Creative Networks - Victo Ngai

Victo Ngai is an illustrator originally from Hong Kong but now working in New York.

These were the notes I took from her talk...

• Fine artists like to create problems to solve, illustrators like to solve problems that have been given to them. 
• Illustration is communication, it is a bridge between client and audience. 
• Editorial illustration jobs are the easiest to get straight out of university because they are the most abundant. 
• Victor uses dip pens and ink for her lifework after sketching her designs out. 
• The work you create needs to depend on the client, for example business papers like more literal and less conceptual work. 
• The audience really needs to be considered - sensitive topics needs to be handles tactfully and you sometimes need to work around a topic to not show it explicitly or offensively.
• There are so many possibilities when a client gives you some creative freedom with a brief and doesn't spell out each part for you. Victo thinks about what she wants to draw and makes this work for the article. This can make results which will be different to anyone else's as it avoids the clichés.
• Stories and books - to concept is dictated to you so you have less freedom. It is up to you to pick the 'moment' you want to illustrate, could be significant or insignificant. 
• You learn about all kinds of things through research for interesting briefs. It could be something you never thought you would have to know about as a creative. 
• Advertisement - these briefs can be hit and miss, usually the more money on offer means the less freedom you have. 
• Victo said that she sometimes likes to put personal things into her work, such as memories of situations because it makes her wonder how other people will read that having not experienced it themselves.
• Her editorial work is not too specific, it fulfils the brief when paired with the article but it is also a piece of art that someone might want to hang on their wall. 
• Style is overrated, it is merely a habit of drawing. 
• How you imagine the word is influenced by your experience. 
• Process of creating images: line work -> lightbox -> texture and colour -> combine this digitally. 
• It is good to test your images in black and white because this will tell you whether it has a strong value structure. High contrast and low contrast is key in Victo's work to emphasise the importance of something. 
• Don't see a task as a mountain, bring a goal closer so its less intimidating. 
• It't not how good you are, its how good you want to be. 
• Keep your interests wide, you work will subconsciously become a combination of all the things you have an interest in or a knowledge of.
• Its easy to sack when you don't have a boss - you need to structure the day.
• Multitasking can be a waste of time.
• Do important things as they arise and avoid the nagging feeling in your head of knowing you need to do an important task. 
• Dealing with self doubt - if you think you're good enough you won't grow anymore. It can sometimes be difficult to be positive but take yourself away from your work for a bit and come back to it. 
• If you are trying to freelance straight out of university then you probably need a part time job because the money is not stable. Make sure its a job you hate and use the negativity to encourage yourself to be a successful illustrator so you don't have to do it anymore! Don't waste your creativity and energy on someone when in this situation, don't get a job where you come home and realise you're too tired to draw. 
• Be thick skinned. Be shameless. 
• SLEEP WHEN YOU CAN. 

Victo's talk was really motivational and her precise, detailed drawings made me want to go away and spend time on drawing something good! I feel like I have been drawing roughs and quick drawings for so long I can't remember the last time I put my time and effort into something I was really proud of. Her response to the question about self doubt was also reassuring because recently I feel I have been losing confidence in my work. I'm not sure why this is but i'm feeling less and less confident about being able to talk about my work and putting it out there for others to judge. It sometimes feels like I'm fighting a losing battle though when I put so much time and effort into something and the outcomes aren't things which I am proud of.  I should probably take Victo's advice and try to be more thick skinned and shameless but I guess that's easier said than done.