Leeza's Billy GG

Astrid's Billy Goat Gruff

I'm so proud of myself, I made the deadline! Here it is, up on the critique board for us all! Looking forward to your feedback.
Astrid

First Assignment- Billy Goat Gruff

Have at it ladies, I already see quite a few things.

...let down your hair!

ASSIGNMENT: Illustrate a cover for Rapunzel.
TEXT: Include title and author.
SPECS: 7x10"
DEADLINE: September 30, 2007.
NEXT ASSIGNMENT: Posted on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 by Astrid Mueller.

Got balance?

Nope.
Maybe it's the bull in me, I'm a Taurus after all. We enjoy our predictable patterns - slowly trudging along with our one-thing-at-a-time kind of nature.
Trying to juggle things makes me crazy. I'm totally frustrated working on one thing and knowing very well that other thing is over in the corner demanding attention too. I feel every loose end. While trying to fall asleep I agonize over how each minute will be spent the next day trying to wrap everything up. Are you with me fellow bulls?

I've tried lists...
- feel the failure when everything's not crossed off.
I've tried using spare minutes in between stuff...
- feel the anxiety when you see no real progress.
I've tried bouncing between projects...
- feel the dizziness as your head spins.

I'll have to go with my gut for now using time demands to determine priorities, fitting in family and house crap when I can. I've got illustrations that need painting, a large mosaic that needs tiling, a baby shower that needs planning, a house that needs building, a job that I need to show up to, and a husband that needs a butt kicking (he he). But right now all I can think about is getting some sleep.

Balance

I am not so good with the balance thing. Raising a child, working part-time, cleaning the house, spending time with the hubby, creating illustrations, all of these things take turns being high priority. (Although, the pud almost always comes out on top and I'm working on spending more time with the hubby) I also get easily distracted and am addicted to e-mail and surfing the web, so this takes out a big chunk of my time.

I usually try to combine things. Luckily for me, The Pud can sit and draw or play with play-doh while I work in the basement. This only works for about an hour at a time but it helps when I need to paint. I draw while the hubby and I watch tv or while the pud plays with her toys. I rarely have time where I just sit by myself and work on my illustrations. Pre-school starts in a few weeks and I am really looking forward to having a three hour period of time totally to myself where I can just work. Of course, the trick is to actually use the time and not just sit in front of the computer.

I think balance is something that we all struggle with. I do know that keeping your illustration career as one of the top five priority items helps. It also helps when you get paid. There is nothing like a bit of money to help re-organize everything. Support from loved ones helps give you a boost too and having friends cheer you on is always a great motivator. The most important thing is knowing that this is your passion and your love and you must create.

Balance

After five years of teaching, you could say I'm starting a new career in finding balance as a stay-at-home mom and illustrator. There are so many pieces to the puzzle, it's sometimes hard to find them all.
The newest piece of my puzzle right now is my baby boy. Because my daily schedule revolves around his needs, I have to stay flexible. If I know he's going down for a nap I make a decision to either do a little bit of housework, or sketch for the small amount of time he's asleep. I don't watch television or read through blogs-hard as that is. I make his sleep time my work time.

When baby's awake, it depends on his mood as to what I can do. Sometimes we go to the gym where I can work out knowing he's being watched after by responsible care providers. Sometimes he sits in my lap or in his bouncy chair as I sketch in my workroom. Sometimes he wants to be walked around, so I'll walk around the house picking up here and there. And sometimes nothing will get done and I have decided to be okay with that. I don't try to be Superwoman by any means, but at any given moment I try to be The-Best-I-Can-Be-Woman.

The next piece of the puzzle was determining that creating art was important enough to me to carve out time for it. Then I presented it as a priority to my ever-fantastic husband/partner. I think he's probably the second biggest piece in my puzzle of finding balance. There's a lot of anxiety that disappears once you know that someone has your back.

That's not to say I don't do a lot of self-motivating. In the illustration business, I think that's a requirement. You have to want and need to create and get after it yourself. I've lucked out in the last month with my inspiration switch staying flipped to "on." New ideas and projects pop up in my head every week and it's all I can do to scribble them down in my sketchbook. They're pretty exciting for me, and wanting to create them makes it a lot easier for me to carve out time for them.

