Artshine Experience: Month 02

 

Mockup using my Lyrebirds design

Phew!  Things have been crazy busy since I last wrote.  I've been working on patterns and preparing work, brand books, posters and collections for Surtex through Artshine.  It has involved a lot of work, very late nights and a learning curve or two.  I learned where and how to use mock-ups, how to present collections and created my very first look book and brand book.  It's been quite a ride since joining the Artshine Launch Pad + Accelerator program.  Learning what I lack in my folio and ways to improve and re-using old work and giving it new life!

Needless to say, my experience with Artshine has been really good so far.  Vinh  Lam (business coach) has been fabulous thus far and has been very encouraging and has been very helpful in suggesting things to work on, what is lacking in a collection and what clients may look for.  He's also been great in letting me know about opportunities and I have learnt a lot in a short amount of time.

I need this jacket! 

Teapot Mockup with a Teacup Fishbone

Despite doing all this work though and thinking that it looks good currently ( this may not be the case a few months down the track) I am worried.  I am nervous that all this hard work won't pay off. I don't know if anything will get licensed or if  Art Directors  will like to purchase what I have to offer.  Surface Pattern Design has a lot of competition and success depends very much on luck, volume of work and consistency.  It's also going to take quite a bit of time of constantly submitting and just being around.  It's the thing with starting a new venture I guess.  That said, you have to be in it to win it, right?  

If only my partner appreciated wallpaper

I am going to keep trying anyway.  I have 2 incomplete collections thus far to complete, I started another collection as well and I am just going to keep working away and building my folio and see where that gets me.  In the meantime, I am going to do my best not to freak out too much and enjoy the ride!

Well, this is would be so eye catching in the rain

On another note....I am loving seeing my work on mock-ups.  It really gives you a sense of what an illustration could be used for!