PPP3: Jade Sarson - Make It Then Tell Everybody

With a bit of free time today I listened to one of Dan Berry's Make It Then Tell Everybody podcasts with Jade Sarson. I've listened to a few of these podcasts over the year but never thought to blog them until now.

I've never heard of Jade Sarson previously but this episode stood out to me as it was advertised as having a discussion about self publishing. Unfortunately there was very little to do with self publishing but I did find Sarson's discussion about being an introverted extrovert quite intriguing. It suggested to me that you need to be confident, not necessarily extroverted, but confident in your work, regardless of you introverted personality.

Here is a selection of work by Jade Sarson;

PPP3: Early Print Slots

Taking on the pre-emptive attitude that I began to use in Level 5, I today went to the Digital Print Room to set up print slots for the remainder of the year. Whilst I don't know what/if I'll need to print, I feel secure in the knowledge that I have print slots set up a few days before each module hand in. This is a level of preparation that greatly benefited me at the end of last year.

PPP3: LinkedIn

I recently joined LinkedIn and surprised to have made quite a few contacts already, some are people in the creative field that I don't even know. I can see the benefit of LinkedIn but am still in two minds about it. It appears to be a more professional version of Facebook in all honesty. However it is too early to effectively judge it's use and it may benefit me greatly in the future.

PPP3: Etsy

I have now set up an Etsy account to sell my products online, this includes the prints and zines I made for Thought Bubble that didn't sell. I plan to create a link on my website so people that view my site can access my prints etc should they want one. Etsy as a platform is quite easy to use and I faced very little trouble setting up, I plan to take advantage of this over the next few years as I plan to make a name for myself in the self publishing circuit.

PPP3: Zoom Illustration Website

Today I bought a domain name for my website - www.zoomillustration.co.uk. Over the next few months I hope to gradually design the site and put my favourite/most favourable pieces on there. Key things I want to include are;

- Character work
- Political work
- Digital comics

I plan to make the site work smoothly without it being over complicated to use, after all it's purpose is to display my work, not do magic tricks.

PPP: Portfolio Choices

Here are some of the choices I plan to put in my portfolio. Unfortunately at the moment I don't feel as though I have enough pieces of work that I am proud to present in my portfolio.

Here they are regardless, I've tried to pair them to add a sense of organisation to my work;

PPP3: Thought Bubble 2015

So. Thought Bubble is over and it was eventful. It is the first time I've exhibited at Thought Bubble and I feel my work was largely well received, at least I presume it was if I factor profit into it. With the cost of printing and securing a table included I made a profit of £35. This would have been lower had I not been sharing a table with Joe.

The majority of my profit came from three items, the Starlord Prints, the Star Wars stickers/notebooks, and the Tory Chums Zine (that I had to make more of after the first day). I noted that my zines didn't sell well at all and after discussions with Matt and Adam decided that this was due to the time needed to invest in such a product. Thought Bubble is a busy place and quick visual fixes are paramount to sales, 60 page zines concerning unknown characters do not create this immediate response which I attribute to their lack of sales. I've decided that in the next week or so I'm going to head down to Travelling Man and give them copies of my zines to sell as it is a much more suitable environment where people can have the time to read before purchasing.

I also found the person Joe and I were sharing a table with kept moving her work further onto our side of the table. This was frustrating and I had to politely make her aware of this at one point. I think next year I'll look to share a table again but rather apply for a whole table rather than having half to share between two people.

Additionally, I spoke to one of the organisers from the Birmingham ICE comic convention he appeared to like my work and suggested I apply for a table there in September next year.

Finally, from what I have gathered from the experience, to succeed at Thought Bubble you need to be either famous or have a product that appeals to a massive audience, or as I've taken to calling it - fan art.

PPP3: Visiting Professional - Victo Ngai

Today we welcomed Victo Ngai to the studio. There had been a lot of build up to her arrival with the tutors barely able to restrain their excitement. I knew little of Ngai's work apparent from a brief investigation when I found out she would be coming to the college. Her work doesn't really appeal to me, but I can see why people appreciate it.

What really stood out to me was her professional demeanour, whilst also having a nice personality. When asked if she had ever been late for a deadline she flatly replied - 'no'. This hit a chord with me after recently missing the Guardian brief deadline.

She also spoke about her feelings towards side jobs whilst building a name for yourself. She personally felt that working a part time creative job as you build your practice isn't the strongest of choices as it could distract from you personal work. I don't agree with this belief as throughout my time on the course there have been briefs that I've felt weren't best suited for me but I've learnt something from them regardless. This is how I'd expect it to be with a part time creative job in many regards.

It was an enjoyable day however and I hope to see another visiting professional before my time at the college ends.

PPP3: Illustrator - Evan 'Doc' Shaner

Today I came across the comic book artist Evan 'Doc' Shaner whilst reading DC Comic's Green Lantern. His work has a quality that is reminiscent to that of 1960's cartoons made by Hanna Barbara, so I was not surprised to find out after a bit of research that he is soon to be drawing a comic book series called Future Quest starring an array of Hanna Barbara characters.

