Fig Taylor's Talk

DD2000 Design Practice: Fig Taylor's talk.

Thinking back to the talk we had by the very animated Fig Taylor, she had much to talk to us about, and teach. Being a well respected and renowned illustration agent, she had much to talk to us about, telling us about her job, how clients and agents would process portfolios of illustrators, arranging meetings etc. She would talk to her illustrators, telling them the do's and don'ts of the industry, teach them how to put portfolios together efficiently and effectively to meet standards that the industry demands.

She told us about how little work there is out there for illustrators, how there are a lot more illustrators than there are jobs. Despite this, we should always show who we are in our work, and like I've said before, it is also a language. A language which should translate to the viewer. We should enjoy our work and that we should learn to harness diversity and use it in our work. She told us of some illustrators she worked with, how she watched them grow and become a widely used name.

She went on through her talk and one thing I want to highlight is that she said is making a appointment with your clients and agents and talking to them in person is a very good thing to do, it allows your to make an impression, as you have to remember that they deal with thousands of illustrators all the time, you need to stand out.

Going back onto portfolios, she advised that we use only A3 and A4 sized portfolios, and that we shouldn't use any bigger, as it will just become in the way, hard to maneuver and the client won't be very impressed. You should be manageable and tidy. With that in mind, keeping whats in our portfolios in check is just as important. The work you include should never be years old, keep it recent, and modern. Only put in work your confident with and proud off, never just throw in any old rubbish. They should flow, and never put in something completely different to any of your other pieces at the front of your portfolio, as they will be the most memorable, keep it similar at the front, and your different ones and weakest at the back.

The talk by Fig Taylor was incredibly relevant, she answered all my questions to do with the industry, the relationships between illustrators and clients and also that we should be confident in ourselves. She was a very impressionable woman, and lovely. I absolutely enjoyed the talk, and would have loved to have more time with her!


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