Visiting lecture: Rob Ball, Stephen Royle and David Hughes

On Friday my class and several others from the art department were guests at three talks by visiting speakers; Rob Ball, Stephen Royle and David Hughes. We were advised to attend as they would be important, and they were worth it - even from no design perspective the talks themselves were very enjoyable.

Rob Ball & Stephen Royle

First was a kind of dual talk; Stephen and Rob both spoke together in a joint presentation on an interactive whiteboard, splitting the lecture between them. They are both creative directors; Stephen from The Chase in Manchester and Rob from The Partners, a London-based design agency. They both explained a little about themselves and then in order what they considered to be their best job, their biggest job and their best client so far, which gave us an idea of how varied their work is and the span of clients and brands they work for. They then shared 'things they had learned' in the industry.

Stephen Royle - Things I have Learned

1) You never stop learning!

2) Remain open-minded - work on anything and everything.

3) There's no such thing as an easy brief.

4) You never get anywhere by just staring at the brief, so do something else if you're struggling - inspiration can come from anywhere.

5) Teamwork is incredibly valuable, so don't let your ego get the better of you. And never resent someone who comes up with a great idea.

6) Creative work always stays challenging - every brief is different and is like starting again.

Rob Ball - Things I have Learned

1) Don't class jobs or brands, etc., into being 'cool' and 'uncool'. Often the more unpromising the job is, the more creative freedom you have.

2) You never know what the next job might be.

3) Usually the answer's in the brief, but you might not spot it right away.

4) Keep a clear head.

5) If you're stuck on something, show it to someone. This reinforced Stephen's point of highly regarding teamwork, as feedback is valued.

They also shared their top tips for getting by, which I made brief notes of (here I am typing out my original notes, so they might be a little nonsensical).

• Start letting people know you exist.
• Make your work shine - so that it's instant and doesn't take ages to load if it's a digital portfolio.
• Everyone knows each other in the industry - agencies, clients, etc.
• Important student awards are important.
• Don't take criticism too personally!
• Get your work on the walls and discuss it in a working environment.
• Keep your portfolio and CV clear.
• No roughs in your portfolio; only finished work.
• Ideas and craft - keep your presentation of a high standard.
• Criticism is a really positive thing if you show that you have listened and improved.
• Clients don't share if you're shaky or nervous as long as what you say matters - let your work speak for you (which was a very comforting piece of advice).

They were both very funny, welcomed questions and I think everyone there was glad to go as they gave such positive encouragement. It was also useful since being creative directors their talks could relate to any art student regardless of their degree subject.

David Hughes

David Hughes is an artist who has worked for countless clients and dabbled in every circle of illustration there is; children's books, editorial and advertising among them.
He shared a lot of anecdotes such as stealing gigantic pieces of wood and setting himself alight when he had intended to burn a drawing. He emphasized that this sort of thing could happen to any artist, although I got the impression that this sort of thing was just daily life for him. He was very entertaining and it struck me how intense he was about his work, there was a definite element of obsession and he was very passionate about his experiences.
He spoke a little about his working method, such as how his definitive pen and ink drawings were originally a compromise for children's books, as his prior pencil and charcoal drawings were a little too sophisticated. He also mentioned how 'the idea is really, really important' and often starts off with one concept and then draws around it.

David Hughes - Words of Wisdom

1) The best thing to do is sleep on it - if you're struggling with a brief or particular piece of artwork.
2) Leave everything to the last minute - a reference to the fact that he thrives under pressure.
3) Look at drawings from different angles - again if you're finding something difficult. You might find a new way to work.
4) To work small is freedom.
5) If you can't draw Stravinsky you shouldn't be an illustrator.
6) Don't get too precious; spray it with spray mount - relating to a happy accident when he found he'd sprayed a drawing with spray mount instead of fixative.
7) It's like jazz, man - draw from instinct.
8) Start with the characters, the rest will follow - if you're working on a book.
9) Memory's a great weapon.
10) Become a detective - because 'illustrators don't get out much'. Travel as much as possible; have an adventure.

Overall it was an interesting day of talks and gave me a lot to ponder for now and beyond university, which seems like a long way off, but is really only a year away. It's always enlightening somehow to have a professional talk about the industry, who has been through it all and come out successful and productive. I hope one day I can say the same.

So that's all for now, I should be working on my Macmillan project for our Tuesday deadline so I shall get back to that. After lunch. -3- I'll get round to another DD2000 post soon, thanks for dropping by~ <3