The World Tarot card

The World is the last card in the Major Arcana. It finishes the Fool's journey throughout the different stages of life. I have used the Fool imagery to connect The Fool and The World cards together. The brain and the heart symbolize knowledge and wisdom, which the Fool has achieved. The wreath bordering the card symbolizes victory. The Fool is clothed in orange, representing success.

Is art school necessary to work in illustration?

My answer to this question is yes and no.

No, because as a professional you won't be asked for proof of an arts degree, all that matters is your portfolio. An art director hires you based on the work they see in your portfolio, not your education. If you have a lot of drive and self discipline it is possible to teach yourself art from books and online courses. However, if you need more guidance and aren't disciplined enough to learn on your own, I would recommend art school. Art school also gives you time to experiment with different media and to develop your own style. I went to art school because I had an idea of where I wanted to go, but wasn't sure of the details of how to get there. School provided structured learning but also freedom to choose the courses I wanted. Most art schools have a foundation year, where you should be taught the fundamentals of drawing - anatomy, perspective, etc. From there you can focus on what interests you; for me that was printmaking and illustration. Instructors can also guide you in deciding which area of illustration to go into. I took several different illustration courses - such as decorative, concept art, comics, editorial - to help me explore the different areas of illustration. I was encouraged by instructors to aim towards editorial, based on the work I was doing. I also learned that concept art was not for me; I learned that wasn't where my strengths were.

The goal to aim for as an illustrator is to develop a personal style that is consistent. This is key because art directors need to know what to expect when they hire you. If you have inconsistent work, in a variety of styles, you appear as a mixed bag, and art directors won't know what they will get when hiring you. In editorial, art directors match style to articles, so style is very important.

Death Tarot Card

The Death card does not mean death in the literal sense, but rather that change is coming. It refers to something that needs to end, or the transition from one state to another. My image refers to the Fates in Greek mythology. Life is represented by the thread, and the length of it (life) is measured and then cut (death). There are three Fates: Clotho the spinner of the thread, Lachesis who alotted how much thread each life would have, and Atropos, who cut the thread, causing death.

Purpose of a sketchbook

Some sketchbooks I see on the internet are beautiful, complete books and works of art on their own. In my opinion, this is not what sketchbooks should look like. A sketchbook is a workbook, a place for play and experimentation, and also a place for practice. They should be messy and imperfect. I usually have a couple sketchbooks going at once. One is a 8.5x11 book, and this is where I practice drawing, and also a workbook for ideas - for client and personal projects. I also have a larger 11x14 book that I keep just for life drawing. When I go to Dr. Sketchy sessions, this is the book I use. I find the bigger size is easier to practice anatomy with. Some people also keep smaller travel sketchbooks for sketching on the go. I just find the small size hard to draw in.

Playing and experimenting in your sketchbook is very important. This is where failure comes into play - fail in your sketchbook, not your client projects. If you practice something enough, eventually you will stop failing and start improving, and become good at the thing you are practicing. One thing I have been playing around with lately is brush lettering, and hand lettering. I started doing lettering in my sketchbook and on personal projects such as christmas cards. Now it has started bleeding into my client work - the logo I am currently working on is hand lettered, and also uses brush lettering. If I hadn't played around with lettering in my sketchbook, it would have limited where I could go with my client work.

Keep your sketchbooks playful and use them as a non-judgemental place for drawing and coming up with ideas.

The Chariot Tarot card

The Chariot Tarot card is about will, success and power. Power comes from one's own ability to direct his/her energy and to make his/her life what they envision. (Rachel Pollack - The New Tarot Handbook) I have shown the energy coming out of the hand to show the control of energy in The Chariot, as opposed to The Magician where the energy is coming out of the mouth, with less control. The white and black chess pieces represent the positive and negative life experiences one has throughout life.

How to Market Yourself as an Illustrator

I feel like a noob posting on this topic, as I am just getting started in the illustration industry, but thought I would share anyway.

1. Have a professional website

Get a website and name it with your first and last name, so people will remember your name. For example my website is erintaniguchi.com. Having an actual website and not a blog or tumblr is important as it makes you appear more professional. Post your best work in your portfolio; aim for 8-12 images. I first started with about 8 images and it has grown from there as I have created client work and personal work.

2. Create a mailing list

Build a mailing list of clients you would like to work for. I want to work in the editorial field, so I went to my local Chapters store and went through their magazine racks. I jotted down the names of the art directors and their contact info. I use a CRM to manage my mailing list; I use Insightly, which is free. I also recently discovered this list of art directors at Illustration Age. I would recommend to aim for about 50 contacts to start, and you can build from there.

3. Send out self promo emails

You will need to create self-promotional work, or pick your best 2-3 portfolio pieces. Send these images out, along with a short introduction of yourself and a link to your website. If you are lucky the art director may email you back acknowledging they will keep you in mind for future projects. I send out self promo emails every 2 months or so. Keep creating new work so you are always sending fresh work to the art directors.

4. Mail postcards

Another way of promoting yourself is to mail out postcards featuring your work. I tried this and didn't get any feedback, so I haven't done it since. I personally find email is more effective (plus it's free!). Printing and mailing postcards can also be quite expensive. But if you want to create a special mailer, this is a good option.

5. Join networking groups

Recently I have joined a business networking group that meets monthly. I find it helpful and inspiring to meet other entrepreneurs on the same path as yourself. This is also another way to meet potential clients.

6. Open online shops

There are many online shops to choose from now. I personally have a Society6 shop and a Threadless shop. Society6 I like because they do all the printing and packaging for you. Of course there is also Etsy if you want to personalize your packages and mail products yourself.

7. Have art shows

A great way to showcase your work is to see if any local coffee shops or restaurants want to show your work. These places are good because they are more likely to feature new artists. Shameless plug - I have an upcoming art show at The Wallflower in Vancouver in October!

8. Get into directories and annuals

Another way to reach art directors is through directories. Directories feature illustrators work and their contact info and are sent to art directors around the country. 3x3 has a curated directory which they offer to illustrators that enter their annual illustration contest. Be prepared to pay a pretty penny for these printed directories - a single page can cost several hundred dollars. The advantage is they are sent to thousands of art directors around the country. 3x3 also has an annual illustration contest where you can enter an illustration for possible publication in their annual. These contests are good to enter, as they get you in front of art directors that are judging the contest. You can also be picked to be featured in the 3x3 annual, which is additional exposure for your illustration work. There are several of these contests - 3x3, Applied Arts, Communication Arts, to name a few.

So those are my thoughts on marketing yourself, hope you found it helpful. Thanks for reading!

The Tower Tarot card

This week's Tarot card is The Tower. The Tower symbolizes upheaval, release and revelation. It can be seen as destructive, but does not need to be seen this way. Energy is released in this card, and it can be positive changes or upheavals in life. I chose to stay on the positive side of interpretation, and left the tower intact, instead of being destroyed, as it sometimes is depicted.