Artists & Illustrators — June 2017

28 Artists & Illustrators

MASTERCLASS

ADAM STOWER

ON SKETCHBOOKS

Sketches for his new book King Coo

(David Fickling Books, £9.99) chart

its three-year creative journey.

The illustrator explains their vital

importance to his working practice

“I love sketchbooks. I always have. It is the

perfect place to let your mind and hand

wander. I draw from my imagination mostly,

and it is in my sketchbooks that characters

and story ideas emerge. It is my favourite

part of the process of creating books. In

these early stages, everything is still fluid

and anything is possible. Once an idea

takes root, I use sketchbooks to explore

the characters and their world, and to

experiment with how best to portray them

in terms of artistic medium and style.”

http://www.worldofadam.com

packaging, as brands look to move beyond

corporate blandness and develop a visual

personality. As for the content of images,

Fig notes that, although “quirky animals are

forever with us”, there is an 1980s aesthetic

emerging. “I see it at almost every art school

I visit and in many portfolios at the AOI,” she

says. “Some illustrators are oblivious, while

others are mining the era for inspiration.”

GETTING IN AND GETTING ON

Trends and technology are ever-changing,

but one thing remains constant: an illustrator

needs to find their own voice and style to

stand out from the crowd. “Clients with an

abundance of choice can become lazy,” says

Fig. “They become disinclined to take risks.

Most dislike what they view as a ‘jack of all

trades’. Where variety is appreciated is in the

illustrator’s style embracing a wide variety

of subject matter. As commissioners’

workloads increase, the need for work to

be recognisable and consistent will become

a global necessity.”

But while the kind of commissions

available changes, career advice for aspiring

and emerging artists is consistent. “Make

sure you know why you want an agent and

what you’d like that agent to do for you,” says

Fig. And you will still need a killer portfolio,

she says, that “states in short order who you

are, how you work and how potential clients

can make use of your skills.”

Where the digital realm has changed

illustrators’ careers forever – regardless of

whether they work in digital or traditional

media – is the necessity of using the internet

and social media to build a profile. For

YOU WILL STILL NEED A KILLER PORTFOLIO

THAT STATES IN SHORT ORDER WHO

YOU ARE AND HOW YOU WORK

example, Instagram is a vital place for

commissioners to find work and keep in

touch with what is happening. Figs says

artists need to “build and maintain a

web-based presence and have a website

and/or at least one web portfolio.”

And there’s also blogging, which opens up

a window to creative practice and will engage

other like-minded souls and commissioners.

But don’t let off-line slip either, entering

competitions to raise your profile and finding

other outlets, such as exhibitions and online

shops, are still important avenues.

The AOI is the UK’s professional body for

illustration. A consultation with Fig is

free with membership. http://www.theaoi.com

© ADAM STOWER

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