"Magic at the Museum" shortlisted for Manitoba Book Awards

I have some very exciting news to share!

My children's book Magic at the Museum  was shortlisted for "Best Illustrated Book of the Year (2008)" in the Manitoba Book Awards. The final ceremony will be on April 25 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and it will be hosted by CBC broadcaster Shelagh Rogers. My Mom will represent me at the awards as I am still studying in London (UK).

I worked very hard to make the illustrations as true to the Courtauld Gallery and its paintings as possible, but also impart a sense of magic and imagination. It was an exciting challenge, especially since it was my first attempt at illustrating a children's book.

I am so excited to be nominated that it doesn't even matter to me whether or not I win. It is affirmation enough for my first  book to be recognized in this way.

Life as a Freelance Illustrator

Yesterday evening the University of the Arts hosted a seminar about "life as a freelance illustrator." The speakers, Becky Brown, Andrew Clark, and Benjamin Cox, illuminated the various aspects of working as an freelance illustrator.

As a freelance illustrator you are not just an artist, you are also: a book keeper, an accountant, marketer (PR), lawyer, courier and IT manager. These are all essential roles in maintaining your business, and it pays to stay organized and professional in your approach to each one.

Accounts:
Keep up to date accounts. Keep your receipts and all paperwork. If you register as self-employed, you can use those receipts against your tax return, even if you've not made any money. Get a separate bank account, so that if you are audited the Inland Revenue won't need to look through all your personal transactions as well.

Agents:
Agents rarely take illustrators who have just graduated from college. They want to see a track record of publications to prove that you've been well received, and that you can complete briefs in a professional way.

It is an unregulated industry. In theory, anyone could set up an agency regardless of whether or not they are scrupulous. Be very careful, ask for references and background checks unless you know from reputation that an agent is good.

Read all your contracts carefully. This includes your contract with the agent, as well as any work contracts that come through the agent. Just because you have a representative is no excuse for ignorance.

Before you sign on with an agent, keep in mind that they take an average of 30% of your pay.

Never sign an exclusivity contract with an agent.

If in doubt, check the Society of Artists Agents.

Self Promotion:
You must have a web presence. This can be a very simple online portfolio, a blog, or a full-blown website. Make sure it is up-to-date. Make sure your home page is a statement page, because busy art directors may only take the time for a quick glance at that one page.

When sending cold-emails or cold-"regular" mail to art editors make sure you have the right name and job title. If you buy into a mailing list, make sure to double-check the names because they're not always current. Ask how they want to receive submissions and comply with their guidelines.

An example of an cold-email might be:

Dear ......... (make sure the name is spelled right)
I hope this email finds you well.
I am a London based freelance illustrator available for commission.
My website address is: www.mywebsite.com
If this interests you, I have a full (40 page) portfolio which is viewable by request.
(attach one low-res image)

The law of averages states that if you get more that 20% response you are doing extremely well. Pat yourself on the back.

Produce postcards that speak loudly of your personal style and send them to all the art directors. Every art direction office has a pin-board, and your card will most likely go up. Even though you may not get an immediate commission, the chances are they will notice you in the future and give you a call.

Be inventive. Have fun. Your website and mail-outs should reflect your personal style and speak for you when you're not present.

Portfolio Presentation:
Research each client, and include 2-3 pieces that reflect their direct needs. For example, if you're submitting to a gardening magazine, have a few pieces featuring plants or gardens. If a client uses a wider variety of subject matter (like a newspaper), include more variety in your portfolio.

If you're focused on one genre, such as children's books, demonstrate your variety within that field. Include different subjects, different media and black and white work.

Don't put any life drawing or sketchbooks in. It is understood that you can demonstrate classical skill, the editors would rather see relevant application of that skill.

For an editorial portfolio (newspapers and magazines) you might want to include: people/portraits, typography, buildings and landscapes, common objects, pattern, characters, jokes, and food. Don't make the illustrations too intricate because you want to make sure you can produce them within one or two days. The lead times for newspapers could even be as quick as a few hours.

You want your portfolio to be able to say: This is who I am, this is my style, this is how you can use me.

The Economic State of the Industry:
Benjamin Cox, of CIA (Central Illustration Agency), re-assured the audience that he has noticed absolutely no slowdown in commissions in the last year. On the contrary, customers seem to prefer hand-made illustrations (watercolour, collage, etc) over flashy graphic design as it gives a more re-assuring message to consumers.

And....Finally. If you demonstrate professionalism and respect for your own work, clients will treat you with the same respect.