Shaner works digitally and incorporates Kyle Webster brushes into his work. This makes me feel that whilst my efforts into using analogue processes more are needed, a digital only illustrative route is in fact possible.


Follow Tommy 'Zoom''s board Evan 'Doc' Shaner on Pinterest.

PPP3: Kaylan Presents 'Comic Party' Reflection

Last night I attended an event in association with Thought Bubble and Travelling Man organised by Kaylan Presents held at the LS6 Clock Cafe in Headingly.

I was approached by Calum the chap that was running the event through my links to Thought Bubble and accepted his invite as I felt this would be a great networking oppertunity. He was interested in me running a portrait booth where people sit and get a quick drawing of themselves. Additionally to this I was asked to take part in a comic strip drawing exercise, however my role in that was more limited as it was made predominantly for the visitors of the event.

I found the evening to be very enjoyable and the portrait drawing was an excellent exercise in quick facial studies. It also reminded me that I can indeed draw with a pen (as opposed to digital), very well in fact. I also took several of my zines to the event and received good feedback from those that read them, with many people asking if a had more zines and such (which I don't have at the moment, unfortunately). Finally, I had a few conversations with Calum throughout the evening and let him know that I would be more than happy to participate in any events such as this again should he need an illustrator. He also informed me that the owners of the Clock Cafe love hosting events so theres the possibility that something like this could be organised by myself or the college in the future.

PPP3: Travelling Man Exhibition

Last night I attended the opening of the LCA BA Illustration exhibition at Travelling Man. Many of the level 3 students (myself included) were asked to create an A2 poster that would be presented on one of the 16 displays in the centre of the store. We decided that there would be a colour theme to connect our work, therefore allowing the context of the posters to be completely open.

Being a comic book store I decided to go with a comic book related illustration as that would interest the store's core audience the most. I felt that consideration to the audience was very important, the last thing I wanted was to alienate them in any way like have a sexualised image in a store where children would be present etc.

Finally I spoke to Matt the store manager a bit. He told me the poster spaces are generally under-utilised  so thats something to think about. Additionally I asked about zines and the process of submitting them to Travelling Man. He said they take about 5 initial copies and read them (to make sure they are appropriate) and then they sell them with 100% of the profit going back to the creator. He mentioned that they want to the do something with the zine section of the store as it is quite small at the moment. This is something that I may bring to Matt (tutor) as it would be cool to organise a zine event of some sort with the college.

PPP3: Kaylan Presents 'Comic Party'

Recently I've been corresponding with a gentleman name Calum who is running a Comic Party event during the week of Thought Bubble. This event will involve creating comic strips and will have an illustration booth where illustrators will draw people; I've been given the chance to draw at the booth for  period of time.

I've taken on this task as I feel it's a great networking opportunity and a chance to get my name out around the local area. Hopefully a few more options will present themselves from this activity.

PPP3: Beyond La La Land - Act One Collection

This week I finally (FINALLY) completed the 2nd issue of Beyond La La Land. I've found that my line work and skills with texture have improved throughout this issue and look forward to developing my abilities further.

After posting the 2nd issue on Gumroad I decided to make a collected version that contains the 1st and 2nd issue at a reduced price in the hopes of encouraging people to purchase both. This collected issue also has a back up feature in it which I discuss the origins of my ideas stemming from my Level 4 CoP essay about female degradation in comic books.

With my other work running parallel I've found that making this a priority for Thought Bubble has hindered my other tasks somewhat. However with this now finished I have more time to concentrate on my dissertation and other projects.

PPP3: Initial CoP Tutorial

 My tutorial with Pete today was very informative and helpful. I've found myself somewhat stuck with my dissertation writing, so this tutorial really helped.

We discussed the term the Establishment and how it keeps popping up in my research. He advised me to layout a loose idea of how I want my narrative to flow throughout the dissertation, advice which has immediately helped me a lot.

Finally here is my feedback form with recorded ideas and suggestions:

PPP3: Presentation 12/10/15

Here is a presentation I made to show some of my peers. It details my activities throughout the summer and some of my plans for the forthcoming year. While the presentation was informal and not planned as part of the academic year, the small group of peers I presented it to were impressed with the work I had done. The experience also allowed me to practice my presentation technique in preparation of the Level 6 PPP Presentations in April.

PPP3: Professional Slip-Up

So today I forgot to enter my work for the Guardian brief. There were several reasons I could say resulted in this; lack of sleep over several days and my girlfriend being ill distracting me are two, but ultimately I only have myself to blame for this. With it only being roughly an hour after the deadline several people suggested it submit the work regardless, however I feel this would be just as unprofessional. This sort of thing hasn't happened before and in the future it cannot happen again.

