PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

EMMA TOWERS

the

of

2

3

Why Illustration

Influences

My Process

The Internet

Presentational Devices

Bruce Lee

My Driving Force

CONTENTS

4

Undeniably one of the most exciting worlds to be

professionally involved with, Illustration has so many forms

and functions in our lives and so there’s a lot of visual joy to be

spread. Images have the power to inspire and comfort or excite an onlooker. I want to be someone

who makes the world an even more colourful place.

Working alongside other designers and illustrators

is also very exciting. Seeing other people’s relationship with

their own work inspires me to take pride in my career and

also see how it reflects my own taste. There’s a certain level of self-discovery to be had along

the colourful route of illustration and that makes me want to keep

making.

why Illustration

5

6

7

The bright, colourful world of consumer culture – products, trends, impulse buys – has convinced me to become part of the world of design. I love bright, cheerful products and small, perfectly-formed objects. Since I was young I’ve visited my grandparent’s in japan and I’ve been exposed to the bright shiny toys, stickers and sweets they have over there. With each visit my eyes see something new. I can cycle around, I can follow along the highway that connects the neighbouring towns

influences

and cycle through miles of town and get lost, find the river off a map and follow it back to my granddads house. I can use the train to plonk myself into thicks of crowds, pace through to get into shops, walk round and generally do a lot of staring. I point my camera at visual chaos. I like this impulsive action. There is a part of me that’s collecting the information for future reference but it’s mainly making instant frames that hold their own rhythm – it’s pure snapping..

“Design creates culture. Culture shapes values.

Values determine the future.”

Robert L. Peters

BASQUIATI like the bold and impulsive quality that made his work become abstract and gestural. I like how he’s created pieces of visual noise that communicate the culture he experienced whilst living in New York.

MARTIN PARRBold snap shots and suspended moments. A saturated and slightly acidic colour range, the candid camera, the brashness, the garish, all to communicate an honest and endearing moment of british charm.w

SALVADOR DALIHe designed the Chuppa Chupps logo for the Spanish lollipop company, with a scribble on a napkin. He’s an amazing draftsman and his bold departure from traditional art practices to indulge in the surreal and dream landscapes has always inspired me. His work has a really engaging fluidity and where his career has crossed across the worlds of fashion and art he’s stayed true to his tendancies to orchestrate abstract and the never been seen.

I’ve always been drawn to work by

10

ANDY WARHOLI like his roots in fashion and his illustrations how fine they can be, slightly fleeting marks but they can stand alone and make an impact.

HENRI MATISSEHow his images have movement, his use of striking colours, the commitment of drawing ‘busy’ things.

MARIO TESTINOThe glossy, timelessness of his photographs, simple uncomplicated.

Paul Arden’s book It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be keeps me going.

11

I like minimal design.I like ikea.

I like taking photos.I like cheap ‘n’ cheerful.

I like Wilkinsons.I like simple designs.

I like Marrimeko fabric.I like Ted talks.

I like the Horizon documentary that investigates brain activity

and it’s effect on creativity..

My work functions to be simple, optimistic and colourful.

The journey of image creation can be analysed in these instances:

- where does it stem from- is it appropriate- where is it going

With these parameters I can determine the success of an outcome reviewing these components during my process

and ensure an exciting outcome. Creating can spur energy toward

developing a new skill, inspire a deeper inquiry and indulge curiousity towards

meaningful research and experimenting with different materials. It leads to a well-informed, resolved idea where the tests

allow for happy accidents along the way. During the making I’m consistently

playful with my practice, I hope this translates into my work.

MY PROCESS

12

The nuveaudesigncompetition is aiming to encourage design students to create eye-catching designs that take full advantage of what is possible and feasible in industrial screen printing with environmentally friendly UV inks onto drinking glasses.

2013’s motto:

1st prize Euro 4,0002nd prize Euro 2,0003rd prize Euro 1,000

Details on participation in this year’s competition are available on www.nd-competition.com

Entry Deadline is 31 August 2013 at 24:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST); no entry deadline extensions will be granted.

Winners’ names will be announced on 15 October 2013.

colourful highlights

The winning design will be printed. See last year’s winning designs on www.nd-competition.com/index.php?id=1702

The sponsors of the nuveaudesigncompetition:

Could your design be a

winner?

13

thepower of

the Internet

The internet is a powerful business tool and can become a promotional platform with global reach for anyone who can use it. The progression of the internet means artists can opt to take complete control over the sale of their work and run independently without the need to sell their designs to bigger, already existing establishments on the high street. The internet also carries millions of online portfolios that can be viewed from all over the world. And you can email nearly anyone, through the internet.

