This is Sian Ellis

The portfolio of Illustrator Sian Ellis

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Dealing with Rejection as an Artist

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January is famous for being the longest month of them all. With what feels like 97 cold and dark days it is a nightmare for everyone. I can’t think of anyone who does well out of January, certainly not artists. Sales plummet as everyone feels the pinch after Christmas, and if you’re thinking of creating daylight hours are a rare luxury this time of year.

One thing that January is good for it admin and applications. It’s the perfect time to research new opportunities, new stockists and new markets. With the great stock clear out that is Christmas shopping, stockists will most likely have some spare shelf space going. Markets and Fairs are buzzing off their pre-Christmas rushes and getting their new year dates and applications in early. There seems to be a range of artist call out opening this year too. Whether it’s because everyone is taking the quiet time to get organised, budgets are renewed with the new year or perhaps this is the perfect time to prep busy artistic summer ventures.

The R Word

However, with more artist call outs comes more chances for dreaded rejection. I don’t believe that there are any artists out there who haven’t had to face it. None worth their salt anyway. If you aren’t willing to step outside your comfort zone then I can’t imagine you are even really trying. Pairing up those rejections with this dark, cold, fluey, broke time of year and you’ve got the real potential for some pretty down feeling artists.

I started to become one of those at the beginning of the year. Tired from all of those Christmas markets and missing daylight. I became a manic whirlwind of applications. Funny thing is that it wasn’t even receiving rejections that was making me anxious, but more like the waiting period where I was hopeful of success but mindful of receiving a slew of them in a short space of time. The absolute chasm between those two emotions was the stressful part. The idea that I could be taking part in some incredible opportunities, or that I could get shut down repeatedly in the space of just a few days was an absolute rollercoaster.

Art always feels so personal to us and we are so passionate about it that I know that there are lots of people in my shoes. However, it is precisely that thought that unlocks the route to handling rejections as they come in

The are a lot of people in my shoes

Arts opportunities are finite. There are tonnes of talented artists and there are only so many jobs going. Some might have a tonne more experience than you too. In my case, with only a year into my business, that’s most.

Whenever I am not successful it just means that someone out there, someone just like me, has been. It just means that it wasn’t my time that time. Perhaps it sounds like the cheesiest thing ever but when I started viewing unsuccessful opportunities as ‘try agains’ instead of ‘nos’ it made a huge difference to me. It helped me to keep a level of confidence, optimism and high self esteem that guided me through even more applications.  

Of all the applications that I made that had decision dates in January and early February I didn’t succeed in securing six of them. That’s six whole applications that I spent time, energy and hope on that didn’t come through. I filled out forms, created proposals, mocked up artworks and it didn’t pay off. Not even any feedback. The thing is though, seven applications were successful. Plus, I have seven more I am still waiting to hear back from. If I let the unsuccessful ones put me off then where would I be now?

One rejection doesn’t guarantee any more rejections

I hope that anyone facing rejection can find it comforting that everyone gets it. If you find yourself getting it almost exclusively then maybe take some time off from applications. Focus on your work, or ask someone to cast a critical eye over one of your applications. Are you following the brief? Are you applying to the right sort of things? Perhaps there are other opportunities out there that might suit you better? We all have our audiences and there is no such thing as a ‘one size fits all’ artist.

I am really looking forward to sharing with you the new stockists, markets, exhibitions and commissions that I am going to be creating this year. Especially more so because I know what it’s like to not be able to take part. After all, the bitter always makes the sweet taste sweeter.

 

Exhibition: “One Hundred Views of the Arts Tower”

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February 11th-March 31st, Western Bank Library Exhibition Gallery, Free Entry

I am taking part in the “One Hundred Views of the Arts Tower” exhibition this Spring. Our Favourite Places are running the exhibition by way of a very Yorkshire take on Hokusai’s wood print collection “One Hundred views of Mount Fuji”.  His collection explored the prominence of the Mountain on the skyline of Tokyo from a variety of perspectives. Similarly the Arts Tower holds a prominent visual spot above our city’s skyline.