The last, but not least, piece of the puzzle is the realization that in order to create art you have to live. Sometimes the pens, paints and pencils need to be put away and the tennis shoes, beach blanket or suitcase need to come out; a movie watched, a game of fetch played or phone calls made. You can always return to an idea, project or assignment; you can't go back in time to those moments where you could have created a memory. I always try to make the most of the life I have, because there is no better source of inspiration.

subject matter...and balance

subject matter....I love drawing children...




and apparently dogs too.


As for balance, I don't really have any. I am a full-time teacher. I am a full-time mother of two young children. I have never finished an illustration that I have worked on. Most of my work is done in a single media when I really have wanted to add collage and other media. I never am able to sit down and feel completely committed to creating artwork. I often steal work time while my high school kids are working on their own art. I sit quietly in the back of the room, so I can monitor everyone, and I try to concentrate. At home, I am able to sit down to work no earlier than 9 pm- when my brain is completely uncooperative. I am able to keep myself from feeling too overwhelmed by saying over and over "my time will come". Soon enough my girls will be off doing their own things and I will be left to myself often enough. Some things just have to wait. So balance is not something I am able to accomplish. Hmm...maybe balance is boring. Its more exciting to wait for everything to tip over.

Balance for leeza

BALANCE
By definition: one of the word’s twenty-something meanings, balance is a state of equilibrium and something that brings about that state. Self-control and emotional stability are a couple of other meanings, too … hence, my world.
I ride waves and tides from day-to-day according to the amount of projects I have on my agenda, from freelance assignments to my full-time job to spending quality time with my family. The housework takes a back seat to the rest of my to-do list. Sleep is buried somewhere under the laundry pile and, basically, I just get on with it all. Balance sounds like such a simple word, yet it’s filled with so much complexity that most people most of the time struggle to achieve it. Through my training as a manager, I have learned to delegate and ultimately, I know when to say “no” or “enough is enough.” I have learned to listen when my body tells me it’s time to take a rest. And I have stopped worrying about the to-do list for tomorrow or the one I didn’t get through yesterday and just focus on my to-do list of today. I go through phases: if one week is nothing but a hard grind just to make deadline, I might not shower every day or eat properly, but the job-in-hand gets done. Then I step back for a day or two, maybe not a big step, but enough to take a breath and ready myself for the next grind. I laugh, I meditate, I play, I rest. It’s a balance that’s leveled by sort of quirky imbalance which all evens out in the end. This is my equilibrium — that and a fantastic, oh-so-understanding husband who is ready to step in whenever I need him. Eckhert Toll’s book The Power of Now helped me understand about living in the present as well as The Art of Tibetan Living and Dr. Wayne Dwyer’s Power of Intention series. You can’t control what happens tomorrow so why waste time and energy worrying about it.

PS: MY FAVE SUBJECT MATTER
I absolutely adore fantasy. Goblins, faeries, enchanted forests, fireflies and dragon's breath — but for the life of me, it's the hardest thing for me to draw, create or put pen to. Brian Froud's work is my favorite in the world — He is king of the faeries. I think I am too busy fantasizing about being as good as he is or being able to create creatures in his style, that it prevents me from actually setting my mind to creating fantasy for myself.

Needing feedback …

My Web site has recently undergone a redesign, but I need some feedback. I want to make sure others can view it okay on their browsers. there are a couple of pages still under construction, but you get the basic idea. Please take a look when you have a moment … pretty please. There is a feedback form on the contact page - you don't even have to e-mail me, it's very simple.

I am thinking of breaking up the design page into categories — seems like a lot to view on one page. Waddya think?

Visit www.leezaworks.com

Astrid likes to illustrate...

All things girly! Go figure :-)
From top down: horoscope illustrations for "Tchibo" Germany, wedding invitation card, based on the card to the right, illustrations for magazine "Annabelle" Switzerland, and logo design for magazine "Femina", Switzerland. You find more techniques and styles, and current samples on my website: PotatoMammaDesign.com

I like drawing...

Cats in rain boots, rabbits riding snails,
skunks chasing lightning bugs, bears with fishy tails.
Gorillas riding scooters, critters stealing pies,
gators playing basketball, witches flying high!

Favorite Subject Matter

My favorite subject matter for the last few years was always little grey-haired grannies. I think it was due to my grandmother who was an amazing positive force in my life. It could also be that grannys are cool to draw with jowls and wrinkles and crazy hair-dos. Here is a sampling of my little old ladies.





