PDF from Tim

I was given a PDF which baisically explains one persons vews on creative processes. It insightfull, into the do's and dont's of creative working.

Surfing the Creative Process
Curt Cloninger
A current version of this outline (with active links) is online at: lab404.com/surfing/


I. A Process Primer

A. A Generic Design Process
1. pre-design (interview, research, creative brief)
2. design (theming, concepting, prototyping)
3. development (building, testing)
4. implementation (publication, distribution, maintenance)


B. Strengths & Weaknesses of Any Design Process
1. Strengths
* saves energy, you don't have to re-invent the wheel
* gives you something to "work" when you are creatively dry
* can take you to unforeseen places [1]

2. Weaknesses
* one size doesn't fit all (no single process will perfectly fit all
projects)
* a process can suggest and preclude creative solutions, but it
doesn't automatically generate them (themes don't transform
themselves into visual concepts simply by your following a
process.)

So... it's not just THAT you working the process, it's HOW you work the process. The
design process should be perpetually supplemented with strategies, tools, habits, and
paradigms. The process is like a bread recipe, and these supplements are like the yeast --
the active ingredients that help the creativity rise.


II. The Yeast (ways to best exploit the design process):
A. what this talk is NOT about:
1. yoga, meditation, diet, lifestyle
2. inspirational travel destinations
3. the perfect background music for designing
4. other intrinsically personal decisions

B. Strategies
1. Believe in your creative powers [2]
* timidity leads to lame design
* even if you're not very good, how does self-doubt make you any
better?

2. Implement Eno/Schmidt's "Oblique Strategies" Cards [3]
* use only when you're specifically stuck or at a crossroads
* commit to doing whichever card you get
* loosely interpret (they're just to get you started)
* edit the set to suit your practice; add your own cards

3. Don't pursue "Eureka"
* "eureka" moments are often mentioned by designers, but always
in hindsight
* more often than not something gradual leads up to them
* don't shortcut the process; don't get too specific too soon

4. Overvalue the Conceptual [4]
* Yes, God is in the details, but he was in the concepts first.
* A good concept poorly executed is more compelling than a poor
concept well executed.
* A good concept will focus and drive a good design.

5. Blitz [5]
* Limit yourself to 3 hours, and force yourself to develop an entire
mockup in that time
* don't do this until the prototyping phase, or it will be fruitless
* place your 3-hour mockup alongside a mockup that took much
longer, and see if anybody notices the difference
* feel free to fine-tune after the blitz, being careful not to dilute the
original approach

C. Tools/Templates

1. In General:
* keep alert and open-minded as you tweak (the solution may be
something unforeseen)
* much good design is simply good editing (harvesting the good;
deleting the bad; and being able to recognize the difference)
* don't just harvest "final solutions." harvest ideas, hints,
compositions, etc.
* it is cognitively difficult to simultaneously create and evaluate,
so do each in turn.

2. Autogenerative Software and Templates
* n_gen software [6]
* layout-o-matik software [7]
* büro destruct designer software [8]
* designershock OS1 software [9]
* grid systems in graphic design (Müller-Brockmann) [10]
* make your own auto-generative tools/systems (cf: John Cage, Sol
Lewitt, Josh Davis)

3. Standard Software
* tweak unfamiliar software
* tweak obsolete software
* use your usual software in an unusual
way [11]
- Layer the heck out of a design, with each layer containing
related design elements, then go back and randomly
remove layers, observing the results. Find
combinations that work, flatten them, and begin the
layering process all over again.

D. Work Habits
1. Maintain a Personal Design Playground [12]
* everybody needs a place to fail
* fail in the medium you hope to improve, not just in a sketchbook
* fail semi-publicly
* fail early, fail often

2. Be Less Derivative
* take a sabbatical from man-made stuff
* get out of the city and into the woods
* surround yourself with natural objects (shells, leaves)
* remove as much man-made media from yourself as possible (TV,
architecture, furniture, magazines)
* touch stuff
* turn off the audio

3. Be Hyper-Derivative
* surf the heck out of design sites
* watch two movies per night
* crank up the audio 24/7
* visit a museum or gallery per day
* play video games
* eat at the mall

E. Paradigm: balance the five layers (concentric circles) of design context:

1. General design aesthetics (does it look good to you and your peers)

2. Media constraints (does it work, is it usable)

3. Audience needs (does it meet the needs of its users)

4. Client needs (does it please your client's desires and perceived needs)

5. Ethical considerations (does it benefit society as a whole) [13 & 14]
• Most people focus on #4 way too much, because that is the pressing monetary
concern. But inordinately focusing on pleasing your clients may not lead to the
best overall design solution.
• By shifting perspective and focusing on various layers of context throughout the
process, you arrive at a more balanced, holistic design.


