georgearnoldblog-blog

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Self Promotional Emails

Myself and a group of fellow students created two emails, one introductory and one follow up. I felt the first email was a success as it suggested a friendly and competent, yet brief and to the point approach. It had a clear link to the portfolio too.

Some of our peers felt that some of the terminology was perhaps a bit aggressive however, such as “professionally trained illustrator”, which I will keep in mind!

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Website

As an artist, it is useful to have a portfolio website with contact information. A good website design is vital to show you are a competent designer.

Here is my website:

https://georgejarnold.wixsite.com/georgearnold

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Self Promotion

Today we learned some good tips about self promotion. Chiefly that the packaging in which ones work is sent to publishers and art directors should be attractive in itself.

All the relevant contact information and social media should be included as well as copies of portfolio pieces.

We discussed what we would send to Professor Phil Cleaver as a self promotional piece, and I thought of doing either a short comic strip or some illustrations showing my interest in drawing the architecture and clothing of various civilisations past and present.

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Alex Foster Lecture

MDX Graduate Alex Foster gave us a talk about his experience working as an illustrator. He advised us on how to use google ads effectively as the costs involved can spiral out of control if the search terms you apply to are too broad. The advertising should be targeted.

He also noted how one can get ‘typecast’ and only get similar gigs, in his case illustrated maps. He also stressed the importance of finding a good established agency if one is so inclined to use an agent.

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MAs

Whilst one should not do an MA to delay entering “the real world”, it can give one some artistic purpose and the time to continue to develop their practice. It is not necessary to begin one straight away after graduation.

It will provide access to industry contacts which will most likely prove to be useful as it is difficult to get that sort of exposure to publishers without a contact such as Mr. Ursell who they will trust.

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COLLECTIVES

If one is struggling to get work, or simply wants to make their career less solitary, they can band together with fellow artists to form a collective that will promote its members, share assignments, and collaborate on projects that may yield future comissions.

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AGENTS- GOOD AND BAD PRACTICE

One may need an agent if they are struggling to attract clients alone. However if one already has a successful independent flow of clientele it would not make sense to sign up to an agency as they charge comission and some bad agents will charge the clientele seperate fees reducing your income.

It is not easy to be represented as a graduate as agencies often look for illustrators with more experience working freelance before they will consider signing them. 

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TAX, INVOICING, MONEY

Everyone needs a tax code. As a student you will have your own tax code and pay tax on any earnings over 11,501:00. This figure is your personal allowance, you do not have to pay tax on it. As a freelancer you are registered as a “Sole Trader” unless you are making enough money to be registered as “Limited Company.” 

The tax year runs from April 5th to April 6th the following year. The very latest that you can register with HMRC is at the end of the tax year during which you became self-employed.

When doing freelance work one will need an invoice. Below is one I created with Ishaa.

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First Hand In

TITLE: Examining the depiction of English identity and society in caricatures made during the later reign of George III.

STATEMENT OF INTENT: I will be exploring the artistic techniques used by the likes of Gillray, Rowlandson and Cruikshank and anonymous caricaturists from the later reign of George III until around the time of the Peterloo massacre and the first Publication of Punch magazine. I will in particular focus on the development of a modern English identity in the context of the American and French revolutions in the print medium, and the birth of John Bull as a representation of England. I will also focus on political and class divisions in English society as depicted in these prints, spurred by the industrial revolution and the revolutions in America and France, and how that also informed English identity in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. I will also focus on the depiction of domestic events such as the Peterloo massacre and how those prints may have contributed to the evolution of English society after that tragedy. I will primarily be using the texts of George and Donald as resources but also various academic articles and works from the British Museum’s extensive collection and research.