Here is the work I produced regardless:

PPP3: Level 6 Expectations

A question that I've been asking myself recently is what I want from this academic year, specifically PPP. There are five things I think I need to get out of this academic year;

- I want to improve my networking capabilities, specifically make a few good contacts.
- I need to be prepared for post graduation - with a few possible job prospects.
- I want to have a brand, including website, promotional material and a new logo.
- I want to have a deeper understanding of narrative illustration.
- I want to have a viable product that I can carry forward beyond my degree.

Whilst I will try my hardest to make as much headway with each of these subjects, it is understandable that there will be some that can't be 'completed' as such and will continue on beyond my degree.

PPP Prep: Review of Summer Practice

I feel that my practice has evolved drastically for the positive over the past few months. I've maintained a rigorous work routine when not taking much needed R&R, this is important as when the course is over next summer I won't have the tutors to make sure I get my work done on time, it will all be down to me.

Additionally, I am happy with the work I have completed concerning Beyond La La Land. Whilst there is much need for improvement, I am proud of the level of work I have created and the leap in experience that has been attained in the field of narrative illustration.

I look to continue this positive momentum throughout the next academic year so that I can begin my professional illustrative career running.

PPP Prep: Business Cards

Whilst my friend was visiting recently, he showed me his business card and recommended a company called Moo if I needed any. Today I’ve been looking at their site and think I’ll be able to get about 100 for around £25 on a nice heavyweight Lux paper stock. I’ll have to wait until my student loan comes in before I can order any though. Below is the business card my friend had printed using Lux stock (on the right) compared to an older business card he had.

PPP Prep: The Crime Minister - David Cameron and His Tory Chums

Over the past week or so I have been producing topical comic strips about David Cameron and the Tory party. Today I posted a collection of them online and they have been receiving quite a bit of traffic, so I’m guessing theres a strong audience for them. I’ve decided to collect these together and sell as a zine at Thought Bubble. Additionally - I’m going to post them on Gumroad too as it may pick up the odd additional sale.

PPP Prep: Beyond La La Land #2 Part 1 Online

I have now posted Part 2 of La La Land onto Gumroad. Unfortunately I’m going to have to leave the second part of the story for time being as I need to concentrate on my CoP work ready for when we return to College in a few weeks. This module is going to be the focus of the first semester so unfortunately it takes priority.

PPP Prep: The Routine Returns!

With my girlfriend back at work today my old routine has finally returned! I’m happy to be back working like this and think I’ll be able to get much more work done now that I have returned to getting up at 06:30am (which was something I couldn’t do while my girlfriend was off as she demanded to sleep in everyday).

PPP Prep: Beyond La La Land #2

Over the past week or so I’ve been working on the script and planning out Beyond La La Land #2. I’m feeling more confident with this issue as I feel that I’m beginning to refine my process. Instead of breking the issue into 3 parts as I did last time, I’ve decided that I’m going to break it into 2 parts as doubt I’ll have enough enough time to do a whole issue in the next few weeks but will be able to more than a third done.

Additionally - I have created a few more textures for the newest issue. I’m really finding the textures to be a strong addition to my work and its a process I want to explore further this year.

PPP Prep: Home Again!

I am FINALLY home again! I am exhausted I may have few days off before I begin work on La La Land #2. The only issue I can foresee with my working is that my girlfriend is still off work herself and, although I love her, she will undoubtably distract me.

PPP Prep: Mosely Old Hall

Mosely Old Hall - the home that saved a King! When King Charles I was executed in 1649 his son Charles found himself in exile. He was a man who fought a civil war for the title of King, however Charles II didn’t win straight away and was hunted for many years. After losing a terrible battle Charles II was left with only a handful of followers and no where to go. Luckily he found Mosely Old Hall, was welcomed in and hidden away until he found himself in a position to escape the country.

This was a great place to visit and I learnt many a thing about Charles the II’s time at Mosely. Outside was a lovely wooded area including a small tree fort built upon the spot where Charles II was rumoured to have hid in a tree. I managed to get a few reference shots. 

PPP Prep: Eden Project

Today we went to the Eden Project a site full of botanical wonders built on a clay pit to prove that it is possible to make the world greener (even the most unmanageable parts). I had a fantastic day, I love nature anyway, but to go to a place where people are actively trying to improve the environment was fantastic! It really got me thinking about my carbon for print and what I can do to minimise my damage to this wonderful planet in which we live.

PPP Prep: Looe

Over the past week I’ve been in Looe, a small coastal town in south-east Cornwall with my girlfriends family. Since getting here, other than taking reference photos of places (which I have become quite accustomed to do), I’m ashamed to say I’ve completely switched off.

I think when I'm getting old I'd like to live here (providing it's not under the sea by then).

PPP Prep: Beyond La La Land - The Complete 1st Issue

Beyond La La Land - The Complete 1st Issue

Today I finished Beyond La La Land #1 and posted it on Gumroad for £1.50. Until I can afford to print this comic/zine, Gumroad is my only point of sale. Today however, I managed to sell 5 copies! All those hours of hard work really paid off - £7.50! Hazzah! I’ve removed the first two parts of the story as they aren't necessary any more.

