2024 in Review
Well I haven’t posted since March! However it’s time to resurrect my blog with a review of the year…
It’s been a great year professionally and I have worked on some amazing commissions and licensed new work for new clients. Below are some of the highlights of the year and goals for next year.
I signed with an agency in January and they have been a great source of support. It’s taken some of the pain out of negotiating and contracts for a start! Having an agent is great for receiving feedback on your work as well, and the opportunity for someone external to critique your output.
I threw myself into Surface Pattern Design and learnt new skills. Adding pattern design to my repertoire has been a game changer. It’s led to a number of projects and helped me hone my style also. I’ve enjoyed learning the basics and developing my skills (I owe much of this to Skillshare classes and Maja Faber’s Pattern Rebels subscription). I’ve recently changed my workflow with patterns to draw motifs in Procreate and assemble the pattern in Photoshop, which works really well for me. A huge learning curve in regards to the technical aspects of Surface Patterns has definitely taken place and I’ve managed to let go of overthinking the process. One tip is to use the programme that works for you,. Yes there are industry standard specifications but if these don’t suit your style then don’t fixate. I have licensed many patterns using Procreate and this is a wonderful app to use.
Collaborations were key to my income this year, having stopped selling products I knew I had to create a solid stream of income. Licensing and freelance projects made up most of this and the vast majority of these came from clients who had seen my work on Social Media and wanted to work with me. Highlights include a stationery collection with Miquelrius, nail art with Never Have I Ever, fresh designs with So Typical Me and a collection with Rumble Cards. I worked on two big projects also which will launch next year and I can’t wait to share them!
I spent a lot of time building my portfolio this year. Identifying gaps and trying to fill them to make my portfolio more consistent and varied. I’ve really found my style and identity as an artist this year and enjoyed seeing my work develop.
Goals for Next Year
Work on new areas of illustration! I would love to work on some book covers and more editorial projects next year. So here is to manifesting! If I’m feeling brave enough I plan to contact art directors at a number of publishing houses, once I have more examples in my portfolio.
Create work suitable for fashion and apparel. I feel this is a gap in my portfolio since many of my patterns may not suit the sector - so I will be doing plenty of research, accessing trend reports and developing a style which would look great on clothing!
Maybe next year is the year I finally learn Illustrator. I’ve been putting it off but I’d love to have another string to my bow. Learning and developing new skills is very important and valuable to me.
Start sharing my knowledge more. Id love to create an online course, perhaps around art licensing, so watch this space!