Incredibly enough, I had recently started to tire of the grannies. Nothing else was inspiring me until I created this for an agent I was trying to woo.



This was great becasue it opened an the entire animal kingdom as possible subjects. However, I really became enamored of a new subject matter. Here is a sneak peak of something I created for an illustration assignment suggested by our own Leezy.

This is my new passion:




It fits becasue I have always been a big fan of fantasy and otherworldy critters. Now ... to create a new section for my portfolio.

New Work

Lately, becoming a mother has inspired me to experiment with different mediums. Rereading the classics of Eric Carle has reminded me how I was anamoured of collage when I was younger. I've decided to give it another go. Here is one of the animal collages that currently decorate my son's nursery.
It's recycled magazine cuttings mixed with gesso on canvas board. This was a thoroughly different process for me. I really had to plan where the papers would go and when they would be glued down in order to achieve to the picture I had in mind. The original idea though, that was very familiar. I didn't even consider experimenting without an animal subject. Perhaps it's safety in familiarity? I'm not sure, but the next subject I have in mind, isn't feathered, furred or scaled. I'll let you know how it turns out. :)

Favorite Subject Matter

Anyone who's paid any kind of attention to my art must have noticed that humans aren't a high priority for me. I prefer to create my own version of people with animals.I think this preference comes from a childhood of Saturday mornings watching Looney Tunes and rainy afternoons devouring Calvin and Hobbes. Mostly my animals are in everyday situations..

But every now and again, I like to have them doing something wacky (like my ducks).

Creating animals is second nature for me. I don't have to analyze and figure out how to depict a bear fishing for lunch, or a squirrel taking a nap...

My brain just seems to know where lines should go. I guess I feel less confined when I create animals because I think they're a little more open to interpretation. If a viewer can't tell when I've drawn a person, then where does that leave me?

"Could do better"

A few years ago, I did these illustrations for a 32-page picture book for a self-publishing author in Florida. (Obviously just showing a couple here). They are done in cheap, watery acrylics - you know the crafty acrylics. The entire book took me about 18 months from sketches to finished product. The turning point for me wasn't neccessarily a positive one. It taught me about what I wanted my style to be. And this wasn't it. I thought the illos were cute but extremely mainstream and I went through a tough time trying to figure out a style that I could define as my own. I doubt that I am there yet. I've loosened up a lot with my use of acrylics, and experimented more with mediums as well as invested in some good-quality supplies.




It was this image that
became a positive step
forward and is a style
that continues to
intrigue ADs and editors,
each saying I should do
more in this style. So
that's what I am trying.
It's hard but I am riding
the wave to see where I wash up...

old work from Astrid

Which old work was a turning point, we ask ourselves. Hm. I think I keep getting turning points, whenever I experiment with new techniques and happen to get lucky. Sometimes though, experimenting also brings me back to my previous approach.

Here's one of my recent turning points. I start with vector, import into Photoshop and add airbrush shading, then move to Corel Painter and add real-paint-look swirlies of movement. I might have shown work of this style before, but this piece here is a new one, done for the British magazine You & Your Wedding.

Looking at this new style just makes me happy. What better can happen to us illustrators ?! Apart from winning the lottery of course ;-)

creative turning point

I don't think I've had my big creative turning point yet. Or is it that each piece is a small one flying under the radar, disguising it's importance in my artistic growth?

I don't feel like I've found my style quite yet but I've been attempting to over the last couple years. But I got tired of waiting for it to feel "perfect" so I threw together a website and joined this group hoping to find it. As SARK says..."Perfection is the enemy of done." I've got that one posted on my computer screen to read daily.


This one above has elements that I would like to incorporate in future pieces. I like using line work and I like the brushy, thick quality of the paint with the colors clumsily mixed together. I go between this paint method and flat color like in this one below.


I can't quite pinpoint one piece as a turning point. Maybe I'm just too close or I'm still waiting for it to happen. Maybe it's not my determination to make?

my piece of glory

This piece, done about two years ago, was the first piece I submitted to a SCBWI contest- and I got an honorable mention. At the time, I was so hesitant to begin doing illustrations again- this really gave me some confidence to work at it again. It had been years since I worked on drawing- I was busy making pottery, painting, getting my master's degree- it was the birth of my daughter that started pushing me to do illustration. She's very inspirational, albeit a terribly stubborn and whiny muse at the moment.