III. Summary
Take what you can use of these approaches, modify them to fit your needs, and leave the
rest. Nobody has to know that you are applying these tips and tricks. They can think it
all comes straight out of the creative genius that is your brain, with no prompting
whatsoever. Seriously, there is no shame in following a design process, and as long as
you're going to follow one, you should surf it well.

Nth Creative/ Tim Wooton

Even though he was very buisy, he decided to answer my questions in time for my chunk of research to be handed in. Hs answers were probably the most insightfull of all, and they have really given an idea on what i should expect in the future:

questions to you as an artist:

1. What important events led to you becomming noticed as an artist? and how hard was it to get this far?

I think its a case of aligning yourself with things you like & in my case its music & Books
I have been djing since I was 16 & grew up loving electronic music, I did my first record cover for Global communications whilst I was still at college
& have always wanted to do artwork for music that I really feel (apart perhaps from the coldplay job that was for EMI!!)
so when my younger brother began making electronic boogie - House & Techno I was available to make covers and designs for him for various labels
& this has gained me attention whilst creating music myself & creating artwork for these releases too.

my brothers work is Linkwood & my music I make with him is called discreet unit /// our two labels are firecracker recordings and prime numbers
but prime numbers is now disbanded in or view as they guy who ran is dodgy FC is all good however & the new label Shevchenko is also
putting our music out

2. What resources did you use to get noticed, did you contact company's and publishers?

I am not sure If I am really that noticed- I have been working with lots of people who have begun to become
popular in an underground sense & I guess blogs such as - Its nice that - noticing our exploits and promoting my work has really helped
but I do feel that its time to really expose my work now as I have been busy printing and building up numerous works for exposure in 2012

& so I will be sending a nu collection of my works to galleries I have sought out in all sorts of cities including New York
& Japan in the coming months.

3. How hard is it to get or set up commisions with a client?

not hard if you have a strong portfolio that you have worked hard to produce, and you are confident you can create a
an image or communication that helps the client express itself in a positive way, in many respects its about communication and
making contacts with people who can spread the word.

4. What types of work do you prefer to create pieces for?

I love working with music, Artistic ventures and publishers

5. Where would you like to be, or are you happy with how far you have come?

I would like to be in 6 places at once with 6 assistants in another 6 places & have 24 arms & ... stop

6. Is it enjoyable? Also is it better working freelance, or with a company

I love it on good days and on the few days a month that I lose my energy and inspiration
I feel like giving it all up and becoming a Tree surgeon, being a full time creative is exactly that full time
so you need ways of relaxing down and recharging your batteries to enable new ideas and
bold images to occur. I would suggest that meditation in some form or another is basically the finest form
of silence in amongst the mad stream of imagery and ideas that need to be generated day to day.





Questions about Nth Creative:

1. How easy or difficult is it to get your work accepted here?

It al comes down to the quality of the work /// & from that you build your confidence
I have not explored the network in Cornwall yet as I am living off contacts
that have been built up over the last 10 years – nowadays the world has become a
smaller place

2. Can portfolios be denied? i.e. is there are low quality images submitted.

I always send PDF files unless I feel the client needs to see printed materials
& this depends on the nature of the client, so you always need to research the likes and dislikes of
a prospective client or project manager before sending a selection over

3. What sort of work have members of bright been given? and how much work do new illustrators typically get?

? try to go for 20 - 35 an hour at the start & make sure you track all your timings with a computer timer that
you can save into your project folder

4. Do you think it is difficult for a recently graduated student to become noticed, especially when surrounded by older, more experienced artists?

No again with modern methods of exposure such as behance and all the social networking available even youtube
if you do something fresh and full of Youthful vitality it will find its place in the culture – but I also think its important to build up a body of work you
are proud of before you show it to lots of people on the web, your reputation is everything and your last job is a good indicator of
your core qulaities so find work – any work and bring something excellent to its production

5. Is it better to be a part of a publication company than to go it alone?

It all depends on your personality – if you like people then let people be around you whilst you work
if you prefer your own company work on your own and expose as you wish

6. Do you organise commisions etc for the artisits? If so what is the process of this, from what you do to making artwork submissions, arranging an apointment or pitch for a concept, and pay.

Normally it involves working with programmers or illustrators copywriters who can bring something special to proceedings

I do work with other artists & If I get them work then its normally 17 percent or more, dependent on the work I
organise.