Make sure you check out the Association of Illustrators website for up-to-date information about the industry, agents, pricing and news.

Medieval Ivories and Works of Art in the Thomas Collection

I received my copy of "Medieval Ivories and Works of Art in the Thomas Collection" this week. It is co-written by my wonderful Courtauld tutor, John Lowden. He commissioned me to do an illustration representing the anatomy of an elephant tusk and skull and how ivory sculptures were harvested from the tusks. In his opinion, it was to be 'the definitive representation of how ivories were carved from tusks.'

This illustration sums up why I love my craft. Though I had helped John Lowden research some of these ivories whilst studying with him, I realized that I had no practical knowledge of how the anatomical structure of a tusk worked. I called the Grant Museum of Zoology and asked for their advice. They humored me and my ignorant queries generously and sent a diagram of the Elephantidae skeletal system.

As an illustrator, one never knows what one is going to learn next!

It was a difficult and involved commission, but it turned out wonderfully. The book is beautiful. It is full of colour photographs of the statues and objects, and even has several pull-out sections of ivory diptychs. Stunning. I am so happy to have been a part of the project.

These ivories resided in the Courtauld Institute in London for many years, but they were actually owned by the Canadian collector Ken Thomson. He decided that they should be relocated to and exhibited in the Art Gallery of Ontario. Thus the book was born. The irony is that they should find a Canadian illustrator to illustrate Canadian ivories which were both residing in Britain at the time. Talk about synchronicity!

Designing a creative CV

Writing a successful CV for the creative industries is different from most other industries. A well-designed CV is the first impression a future employer will get of you, your style, and your methods of working. It is your first opportunity to market yourself.

This blog post is not about the content of your CV, as there are a plethora of internet articles about what to include (personal details, education, work experience, hobbies, references, power words, etc). Rather, this article is about creative design and how to tailor your CV to your own particular style.

Branding is one of the strongest propaganda and marketing tools available. A well branded CV is the first taste of your style an employer will receive, and you need to convince him or her that seeing the rest of your portfolio would be worthwhile. A branded CV creates an image of value.

How to design your CV

There is no universal blueprint for how to design your CV, as it must be very personal to your industry, your skills and your goals. However, a successful CV will always have the following qualities:

• has visual impact to attract employers attention
• reflects your personality and strengths
• fits the industry, organization, and job requirements your are targeting
• demonstrates that you have the required skills

Employers in different industries will be looking for different types of presentation and content. You may need to change the content of your CV for every job you apply to, as it is important to design your CV with a specific employer in mind.

Layout and Design

The layout of your CV is as important as the contents in the creative world. If it doesn't grab your potential employers attention immediately, it may not be read at all. You are telling a visual story of why an employer should hire you and giving them a first glimpse of your portfolio. Pull out the stops and use all your talents!

Type:

You should use layout and typography to make sure the contents are easy to follow and lead the reader's eyes directly to the most important points. To do this you can play with size of type, colour of type and spacing. Be consistent with your font styling. If certain headings or skills are emphasized in bold, for example, the reader will expect all important things to be consistently highlighted.

Images:

You may want to highlight your creativity and innovation by including images in the design of your CV. If you integrate them well, they will make your CV stand out and instantly show the employer your skill and abilities. If you do this, you need to ensure the visuals compliment the overall look of the CV.

Length:

Your CV shouldn't be more than two pages. If it is, make sure it is only one page double-sided and that you put the most important information on the first page. Place the various sections in an order that will highlight your strengths.

Make sure it photocopies well, and is easy to email.

Examples of creative CVs

To see examples of award winning CV design, click

here.

Venice and Florence

VENICE

FLORENCE

How to do a radio interview for artists

This morning I had my first radio interview at CHSM1250 and MIX96.7 in Steinbach to promote my book signing and reading of Magic at the Museum tomorrow evening at the Jake Epp Library. These stations cover most of South-Eastern Manitoba and it was the morning show, which meant that hundreds of commuters would be listening is as they drove to work. I was incredibly nervous, but it ended up being more fun than I anticipated (and now I can't wait to do it again!).

A radio interview is like a conversation, but with legions of invisible people listening in. This is simultaneously comforting and unnerving; while you are recording it feels like there are only two people present, but rationally you know that there are many more silent participants in the exchange.