So I need to accentuate the positives from this year so far. I have my submission images that I made for Folio Society’s Brave New World competition made during the Negotiated Practice unit. Sometimes it’s difficult to judge the appropriateness of my work, especially

when I’ve been dipping through a diverse range of themes this last year. The professional design world encourages new emerging talent in the design sector with competitions, interesting articles and sharing sources of inspiration with each other. It means they strive to provide opportunities for younger designers to create work by setting up competitions.Asides from providing a live brief competitions are a great way to stay involved in the design world. Looking at previous submissions is also a treat.

For example, Little White Lies, Anorak, Folio Society, Penguin, D&AD, Talenthouse.com, YCN, AOI, Vand A illustration awards all set live briefs that provide windows of opportunity for young designers and artists.

14

CARGO Online portfolio website,for my freshest work and current portfolio.

TUMBLR You can always alter the layout, potential to be another easy to access website

FACEBOOKIt can host albums of photos, it can be informal and document your business ventures. It’s a good way to make your work more accessible because it’s a social network, it has pages for bands and weird groups so you might aswell make a Illustration page.

TWITTERGood way of publicizing steps in your career, can be informal and document your process so your followers can get a little extra insight into your work.

presentational devices

A Good Physical Portfolio

Physical portfolios are a good way to make an impression on clients and enforces a sense of professionalism, especially when posting a portfolio for an interview. It’s a competitive tool that could land you a job.

Promotional Postcards

Business Card, Contact details

Plan Screen Print Technician

it’s difficult to ignore the role of the internet in contemporary illustration practices but more importantly it is addressing the roles for each of these outlets that would increase the value of my professional profile.

15

presentational devices

ISSUU Really useful platform for showcasing your work in a virtual book format.

Instagram Another casual outlet for photos and comments about your creative life.

BLOGSPOT Formal/casual documenting your career advancements with photos, links, writing, videos, issuu booklets sit well on this site.Useful as it’s connected to google.

LINKIN Business and network orientated, a lot of design contacts, a bit like twitter you can folw people you don’t know particularly well, interesting e-mails from linkin in about the design world.

BEHANCE Portfolio and network website full of networking potential specialising in design.

SELLING ONLINE

Big cartel.com max 5 items for sale at one time

for f.r.e.e.

Etsy.comhandmade crafty pieces for shar-

ing a market and selling over-seas.

Facebook.comPages can advertise work for

sale.

Threadless.comsubmit designs for prints and see

them online!

Society6.comsimilar to threadless but more

applications for your design, iphone

16

17

“Art reaches its greatest peak when devoid of self-consciousness. Freedom discovers man the moment he loses concern over what impression he

is making or about to make.” ~Bruce Lee

18

My Driving ForceArt is generally a crazy subject and often it feels like anything goes. I can see it in fashion, I can hear it in music and art is another creative outlet where the sky is the limit.

For instance, if we take an example from another creative force, the White Stripes, as musicians, rely on seemingly basic elements that are combined to make awesome music. Simple drum beats and guitar riffs that accumulate to make something rad. Proof that something doesn’t have to be especially detailed and heavily worked to validate itself as art. It simply has to exist to become art.

Being an illustrator sometimes gives me fish in the ocean syndrome like swimming around waiting to bite bait. But another big factor that helps keep me pumped is the endless applications of creativity. I find using a variety of mediums keeps me exctied to make more work.

The name of the game is to simply make something that has never been seen before. And with that, the future sounds way more fun.

Being part of a class of 70 students for the last three years has been helpful in so many ways. Watching other students’ practices develop and progress reminds me how diverse and unique our approaches are. This reiterates to myself my value as a creative and how my experiences

19

and my knowledge have their own currency in this creative world. Realizing and valuing your skills as an image maker is so important so as to retain confidence in the direction you’re taking, without that you feel so unprepared for the big wide world!

Being sure of yourself and what you’re capable of only coaxes new work to materialize and this is a beautiful process and you should never underestimate what you are capable of.

One last thing that keeps me curious is how your work stares up at you once you’ve finished. With each act of making I can understand a little more about how I work, what I like, what I don’t like, art becomes a mirror for self exploration. The act of making is exciting. It’s like hunting and like being a mad scientist at the same time.

“Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing

mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes

Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make. Good.

Art.” ~Neil Gaiman, creator of Dr Who

20

21

realistic plans of now

During the last few weeks in the print room I’ve thought more and more about becoming a screen print technician. Handling other practitioners art works and helping them get into printing and keeping a studio in order would be ideal.

I would have access to a studio and be helping other designers make progress on their own projects.

For now any job that feeds my creative habit would be a dream come true. Working alongside other creatives is the place for me.

everybody has to start somewhere