Bright Illustraton agency

The Bright Agency

The Bright Agency has a reputation as a dynamic and successful organisation that represents some of the most talented individuals in the creative industry.

Bright acts as a resource for illustrators, artists and designers that specialise in children’s publishing who want to be represented and managed by an agency that understands them and their work. We work hard to ensure that our artists find the very best opportunities and commissions, as well as taking care of all their promotional and business relationships – leaving them to do what they do best.

We offer our artists scope to grow, regardless of national boundaries. We represent artists from every continent – from those working on a beach in Rio to a studio in Shoreditch – and present their work to clients from all corners of the globe. Also, our licensing and merchandise division means that we can fully exploit the big commercial opportunities.

Bright is an agency with a soul, a heartbeat and a passion for what we do and we are now the fastest growing content development agency in the world. Yet our central ethos remains the same – looking after our artists and delivering the very best results for our clients.

I sent an email to retrieve more information and had this reply:

Hello Abi,

Thank you for your email, which has been passed over to me, My Name is James and I am the Picture Book Agent for the UK and Germany.

Rather then give the wrong impression over email, would you mind if we arranged a phone call say for tomorrow evening, I would be more then happy to answer your questions.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

so hopefully i will get a phonecall soon :)

an average evening at work...

I was at work, and it was so quiet and boring i decided to doodle on a piece of till roll, and a customer who was buying items complimented my work. His name is Tim Moore and he is an artist, and creater of an illustration company called Nth Creative.
I was given his website and company address and told to get in touch,

so i have, i have sent an email with questions and containing some of my own work.
He quotes:

''I create Visual & Sonic Communication of the highest standard for a wide & eclectic audience, I add value for individuals and companies by helping them communicate their core message worldwide.''

Tim grew up in Bristol amid the emergence of the surrounding sound system culture that mixed electronics with all manner of musical styles. He was djing & producing music at seventeen, this love of mixing music & sound with its limitless possibilities has had a huge influence on his working method.
His first job on leaving college was to design the sleeve for Coldplay’s debut release on Parlophone recordings. He went on to work for Digit, a renowned interactive media studio based in London.

This was the only piece of information i could find on him, but hopefully i will get a bit of information on him through the emails i have sent. However he is both an artist and musician, specialising in abstract artwork, with markmaking and print work, here are a few examples of his work:










My favourite is the middle piece, i am particularly interested in the markmaking and stamping effects he has managed to get which is possibly something i can use in my background to the wildlife pieces.


his company:

Nth Creative



The studio prides itself in creating work of the highest standard, across the spectrum of modern media methods. Integrating exemplary typography, experimental illustration, digital & classical means of mark creation, Branding & online communications, print making, sound design, teaching & production.

nth is a new creative collective based in Edinburgh wholly owned & run by
designers & creative professionals. The studio prides itself in creating work of
the highest standard, across the spectrum of modern media methods. Integrating
exemplary typography, experimental illustration & digital & classical means of mark creation, print making, sound design, teaching & production.

gizzly bears are LIVE!

woo hoo! my grizzlys are now on grizzly bear thursday blog!
i recieved this email:

Lizz Lunney sushimonsters@gmail.com	Jan 5
to me

ACE!!! I love them all!!

I will add them tomorrow, so sorry for the delayed reply.

Are you UK based? if so let me know your address for a badge!




YAY! here is the blog address:

http://grizzlybearthursday.blogspot.com/2012/01/all-bears.html

looking at publishers...

Beehive Illustration!

Beehive are an illustration agency who specialise in childrens book illustration and currently have over 100 of the best childrens book illustrators around the world.
I couldnt find much information on the how,why and what's of the company, so i emailed them questions and have thankfully been replied to:




1. How easy or difficult is it to get your work accepted here? Quite hard at the moment as we are pretty full so only considering illustrators not working the same style as the ones currently on the books

2. Can portfolios be denied? i.e. is there are low quality images submitted. Not really denied but if the images are low quality it certainly will count against you as it would hint we might get the same quality for live jobs

3. What sort of work have members of beehive been given? and how much work do new illustrators typically get? All for children’s books and most of that for education or ELT (English Language Teaching) How much depends completely on the popularity and commerciality of the style.

4. Do you think it is difficult for a recently graduated student to become noticed, especially when surrounded by older, more experienced artists? Yes it is and there are no short cuts but the standard of your work and the number of bods you can show it to will definitely help you succeed or not

5. Is it better to be a part of a publication company than to go it alone? If you can get a job as an in-house illustrator then that would be great but those jobs rarely come up. If you can get signed up by an agent then that would be next best thing and finally freelance as the last option. If your work is strong you will do well – you should try and make your mind to continue with your career after the first 12 months as long as you have worked hard to advertise yourself you will know by the response you’ve had whether you have got what it takes to succeed.