With my girlfriend finishing work tomorrow for the summer and a holiday planned, I’m going to have a little break, however when I return I will begin working on Part 2! Whoop etc.

PPP Prep: Snowdon

Today I scaled a mountain - not a metaphorical one, an actual mountain - Snowdon in North Wales. It was an amazing experience and I want to do more stuff like this! It was a good day for it, however it was cloudy when we reached the top. I’m not sure whether thats a bad thing though as I think I’d have had a heart attack being able to see so far down.

I’m feeling inspired! I managed to grab many photos on the way too for reference use too! Here are some of the pics! Including the one of my girlfriend and I at Snowdon’s summit!

PPP Prep: Beyond La La Land - Part 2

Today I posted the 2nd part of Beyond La La Land. I’ve managed to sell one issue of Part #1 so I’m hoping the addition of this second part arouses some interest. I’ve been making a lot of noise on social medias in the hope of gaining some potential customers!

PPP Prep: Whitby - Home of Dracula!

My girlfriends grandparents (and their dog) visited The North this week and yesterday took us to Whitby - home of Dracula! We went on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway - a steam train railway that passes through the moors! We saw so many beautiful sights (that I unfortunately couldn’t capture on camera) before stopping off at Goathland - home of Heartbeat! After this it continued to Whitby. I was a bit disappointed by Whitby as it came across as a generic seaside town with little in the way of capitalising on it’s history. However we did up to the Abbey and took in some sights regardless.

The day has also got me thinking about the comic I made in my first year about Dracula and his Yoyo... I may go back to it as I feel it could work as a good zine for Thought Bubble.

Anyway, it was a lovely day and the perfect start to my summer trips!

PPP Prep: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

With so much free time not having to attend tutor led sessions and such I’ve had a few extra hours per week to work out! I feel that a healthy body is just as important as my illustrative skills so I’m happy to have the time to do it now (mostly because I had developed a bit of a belly recently). I’m mostly jogging at the moment as my bike has broken and I can’t afford to fix it. Additionally I’m lifting about 20kg weights until I get used to working out again.

PPP Prep: Gumroad!

I have posted the first part of my zine on Gumroad! Having decided to do so after seeing Jack Teagle tweet about his products there on Twitter. I highly doubt anyone will buy it but its out there and in the world for people to have now. I plan on introducing the second part as I work towards completing the zine. Once all three parts are ready, I’ll release a complete version and remove the initial two parts. Should someone buy the first two parts they will receive a discount on the complete issue.

I think Gumroad is a pretty neat service as they don't charge you a percentage for your sales. However I have noticed that the site isn't very user friendly. I attempted a test download and really struggled to understand how to do download and open the file using different mediums (Laptop, iPad and smartphone).

PPP Prep: This Time Next Year

It’s slowly beginning to dawn on me that this time next year I’m not going to be a degree student any more. I’d ideally like to go onto a masters but A. I don’t think I have to skill to, and B. I can’t stand the prospect of another year or two of near financial poverty. 

With this in mind, over the last few days I’ve been searching for Illustrative jobs in Leeds through websites such as, indeed.co.uk, totaljobs.com and uk/jooble.org most of the jobs however seem to be targeted more at Graphics Designers. This worries me to a degree as I don’t think I have the skills to work for any of these such companies. For now I’m going to focus on my zine and try not to think about such scary things as having a job that pays money.

PPP Prep: Work Routine

My girlfriend is a full time primary school teacher. This means that she gets up at 6:30am and has left the house by 7:30am. I get up with her at 6:30 also (apart from the occasional lay in) and am working by 8:00am. This is usually the time I would leave for college however, now I don’t have to go in I’ve freed up two and a half hours of my day. Here is a time table of my average working day:

06:30am - Wake up, wash, eat breakfast, internet

08:00am - Begin work

10:00am - 20 minute break to stretch legs, have a snack and internet

10:20am - Continue work

12:30pm - Lunch time, watch TV, internet

01:30pm - Back to work

04:00pm - Read, have a snack, internet

04:30pm - Back to work, finish up for the day, tidy up

05:30pm - Wash up, do random house tasks or work out (depending on day)

06:30pm - Cook dinner

07:30pm - Watch TV, laze around, internet

09:30pm - Get ready for bed, read.

10:00pm - Wind down, sleep

Now you may think that there is a lot of internet time in there - and there is! But this includes; reading the Guardian in the morning (and checking it again later in the afternoon), updating social media with my work and looking at expensive houses I can’t afford.