The exhibition is part of the Sheffield Modern architecture festival. The gallery is displaying artists from across the city together in a range of mediums. From ceramic, to video, photography to drawings. Located in the Western Bank Library Exhibition Gallery, the Arts Tower itself a looming presence over the location.

My piece in the exhibition

I’ve contributed a digital illustration print to the exhibition. My print is a lighthearted tongue in cheek exploration of my own prominent feelings towards the Arts Tower.

I have been required to visit the building for meetings and talks on several occasions by my previous employers in the University’s Students Union across the road and so I established familiarity with the inside of the building. The Paternoster lifts are the part of the building that draw the most feeling out of me. One of only 2 remaining paternosters in the country you could say we are very lucky to have it in our city. However, I have never gotten inside it because, frankly, it looks like it wants to eat me.

My contribution to the exhibition explores this childish fear in a bright and silly way. All I hope for it is that just one person sees it and thinks ‘at least it’s not just me!’. After all, I am pretty sure I can’t be the only person who feels this way, right?

Share your visit with me

If you visit the exhibition, please don’t forget to tag me in your pictures on Instagram and Facebook @Thisissianellis

Manchester Craft and Flea, doing a fair as an out of towner

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At the end of January I took This Is Sian Ellis on the road to Manchester. I held a trader stall at Craft and Flea at the beautiful Manchester Cathedral. This was the Craft and Flea’s first Manchester event, and the first time I’ve taken my prints out of Sheffield. I am committed to growing my business this year and awareness in other cities is crucial to that. Nonetheless I was certainly nervous to be doing it.

Why nervous?

I’ve released so many prints based on places, particularly in Sheffield, doing a fair somewhere else needs something different. I’m really proud of my Sheffield prints and have always tended to chose places a bit more alternative that I feel drawn to to be featured in my work. However, this inevitably means that people are drawn to the prints because they are drawn to the places. I don’t have any Manchester themed prints (although having spent so much time though over the years I definitely have a couple of places in mind to do) so instantly I worried about my stock levels. Luckily though I have lots more prints and products than I thought I did!

That can’t be all that makes you nervous?

It wasn’t! After you take my location themed prints away then you are left with all the stuff that comes purely from my imagination. It means that I feel a lot more naked on my stall than usual. I am sharing work with people they don’t already have a reason to admire as they might with a print of a loved location. It’s not instantly recognisable and many visitors to the fair won’t have seen my work before. We’ve all heard about imposter theory, and creating things purely out of my own mind and the sharing them in a new city with new people definitely gave it to me to the nth degree.

So how did it go?

Drumroll please……… it was excellent! The nerves I brought with me meant a huge sense of accomplishment when the day ended. I had done well on sales and event been approached about some commissions. My Instagram followers soared by about 40 people in one day! My business card were almost totally cleaned out and I got a tonne of new Etsy favourites too. I sold out of my ‘Ll’amour’ valentines cards and my skeptics ghost patch which are both new products. I have definitely gained some confidence towards out of town fairs through this experience, and just need to dbe code where to next!

For up to date info on my upcoming events follow my Instagram account

 

My Dreams As An Artist

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So, we’ve talked about my goals as an artist for 2019 but what’s the point in having short term goals if you don’t have great big ole dreams too? Specifically, I’m talking my dream jobs as an artist and I’d like to share some with you.

Event Posters

It can still be a dream job if you already get to do it! I’ve done quite a few event posters, but do you know what? I love ‘em! Posters have to convey things quickly and capture people’s attention. It gives me reign to be bold and bright and all the things I love to be! Plus, seeing your work up all around town is a very awesome feeling!  

Murals

Again, let’s carry on with things I have done and love to do. Murals are the best way to indulge that naughty little kid that I’m sure a load of us artists were; the one who likes drawing on everything! There are few things as exciting as a paintbrush, paints and a huge blank canvas, especially when drawing on walls is exactly the kinda thing that was going to get you into a lot of trouble 20 years ago. Well look at me now mum and dad, these folks appreciate it, they even pay me for it!

Gig Posters and Album Artwork

Having managed a charity music festival a few years back I have had the opportunity to do some cool posters and graphics for music events too. Artists across artforms seem to vibe well together, and it feels like an extra nudge towards being truly creative when you are creating a poster for other artists. Find bands and gigs whose vibe match yours as an illustrator and there’s some beautiful synergy to be had.

