publisher & designer Charles Hively
production assistant
Jessica Quiñones
COPY EDITOR
Kate Lane
production advisor
Bruce Cohen
advisory board
Kolea Baker
Cathie Bleck
Marc Burckhardt
Sandra Garcia
Sterling Hundley
Richard May
Ward Schumaker
Darlene Smidian
Gary Taxali
Laetitia Wolff
interns
Matt Rota
Joanna Happ
cover illustration
Chris Buzelli
table of contents {NO. 10}
6......................Campaigns
7............................Profile
8..............................Icon
11 ................... CareerTalk
12 .................Chris Buzelli
28 ............Fernanda Cohen
42 ..................... Joe Morse
56 ......................Showcase
70 .................. The Gallery
88 ................ 20 Questions
© Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher.
Printed in Canada
Westcan Printing
ISSN number1546-640X
3x3 Magazine is produced and published by HivelyDesigns, 631 Vanderbilt Street, Second Floor, Brooklyn, New York NY 11218 (p) 718 435 4047.
promote thyself
We just completed a survey of 213 illustrators from all over the world on the subject of self-promotion. And I have to say the results are disappointing, but bear out what I’ve personally experienced as an art director. I would always get three photographer’s mailers to one illustrator’s and unfortunately the illustrator pieces failed to inspire me as much as the photographer’s did. The problem as I see it is that illustrators too often show their favorite piece and not necessarily the piece that will make an impact on an art director, especially an advertising art director. Remember they too are visual problem solvers, what inspires them is innovative approaches that demonstrate solving a problem in a unique way. To them it’s not art, it’s commerce. Their responsibility is to move goods and services through the advertising they develop. I believe they have more respect for photographers because they demonstrate better how they solve problems in their self-promotion. And they do a lot of it and it’s consistent and timely. In our survey illustrators on average spent less than $1000 on promotion, with the highest percentage, less than $500. Photographers spend more than ten times that. The result? With visibility comes awareness, with awareness comes usage, with usage comes respect. Photographers command high fees, illustrators are faced with the same budgets from 30 years ago. I believe it comes down to a matter of respect. Illustrators have lost the respect of art directors, editors—those who influence what gets used where. The photographers I’ve met come off as more business-like and perhaps they have to, they have a lot more overhead to cover. But it’s important for illustrators to have that same mind-set and the really successful illustrators do. They understand the importance of staying in front of the market; they market themselves like any consumer brand would. Once illustrators start considering themselves a product I believe the market will respond more positively. How do you change your approach? Just think of any new product you’ve been introduced to. Where did you see it? How many times did you have to be exposed to it before it made an impression? Before you tried it? Your illustrations are no different. I may see a new illustrator in The New York Times Book Review, make a mental note of them, even file away their article but I’ll need to see them at least a couple more times for it to fully register. The next time I see their work it may be in an annual. Or they might send me a mailer or pdf noting their last assignment, maybe the one I originally saw. It will take a number of exposures before I connect the artist and the art. Keep in mind I’m looking for new artists on purpose. Imagine the art director who isn’t. The number of exposures to make an impact jumps dramatically. And that’s what most of us face. A good rule of thumb = Be Everywhere. Enter shows even if you don’t win your work is exposed to judges who, in the good shows, are well-respected art directors who may jot down your name. Advertise. Don’t rely on the free-aspect of the web to use email as your only marketing tool, shell out real dollars to expose your work. Don’t send out one postcard a year. Send something that looks like you took some real time to develop. And at least quarterly, monthly is even better. Use a respected online portfolio service, one you know will market your work but always supplement their advertising with your own. Stay visible. It could be as simple as sending links to your site with a brief announcement about a new project, Fernanda Cohen does an excellent job of that. It may be being in as many shows, annuals or directories as possible, Yuko Shimizu does an excellent job of that, she was even in a juried directory I saw in Berlin. And of course doing good work in well-recognized publications gets you exposure and the best part is someone is paying you to do it. But be smart, pour at least part of that right back into your hopefully growing promotion budget.
3x3, the magazine of contemporary illustration (issn 1546-640x) is published three times a year, (fall, winter, spring/summer) by 3x3 magazine, 244 fifth avenue, 2nd floor, new york, new york 10001, for $48 per year (regular subscription), $70 (premium subscription). prices vary outside the usa. to subscribe go to www.3x3mag.com, click on subscribe. limited copies of back issues and annuals are also available.