Needless to say with this work routine, I feel quite on the ball at the moment. I wonder if I’ll be able to work from home for the entirety of my third year…

My Work Space:

PPP Prep: Beyond La La Land

Over the past few days I’ve been working on a few pages for a zine. The idea was forming during OUIL505 Applied Illustration - however I never got to fully realise the work at the time as The Scarlett Letter was suggested to be a stronger topic for the module. However with the constrains of module necessity taken away I’m now free to work on this.

It is a story of a young girl who is expelled from her home into a dystopian wasteland. She feels all is lost until she finds an idillic paradise and a warrior woman named Red. I have an idea for 6 zines which I will hopefully be able to collect together at some point down the line and form a graphic novel of some sort. 

During my Level 5 Presentation reflection, I mentioned how I intended to develop my skills past the solely digital method I use now. I feel that I have begun to do this through the process of play whilst working on this. I really wanted the sandy wasteland to come alive on the pages - I did this by creating different textures using ink and scanning them in separately. These textures were then imposed onto my line work digitally. The process for the entire work can be seen below.

I intend to sell this at Thought Bubble in November.

PPP Prep: External Examiner

Today I, along with several of my other peers, met with Nigel the External Examiner from Falmouth. Here we discussed what the year has been like, what we felt worked and what we felt didn’t. One thing that I mentioned was that, whilst the heavy work load was appreciated and understand it’s purpose - I did suffer from exhaustion at several points throughout the year. However, there were many positive things to say such as the good quality of teaching and presence of the tutors.

PPP Prep: BA Illustration Show

Today was the BA Illustration Show! Unfortunately I couldn’t make it due my dislike of things such as that - put it down to anxiety, however I will be going to view the show at some point in the next week when it is quieter. 

For the show I was told that my Queen’s Speech piece had been chosen to be shown in A2 size glory. I’m happy with this as it represents my work as it is now, and personally, I can’t think of another piece I’d want to show more.

PPP Prep: Thought Bubble 2015

So! I forgot to blog this earlier in the year, but Joe Shiels and I will be sharing half a table at Thought Bubble in November! I’m very excited, however I’m very aware that I don’t really have much to see at the moment so my plan is to create a few zines over the summer. Additionally - Joe has made this emblem for us that can be found on the Thought Bubble website!

PPP Prep: The Queen's Speech

With the Queen's Speech occurring yesterday in which she announced some of the new government's pledges I decided to create an illustration to coincide with it. I personally feel the Queen no longer serves a purpose other than being a glorified tourist attraction. Her announcing the government's pledges means nothing in my eyes. She is effectively the mouthpiece of the Tory agenda at this point.

Here is my final outcome for the idea and the development process I went through to create it:



I feel it important that I keep up to date with politics as this is an area of illustration I'm looking to move into. Additionally politics is potentially going to play a large role in my dissertation over the next year.

PPP Prep: Level 5 Presentation - Reflection

Yesterday was my Level 5 PPP presentation, which I feel went rather well. I made a point of making eye contact with my audience, whilst casually looking at my script to remind myself of oncoming points etc. I had rehearsed my presentation several times already so felt quite confident in that regard. This also allowed me to trust which slide I was on without having to check frequently. I also applied some humour into my presentation which I feel helped cover up the odd stumbling of my words.

However it wasn't all well - I feel that perhaps my presentation was at times a bit cynical and I may have scared the current first year students with the prospect of a relentless second year. I don't think I discussed my process enough, which was something Matt also picked up on. This in some regards was a very important part of my year as I became more directed towards a digital process after playing around with textures and such throughout the year. My next task will be to see how I can go beyond my current process that is entirely digital. How can I bring the analogue elements from this year into my digital process? Can this be done effectively?

Finally I regret the final slide of my presentation. It was far too silly and didn't create the sort of humour I had initially planned for it. Needless to say I was very embarrassed by it and quickly closed the presentation after clicking on said slide.

Here are my presentation slides:

Donya Todd Email

Last week I sent out several emails to illustrators asking there a range of things about their practice, today - shortly after my hand in for OUIL502 I received a reply from Donya Todd.

Hello,

I'm Tom, a 2nd year Illustration student at Leeds College of Art. I'm going to be attending Thought Bubble this year to sell things, and frankly I'm not to sure how to present myself at the festival in terms of conversation etc. I attended your Big Heads discussion with Matt and spoke to you last year briefly at Thought Bubble; you're a really nice person, but I'm concerned that I don't really give off a friendly vibe myself. Do you have any advice on how to converse with people that approach my table etc?

Many Thanks,

Tom

She replied with this fantastic advice!

Creative Strategy: Presentation

Here is my presentation for my experience throughout Level 5:

Creative Presence: Promo Pack Final Outcomes

Here are the final outcomes for my Promo Pack:



Ideally I would have liked to have done more for this, but unfortunately due to how busy I've been this work has suffered. For example I would have liked to have made a mug. This would have been done using water slide transfer sheets.

Additionally, I would have made a proper method of packaging the promo stuff, unfortunately I'm going to have to settle for putting them in an envelope for the hand in.

