Business Cards

My first example of promotional materials is a business card. Business cards have been a tried and tested traditional source of promotional material for a long time, and prove to be very successful.

They are successful because they don't consume a lot of space and they can be easily kept. With a high quality and professional design, people are likely to keep hold of the cards. They hold all necessary contact information for someone who is interested in using your creative skills and services so they can find out more about your work. The information you write on your card is essential and the more ways you have for someone to contact you, the more likely they are to. Information I should/could include on the card are as follows:
- Name
- Email Address (professional address)
- Web Address
- Twitter Feed
- Linked in
- Phone Number
- Blog Address

There are many different ways to create a business card, they can be screen printed, letter pressed, lino print, marble print, collage, digitally printed either to an online site or in the studio, laser cut, riso printed or letter stamped.
The cards could be the normal rectangle shape (85mm x 55mm) or they could be square (65mm x 65mm) or they could be Mini cards (70mm x 28mm). They could be landscape or portrait. They could have square corners or rounded corners. They could be slightly thicker for sturdiness. They could be cards that fold out in two or three ways. They could be part of a pack. They could come in their own envelope. They could have a sleeve.
I can put information or images on both the front and the back of the card.

In the studio we were given a number of different examples of business cards that previous students have made.

I like the thickness of this business card as it gives it a high quality finish. It says very clearly that he's an illustrator and his contact details are very clear. The design on the front of the card is a clear and creative trademark design.
In my opinion, if I were making a business card I would prefer to use more of an illustration probably in colour as this would make the card more eye catching, and like the person holding your card is holding a piece of my work. Having all of the card in monotone just seems a bit boring to me and more of a graphic designers business card to an illustrator, but I suppose it depends on the illustrators personal style.

 

 

This is similar to the previous business card in that it is another thicker card, and it is in monotone. However, it does have a lovely illustration of a bird on the card which makes it more interesting and gives you more of an idea of their style of work. The information on the card is clear, however I would use more ways of being contacted or ways of viewing a portfolio of my work as only providing an email address is quite limiting.

 

 

 

 

Here is another monotone business card but it has a different kind of layout as it is set as portrait. This is quite different and I like the layout of her contact information. There is a variety of ways that she could be contacted. It states clearly that she creates Luxury Cards and Stationary. She uses a few different type fonts which keeps it interesting and makes each part stand out. The design on the front is simple, yet welcoming and friendly and encourages you to turn the card over and read the information on the back.

 

 

 

 

The front of this card is more interesting as it is in colour and is a design of a familiar biscuit which people will relate to and be interested in. I like the material this card is made from, it is a plastic material as opposed to paper or card, which gives it a more durable impression and like something you would want to keep hold of. I like the rounded corners of this business card as it is different to a standard business card that less creative business people would use. The rounded corners also work well with the biscuit design. She has provided a couple of different ways to contact her and these are written in a clear type compared to the type above it, which makes her name stand out well.

 

 

I've researched into a few online companies that can print business cards to compare prices, services and choices for how to design your business card.
The prices seem to range between £12 - £40 depending on the materials you choose and the amount of cards you have printed. Some companies have offers on with large discounts, so it is always worth researching before printing your business cards as different companies will have different offers at different points in the year.
Things that increase the prices of the cards, depending on where you're buying them from are; rounded corners (+ £1.50 - £7.50), thickness or size of card, colour or material that is printed on them and lamination.

Below are some business card ideas I have come up with for both the front and back of my own cards.

I prefer the cards with the plain background as the information is clearer and easier to read. The cards with the lettering in the background takes away the focus of the important information that is on the card.

I like all of these designs for the front of my business card. However, I think I prefer the cards that are rectangular as the images can be placed effectively and show more of the image on this layout.

 

 

Here is the final outcome of my business cards! I am very pleased with how they turned out. I had the cards made through moo.com, and this was a very straight forward website to use. The rabbit image ended up having to have a border around it as the image didn't fit into their printing guidelines. But I'm very happy with how it has turned out and I feel that the framing is effective with the painting.
I'm pleased with the back of my business card as well, I feel that the type is clear and interesting and leaves an impression on how my artwork and business as an Illustrator would be. I also like that my logo is included on the business card, I think this is a good professional touch.

Introduction into the Module

In this module I am required to create three promotional products, produce a personal promotional strategy, produce my web presence in the form of my own portfolio website/a Facebook page/ a Twitter account/ an Instagram account / a blog...all for my illustration work and create a physical portfolio.
I will also have to do a presentation where I show my physical portfolio and my promotional materials, events or products that I have created.
I will also hand in this blog, which will have all of my written work for this module and important details of being an Illustrator that I have found out through primary and secondary research.

I think this module is going to be very interesting. It will be great to learn more about the professional side of being an Illustrator and how to get myself and my work noticed in the bigger picture. I am yet to create any online example of myself and my work so I am excited about producing my own web presence and promoting my work. I hope to gain a better understanding of the business side of illustration e.g. contracts, finances, clients. and also a better understanding of how I will get to where I want to be as an illustrator and the best ways of promoting and presenting myself and my work.

My mission statement:
In my practice as an illustrator I mainly want to focus on creating children's illustrations. I have developed a keen understanding of narrative, storyboards and character design which together make for an interesting and intriguing foundation for a children's book. With my added skills in drawing, painting and Photoshop I can confidently put together double page spreads that express a narrative effectively.
Alongside creating children's books, in my own personal practice, I would like to carry on developing my understanding of pattern work and finer, more detailed paintings, that are not so focussed on narrative but more on being visually interesting and pleasing.
Working in unison with these two areas, I will cover the main aspects of illustration that I have come to enjoy and I can continue creating art work that I am proud of and can go on to sell to publishers and clients.