Hello July
I like to use the blog to experiment with new editorial illustration styles and techniques. Here’s a title piece I created for this post.
Why a monthly update?
This monthly blog post is a great way for me to reflect on the month, plan ahead for the next one, and share some of the things I’ve been enjoying in conjunction with making illustration!
I was inspired to create these posts by Emma Carlisle who shares her own hello post at the beginning of each month on her Patreon, which I highly recommend if you enjoy sketchbook work!
I love the accountability that comes with putting your goals and plans out there, as well as the reflective element of looking back on the month before. I also want to have these monthly posts to look back on myself at the end of the year!
I’d love to hear your own goals for the month or things you’ve been enjoying and achieving recently, drop me a message and tell me what you’re up to. Lets inspire each other!
Onwards and upwards… hello July 24, it’s nice to meet you.
This month I’d like to work on…
Last month I made a great step forward with my illustration business when I finished and launched my new website. This month I’d like to build on that by updating my portfolio with 2 book cover illustration projects I’m doing as part of the MATS lettering course.
I’ll also be completing a shop update with a notebook restock and some new bookmarks!
In addition to the online shop, I’ll be pitching my products to some independent retailers for wholesale. I already have one lined up that I’m really excited about, It’s an independent bookshop I’ve been in love with for quite some time.
Once I’ve completed my lettering course with MATS, I’ll begin the editorial course to get more editorial work into my portfolio. I’m really looking forwards to these briefs, and I’ve been resisting starting them while I still have a foot in the door of some other projects, but it’s been tough!
Outside of my portfolio projects I’m trying to focus on some looser sketchbook work. I want to practice different techniques to free up my ‘style’ and make sure I keep experimenting. Having a style is great for commercial work but it’s so fulfilling as an artist to give yourself space to play, and often this is where you really make breakthroughs that improve your work in the long term. I feel like I’ve really neglected my sketchbooks over the last 12 months so I’m making a conscious effort!
I’ll also be applying for my public liability insurance so I can join a few Makers Markets, which is very exciting!
I post day to day updates over on instagram on my stories and captions, come join me there and let me know your goals for the month! Telling someone about your goals hugely increases your chance of sticking with them. (That’s why I’m plonking theme here.)
Things I’ve been enjoying recently…
I’ve already mentioned Emma Carlisle’s patreon and her wonderful sketchbook sessions, but I can’t recommend them enough!
I’ve also recently joined Emily Harvey’s art patreon where she shares content and tips about running her art business. I’ve found her really inspiring and so helpful. Her patreon has a library of practical resources for anyone wanting to make their own illustrated products.
In the podcast department there’s two I’ve been listening to while I work recently, and thats ‘Gilmored’, an indulgent chat through every ‘Gilmore Girls’ episode, which is really a familiar comfort, and ‘Decoding the Unknown’, a conspiracy theory debunking podcast hosted by the witty and quippy Simon Whistler. I love listening to both of these while I’m working on a painting and find they really help me get into a state of ‘flow’.
In the audiobook department I have to say I’ve finally cracked and started giving book one of ACOTAR a go. I found the first half really hard to get into but have been getting into the second half and am starting to see what the hype is about. It’s defiantly got some typical teenage fiction vibes but it’s equal parts digestible and interesting once you the further into the book, and I like to have something longer to listen to for longer artwork sessions.
When it comes to reading I’m someone who always has a few books on the go, usually a fiction, a non fiction, and some kind of illustration adjacent book.
Book 1 of the Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, this epic fantasy has been on my hit list for some time. Sandersons books are intimidatingly chunky but I finally bit the bullet and gave ‘Mistborn’ a go, I’m about 350 pages into the 600+ page book and so far it’s lives up to all reputation. If you’ve read them I’d love to hear your thoughts!
‘Illustrators on Creative Processes’ is a wonderful book I picked up on my trip to Rome earlier this year. The book features the work of 27 illustrators from around the globe, from different disciplines and cultures, who are brought together in this book to explore their inspirations, the creative process, and the origins of illustration. I’ve found it very inspiring for my creative practice and great food for thought.
I finished reading ‘A Fine Line’ by Graham Zimmerman earlier this year and found it inspiring for both adventure and environmental philosophy. This inspiring book gives us epic adventure stories, some philosophy on life and death in the mountains, and insights into environmentalism from a professional in the sciences and in politics. If you’re a fellow mountain lover I’d highly recommend it, especially for environmentally conscious climbers.
I love supporting art magazines and creative publications, and one of my favourites is Uppercase, a creative magazine filled with craft, design, typography and illustration.
I’ve been on so many inspiring adventures outdoors this month! They always make me come away thinking about how to draw or paint the day. One of my favourites this month was a day out kayaking on the river mersey with my local outdoor girl gang. The session was also timed so well, as shortly after Emma Carlisle ran a sketchbook session on rivers and I was so hyped for it!
Reflecting on June…
A huge focus for June was getting my website live. Initially I didn’t enjoy the process as I’m not a web designer and had to learn a lot of new skills from scratch. I had a portfolio review from the AOI which really helped me in the form of constructive criticism, figuring out how to improve the site and get it published on time.
I also launched my online shop along with the site and was so pleased with the feedback I got from those who ordered from me. It was really fun seeing my work come together and to see my pieces all together in once place.
It solidified in my mind the worth of all the work I’ve put in over the last year, building up portfolio and personal work and re-sharpening the illustration skills I hadn’t used for some time until last year.
This month I tried my hand at some new crafts, learning some metalwork and making wedding rings at a forge with my fiancé, and playing with some ceramics at a ceramic studio in Manchester for an evening.
I learned a new skill in making the hand drawn font for my website, which was a culmination of some hand drawn type I’ve been working on in personal projects, and a bit of research into the tech side of font making. I used to think I was ‘bad’ at lettering so this was a huge accomplishment, and aside from this I’m really happy with how my lettering skills have come along since starting to practice hand drawn letters earlier this year.
I began posting on instagram again after a long hiatus, and feel like I’ve got a much happier relationship with my art and social media now. I’m also really pleased with how my grid is looking, and like the clear visual difference between my ‘behind the scenes’ posts on instagram and my more polished work on my website. This balance is something that’s taken me a while to figure out!
I’ve done some on site sketches and paintings I’m proud of this month, and amongst all the admin of website building it felt good to make time for the most traditional form of my practice to balance things out.
Finally at the very end of May, I bought myself a huge 30th birthday present and splashed out on the neocolour 2 crayons which I’ve lusted after for a long time. This month I’ve incorporated them into some personal sketchbook work and have really enjoyed practicing with a new medium and new colour palettes. I don’t feel skilled enough with them just yet to incorporate them into any of my final artworks, but it’s freeing to be a beginner and not have the expectation that naturally comes when I paint in gouache or digitally.