Old Work

Per this weeks theme, I sifted through my portfolio looking for old work that marked a big change for me. Almost all of the pieces mark some sort of ah-ha moment, something that I had captured and had strength ed my abilities in some way. The piece above is definitely the biggest though. It marks my jump into watercolor. Previous to this, I had been working with colored pencils.

I really liked the details and the vibrant colors but knew that something was lacking . I remembered the fun and freedom I had discovered in school with watercolors and re-created the piece.

I haven't looked back since.

Old Work: Remember the Ducks!

I had a really hard time with this week's topic. I looked through my files of art work...they're not very big considering that I only decided to actively create art two years ago.
My choice is a piece completed last summer as part of an international art journal project. (Leeza knows all about it!) While I was creating it I was completely happy and enjoyed myself through the entire process. As a result, it was the first time I dared to be proud of my work. Everytime I read through the pages, I gave myself a little pat on the back. I decided from then on that every piece I created needed to give me that same feeling-or I was doing something wrong. It's a concept that gets pounded in my head over and over when I have a piece that just won't go right. I ask myself if I'm getting hung up on something I have no control over or on details; you know- "can't see the forest for the trees?" I mentally shake myself loose and ask what my ultimate goal is, what overall feeling I'm trying to create, and then start from there. I can honestly tell which of my pieces I successfully did this with, and which ones I tried too hard to get "perfect." (and really, for who?) The joy and fun I had with these ducks is a goal I try to reach for everytime I create something new.

(*Also because of this project, I am seriously entertaining graphic novels in the future.*)

Astrid's inspiration

Since my main audience at this point are women magazines, I'll talk about my inspiration there.

* The brief
Whether it's a clear idea from the magazine art director, a rough of the text, or an open brief with just a mention of the text theme, this input gets me started. I consider which target group the magazine has (young? girl next door? sophisticated upper class?...), and the feeling the magazine is looking for with the illustration (if they have such a request). Then, images automatically start forming in my head.

* going for a walk
I heard once it's scientifically proven that thought processes move easier when someone's walking, instead of just sitting around. So when I get stuck and ideas aren't immediately forming to something useful, I go for a walk, which helps a lot!

* sleep on it
If I have enough time, I like looking at the briefing on one day, and then start working on it on the next. The thoughts may follow me during the day, for instance when I'm in the shower, and often an idea forms in my head just when I'm not under pressure and trying to force it, but relaxing and thoughts are just flowing freely. Of course there isn't always enough time for this. If not, I'll do the walk thing, whenever I'm stuck.

* current fashion pictures
Often, clothing isn't overly important in my illustrations. I just sketch up whatever I think is cute or fits the overall illustration best, and get feedback from the magazine. Sometimes I need fresh ideas though, and so I'll start browsing on the internet for new clothing trends that a reader of the specific magazine would wear. That can vary greatly, depending on the magazine's audience structure. For instance,for the stylish home decor and lifestyle magazine DECO I'd look for clothing inspiration for a rather affluent woman, living in Germany, enjoying design and lifestyle, around 30-45 years old. For the magazine LAURA, I'll look more for the "girl next door" type of fashion, for readers of around 25-40 years, not too extravagant. Sites I may visit for clothing inspiration are Manolo's shoe blog, Vogue, Swiss woman magazine Annabelle, The budget Fashionista, and of course the website of the customer himself!

* other artists, for grown-ups:
As long as the inspiration is just "inspiration", and not copying, I think it's perfectly okay to look at other artist's work. There are many illustrators that make my heart beat faster: MargueriteSauvage.com, Tokidoki.it, AnjaKroencke.com, and many more.

* other artists, for children:
the cool illustrator ladies of IllustratorGroupSoup.com, jaimezollars.com, IllustrationGroup.com, Susan Mitchell's blog, and many more.

* inspirational websites:
Hulagirl Design blog, Drawn.ca, Sugarfrostedgoodness.com, TheLittleChimpSociety.com, and others. You find more inspirational links on my website, PotatoMammaDesign.com/links

* artists' portfolio sites
Here's a thought when you're stuck in your ways, or trying to get into a new field, or just trying to see what the market is doing. Check out portfolio sites like theispot.com, or Folioplanet.com.

