Choices, Choices...

I think the projects that I most enjoyed in the last module was the short comic and the tattoos booklet. I think they are two aspects I'd love to continue with, I do want to find a theme however that will create a full body of work and tie in together when creating different products. That's NOT because it's 'lazy' to do it this way, I just want my attention to soley be on a big project with similar themes and different outcomes.

INDY/MAKE AND SELL: A couple of ideas have sprung to mind: Recently in a photographic magazine there was a beautiful picture of a 'spirit' bear, I won't deluge to much at the moment as keeping the idea close to my heart for now, but it's definitely a project I want to take on. My idea is that I'd like to create a short comic, and from that can form all sorts of indy outcomes, such as large prints, tshirts, bags, badges etc. It's a simple story about a bear and i think it's a versatile story, given the illustrations go like what I'm imagining in my head then I think this will be a successful endeavor.

ADVERTISING: I've been working closely with a contact who I've helped with several illustration projects mainly for advertising purposes, from this I've been able to get further work with some of her contacts including doing logos, and banner designs. I think it's really important to be versatile, and advertising is always going to be a popular and reliable source of income with illustration if you have the right contacts. Luckily I have some of these contacts, particularly in advertising and graphics. When I worked on the 'We Love Our Locals' branding it was a great project, very fast flowing but I think that's when I work best as an illustrator, there tight timescales and at the end of the day you're doing work for a paying client, so you want to get it right and want to give them options asap. My designs ran as flyers, leaflets, banners, bag and t-shirt designs for the company. I've been working with them this year too, but more so with the creator of WLOL on other illustration projects.

I'd love to find some poster competitions or a way of feeding some of my work outside of university in to my illustration work. Maybe looking for local bands or local events that need help designing, it's just so important to create the right contacts and get an understanding of working in the world of illustration, even if it's for the smallest projects. It might be interesting to see if there are any wine labels, beer labels or beer mat competitions up for grabs?!

ENTREPRENEURIAL PRACTICE:
setting up my own branding for my accesorries business might be a good idea! I've been creating extravegant dark curio fascinators and it might be a good idea to set myself my own brief: i.e. Logo, Banner, Posters, Advertising ideas, then getting those printed and go to various markets trying to sell my items. From research the best places to sell alternative accessories are things like the Alternative Market in London, I've got a friend with a pitch there, so could always go halfsies! THat way my items are getting sold and my illustrations are being seen, which in turn raises funds to get more illustration stuff printed etc. I think initially the main thing is not to pay out too much because you might not sell it. Get the 'fan' base and interest in your work first before paying out masses on printing costs.

PACKAGING:
Music plays a massive role in my life, my alternative interests and image feeds into my love for the stranger and aquired pieces of music! I think it would be great fun to approach local bands, smaller bands mainly focusing on the alternative so Rockabilly bands, rock, metal indy etc. I know a few rockabilly bands around bristol and plymouth, maybe that would be a great place to tie my tattoo designs into that? As well as getting practice of helping to brand the band?

SUMMER SHOW:
I'd love to enter the summer show, some ideas of what they might like include Alice in Wonderland 'mad hatters tea party' this is my absolute favourite animated movie and if I did designs things for the show with that theme I wouldn't want to do it because it's been suggested I feel as though a lot of people might enter with that idea, so maybe something more like a vintage tea party? Not sure yet but something I'd definitely like to explore, not sure how this would work, but looked into popular animations and I was thinking Popeye? I know he's a sailor I know plymouth is a Navy city and maybe my tattoo design styles could fit into that not sure yet!

CARD DESIGNS:
I think card designs are a really great way of getting to grips with various themes and ways to fill the space and there's likely to always be a competition going on. From hearing the positive outcomes from my housemate about hallmark and creating a card design I think this might be a good direction to go in, thinking about the work I'm doing, cards are a good way of expanding my style and range of things to work with. Tattoo designs/one piece designs could apply here too. Also I want to get into typography more, I do love hand rendering text, so maybe that's something I should be focusing on a lot more.

All in all lots of ideas, I just need to think of solid themes and choose what I really want to be doing for my final project... should I go for my digital style or my hand rendered tattoo outcomes?

Considering I'm applying to various tattoo apprenticeships it might be an ideas to continue with tattoo designs in some shape or form, or at least applying designs to t-shirts etc that could be accepted as a tattoo style?