique, simplistic style and have found some motivation here, as I would like to perhaps have my own work on greetings cards and gift wrap in the future, and to be seen as a familiar designer for children's products. To finish, here are some of his gift cards and wrap designs:

Fruit design found here

'Bon voyage' card design found here

I really like this design, found here

Love is all you need card found here

The Consumer

Recently we learned about the consumer. The consumer is the person who pays to consume the goods that were produced by a particular service. The consumer is an important person involved in the sale because they are the final user of the end product. Within marketing, from beginning to end of product design, everything is aimed at the consumer. As artists, we have to design and create what it is that the consumer desires (or at least advertise it to them in a way that makes them believe it is what they want!) Selling the product to the consumer is becoming more difficult due to designers becoming more and more unique.

Previous agencies I have looked at that are relative to this and aim to create and produce for the consumer are:

• Pearlfisher - focus on food
• Big Active - small audience, focus on music
• Debut Art - western market
• El Roboto
• The Outsiders Gallery

A way to stay successful and keep sales to the consumer up is by getting to know them properly and therefore know who exactly you are aiming your product at.

Who am I?

• What do I buy? I am interested in quirky handmade products made by small, not very popular companies.  I am also interested in books by most genres.
• What demographic am I? I am a part of the young adults who are interested in quirky individual/creative makes. I am also apart of a wide range of different categories in terms of my literature interests, but within the age range of teen/young adult - adult.
• How am I targeted? I am mostly targeted through the internet, because whilst using many different sites including social media, it is easy to be introduced to, or see an advertisement/link to a small sales page that might look inviting. Also pop ups on sites, if I have previously browsed things that are of interest to me over the internet, I can be shown a pop up which will display things to me that I have been known to look at before. This as well as leaflets, posters and advertisements on the television and radio are also a way of targeting me when at home or out and about.
• What sets me apart from the general public? I would not say that anything much made me stand out from others in terms of my personal interests, however most people my age are more interested in things like modern day technology rather than crafts and literature. As a student of a creative industry however, I am more likely to be surrounded by people of a similar interest and am likely to tell others about particular companies.

The market 

The market is a very broad and extensive thing, which is ever changing. This in turn means that the consumer is also ever changing, as new trends come and go, as do consumers. Within the digital world for example, wants and desires change and develop much faster, due to produce constantly updating, meaning everybody wants the latest. Marketing is a way of telling the consumers exactly what they want or need to keep up to date, thus knowing the consumer is highly important, so that advertising produce to an individual ends successfully.
When looking at literature, it is obvious that with this being such a broad and detailed market, the consumer interested must be targeted exactly. The world is constantly changing, and technology is striving further and further forward, meaning that many people do not even wish to purchase the actual book itself, and would prefer to purchase just the words to read on a something like a kindle. There is a massive amount of options available to a reader, not just in terms of age ranges, genres, authors and themes but also in the latest equipment, story CDs, reading for the visual impaired etc. This also in turn means, that there is a massive amount to consider for an author or designer who is ready to put their work out onto the shelves. This site explains just a few of the things that are necessary to consider for an author who wishes to become more known. If you are looking to become more known within this kind of market, you cannot just work with something that you personally are very interested in. It is very important that you research every aspect possible in terms of what is popular today in order for the vaster majority of people to take a keen notice towards you.

Publishing

Recently we have been learning about the importance of publishing in the industry. To this day, the UK book industry export far exceeds the turnover of current/modern TV and technology sales proving that even in today's ever changing world  books are still the most popular and most desired things, for people of all ages.

The UK publishing industry is worth £4.5 billion and they have a mass market including paperbacks. 60% of the industry sales occur within the UK, with best selling fictions and non fictions.

Penguin books are the biggest book company across the world. I have discussed this company a lot in recent posts as it is definitely a very important one to look out for.