* color inspiration
I usually choose my color themes according to the common color theory color wheel. Monochromatic, analogous, complimentary, triad themes... those were a revelation to me in art school! =). If you need more color inspiration, colorlovers.com may be worth looking into. A color networking website with fun potential.

* every day of my life:
I try walking around with my eyes open. There's tons of inspiration out there for illustrators, if you've got an open mind, and a curious mindset. You'll find new potential target markets, cool architecture inspiration for lifestyle illustration, new girlie book publishers' addresses, and more it's endless! I always have my digital camera on me, and something to write, business cards on me, and my cell phone. Sometimes (of course I'm thinking I'm very sleek that way, ;-)), I type in book publisher's addresses into my cell phone instead of on a notebook, when I'm in a book store. Seems less rude, and they hopefully don't guess what I'm doing that way ;-)

Mother Nature...

...and all her creatures are my inspiration.

What inspires me?

Hmm, I could probably go on all day about this! Let's see …

• When I'm in a funky head space, I head for water. This is a big medative one for me. The shore, a lake, the rapids of a river. If I just quiet myself enough, take in the sounds and scenes of the water and look inward, the inspiration comes from deep within. I draw from the energy of an ocean's waves or a current falling on a waterfall. It's very powerful. I've noticed this method of inspiration works well when I am really struggling with an assignment: design or illustration.

• Picasso has always been a huge influence. Not so much his style, athough I LOVE his work in all his periods but the fact that he didn't let other people's opinions effect him. They didn't hold him back. He was a risk-taker who loved to experiment and wasn't afraid to try something new. He was a genius.

• An artist who's style inspires me is Alberto Giacometti. Not his sculpture — which he is probably most famous for — but his sketches and his paintings. His portraits and street scenes are filled with an incredible raw energy, layered with tremendous visual texture.

• My precious baby girl is a new source of inspiration to me especially for children's books. I read to her everyday, we always buy new books and I'm always coming up with ideas when I sit with her. She'll be my model for many stories to come I'm sure!

• Groups and circles. From conferences to workshops, peer groups to all my friends, even motivational speakers. The moment I sit and talk to other people or listen to their passions about what it is they love I'm instantly inspired. Everyone in Group Soup inspires me, not just because of your talents but also the type of people you are, what you enjoy and love about your own lives. I've yet to walk away from any of these experinences without being inspired in some way.

• Film, books, magazines and music inspire me. They create moods, ideas, set scenes, urge me to think about worlds outside of my own from unusual perspectives or story angles - or simply encourage me to switch off completely so I can relax and not think so hard about my own work. I also pay attention to color, type and design — whether it be packaging, a layout, costume, tempo or the use of lighting. They are all created for an audience and that's a factor I try to think about when working on one of my designs or illustrations.

• In a nutshell I try to make everyday count. I don't want to miss a thing so basically, I make it my business to be nosey (but in a good way)! I people-watch, pay attention, and try to keep my eyes and mind as fully open as possible wherever I am. Oh, and people always ask me how I manage to fit it all in, because I'm always working on so many projects? Don't get me wrong, I do have bad days but most of the time, one project feeds another. Working in newspapers has given me the ability to work very fast in a short space of time, and that's how I do it I guess. The stuff I procrastinate with iare the business elements: invoicing, updating my resumé, keeping my Web site updated. Anyone got any inspiration for that let me know!!!

(((By the way: I wrote a book about a year ago called 52 Ways to be Creatively Inspired. Basically, it's one creative exercise per week for a year! Perhaps this would be a good time to get it printed)))

Happy Art Love Everyone!

Piggy-Doodle-Doo!

Well, I made my own doodle assignment! Seeing as I said I couldn't draw piggies like everyone else, I gave it a shot. I didn't use any reference — that's probably why they look weird — but it was fun to doodle piggies nonetheless. they started off looking like cows though, I must say!

BTW: I am a HUGE fan of "Olivia" Ian Falconer does a fantastic job in capturing emotion and personalities with his piggy books!

My Inspiration

My all-time inspiration is my nephew, Kevin. I am really serious when I say he's my no. 1 critic because he really is! He looks at my finished drawing, he raises his eye brows, he moves it up and down and he decides... only then will I know if I have a knock-out drawing....or not! I get nervous at times :) It's really the little simple things in life that inspires me - even if it's just a small pebble I find on the beach (which is my favorite thing to collect whenever i'm in Hawaii:) ) I am also inspired by my family and am truly grateful for the Illo Group Soup because YOU GUYS inspire me!