Movie Posters

Film posters bring me genuine joy. I’m a huge fan of Mondo posters, the type that favour art and illustration over design. I am a sucker for cinema as it is and there are many great movies featuring great art. As a kid I event dreamed of being a matte painter after watching “The Addams Family” a billion times over. I love illustrated posters that take a film’s narrative and represents it to potential viewers through a single, inspiring frame. To create a poster like this for a client would be an absolute dream come true!

Apparel

Similarly to seeing your posters around town, seeing your artwork on human folks is intensely satisfying. I currently produce badges and patches and when I see them on someone’s jacket it makes me giddy. I’ve even been known to create one of knitted pieces too. The dream for me would be to team up with a talented seamstress and create pieces using fabric printed with my illustrated patterns. There are  some incredible illustrators who do this already and I yearn to be one of them!

 

100 Ghost Challenge Revisited

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Back in a November I posted about My Own Personal Drawing Challenge where I committed to drawing 100 ghostly postcards. I thought that it was time for me to touch base with you all and let you know how it was going. It was a brave endeavour to sign up to draw 100 pictures but I felt that it would be a good test of technique and creativity. At the time of writing this I am about to hit my 60th ghostcard.

Whoaaa we’re halfway there

So how have I found it and what have I learnt so far? Firstly I think it was very bold words when I said that I had a thousand more pictures left in me after Drawlloween. I mean, I do, but 1000 ghostcards? Inspiration has been hard some days, but I am happy to nearly be at 60 and still coming up with new ideas. The main thing I have seen a real difference in though is my technique.

With the exception of one Dia de Los Muertos card in which the colours bore significance, and one sparkly slimer of Ghostbusters fame, all of the 60 cards have been in black and white. This has led me to focus on how to create different shades, textures and focal points in monochrome. Through drawing the ghostcards I feel that I have definitely improved on this front.

My dotwork is a lot stronger, as is my cross hatching and linework. I am finding styles that I enjoy more too, so I am learning both practicality and preference. Through setting such a similar drawing challenge for myself I force myself to analyse and evaluate my work in an attempt to keep each ghostcard different. This means stretching the boundaries of techniques to create variety. I have definitely grown in confidence and visibly improved through undertaking this challenge so I really recommend to anyone to challenge themselves too. If you fancy doing the 100 Ghost challenge that’s great too, just tag #100ghostchallenge so that I can see your work.

To keep up with the final 40 ghostcards and to see the ones produced so far, find me on Instagram at @thisisianellis and through the hashtag.

First Stockist Announcement

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You might remember that in my ‘Illustration Goals for 2019’ blog post I had mentioned that one of my goals for 2019 was to have my products stocked in 2 stockists. I had approached a couple of stockists last year but I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I didn’t understand how to price my items properly or how to present them to stockists as opposed to individuals. After attending a brilliant workshop on approaching stockist with Debbie from Moonko I felt a lot more confident and informed. I knew what I needed to do and when I would have the time to do it.

 

The most important thing I needed to do was create a ‘look book’ of items to present to stockists. This will include clear terms and pricing structures as well as product information. My goal was to create this in January to distribute throughout the year and hopefully secure those first two stockists. I had expected January to be a quiet month so it seemed a perfect time. However, January ended up being far from quiet and so my look book still consists of nothing more than notes at this stage.

 

Hang on… isn’t this blog called ‘new stockist announcement?’

 

As it turns out, there seems to be a lot of stockists looking for new artists and makers in January. I can only assume that this is down to the increase in sales over Christmas. I imagine that this means stockists have more shelf space and more money for wholesale items. With January being a quiet month too with shoppers feeling the post-Christmas pinch stockists must have more time to process applications. There is always the chance, however, that some makers only work with stockists in pre-Christmas busy months. This could potentially make shelf renting a risk at this time of year. I don’t believe that this is the case though, I am just acknowledging that it could be a possibility!

 

With all these opportunities presenting themselves it seemed almost too easy to approach stockists who were asking for applications without a look book required. Happily for me my application to Birds Yard was accepted and I will join the team in February 2019.