Interviews are excellent way of communicating your message or information about your products to the media. Marketing essentially means making people aware that a product exists and communicating its value and uniqueness to customers. The problem with promoting art over the radio is (obviously) that radio is an aural experience while art is visual. The best way to overcome this limitation is to paint word pictures to describe your work and use illustrative examples in your conversation. You want people to be able to visualize what you are talking about as they drive to work.

The interviewers Michelle Sawatzky and Corny Rempel made me feel immediately comfortable, so my nerves passed very quickly. However, no matter how comfortable you feel, it is still good to have a few guidelines to follow:

1. Have your talking points in front of you, concentrate on getting them across.

2. If it is live, find out how long it will be and how many commercial breaks or songs there are. Commercial breaks are great for planning the topics of the next segment with the interviewer.

3. Find out what kind of audience the show attracts, and pitch yourself appropriately.

4. Avoid talking fast (or too slow), and avoid saying too many ‘aahs’, ‘umms’ and ‘like, you-knows’. Avoid jargon. Annunciate, annunciate, annunciate.

5. Keep your voice even, warm and animated, you want the listeners to like you.

6. Radio stations are always on the lookout for good sound-bytes. See if you can record a promotional for the station saying something like, “Hi, I’m author Jane Heinrichs. Thanks for supporting the arts and listening to MIX96.7.” That way your name will frequently be heard, and you are also advertising the station. It is a win-win situation.

7. Always say thank-you to your host on air, and use his or her name.

8. Keep answers brief, but interesting. You don’t want your host going overtime.

9. Good interviews take practice, the best way to improve is through experience.

10. Send the producer or host a thank-you note afterwards.

Next time I would like to do a phone-in competition or giveaway to up viewer participation. Perhaps my next opportunity will be next summer when we do an official book launch at McNally Robinson Grant Park as well as several school visits and events.

Download the Podcast

HERE

Book Signing at Chapters St Vital

I hosted my first Winnipeg book signing at Chapters St Vital a week ago. It was the last Saturday before Christmas, and the mall was buzzing with eager (and stressed) shoppers. My table was set up in the middle of Chapters at the junction where the roads to the parking lot, the mall and Starbucks merge; all roads led to Magic at the Museum.

I started out very nervous, in fact, I wanted to run as far away as possible (perhaps to Plum Coulee) and never come back. The excitement in the mall was infectious, and very soon I was comfortable and enjoying the rhythmic buzz of the crowd.

Roman Pottery Profiles (North Africa)

I mailed a disc of 250 (ish) jpegs to Toronto today. Each illustration is a profile of a roman pot from Leptis Minus in North Africa. Here you see two of the more complete amphorae. The other 248 were varying sizes from complete pieces to itty-bitty sherds.

I had a misunderstanding with one of our tutors yesterday at college. She told me that my drawings were too exacting, too accurate; they needed to be looser and more scribbly. I understand her opinion, but when I told her my background (and the need for swift accuracy) she looked nonplussed. I cannot help that the instinct for accuracy leaks in to my creative work.

These pottery illustrations should be published in 2009 in a monograph covering all aspects of Leptis Minus. I have been working for a long time on illustrations for this book: building reconstructions, statuary, small finds, and pottery (...of course, pottery).

When I went to Lamta (modern-day Leptis Minus) this summer one of the dig directors said to me, "I've been warned about you. They told me you don't like drawing pottery profiles." I laughed. She added quietly, "I can't blame you." Handling pottery sherds certainly isn't my favourite: they have an odd, sand-papery texture; they are dusty; they break my fingernails; and they are little abstract pieces of broken pots. All I usually have to work with is a minuscule rim sherd, from which I have to reconstruct as complete a profile as possible.

Drawing the profile is a non-intuitive process. First you visualize a cross section of the rim in your hand and draw it. Then you measure the curvature of the rim to determine the diameter of the pot. Once you have the measurements, you reflect the cross section on to the opposite side and draw the outer markings. Some people work with a curve comb or plasticine to form a mold of the pot to trace. I find it much easier to quickly measure with my eye, and then draw as accurately as I can on the first try. Once you've drawn several hundred pots you develop an instinct for the rim shapes. The profile pictured above was just a rim, nothing else was left of the pot.

I don't underestimate the significance of these illustrations, as the specifics of roman pottery (where and how they were made, and in what style) can tell a lot about the culture and economics of a region.

If I have to draw pot profiles, I much prefer ARS (african red slip, to those of you who are sniggering). They have a silky smooth texture (no rough hands and broken nails) and they are often decorated with appliqué or incised patterns. Very beautiful.

I'll post an ARS or two for comparison in a day or two.