In addition to updating my website in preparation for this weekend's SCBWI conference in Fitchburg, I have also been reviewing my portfolio and printing up my best work to carry with me in my little leather folio.
As I was doing so, I started to wonder/worry about what I was putting out there for the world to see. Does this work represent who I am as an artist? Is this truly my best work? Should I (and could I) have done more to prepare for this weekend? So much depends on The Portfolio. And the stress of it all began to bubble up to the surface.
I had to stop and remind myself that, first of all, stress isn't good for anybody. So stop it right now!
And also that if I look at the entire spectrum of my art career, I have only been in the Children's Book business since Fall of 2009, when I signed up for classes at RISD. There is a reason why my portfolio needs so much more work. I'm still learning! I have plenty of non children's book art, and plenty of school-assigned pieces, but not a lot of things that are really mine. Things I've created just because I wanted to, and for the love of the craft. Well of course not- I have been a busy student, still working, and now blogging, and still having (somewhat) a life.
So with that information in the front of my brain, I looked again at what I had to offer the world. And you know what? It made me happy and proud. Yes, I could have done better on some of the projects we were assigned, had I given myself enough time (or watched one less movie with Hubby). And yes, I know not all the images didn't print or scan the way that I would have liked. And, yes, I know there are WAY better artists out there that will get the job instead of me.
But my current portfolio is proof that I'm heading in the direction of my dreams. I am doing what I love to do! It means I will be spending more time illustrating and writing, and getting better at it with each new project. It means I've got a grin on my face that can't be wiped off by my own insecurities, because I know I'm doing the best I can with what I've got.
So, take THAT, Stress, and take your worries to someone who cares. :)
And take this, Readers- some tidbits I've found on building one's portfolio. Maybe they'll help us all shine a little brighter, and do our best a little best-er!
Tips from artist Tony Sansevero
Tips from artist Nina Rycroft
Tips from artist Phyllis Pollema-Cahill
Tips from Harold Underdown
Tips from artist Chris Tugeau
Three Mistakes Illustrators Make in their Portfolios
Selecting Images for Your Portfolio
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Gettin' Ready!!!
SO!
The SCBWI Spring Conference in Fitchburg, MA is fast approaching! I've got my new business cards and postcards printed, and I'm working on printing up my portfolio all nicey-nice like (and putting it into my new tablet for a better viewing experience). But my biggest issue had been my old website (still viewable at mlindenart.com, but it won't be the same for long!). It was fun and all that, but I needed a site that allowed actual photo galleries versus the flippy things that 1and1.com offered in their templates. A friend of mine was kind enough to tell me about Weebly.com, and they are just what I needed (I super duper love them)!
So now you can visit my new website at melanielindenchan.weebly.com or by typing melanielindenchan.com, and either way you will get to my new and improved site. Much more professional looking with a touch of girly fun! I'm still adding and tweaking stuff here and there, but it is where it should be for the most part.
Let me know what you think, if you'd like. :)
Thanks for reading!
The SCBWI Spring Conference in Fitchburg, MA is fast approaching! I've got my new business cards and postcards printed, and I'm working on printing up my portfolio all nicey-nice like (and putting it into my new tablet for a better viewing experience). But my biggest issue had been my old website (still viewable at mlindenart.com, but it won't be the same for long!). It was fun and all that, but I needed a site that allowed actual photo galleries versus the flippy things that 1and1.com offered in their templates. A friend of mine was kind enough to tell me about Weebly.com, and they are just what I needed (I super duper love them)!
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| A bit of a preview of the new site :) |
Let me know what you think, if you'd like. :)
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Lesson Learned :/
So this past week I learned a few things:
1) Write up a basic contract and have it ready before someone shows interest in your work.
2) Have both parties sign the contract before you begin drawing. (Sample art included!)
3) Charge a fee for Sample Art.
It's common sense, I know. But when people start emailing you all interested and everything, excitement over a new project kicks into gear before the business cogs in the brain do. So when a potential client emailed me, and then called, asking if I would be interested in doing some Sample Art for her soon to be self-published picture book, I was totally thrilled! Of course I would do some art to see if my style matched her story! Of course I would do some character sketches!
Of course I would forget that this is work and takes time to do, and that a contract should be signed before I start drawing!
But no harm done, I did at least remember to send a copyrights contract before I actually sent my art. I know better than that, at least. I didn't think that the potential client would in fact refuse to sign the copyrights contract, and would also want to know before she signed such contract how much I would charge her should she choose to work with me. And that she would choose another artist after all, without even seeing my samples (or so she said. Doesn't matter anyway.)
I did get something out of all this, anyway. I had a real good reason to re-read the contracts in the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook for Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. Without having a case in mind, the contract section is a rather dry read, for me at least. And I typed up a nice little Sample Art contract for future use. So in the end, I've got some new stuff in my sketchbook that I wouldn't have thought to draw on my own, and one less week's worth of time I could have used for another project. I was lucky that things didn't go the real wrong way. That would have been bad!
So! Lesson learned. No harm done, and no hard feelings. :)
1) Write up a basic contract and have it ready before someone shows interest in your work.
2) Have both parties sign the contract before you begin drawing. (Sample art included!)
3) Charge a fee for Sample Art.
It's common sense, I know. But when people start emailing you all interested and everything, excitement over a new project kicks into gear before the business cogs in the brain do. So when a potential client emailed me, and then called, asking if I would be interested in doing some Sample Art for her soon to be self-published picture book, I was totally thrilled! Of course I would do some art to see if my style matched her story! Of course I would do some character sketches!
Of course I would forget that this is work and takes time to do, and that a contract should be signed before I start drawing!
But no harm done, I did at least remember to send a copyrights contract before I actually sent my art. I know better than that, at least. I didn't think that the potential client would in fact refuse to sign the copyrights contract, and would also want to know before she signed such contract how much I would charge her should she choose to work with me. And that she would choose another artist after all, without even seeing my samples (or so she said. Doesn't matter anyway.)
I did get something out of all this, anyway. I had a real good reason to re-read the contracts in the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook for Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. Without having a case in mind, the contract section is a rather dry read, for me at least. And I typed up a nice little Sample Art contract for future use. So in the end, I've got some new stuff in my sketchbook that I wouldn't have thought to draw on my own, and one less week's worth of time I could have used for another project. I was lucky that things didn't go the real wrong way. That would have been bad!
So! Lesson learned. No harm done, and no hard feelings. :)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Postcard Designs: Spring 2011
Well it seems I've been pretty productive this week! I'm working on a painting (still in progress, but I'll share it with you soon), and I made up my promotional postcards to send out to potential clients. I wanted them to match my new business cards, so here's what I came up with:
My only question is about saving room for the bar code at the bottom. I followed Vistaprint's guidelines and it looks all right to me, so I guess we'll see!
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| Front of Postcard - © Melanie Linden Chan 2011 |
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| Back of Postcard - © Melanie Linden Chan 2011 |
My only question is about saving room for the bar code at the bottom. I followed Vistaprint's guidelines and it looks all right to me, so I guess we'll see!
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