Hello is there anybody there?

Do illustrators look at Freelance UK?

I'd love to chat to illustrators who like me have moved out of London (down south) and wonder if there's life out here. Luckily I'm a designer too so don't rely on illustration to make my crust otherwise I'd starve! (I'm not that bad either, honest!)

Give me hope!
Alison

 

Hi Alison

Hey Alison,

Hows you?

I am based in Notingham. I own my own production company here.

Where abouts are you based now?

Jay

 

re: where are you

Thanks for replying. I was feeling a bit billy-no-mates!

I'm in Southampton now, I moved from London for 'a better life' 2 years ago. It is BETTER but the pool is a lot smaller and I'm trying to get a bigger client base. Did you move, got any useful networking site I might not have thought of?

Alison

 

Welcome to the forum. :cool2

Being in a remote location isn't really a problem, doesn't matter where you are as long as you've got good leads, excellent contacts.....and there's the rub.

 

yes that IS the sticking point, though I nearly did a job for someone in Perth, Australia the other day, but mostly I find people want to SEE you not just speak to you. Why is that?

Alison

 

They're lonely maybe?
Or they're 'pure suits' and want to mix with the bohemians for a while........who knows.

The future is already here, on-line homeworking is going to get massive and in fifty years who knows, offices and 'places of work' might all be consigned to history books.

Get established as an 'off-site' worker as fast as possible, for when everyone's doing it the clients will only get harder to find.........early adopters always get the best bits of cake.

 

Well working in the Orkney islands I'd say you're definitely in a position to comment, it makes me look pretty central! I've been diving round there so I get how remote it is.

Do you network on any purely illustrators sites?

 

You could try :

For digital illustrators and artists:
Welcome to The Computer Graphics Society

This was looking promising but appears to be down today:
http://www.pixila.com/

You should also look for artist & gallery sites, linked to forums possibly..........just get your portfolio in front of as many eyes as possible.

You want to develop a reputation in your niche, one that will keep your current clients returning and -hopefully- recommending you to others & so building your client-base...........90% of my work comes from past clients and those they've referred my name to as 'the guy to go to'........I'm in a fortunate position, but then you make your own luck in this world!

Start a linked-in profile, build a network that way too.

 

thanks for that. i will have a look at those links.
I AM networking my little heart out and am a member of 12 portfolio sites (!!!)
so hopefully heaps of luck coming my way.

PS. What do you think of Contact A Creative, ever joined it?

(It's the online version of those huge black 'contact' books that are in every advertising agency I've ever worked in). It's the only site I PAY for and I've not had one bite in 6 months, most disappointed, whereas THIS site has been really good.

Thanks for your time by the way.

 

I'm too tight to pay for a listing in ANYTHING.
Yeah those agency books.......once you're in, you're in!

Southampton's a big place for doing business [ I know it well, my wife's from Botley]...........you could research [and target] the big firms, for sure someone down there is doing all the freelance work.......why not you?

 

Hi Alison

John here in Leicester, brand new to freelancing in this capacity! any tips??!! Im a general all round artist.

 

I'm not the person to give you tips really I might have been working for 17 years but only 1 as a freelancer and it's a very different animal. Try Business Link for networking and join more sites like these. Ring up lots of people and be persistant. They say necessity is the mother of invention, I think theres a lot of truth in that. I'm off to ring some clients I sent a mailer to.
Good luck.

 

Hello All

Hello, I'm a cartoonist and Editor,

I have been away from cartooning for some time now and just starting to try and make a second brake in to the industry, so will be on this sits racking everyone’s brains to help me in my quest.

tone

 

Hi Tone,

Don't know if this is useful, but one thing I've noticed recently are Caricature services being offered; I've seen A4 posters in coffee shops and business cards around the place.

There is quite a spread from caricatures for distinctive web sites & personal branding, to offers of wedding caricatures as a fun gift.

All the best
John

 

Hello

I'm here,

I always wonder the same thing with forums, I set one up myself a while back on a popular social networking site when i just graduated. Theres now over 1000 members and yet no one talks or leaves posts.

this place seems relatively up to date though, and I will endeavor to keep on regularly posting

MC