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