Inspiration

I draw inspiration from so many places- there are instances of inspiration everyday- some I remember and write down, and some sort of get lost in my brain as I go about my daily life. Most of the time I get ideas just running around living my life. I am inspired my daughters, by my family, and just things that occur around me. Here are three influences that I go back to quite often for ideas, for focus, and for joy.

1. A visual artist that I love is Marc Chagall. He embraces color, uses flowing lines, and paints about love, about his family, and about his past. His painting is up above. Here is a piece that I did in response.

2. Sally Mann- a photographer from here in Virginia who's series "Immediate Family" is an amazing group of images of her children. A couple of years ago, the photos drew a lot of protest because they tend to show children in provocative poses, sometimes nude, sometimes in adult situations. When you hear Sally Mann speak about her photos, she is oblivious to the controversy. Her artwork is spiritual and it makes me look at my children as objects of beauty.



3. William Carlos Williams- a poet that inspires me to keep my images clear and my ideas simple. He writes about everyday experiences as if each moment in each day is a spiritual one.

"THIS IS JUST TO SAY"

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox


and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast


Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

Astrid's sketchbook glimpse

This is one of my first sketches I did for the picture book contest I was working on this past month der-meefisch.de (I mentioned that contest in an earlier post). It's done and submitted! Phew, that was way more work thank I expected, even if I did "just" the dummy and 3 finalized artworks, and the text was done by someone else. Wow. But it was a great experience, and I definitely learned a lot - at the very least how much time it takes, lol. Here, I'm just posting one of the first sketches. If you're interested in seeing part of the dummy, and a glimpse of a finalized image, you can view them on my blog: www.potatomammadesign.blogspot.com.

Leezy's Sketchbook

Whenever I attend a conference, workshop, seminar or sit in a meeting at work, I always have a skecthbook in hand and I ALWAYS doodle. I never throw them away, they just hit the back burner until I can think of something where I might be able to use one of my scribbles. As I was thumbing through some of my sketchbooks, I realized — without thinking — I seem to always draw the old woman in the head scarf carrying her groceries (center) and figures walking in the rain (bottom left). I have absolutely no idea why, but feel they are related somehow and will appear together in a book someday. These skectches were made during a Q&A session in LA last year.

Sketchbook a la Frizz

This is how I roll - just doodle away and see what comes out. I never know what will appear and I kinda like it that way. I usually doodle then put all the pieces together instead of having a clear view of the entire scene. I wonder if this process hinders a finished illustration. But I guess my approach is what makes my work, well mine. Do you recognize this subject matter Courtney?

See the finished painting here.
And you've got to check out the great art I got in that swap here.

Astrid's Self-Promo Tips

Sorry for the delay guys, was busy with taking part in the children illustration competition I mentioned in an earlier post. Will shortly let you know how that turned out. For now, here's my addition to the topic self-promotion. Your tips were all super cool, thanks a lot! You make it hard to add things, but here goes:

* Make individual mailing pieces for a small selection of contacts:
I had an illustrator friend (Nicole Justiz, nilludesign.com she's in children publishing) recommend that to me. She learned: wide-spread postcard mailing, near to no answer. Selected customized gift mailing with memorable worksamples, 80% of positive feedback!! In her case she was targeting gift producers for toddlers, and she sent self-made teddy bears and more. I'm planning a customized samples-to-keep package for girlie market book publishers (book covers), will let you know how that works out. Cross your fingers =)

* email newsletters:
This has been mentioned before. I hear there are pros and cons. It may land in spam, but some will get there. It's definitely good to build and keep a fan base, and to stay in touch with existing or interested customers. I use Verticalresponse.com. For Email newsletters, I've been very happy with them. Don't use them for postcards, I think they're too flappy looking, and get spots easily.

* don't just wait to be found, find who's looking - with google search:
I firmly believe that (almost) no matter what style you do, there's someone out there who will like it, hopefully even pay for it. Often they're even looking and would love to find us. Why not help them and meet them in the middle? If we put ourselves in their shoes, what terms would we put on the internet to find us? Try typing words like "illustration submissions" into google for instance. Or "illustrator for greeting cards". You'll find tons of entries, some of which might be interesting...