Working publishers have a lot to consider when collaborating with authors. They must intrigue those considered and interested in the book and who and what ages the book is aimed at with tone and atmosphere in their designs. They want the potential reader to look at their designed cover of a book and for them to feel intrigued and excited to explore what is within it. Book publishers must read and research the book immediately before getting to work, constantly communicating with the author and find inspiration from them whilst working almost jointly on the project. Communicating with the author is a very important part of designing the book cover, as well as researching the book is, because depending on what lies within the pages, the book might suit different types of publishing. One book might best be suited for an illustrated cover, where another perhaps photography could be used and so on. It might take a million times to get it right and often if you research a favorite book and cover, you will see the developments of the design covers produced by the publisher working on the project.

Small Press are a very interesting and small publishing company. The link to their site displays a list of all of the independent publishers they have working for them. They take hold of a small percentage of the market and therefore have a much more daring production. There is currently a bigger rise in their demand but they withhold an opportunity to be much more productive.

Nobrow is a company that holds a strong platform for graphic design, illustrators and publishers. Here I have again linked to their list of artists, because this gives me an opportunity to browse their work in the future for inspiration. Their website is very interesting to view and this is a great publishing company to look in to because of how many opportunities they hold out to you.

work by John Martz found on the Nobrow site

Gestalten books are each designed individually and uniquely. They do not stick to the same formats for each book and designed also around the author. The books are bought because they are beautiful, and are often purchased simply for decoration purposes because of how beautifully crafted they are - they are very desirable.

Book cover design is massively important because that is what sells the book commercially. The cover of the book inevitably puts that piece of literature into the readers hand, that is what draws them in.

Children's books are very important in the world, and are a very important aspect of book design and illustration to consider. Children's books are bought so often by adults, and so this is an important thing to remember if considering going down this route, because your audience varies because you are aiming to intrigue both the child and the parent, so your designs must look exciting for adults also. There is a growing market for children's books both printed and digital, and the different genres are also important to consider as they are varying: picture books, younger fiction, general fiction, teenage fiction and non fiction. Looking into children's books will benefit me as it holds onto many different aspects of illustration. It is a competitive area also because more often than enough, traditional books for children will become popular again in sales because parents want to purchase books from their own childhood for their children to enjoy. Children's books are therefore aimed at the audience of adults as well as youngsters. Teenagers books are aimed at teenagers for they buy their own as well as adult novels. 

Random House Kids are a large children's book company which have a great amount of publishers working for their team. They often use animals in their artwork because they are good for children to identify with.

Book cover from author Lesley M. M. Blume from Random House Kids

Work by Jean Webster at Random House Kids

Publishing and designing things for journals is to be considered, journals for educational, academic, medical, reference, scientific, technical and professional purposes are all very popular to design for in the field. Editorials are also important things to consider, such as newspapers, periodicals, magazines and small press like zines etc which are very big and would be exciting to work with.

The different areas of publishing include:

•  Editorial
• Design
• Production
• Marketing
• Distrtibution
• Legal
• Administration 

It is important that I research into these different areas and learn more about them. After looking on the internet to find out more about the importance of editorial in the industry, I have found this site which explained that editing is very important in the publishing process because the different areas of publishing including book publishers, advertising, public relation forms and marketing companies each have their own team of editors to work on projects with, as well as proofreaders and quality control specialists. They each contribute greatly towards the publishing process and ensure that the content of the piece is well written, correct in terms of grammar and basically error free. I looked at design next, where I found this site which explained in excellent detail the impact of the designed cover of a book, and the great importance it has. This is because as I discussed previously, it advertises the whole book. The webpage explains that in supermarkets we often see books being displayed so that the cover is being faced towards the potential buyer, the cover is what draws readers in and puts the novel in the readers hands. I found that this site was very helpful in learning more about the marketing in publishing.

I have learned that I am very interested in the idea of publishing and the publishing process. I have learned a lot about it and find it quite fascinating. I like the idea of designing book covers, and the near future I plan to look into the publishers of a favorite magazine of my choice.