Workshop One

Editorial Brief

I was really looking forward these editorial workshops. Particularly as after reading about editorial work in Daniel Rees' book, "How to be an Illustrator", and thinking that perhaps it wasn't for me. I thought that this would be an ideal opportunity to see if I could work under tight time constraints whilst still producing an image that I considered publishable, especially being a perfectionist; even though this is a trait I have been actively attempting to shake off in favour of acceptance of my imperfections as a signature of the hand crafted nature of my style of drawing.

The first brief was a challenge for me, it was the first time I have had to do anything like this. My only criticism of the brief would be the vast number of choices available. Whilst this was provocative, in that it made sure that there was something everyone was most likely partial to, it was a bit like having to buy cheese for the first time in a well stocked supermarket where there are about ninety varieties and you have no idea how any of them taste. After reading the articles, whose titles had appealed to me the most, I thumb nailed. At first this was difficult, I felt as though my brain just wasn't up to the task at hand and that I was right after all; editorial work wasn't for me. The funny thing is that once I had this thought, I relaxed a bit and just drew some random, abstract ideas, some were silly and some were most definitely far fetched. After filling a page with these, I found that one or two of the ideas were rather appealing even if a little daft and I took them to consult with the art directors, Dolores and Georgina, my tutors. I chose to do "How viral cat videos are warming up the planet", because I found the title amusing and the content of the article fascinating; being an ethical and ecologically minded soul. 

Thumb nails

Following the discussion with Georgina, two ideas were agreed on and I drew up roughs of them both. After a second consultation the final illustration was selected and drawn again as the final outcome. The decision I had to make was about the final production and I decided that I would print and process as I had my previous illustrations to get the desired effect I was looking for. The downside of this being the timeframe as it is a six-stage process. Was there any stage I would be able to skimp on or emulate in a different way? After some thought, I realised there were a couple of things I could try; risky given that it may not actually work and I would then have to do it the usual way, adding more time to the whole thing...fortunately the corners I cut worked out and I was able to finish it to the standard I wanted.

Rough

Rough

That said, the following morning when I looked at the image with fresh eyes, I noticed that; in my hurry to finish on time; I had made a right mess of the composition!! Oh no! What could I do!? Straight into college and find Mark, the print technician, who, I must say, has an excellent eye for this kind of thing. And yes it was salvageable; in fact it wasn't half as bad as I had thought in my mild panic. But it did set me back a couple of hours. It all came right in the end and my final image was submitted on time. I was happy and so were the "clients".

First Gum Arabic Print (in reverse)

Amended drawing

It was also rewarding to see everyone else's work and to have the opportunity to review their work anonymously and to receive feedback too.

How Viral Cats are Warming Up the Planet by Kitty Skye (2015) Final Outcome

What would I do differently next time? Take a time out, have a cup of tea, then go back and check that the final drawing is perfectly balanced before commencing the rest of the process!

I am delighted to say that this workshop built confidence in me, and I think that I am ready to attempt another editorial piece and see if I can succeed again.