* google adwords!
On google.adwords.com, you can drive people to your website by paying for keywords. You can say how much you pay, and you only pay when someone searches for your keywords in google, and actually clicks on them. Great tracking and analytics functions, you'll see what works and what doesn't. I'm still fiddling with it myself, I know I can still improve. Again, put yourself in the shoes of the people who want to find you. How would they look for you? How would THEY word it?

* meet someone or do a mailing?
When I started out, I went to 4 cities and met magazine art directors. About 12 appointments in each city. On average, I got about 1 client out of it. Comparing, I get about 5 answers out of a postcard mailing of 500 (they say that's normal). To travel to a city and meet people takes a LOT of time and money! Even though mathematically, I got about 8% success rate out of it, I'm not doing this right now. It just takes so much effort and money that I want to try the specialty mailing for a change.

* website boosting tips!
These tips are out of a German book called Website Boosting. I love this book! I'm about to redesign my website, and will definitely try to implement as much as possible. I had a webdesigner recommend the book to me, he said he could tell in his hit rates that the book had definitely helped. I haven't found the book in English yet, but will let you know if I do. Here are a few extracts (without explanation, not enough room):
* don't use flash (can't be read by search engines)
* don't use images for text (dito)
* don't use frames (search engines have trouble)
* try to get many links to your site, from similar websites, or from websites with a high page rank
* work with google keywords (adwords.google.com)
* boost your usability for the visitors of your website
* text has to have strong contrast to background
* are all links easily recognizable (underlined, other color)?
* can each page of your website be printed? (if someone is interested in your work, they could easily keep your reference, or forward to someone)
* is your contact information on each individual page? (easy accessibility)
* not more than 7 buttons to choose from in the navigation(our brain can't take more)
* does the user always know where he/she is on your website? easy navigation...
* update often
.....

* Keep learning
I just bought a 3CD set by Mark Simon, called "the thriving artist". Great tips on how to land dream designer jobs! He sure seems to know what he's talking about, he's an award-winning artist, best-selling author, worked for Disney and many big shot movies... I learned that if we really want a job/assignment, there's a high chance we can get it, if we really go for it. Inspiring, recommendable! I'm always on the lookout for books and magazines about marketing, illustration technique, illustration business books, and art market books. Also online. If we have time, I believe it's a great help to really get to know the biz, we'll automatically be better at self-promo.

* collaborate!
Like us here, it's such a great opportunity for everyone involved! We share knowledge, tips, support each other, share costs when we do a promotion together, critique each other, and use our platform as a separate marketing channel. What better can there be than joint forces? Thanks Illustrator Group Soup Ladies!! Of course this also goes out to everyone who follows our Group Soup Talk, and gets involved with their thoughts and tips - tips and feedback are so welcome!

* be memorable
I have a very very (very) common last name. Mueller is about as widespread as Smith in England, or Meyer in Germany. Everyone is called Mueller. Going for a different, creative, memorable business name has proven to be very positive. The name reflects my humor, and it attracts people with my humor, which is great! Most reactions are very positive, people will smile, everyone asks (which is great, they'll remember more easily), why PotatoMammaDesign???

* be enthusiastic, while being yourself
If you're enthusiastic about your work and what you do, people will be too. They'll trust that you're good, and they'll be looking forward to working with you because you're so excited about working for them. I think we all have that excitement when we start out as freelancers (right?). We have to keep it, it's the fire that makes us shine, strive to keep going, and fun to work with.

I think that's it for now (smile)!!

Question back to you guys! Someone mentioned going to conferences to meet ADs. On which conferences to you meet ADs? Thanks! Do you like my approaches here? Any comments, or suggestions for improvement? Constructive criticsm is welcome!

Sketchbook Glimpse

HI guys....just getting ready to re-vamp my website and also change the header of my blogger image -
I am putting lots of new work in and cannot wait to launch it.

Sketchbook Glimpse

This is what my sketchbook looks like when I'm trying to write a story. A mix of random words and images, just trying to capture everything in the hope that something works.




Here is a page I where I was working on the "look" of my main character.



and when i just sit down to sketch, things like this usually pop out,




I really liked the witch character and have turned her into an illustration friday submission as well as a story I'm working on.