Woohoo!

Birds Yard is an award winning independent shop in Sheffield City Centre. The shop has run since 2012 and sells a great collection of items by local and international makers. When I saw that they were especially looking for Sheffield themed items I knew I had to apply. The shop will stock my Sheffield themed prints, patches and some of my quirky ghost prints too.

 

I am incredibly happy to have made such good progress on my goals so early in the year. So far this year I have been feeling so determined and working harder than ever. There are a few more things in the pipeline related to some of my other goals too. I am hopeful and happy that I will soon be writing a blog post on how close I am getting to achieving those too. I also still intend to write my look book soon. Once that’s done, surely my second stockist can’t be far behind 🙂

My Valentines Range

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I’m still getting into the swing of working out what an illustrator’s year looks like. Although I am celebrating my first birthday, it’s not as if I knew much about the annual cycle when I first started out. I have made valentines cards before which I sold back in Blackpool but this year is the first time I have planned and scheduled a proper valentines release online.

 

Ll’amour

 

My first design was based on a card I created all those years ago in Blackpool. My technical skills have come a long way since then but I still think that the joke is gold. I only ever buy valentines cards that make me laugh or smile, and what I enjoy about this design is seeing people giggle and point it out when they see it on my stall.

 

Love is in the air (maybe)

 

I am a fan of Valentine’s Day but I know some people aren’t. Even in years when I haven’t had someone to celebrate it with, I always enjoyed that people made more of an effort to say nice things to each other and show that they care. Its a nice thing to celebrate because love is, well, lovely! I wanted to create a small range of pieces that celebrated valentines but also might appeal to people who want to celebrate their friends with galentines shoutouts too. Love has lots of forms, not just romantic ones.

 

This is where my ‘You Look Nice Design’ comes in. In badge and card form it’s perfect for couples to send a compliment to each other but also for friends to share some love too.

Ll’Amour Valentines Card

Love Is a human right

 

My cards work for everyone so I don’t include genders or messages as part of them. They are all blank inside so if you want to write a poem or just a couple of words, to whoever it is for and from whoever it is that is you the freedom there is yours.

 

Let me know what you think of my designs in the comments 🙂

 

 

 

Cuttlelola Electric Dotspen Review

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When I unwrapped a Cuttelola Electric Dotspen on Christmas Day I didn’t have a clue what it was. I haven’t noticed them advertised, mentioned by any other illustrators on Instagram or seen them in arts stores. My other half who had gifted me the pen had heard about it from a positive review he has seen on reddit.

Unboxing

On first inspection the weight of the pen feels slightly off-putting. We all have our own preferences when it comes to illustrating in the tools we use and it seems that how they feel in our hands is important somehow. The pen is battery operated and charged through a cable plugged into the base. It takes ink cartridges and although I just have black I understand there are a lot of colours available to purchase.

Giving it a whirl

The pen operates on two speeds so it seemed sensible to try the slowest speed first. Always the renegade I tried it directly onto a piece I was working on rather than a test piece of paper. The first test was to keep the jolting, vibrating nib within the lines, which was happily easy enough to pick up. Although the weight and movement of the nib mean that you control this one very differently to a usual pen, it’s simple to pick up and adjust to. The faster speed results in denser, darker dot distribution.

Pros

After a few attempts I got comfortable enough working with the pen to create some good effects. It’s a lot quicker to use than manual stippling and saves you valuable time and wrist ache. It means you can create detailed and professional looking stippling effects with much mess effort than an ordinary pen. It’s simple to use and enjoyable to get in the rhythm of stippling with as you need a consistent speed and pressure if you want to deliver a consistent tone.

When you want to create contrasting stippling effects it is easy to do. You can change the speed of the pen and the speed of your use. I also find that I still do some dot work manually as it again contrasts to the effects produced by the Dotspen (I.e. I can create dots that are close don’t touch whereas this is not possible with the Dotspen).