Creative Strategy: OUIL505 Evaluation

Here is my Project Report for OUIL505: Applied Illustration:



I found OUIL505 difficult largely due to how many modules we have been juggling, I never felt I was able to give it the attention it deserved. Unfortunately something had to suffer due to the heavy work load and it was this module.

Creative Presence: Dan Berry Email

Today I returned home to find I had an email from Dan Berry, illustrator, cartoonist and designer! I sent several emails out last Saturday and had given up hope on receiving replies! Here is what I emailed him:

Hello,

Firstly, I'm a huge fan of your work (Nicholas and Edith being my favourite)!

I'm led to believe that you are a big pen enthusiast and was wondering if you had any suggestions on a nice beginners fountain pen for inking?

Many Thanks,

Tom

And here is his response!

I could have asked him about promo packs, but felt that for this module it would be too create anything new considering how busy I am. Instead I chose to ask him about inking pens as I had read an article in which he spoke about them before. Now I have a footing to approach my search for a good inking pen.

Creative Presence: Promo Pack Printing

Today was a long day to say the least. I spent a whopping four hours in the print room, firstly to get my remaining OUIL505 stuff printed. But also to get my promo pack items printed.

The reason for my time in the print room being so long was due to neither myself, James or Harrison (the new print guy) knowing how to correctly lay out my calendar in inDesign to print it correctly. This took many, many attempts but we finally cracked it! We relied on printing on cheaper stock to spare my wallet until we found the current printing layout. However, when it came to the final print I didn't have enough from quality stock with a high gsm. This was both a frustrating and informative experience. Frustrating in the sense that I will have to submit my calendar on a stock that I feel is inferior, but informative in how I now have a file with the correct layout for future use.

Alongside my calendar I have; a business card, a book mark and a table standee for festivals (something that I felt would have helped at Thought Bubble last year). The bookmark and standee we made during my time in the print room as I waited for my OUIL505 work to print.

Creative Strategy: Print Room Booking

Today I had a print booking for OUIL505 and OUIL502 (which I will discuss in my next post). Before the Easter break Becky Firth and I both arranged several bookings with James in advance knowing that they would be crucial in completing our module work without having to become slaves to drop-in times (as some of my peers have). This was both a highly intelligent move and a display of professionalism at its finest. Knowing that I had these bookings relieved much stress, and gave me a goal to work for. This is something that I'm definitely going to do in third year.

Creative Presence: Calendar Work Complete

The weekend was long and arduous for me, with my OUIL505 deadline next week I've focused on that to make sure I have everything ready for the hand in. That means I've only had sporadic time to deal with my promo pack stuff. This is frustrating as I've quite enjoyed creating my calendar etc thus far.

However the imagery and dates are all completed now and ready to be printed tomorrow thankfully! I have tried to add a sense of my personality throughout the calendar with Zoom Facts and Zoom Tips below each month. They are all silly comments that hopefully convey that I am fun person, without being offensive or unprofessional.

The work can be seen below:

Creative Strategy: Brinham Rocks

My girlfriend and I today went to Brinham Rocks. I don't really have the time at present due to my work load but my girlfriend has been ignored for quite some time and I feel bad. Luckily Brigham Rocks was a very unique place and I managed to take lots of reference imagery for a zine I'm planning on creating in the summer! It's gotten me excited!

It was also a very enjoyable day out too with much walking, climbing and educational talks involved.

Creative Presence: Calendar Imagery

Over the past few weeks I been making imagery for the Calendar in my promo pack. I've taken to thinking that the whole promo pack idea is in a way a self indulgence piece so have decided to create a calendar with me in every month.

I've been thinking about month specific imagery to include but there have been a few months where I haven't had a clue what to put so have simply drawn myself working in one way or another.


To create these images I've been using the digital tracing technique Matt Taylor informed us of. However I have ended the similarities there. To shade I have gave each colour three layers of shading and have tried my hardest to stick to a colour theme of about 5-6 colours for the entire piece. This may unfortunately change with the remaining images but I hope to continue using it for consistency.

Chris Sasaki Lecture

I was lucky enough to attend a lecture by animator Chris Sasaki today and boy howdy did I learn a lot.

Inspired by Monsters Inc he initially had trouble getting into the animation scene due to a lack of experience but was lucky enough to work on Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends.

He then went on to make the animation for the DVD extras of the 2006 film Beerfest. It was small jobs such as these that led to bigger jobs. Eventually he landed a job at Pixar with his first job being Monsters University.

Notes from the lecture:

- Make things believable

Who is the character and what am I trying to sell in my project. How do I relate to the characters I'm making. There has to be a reason why.

- Walk people through my process

What is my method and why do I think something should work the way it does? Generally he spends about 3 weeks creating a 'research bible' for a job before he even gets to the drawing aspect. 70% research, 30% drawing. A lot of our work is basically problem solving and showing how we've done so is a large part of that.

- "Who should I be looking at?"