6. Do you organise commisions etc for the artisits? If sowhat is the process of this, from what you do to making
artwork submissions, arranging an apointment or pitch for a
concept, and pay. No we don’t get involved in this – we are asked to quote or submit illustrators for existing jobs, we rarely pitch to gain non-existing ones.

Tim Wooton - questions

Tim Wooton also replied to me, his work is so realistic and lifelike that i had to contact him to see how well he does in wildlife art, and whether it is a particularly good career path, and i have to say that the fact he got to travel to the Orkney islands to develop himself as an artist. It has definatly strengthened the idea that i would like to work as a wildlife artist:

1. What important events led to you becomming noticed as an artist? and how hard was it to get this far?

I’ve always drawn birds and animals – ever since I was about three or four. The earliest memory I have about art was when my elder brother Stephen received a copy of ‘Thorburn’s Birds’ and I started to trace the paintings in the book. We still have the book and you can still see the indentations around some of the paintings where my pencil pressed into the page – quite spooky to see it really.

Going to art college at 18 was an important time – it was where I was first taught to draw in proportion by measurement – a revelation. I started exhibiting my work regionally and won a few small prizes, but in 1990 I started working professionally as an environmental consultant and illustrator. I didn’t have much time for ‘real art’ then but I learned a lot about technique and deadlines – very important!

But – the single most important event in my life and career was definitely relocating to the Orkney Islands. I came here to live to develop as an artist. The place is full of birds and wonderful landscapes and it is a daily inspiration for an artist. I made the conscious decision to devote my life to studying, painting and drawing the special birds of our islands.

2. What resources did you use to get noticed, did you contact company's and publishers?

When I first started out I spent quite a bit of time telephoning and writing to publishers but I think you are better visiting in person (if this is convenient) and try and get to know the art-buyers personally. Nowadays it is much easier to get in contact and things like Facebook and other internet resources are extremely useful.

I used to work as a freelance illustrator for magazines such as BirdWatching and Birds Illustrated. I also write articles about wildlife and ecology and general countryside issues.

I use the internet a lot and have set up my own website and blog which gets 100 hits a day. I sell work through the site.


3. How hard is it to get or set up commissions with a client?

Nowadays most people contact me for commissions. I don’t always have the time to do them and always insist that I make the paintings in my own way – not how the client thinks it should be done.

4. What types of work do you prefer to create pieces for?

I much prefer to make self-initiated paintings =- commissions are always stressful (what if the client doesn’t like the finished painting??). All of my work is based on first-hand observation in the field. It’s essential hat the artist has a connection with the subject. I have no time for artists who make grand paintings of elephants and tigers – and have never seen them in the wild!! I also don’t see the point of making highly detailed photographic renditions. Art has to involve something of the artist – not just be technically clever. Emotional involvement with the subject is very important, I think.



5. Where would you like to be, or are you happy with how far you have come?

I’m in the perfect place – I think. Orkney isn’t an easy place to live but the benefits for a wildlife artist are many and varied. If ever I run out of inspiration, I just take a walk outside along a beach, over a moorland, on top of some cliffs and the inspiration to make paintings is all around.



6. Is it enjoyable? Also is it better working freelance, or with a company

I can see the benefits of both. It would be nice to have a regular pay packet every month, but it would also mean having to go to a lace of work 5 or 6 days a week. At the moment my income fluctuates, but I am my own boss and can do almost as I please. . . . work-wise, anyway ;)

If you are to be self-employed, then you need a lot of discipline. You have to make a real work space often in your own home and you have to make sure you put the hours in – which can be difficult some days when there is the option to stay in bed!

Alison Nicholls - questions

An artist i have looked at in my sketchbook, Alison Nichols has decided to get back to me on questions regarding her work. Which i am greatly pleased about as from this module i have learnt more and more about wildlife illustration, and the fact that she gets to go out into the african savannah is something i would love to do, and inspire to be like:


1. What important events led to you becomming noticed as an artist? and how hard was it to get this far?
There is rarely 1 event that gets an artist noticed. You have to constantly put your art in front of audiences. Being a member of several prestigious art/conservation organizations helps. And so does lots of hard work online, blogging, keeping my website up to date etc. It is a struggle. I think artists today need to be ready to do their own marketing too.

2. What resources did you use to get noticed, did you contact company's and publishers?

I give lectures about my work and sketching in the African bush. I joined art organizations and constantly network.

