Casting our minds back to the talk of the successful and multi-award winning illustrator Ben Tallon, who previously graduated from our course, he told the class about the industry from his perspective, the trials he had faced and how much hard work he had put into becoming the contemporary illustrator he is today. And we were not disappointed.
Having struggled to find my own style, Ben told us how he had found his feet in illustration. He covered several points, like we should not force ourselves into a style, that we find it with experimentation, open minds and hard work. As illustrators, we should be open-minded, experiment freely with various mediums in order to adapt to the client's needs. He had told us how even after he graduated, he was still finding his style. How some people find their style quicker than others, some just take longer. Each disciplinary has different directions, image-making and ways of creating illustrations for their client's desires.
Tallon's talk has had a lot of influence on me, making me realise more about my own style. Having a very contemporary style, his splashes of colour here and there adds a dynamic to his art. Bold and bright colours with different types of brush strokes add to the effect. He started by experimenting with different layers of textured papers, plastics, anything he could layer. He would scan these into photoshop and layer different mediums like spray paints or acrylics. Once scanned in, he would digitally layer and manipulate his images. Its not about putting things in random places, its about creating a language through his art that reads to the receiver in the right way. Making the eye flow and follow the direction of the art.
He spoke about his work, about clients he had worked for and how he had found work. One of which was a job for E4's Skins. He told us how he invited himself to the art directors home for dinner, introduced himself, it was a very amusing story. He taught us how we shouldn't limit ourselves, that we can achieve anything if we put our minds to it.
He spoke about the image-making himself. Contrasts of colours and lines. Mark making. His style involves bold lines, layered images digitally. Contrasts of splashes of colours in the right places. His style isn't so much about being neat, his lines have that 'accidentally on purpose' feel to them. They're unique. They have style and they are very contemporary in design. They're not traditional illustrations, very modern and stylish.
He spoke about creating our own independent space to work in, to help develop ourselves as illustrators and to become independent, to help get us into the swing of an illustrators lifestyle. He told us about how work in the beginning isn't so plentiful, and how jobs for editorials and such are always fought over. He suggested that beginning freelance illustrators should aim to get work with a known agency, to help direct us and get used to the industry, as there are alot of do's and don'ts. These include being reachable and adaptable as possible. Being able to mould ourselves is very important as illustrators, as we are only restricted by our own skills. He said for many years he would have a part-time job as he would never know when his next job would be, to keep funds flowing to supply his artwork and his home.
Being a freelance illustrator is a very demanding job and needs extra special attention to help nurture our skills, to keep up to date with new and upcoming illustrators in the contemporary and modern world, to keep up to date with clients and to help spread our client base to not just within the UK but to think about other countries too and not to limit ourselves.
His talk has helped me alot as an illustrator, it has opened my mind to more possibilities, not just within myself but in my style and experimentation. We should not limit ourselves and we should embrace the different and new. Ben Tallon has taught us all more about illustration, the industry and about ourselves.
(695 words)
