Sunday, 9 February 2020

LAUIL502: Contact List and Rationale

Contact List

AGENCIES

1) Handsome Frank
• Handsome Frank represents a wide range of artists and some of my favourite illustrators including Helen Musselwhite, Paul Thurlby, Lesley Barnes and Anna Kovesces. It would be extremely beneficial for me to reach out and make contact early on in my professional practice to find out how to be represented by an agent, whether every illustrator needs an agent, how they select an illustrator to work with, what they look for in a portfolio, how they can help benefit an illustrator, and so on. 

2) Dutch Uncle
https://www.dutchuncle.co.uk
• Dutch Uncle is agency with a diverse range of illustrators and animators representing some of my favourites including Pin Zhu, Aesthetic Apparatus and Shout. It would be advantageous to network early on in my practice to find out how to be represented by an agent, how they select their illustrators, what they look for in a portfolio, how they can help an illustrator in the practice, etc.

3) nbillustration
https://www.nbillustration.co.uk
• nbilliustration represents very well known illustrators including Mark Conlan, Gemma Correll and ZapArt. It would be useful to network with such a strong agency to find out how to be represented by an agent, how they select their illustrators, what they look for in a portfolio, how they can help benefit an illustrator, etc.

ILLUSTRATORS

4) Sam Dunn
http://sam-dunn.com
• I know Sam Dunn through instagram, where we both follow each other and have a connection already through our favourite band and me frequently engaging with her work, for almost 2 years through the work she has created for the bands Ghost and HIM. She works mostly with the lino process and digital to achieve her thick black decorative lines and two tone colour palettes though carries this aesthetic over through other processes and productions using markers. She has designed and sold various shirts, hoodies, prints and CD cover designs through the Global Merch Group as well as independently and it would be fascinating to find out more about being contracted by well known metal bands and what it's like to work for them alongside balancing freelance work.

5) Louise Lockhart
https://louiselockhart.co.uk
• Louise visited LAU as a visiting practitioner back in 2017 at the beginning of my degree and I've been fascinated with her practice and way of making pictures since. It has even informed my way of working, mixing collage and cut shapes, balancing vintage and contemporary aesthetics for an evocative tone of voice. I would like to find out what she has been up to since in the past few years, how her practice has evolved, how she finds job opportunities, how she manages her time being a parent and an illustrator (as I struggle with time management) and have her as one of my strengthened contacts as an emerging practitioner.

6) Helen Dardik
https://www.helendardik.com
• I have admired Helen Dardik's work for quite some time for her use of bright and loud colours, curved and loose shapes imbuing a sense of nostalgia and fun. I would love to network with her, creating a contact with a hero, to talk about her practice, her way of working and creating images, how she approaches composition and character design, how she approaches job opportunities, whether she is represented by an agent or works freelance, how she manages her time between being a parent and an illustrator, and so on.

7) Luke Preece
https://www.lukepreece.com
• Luke has produced work for Metallica's Hardwired Tour shirts, Ghost, Ozzy Osbourne and Slipknot posters through "Metal Hammer" magazine and artwork for Gears 5 and District 9. He is very digital based using two or three tone palettes and intricate cross hatching on a tablet with a very stylised, horror aesthetic. I've followed Luke on instagram for almost a year commenting on a number of his posts, so it wouldn't be too difficult to touch base and arrange something via email. This will allow me to strengthen a contact, find out more about his practice that spans multiple forms (illustrating vinyl soundtracks, film posters, games artwork and products such as beverage cans), find out how he has built up such a strong list of clients and how he maintains a strong work ethic despite being a parent.

PUBLISHERS

8) Penguin Publishing
https://www.penguin.co.uk
• Penguin are the pinnacle of a classic publishing house and it would be a fantastic opportunity to network with them, find out more about the company, their opportunities for illustrators and, especially, graduating illustrators, what they look for in a portfolio, advice for a graduate, and so on.

9) Walker Books
http://www.walker.co.uk
Walker Books have a very strong portfolio of picture books including The Gruffalo, Where's Wally?, the Maisy series, Guess How Much I love You, I Want My Hat Back, and Owl Babies. I did some personal research into the publisher at the time and chose them to have my "gentleman's agreement" with in December 2017 for a picture book of mine about Pearly Kings and Queens from a Level 4 module in my first year of university. Unfortunately life events got in the way - my dad left home at the beginning of 2018, my mum had a severe stroke and lost her mobility, her independence, her confidence and some of her speech which marked the start of my bad mental health and both of my retinas detached shortly after, ending 2018 as a terrible year. I didn't get in touch with Walker while any of this was going in my life, though they were aware of what happened to my mum, all very difficult situations that still impact me very negatively today as I don't have a strong support system anymore and still struggle with my mental health and PTSD. I wouldn't even know where to start but this study task can get me back on the right path with opening up contact with them again, interviewing them and hopefully getting my foot back in the door - reassuring myself that not all hope is lost with this opportunity - something that has been at the back of my mind for some time. Real life happens, sometimes extremely serious and heartbreaking situations. and hopefully they will understand. It is still very much my dream to publish my book with them. Opening up communication with them for this study task can allow me to find out how they select a client to work with, what the process of creating a children's picture book is,

10) NoBrow Press
https://nobrow.net
• Nobrow Press are an independent publisher of two friends and ex-St. Martin's alumni. They have published the works of Lisk Feng, Adam Allsuch Boardman, Luke Pearson, Matthew the Horse, David Doran, Keith Negley selling picture books, stationary, sketchbooks, cushions, tote bags, wrap and figurines. They seem like a fantastic team producing some really beautiful products and it would be an ideal contact to make at this stage early on in my career. I would love to find out more about their history, what's it's been like to work as an independent publisher slowly expanding their business over the past 12 years, what they look for in a portfolio, what excites them in illustration, etc.

Going beyond the study task and thinking of other local potential contacts to consider: Temple Coffee and Donuts (who use illustrated artworks on their products sold in store through Red Temple Player), Colours May Vary, Nation of Shopkeepers, Buttercrumble (creative communications studio in Leeds helping with graphic design and illustration), Bundobust, The Great Yorkshire Shop, The Little Leeds Beer House, The Lamb and Flag - Leeds Brewery, Blackbird Vintage, The Key Club.

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