Chris informed us that most of his time spent at university was wondering who he should be drawing like etc. I feel that this year I have transcended that and am producing work in a style I enjoy and is hopefully going to become synonymous with my practice. He also works analogue as long as possible before going over to digital. As my practise becomes more digital is there a way I can incorporate analogue into my work? He also said computers are good for speed when deadlines are due. Don't be afraid to rely on them to get the job done. 

- Concerning character design

Clarity, gesture and silhouette are important to character design. Can the character be instantly recognisable by their silhouette alone? Think about a characters colour palette. How can I make them seem threatening, timid etc. Study my own face to understand facial gestures!

Creative Strategy: OUIL501 Evaluation

Here is my evaluation for OUIL501 - Context of Practise:

This year I approached Context of Practice slightly differently than last year, largely due to my understanding of the module’s purpose this time around. Going into it, I knew that there had to be a continual synthesis between my theoretical and practical work and I feel that for the most part I succeeded in implementing this. I found that my practical explorations at several key points helped inform my theoretical work and vice versa. Due to awareness of the module this year, I made a point of continually researching throughout the year, be it by watching video clips, reading news articles and collecting ephemera concerning politics. However, whilst the amount of research this year dwarfed what I did OUIL401, I found that it was perhaps somewhat unfocused; this resulted in a portion of my research becoming redundant once I’d settled on an essay question. Going into Level 6 I will have to resolve this issue - my research will need to be focused and relevant. 

It is due to my research that I was able to make critical, and logical decisions in both my theoretical and practical work. My wide research base allowed me to make informed triangulated arguments within my essay, resulting in it being quite a smooth discussion to produce. Similarly, my developing knowledge of politics allowed me to create an strong, and at times humorous, practical piece that commented on the government and our attitudes towards it. I am very impressed with my practical piece as a whole, not just due to its theoretical foundations but also because of my exploration of media. Initially I tried to create a piece of work with hand, like the great cartoonists of the past such as James Gillray or modern cartoonists Steve Bell or Martin Rowson. However after many attempts at producing work in this method I returned to my guilty pleasure - digital. But digital as a sole method of production also failed to create an aesthetically pleasing outcome, it was only when I merged the two methods that my work truly came alive in my opinion. Despite my positive appraisal of my final product there are understandably a few issues that remain within it. Firstly, that characters within my book could have been improved upon somewhat - this could have been done with repetitive drawings as I found my stronger character designs generally came about due to this process. Secondly, the physical production of the book could have had more care given to it. Several of the pages are trimmed quite tightly and, although not apparent to the casual observer, are a thorn in my side. Perhaps more time could have been spent on its assembly to allow for a more careful hand crafted piece. Finally, although I am happy with the colouring of the book I feel more could have been done with it to create something truly memorable in a visual capacity.

Additionally, I feel that if I were to go back and do this module again I would have done a few other things differently, such as; the Nazi propaganda discussion within my essay. Whilst I felt that this was an interesting part of the paper, it seemed somewhat detached from the rest of the essay. I could potentially have found a way to better intricate it into the rest of the discussion. Given the time again I would also begin drafting my essay much earlier on within the year as I could have began writing segments of it much earlier on rather that waiting for a specific prolonged period of time (the Christmas holidays) to write it. That however shouldn’t act as reflection of my time management within this project, as I am in fact very pleased with my assertiveness throughout this year despite a few stumbles early on. I feel that my management of this module has provided me the time to get informed feedback from my peers and allowed me to make alterations to both my theoretical and practical work where needed. 

I hope to improve upon my increasingly assertive attitude towards Context of Practice going into Level 6 as I feel that such a mindset will be integral to my dissertation and the body of work that will accompany it.

To celebrate handing my work in I made this image of David Cameron being adorned by his fate cat followers.

Creative Presence: Peer Review

We had a peer review today in which we showed each other our promo packs. I was in Aggy's group and wow, her promo pack is amazing! I feel like such a failure after seeing it. I had a calendar and business card mock up. I'm going to have to work hard to get my promo pack up to scratch if I want to be on the same level of Aggy!

Creative Presence: Responsive Disk and Project Report

Yesterday I burnt my OUIL503 blog onto a disc and it's now so... Final.

I can no longer edit my work, and despite knowing that I've done everything that I can, I am still feeling the same gaping terror that I do around a normal module hand in. Still, it is done now and ready for tomorrow, which should be a breeze!

Additionally, here is my Project Report for OUIL503 in which I evaluate what worked, what didn't and what should have been done different throughout the module:

Creative Presence: Calendar Mock Up

After a bit of fumbling around today I managed to create a mock up calendar for my promo pack. The calendar was designed in such a way that it is small and easy to place on a work desk in an office for example. However the downside to this is that the imagery I have created thus far is very small and doesn't receive the focus that it should.


I've decided instead to create a wall hanging calendar. Perhaps still keep it quite small as printing on larger stock could potentially be a fair bit more costly. I'll have to discus this with James in digital print at some point.

