In February(ish) of this year I had the opportunity for a portfolio consultation session with Fig Taylor; author of the book "How to Create a Portfolio and Get Hired". After around twelve seconds she handed back my portfolio and told me that if I wanted a job in illustration I needed to use colour in my work.
She was right of course; how often does one see a black and white Children's book or newspaper editorial these days? Not very, that's how often.
Colour reproduction is incredibly cheap these days and if a business bloke is going to throw his business money at something, he will of course want all the sides and condiments thrown in, whether they are necessary or not.
The fact is however, I don't like using colour in my work; I like making marks. I spend hours trying to perfect the quality of line in my work so that it looks and feels organic and further hours implementing the simplest of marks: dots, into an arrangement that itself represents tone, texture and form. This, at least right now, is all I'm interested in.
It was toward the end of this consultation with Fig Taylor that I realised two things:
One - I have no desire to be a freelance illustrator.
Two - I like to have control over how I work, which is probably clear from the above. Suggestions are fine, instructions; not so much.
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