Cons

The cons are just minor inconveniences as opposed to problems with the pen, which I am really happy with. The charge does not last long so you will find you regularly have to plug the one in. If you have a convince to power source and are happy to draw whilst it is plugged in then this isn’t a problem at all. This doesn’t work for me though so I find myself structuring my drawing process differently, drawing all the dots with the Dotspen in one go and then doing the line work as it charges. It charges fully in about half an hour so it’s easy to work your process around it.

Due to the sporadic placement if the dots created by the Dotspen it is also not possible to create dots that are close to each other but not touching as mentioned before. Again though, this isn’t a dealbreaker as these I can just do manually for contrast as I have already said. It just means that you have more shades and textures to play with.

The final con is the noise that the pen makes. If you are a serial doodler and like to draw in public or idling away with a sketchbook in front of the telly with your nearest and dearest then this pen is not going to make you popular. It’s not super loud but it is noticeable, like a teeny tiny helicopter surveying your drawing.

Verdict?

A big ole yes! The benefits clearly out way the minor negatives of the pen. It’s a great tool for saving time and energy whilst producing high quality work. I’m very happy Santa sent one down my chimney and I hope that you guys get the chance to lay your hands on one too.

Exploring Sculpture

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One thing that I have learnt on my ceramics journey is that planning ceramic pieces doesn’t really seem to be for me. I know that sometimes this is necessary, but when I can I like to just, well, wing it. I’m not sure whether what I create comes from half formed ideas in the back of my head or whatever randomly seems to pop in when I sit down with a piece of clay. Either way, I enjoy just making it up as I go along. This is as true as for sculpture making as it is for pieces to illustrate.

Like a Bat Out of Hell

Recently I took this approach and created this double headed bat vase. This one definitely was a squishy concept floating around my brain before hand. However, it’s only when I sat down that the form and the style took shape.

The piece is made from two pinch pots joined together. The details are added on through slip and scoring. It is important to try and ensure that all elements of your piece are strong and sturdy. Enough to withstand handling at their most vulnerable stages throughout the multiple firing processes. They must also be joined to the main piece with care. These steps prevent chips and cracks to the piece either whilst it’s in the kiln or whilst it’s being handled in between. On this piece the ears are the weakest point, but I am hopeful that they will survive. Sometimes you just need to take risks, and it helps to be able to recognise what risks you are taking in order to make this decision.

I am pleased with where this piece is so far. It’s playful and reminds me a bit of an Aardman model. I am as yet undecided as how to colour the piece, although I do have some ideas. As always though, I know inspiration will hit me when I sit down with the piece and I’ll be excited to see the results.

 

 

Creativity On Demand

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Creativity on demand is the crux of being an illustrator. It’s an odd shift to draw and create for something other than just enjoyment. Other than just a whim or desire that is followed only when it arises. You start to find yourself drawing for something much less romantic; necessity. Even when you have a clear concept in mind and the piece inspires you, working to time frames can conjour the feeling of necessity strongly. As such it means that you need to approach your process differently.

 

If only there was an On/Off switch for creativity

 

I would class my emotions as quite a strong influencer on my work. I draw about things that I am passionate about, things that interest me and my work is a representation of my beliefs and opinions. Illustrating means working with someone else on their beliefs and their opinions and creating work from that. It’s not just the process that differs but your mind set that changes too.

 

Quality takes time

 

I think that the best friend to aid this new process is kind timescales. The reality is that creativity on demand just doesn’t work. It’s not like we aren’t busy enough with a million non-creative jobs to do as well though, right? Those spreadsheets don’t update themselves, orders don’t pack themselves and products don’t photograph themselves either. Sometimes your mind isn’t in drawing mode, and that’s ok. Give yourself timeframes that accept this and be open with your client about those too. Nail them down before you accept a job so that everyone’s expectations are realistic.

 

Teamwork makes the dream work

 

As for working with the beliefs and opinions of someone else, being clear about what they are is the absolute necessity here. Clear recorded conversations, asking questions and recording everything. Not just asking as well but actually listening. You are being approached because that person enjoys your style and creativity, so put your ideas out there. If they are a fan of your work they will listen. If they have their own ideas, just make sure that you are both comfortable with what gets agreed. There’s creativity in everyone and clients can have some really great ideas sometimes. Listen authentically and you never know what you might learn!