Concertina Development

Here are some tests of colours and layouts for my mini concertina design I plan to take to Hanbury. I want to create a mini book as more of a limited edition sort of business card which shows the kind of themes I enjoy working with - including narrative and cultural details.

LinkedIn Profile

I made a linkedin profile! So far, I am just getting used to how everything works and the best way to present myself by adding my work experience, etc. Eventually, I will use this platform to post the things I am working on (much like instagram) and contact people I would like to work with.

Francesca Sanna Interview

1. What is your favourite type of brief to work on? 

(Any particular topics/themes you like working with?)

It is very difficult to find a "type". Anything I feel a connection with, anything I know I can bring into my world (if not entirely at least some elements of it). 

Of course there are themes I immediately feel connected and interested with, like anything that has to do with diversity, feminism, storytelling in general.

2. I am particularly interested in your book 'The Journey', it's so beautiful! What was your process for coming up with ideas? 

What research did you do?

The research behind The Journey was a long process. I spent sometime listening to stories of people from different countries that had undertaken very difficult journeys. 

I also did some research on historical document of Italian immigrants in America, for instance, and on current newspaper and social journals, because I wanted to think about the topic in a more "universa" way, rather than just focus on a particular experience. 

3. Do you think images can be just as important as words when telling a narrative?

Absolutely, and even more interesting is the relationship between text and images in a visual narrative. Playing with this you can show different points of view in a single page, or underline metaphorical aspects of the story. 

4. How do you find a balance between personal and professional projects?

This is a great question. Many of the projects I started as "personal" found a "commercial" use after I made them. On the other hand even with a brief that has nothing personal I always try to put something from my "experience" or from "my obsessions", something I like or I can relate to. And when I don't feel very connected with a project I am working on, I usually try to start with a much more personal one, that I keep on a side.

5. Where did you grow up in Italy? And do you think this influenced your work in any way? 

(I have worked in Bergamo and Desenzano and have a soft spot for Italian culture)

I grew up in Cagliari, Sardinia. The window in my bedroom was directly in front of the sea, I used to follow the ferries as they entered in the harbour as one of my main hobby when I was a child! 

Of course growing up on a (quite big) island influenced many aspects of who I am, included my work. The sea is a very important element in my illustrations and my stories, and its dual aspect – the fact that it can be a very positive but also a very scary, dangerous element, always fascinates me. 

6. Is there any advice you would give to someone just starting out in the industry? (Like me) and are there any people you can recommend that I talk to? (About how the industry works, etc.)

Maybe the main one is to share your experience with other people that do the same job, or that have similar professions. Friends and colleagues for me are the main source of help during very stressful periods of time. 

I think that if you are interested in picture books a very different point of view could be the one of a publisher, or someone who has more an overview on how "the market" works. 

I always find interesting to hear that side of the process of making and selling books, so I would suggest you to look for these kinds of insights.

Concertina Ideas

I have started to think about what I can take with me to the Hanbury Hall event. I want to produce something small (business card like), so people can put them in their bags - but a bit more special and interactive. At the moment I am thinking about making mini concertina books to hand out, which include my details and contact information.

Christmas Task

Potential Questions for Hanbury Hall

• What do you look for in a portfolio?
• What advice would you give to someone wanting to work in the creative industries?
• Do you think it's important to treat our practice like a business when going freelance?
• Would you recommend trying to get an agent right away?
• What can an agent provide? - Pros and cons.
• What do you look for when hiring an illustrator?
• Do you go back to the same illustrators once you have worked with them?
• Is an online presence important? If so, why?
• Do you think that social media can stifle creativity?
• Should illustrators follow 'trends'?
• Are trends counter-productive?
• Do you let illustrators take creative control over their work?

Ollie Averill Interview

I contacted Ollie Averill, as I really admire his work on instagram - he kindly confirmed permission to put his answers on my blog.

1. What is your favourite type of brief to work on? 

(Any particular topics/themes you like working with?)

I love working on Briefs that allow a little bit of freedom and creativity. At the moment my agent is helping me fill gaps in my portfolio, so they’re sending a lot of fun simple projects. For example, they’re getting me to do a lot of illustrated scenes which you’d see in a children’s book or an illustrated map. I find these projects really fun because they allow your imagination to run wild. 

2. How do you like to research?

I like to have quite a bit of written text out in front of me, so I can highlight specific scenes, sentences or words that really help with coming up with ideas. I also like to write notes in my sketchbooks, but my sketchbooks are mostly made up of really bad thumbnail images. Sometimes if I'm lucky I have the composition I want within 2-3 thumbnails. 

3. Do you think images can be just as important as words when telling a narrative?

For me images are just as important. You can have wordless narratives that tell amazing stories just with images, just as much as novels can without images. But in picture books I love my images to have a lot of energy and have a lot to look at. Images can show pace within a narrative and clearly tell the story on their own sometimes. 

4. How do you find a balance between personal and professional projects? Do they link into one another?

For a long time I have only been working on personal projects. I left uni unsure and unhappy about my style and took the decision to start over. Only recently I have been working on briefs from my agency so that’s all I've been working on lately. But if you are getting professional briefs, I’d concentrate on doing the best you can do on that brief and work on personal projects after to enhance your portfolio and whatever field of illustration you want to be in. Also make sure to keep doing editorial illustration along side as it is an easier route to get into. That’s something I wish I did a lot earlier.

5. How does your background influence your work?

I’m fairly new to the way I work. I use to be so stubborn and would never stray too far from a pencil. It wasn't until early third year of university while researching illustrators that I found a way I wanted to work. I loved illustrators with an innocent style, full of colour, textures and mark making. (Look up Marc Martin/Laura Carlin.) I just fell in love with it. But found it hard because I was so use to precision and detail. So yeah I guess I'm still very new to this way of working and picture books. It was never something I wanted to do until my later years at university. 6. Is there any advice you would give to someone just starting out in the industry? (Like me) and are there any people you can recommend that I talk to? (About how the industry works, etc.)
I’m also starting out in the industry and I still find myself asking questions, but they’re now directed at my agent. But before that I would email successful illustrators/publishers and when I was looking for an agency I would also email them for advice, but not all have the time to give out advice. If you are looking for an agent, then I would look up all of their websites and all of them will have a submission email on their contact page. I also found a former Art Director not long a go who gave me amazing advice. LinkedIn is perfect for trying to find contacts who might be able to give you some insight. 

also..

Are there any local events you go to or recommend that I go to?

I don’t go to many events sadly, I really really should. I went to the London illustration fair last week which was brilliant. I’ll definitely be going to more. If you join the Association of Illustrators, they’ll keep you informed of different fairs that you could attend. I will be researching and going to more in the near future because as an illustrator, it is more that just being sat at your desk, you have to be in amongst it. You need to be in those places and be involved. Be at the awards and the illustration fairs. Having a presence is so important. This is something I have recently just learned my self. 

I hope I answered all your questions well and I was able to be a little helpful? 

I’d also like to say that your work is great, and that I don’t thing you’ll have many problems with getting into the industry or getting an agent. You seem really love what you do and are determined. Hard work will make it happen! Good luck with your career, you’ll do fine!   :)

All the best

Oliver