3. How hard is it to get or set up commisions with a client?

I don't do too many commissions as I prefer to decide what I will paint. But when I do take a commission it is very important to put everything in writing so that the client knows exactly what to expect.

4. What types of work do you prefer to create pieces for?

I am currently working on a series of conservation-themed paintings (like my piece Ensnared which you can see on my website). This is a very interesting angle, rather than just painting animals.

5. Where would you like to be, or are you happy with how far you have come?

I would like to have gallery representation but have not really pursued this as yet. Painting mostly African wildlife limits the options for gallery representation. But overall I am very happy with my visibility and particularly enjoy the fact that i have been able to work closely with conservationists in the African bush.

6. Is it enjoyable? Also is it better working freelance, or with a company

I have never worked for a company in an art-related field so can't really comment on this.

Lizz Lunney - Founder of Grizzly bear thursday

The founder of grizzly bear thursday and illustrator Lizz Lunney very kindly got into contact with me after i sent her a number of questions asking about her career.
Shes published currently in germany, and her comic books are beautiful, i was interested in how she managed to get in to creating books, as its book illustration i am interested n.

these are my questions: and her answers;

1. What important events led to you becoming noticed as an artist? and how hard was it to get this far?

I studied Animation at University and although I love cartoons and animated films I found the actual process of animating wasn't for me so I moved into drawing comics. I did a couple of business courses and a comic book course in Birmingham and from that I just continued to draw and slowly it became my job. It was very hard, if I hadn't worked lots of bad part time jobs and lived at home for so long rent free there is no way I'd have been able to make comics as my career. It can still be hard because the income isn't regular and depends very much on what random work comes my way! I've been lucky so far so I just hope I can keep it up...

2. What resources did you use to get noticed, did you contact company\\\'s and publishers?

Yeah I've worked for various other companies and stuff. I worked for The Brother's McLeod for almost a year and have had work published in Germany by Zwerchfell and other various bits and pieces over the years. I basically try and get my work out there in as many ways as possible and try to chase up leads and potential future work wherever I can.

3. How hard is it to get or set up commisions with a client?

Sometimes it is very hard and there is nothing for months and then sometimes commissions can just fall in my inbox coming 2 or 3 at a time like buses! I sometimes try and look for commissions or do call outs but mostly I concentrate on my own self publishing and see what happens from that.

4. What types of work do you prefer to create pieces for?

All sorts of things! I like to do as many varied projects as possible to keep things exciting. In the pipeline for this year I have an exhibition and a range of cards out but previously I have done all kinds of things from wall vinyls to zines to coffee shop murals.

5. Where would you like to be, or are you happy with how far you have come?

I'd really love to be published in English because at the moment my work is all self published and I only have a book out that has been translated into German. It would be great to have a book published in English to reach a wider audience than I can manage on my own.

6. Is it enjoyable? Also is it better working freelance, or with a company

Both are good. Working for a company is in many ways more secure because you know when your next pay cheque will arrive and that you can afford your rent! But freelance means that if you are ill you are basically losing work hours that you are not being paid for. But working freelance has the benefit of being able to work odd hours are make your own deadlines etc so it has it's positives as well!

artists i have looked at for grizzly bear thursday

I had looked at Emma Dibben, Marie Gordon and Lucy Davey in my sketchbook for stylisation ideas for my bears, but I also looked at the following artists who had previously entered grizzly bear thursday, and who's work i particularly enjoy:


ALAN DALBY -

















This is all the information i could find on Alan Dalby:
''Born and raised in York, I moved to Manchester to study Illustration at Stockport college in 2007. After graduating I remained in Manchester, where I am currently working as a freelance Illustrator.''

I particularly liked his grizzly bear purely because of the shapes and geomatrical patterns he used, its so simple, you can tell what the animal is purely from the shape of it.
The colours used are nice too, they are sharp and colourful definatly attract the eye.




JONATHON ANDREW TAYLOR -




















There was also no information on jonathan that i could find, and emails to him have failed to be returned. However i picked his work from the website purely because of his style, its rustic and stylish with the colours clashing. I chose him as inspiration as his artwork was so appealing, and his bears still look like bears, even though they are abstract.




JOE DECIE -


''Joe Decie draws pictures in boxes that are true and made up. He currently lives on the south coast of England with his girlfriend and their son. His favourite chilli pepper is the Scotch Bonnet and his favourite whiskey is Lagavulin. ''
I enjoyed his work, as its distinctive and the soft use of inks with a bold outline gives it that particular 'comic' feel, and its something i admire.