Art by Miranda Hoover
How can I rebound from distraction? When will I be good enough to freelance? Is my style too traditional? Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry share their wisdom on all this and more in this episode.
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Lee White’s Drifting Moon Tarot Deck launched this month! Back it on Kickstarter HERE or click HERE to learn more!
SHOW LINKS
Clip Studio Paint
Mo Willems
Skottie Young
Scott Gustafson
Will’s Podcast Art (Episode 104)
Sammie Clark’s portfolio
Dan Santat
Beatrix Potter
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Set realistic expectations for yourself; your style, abilities, and speed will improve over time and with practice.
Focus on today’s ONE most important task.
Experience is the best teacher. From self-publishing to small freelance gigs, give yourself the opportunity to learn on the job, especially if you’re just starting out.
QUESTIONS
Alyse asks, “When did you decide that your portfolio and illustration skills were strong enough to send to art directors and begin working as a freelance illustrator? Despite constantly improving, there is so much I haven’t mastered yet that I don’t feel confident enough to show my work.”
It’s easy to assume that because you don’t have 10,000 hours under your belt, you’re not good enough to start working. However, you shouldn’t hold yourself back just because you’re inexperienced. There is a client for every level of ability, and working will teach you essential lessons about your craft and the business of illustration. Your art might not meet your desired standard yet, but it’s still good enough for someone else’s needs.
If you’re fresh out of art school or college, it’s a good idea to make a brand-new portfolio. Only keep your best 1-2 pieces from school. The rest should be new, the best work you can create. That’s the portfolio you can send to art directors and agents.
There will always be aspects of your art that you can improve. Continue to grow and give your best effort, and don’t deprive yourself of opportunities to learn on the job, because experience is the most valuable teacher.
Pamela asks, “This year I have enough free time to put in office hours as a writer/illustrator. I’m making a lot of progress, but I don’t know how to get back on track when I get derailed. If I get interrupted (which happens frequently), I feel like the whole day crumbles and I struggle to regain my momentum. Any tips?”
Illustration and writing work can be split into two categories: deep work and shallow work. Deep work could include writing an outline, storyboarding, or initial drawings. These tasks require periods of flow- uninterrupted sessions of focussed work. Shallow work could include more mindless tasks, from adding color to replying to emails. This work takes less focus and is easier to pick up or put down quickly.
Plan deep work for times when you’re least likely to be interrupted (this might mean waking up early or working during your kids’ school hours). On days when you have less time or when you’re unable to dive into deep work, see what shallow work you can accomplish. Only have 10 minutes? Clear your inbox. Waiting for soccer practice to end? Ink a page in the car. Life can be unpredictable, but you can still reach your goals by adapting your to-do list to the time available to you.
Each night, decide on your one MIT, most important task, for the following day. It could be as small as completing one color study. Make sure it’s something you could reasonably accomplish in a day. Knowing you’ve accomplished the day’s MIT will allow you to relax and not berate yourself over other tasks that went unfinished. Make sure to recoup in the evenings and refill your creative bucket with media or activities you enjoy!
Sammie asks, “Is my style too classic? I’ve submitted my graphic novel to agents and publishers, but the feedback I get is that my work is not modern enough. Is self-publishing a better option for me?”
Check out Sammie’s portfolio here!
It can be helpful to break down your style and change certain elements to make it more appealing to publishers, but in Sammie’s case, it seems she should focus less on her style and more on her visual storytelling. If your images are beautiful but lack conflict or intrigue, they will not appeal to publishers or consumers. Sammie should create more action images that showcase her characters interacting with each other and their environments. When your storytelling is solid, your style becomes less of an issue.
The guys recommend Sammie self-publish her graphic after adding more action images. Kickstarting a product teaches you invaluable lessons, and when you’re done, you have a physical result that can be sold or used as a portfolio piece. After that experience and the growth that comes with it, Sammie will be prepared to take her next project to publishers and agents (or continue self-publishing!).
LINKS
Jake Parker: mrjakeparker.com. Instagram: @jakeparker, Youtube: JakeParker44
Will Terry: willterry.com. Instagram: @willterryart, Youtube: WillTerryArt
Lee White: leewhiteillustration.com. Instagram: @leewhiteillo
Daniel Tu: danieltu.co.
Lily Howell: lilycamille.com
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