Creative Presence: Page 45

Last week I went to Nottingham to visit a friend, and whilst there we went into Page 45, one of the bigger comic book stores in Nottingham.

Whilst there I got chatting to one of the owns called Jonathan Rigby. I told him I was an illustrator and he gave me his card before saying they are always interested in recieving new zines etc. I informed him I'm not quite ready but will keep in touch. I also picked up the business card of Jodie Paterson (a stationary person) as it looked like an interesting card.

Looking around Page 45 they had work by Kristyna Baczinski, Dan Berry and Emily Carroll to name a few (besides the mainstream Marvel and DC stuff). Page 45 is exactly the sort of place I'd be interested in selling zines, once I have made some I feel are worth selling etc.

Creative Strategy: Easter Reflection

I'm going to reflect upon my Easter for a moment as I feel it was a big turning point for me as a professional. Last year during Easter I completely wound down, I found my first year tiring and needed a break. This swung back on me after Easter when I had a tonne of work to do. This year however was different! I gave myself a few days off to recharge before the final term but for the most part I worked right through.

This has benefited me so much as I have managed to get a lot of work done and I know that, although the next few months are going to be stressful regardless, they won't be half as stressful for me than they will be for some of my peers. Well done to me.

Creative Strategy: Olga Demidova

I came across Olga Demidova today, her work isn't exactly the style that I like but I appreciate the immense detail she puts into her work. I need to be able to concentrate enough to produce work of this calibre.

Creative Presence: Calendar Research

Recently John mentioned in one of his sessions that a calendar could be an interesting idea for our promo packs. I like this idea so set about today researching potential ideas for a calendar about myself. I'm thinking that this could perhaps act as a replacement to a CV, rather than specifically talking about myself (and my lack of experience at the moment) I could instead give off an idea of who I am through the calendar.

Follow Tommy 'Zoom''s board Silly Calendars on Pinterest.

I discovered many quirky calendars but none that really took advantage of Illustration - this could definitely be a way to promote myself. I'm thinking that being a calendar about myself I may call it "A Zoom for all Seasons" (Zoom is a nickname my friends called me and is a moniker I plan to use in my illustrative practice).

Creative Strategy: Hardcastle Craggs - The National Trust

My girlfriend and I love getting away from the city. Ideally I would live in the middle of nowhere if it was feasible for us, however it isn't. With this in mind we decided to join The National Trust a conservation charity who help preserve some of the most beautiful places in the UK. With the weather being nice today we decided to join and printed off temporary tickets before going to visit Hardcastle Craggs just north of Hebden Bridge.

At Hardcastle there is a mill which the Trust looks after, this mill is next to a lovely river which we walked along for about three hours. I honestly can't say enough about places such as these and it's important they continue to exist. From a personal point of view this was exactly what I needed. I've been working hard over the Easter Holiday and feel that this was a well earned break.

Creative Presence: Instagram and Tumblr

For a while now I've been using Instagram and Tumblr to get my work out into the world. Although I post mostly work, I also post things concerning my home life (nothing too personal) I have done this as I want to combat an issue I feel I have in regards to how approachable I am. If people see that I am a family man who cares for people I hope this will encourage them to approach me, be it on social media sites, or in person at festivals and what not.

Additionally, I have linked my Instagram page to my Tumblr so I only really have to post to the former to keep both accounts active. I am still to get many followers on Tumblr. This may be because there is a niche type of person on there maybe?

Here is my Instagram.

Here is my Tumblr.

Creative Presence: Promo Pack Initial Ideas

Here are some initial ideas for my promo pack. I have designed an image that shows me to be in a somewhat silly pose as I want to seen as non threatening, yet also display my skill. I used this illustration on a mock up business card pile and a mug of tea which humorously describes me as a mug. The mug is something that I would like to produce as people (in office jobs specifically) are always happy to receive a new mug for their tea and coffee! I will need to look into how to get such a thing printed.

Creative Presence: Political Business Cards

Whilst playing around with my work for OUIL501 I quickly knocked up this image as an idea for a business card. I think it would be interesting to have a politically based business card, should I decide to go down that avenue of illustration, however for the time being I think this idea will be put on the back burner.

Creative Strategy: Drew Millward - Dust

Last night several of us visited Colours May Vary to attend the opening night of Drew Millward's Dust Exhibition. It was interesting to contrast our exhibition to his as he obviously has more experience with screen printing and had them professionally printed and framed. Furthermore, with a larger following, the night was busier than our Off the Page event, this is not to be taken negatively, but is interesting to note.

I found several of his pieces quite interesting, but overall thought much of his work was quite similar, making for at times, a bit of a repetitive evening of viewing. One interesting aspect was a table of raffle items, which consisted of pillows, tshirts, caps and paintings designed by Millward. I made note of this as it is quite relevant when thinking about product, range and distribution within the module OUIL505.