It has made me realise that sometimes you just need a lucky break, as he got with handsome frank. This has given me a bit of optimism for the future. Also a good bit of advice which he gave was that you have to learn to be a free lancer before you join an agency. This makes sense as I believe it is essential to learn the business side of things as well as the practical side
(UPDATE) - Matt recently emailed me saying he would advise building up a product range to create passive income. And to not beat myself up too much when facing rejection. He also asked whether he could use my questions (and answers) to show other students because I think they would be of good use, which is great as I know the biggest fear for a lot of student illustrators is future prospects and being successful
Here is what I asked him-
Hi joe
- what university did you graduate at? And what were your first steps in terms of trying to look for work, and make illustration your full time job?
I graduated from Leeds art college , I actually studied visual communication and specialised into moving image and animation. I always had an interest in illustration but never thought it would be my main career when leaving uni.
I was applying for jobs in production and post production houses and I landed a job in Leeds working on motion graphics for tv adverts (stuff like dfs 😢 ) while I was at this job on a night I was creating my own illustrations and just putting my work out there . applying for exhibitions , small magazines , more local things . After 7 months of this and constantly working after my 9-6 job , I had a body of work.
I was let go of the job I was currently at ( this was during the peak of the recession) . While I was at uni I had created a network of people online who I would keep in touch with. One of them was a guy who did motion graphics in San Francisco he invited me over , so after I lost my job I went over there and did a placement for summer at juxtapoz /upper playgrounds.
After this I came back to the uk with no job and a couple of freelance gigs . I moved back to my parents for 6 months and it was really hard as I was trying My best to get enough client work to move on as moving back home isn’t fun . I would flip between doing motion graphics and illustration and after a while I had a small pool of steady ish work.
This enabled me independence and I went out on my own got a flat and worked out of the spare room ( still pretty much broke all the time) so I had to be incredibly careful with my money and where I put my focus . My early 20s were basically sacrificed so I could have more freedom in the future .
After a couple of years of this I got a studio in Leeds and work was getting even better I was still doing a little bit of motion graphics and animation work as well.
After four years work was getting better and better I moved to London , where the pressure to make more money mounted up. Which forced me to work smarter and better . Which resulted in better work and bigger clients I don’t think I would have got those big clients without doing the major groundwork I had to do at the start. Weirdly when I moved to London I completely stopped doing motion graphics /animation I haven’t done any since I’ve moved here and it’s all been illustration with some art direction.
(That’s a very boiled down version of the last 8 years . It’s been a rollercoaster 🎢)
How did you get recognised by handsome frank? And do you think it is better to be represented by an agency or go freelance?
Honestly with this one I think got very lucky , handsome frank where just starting out when I applied and I think if I approached them now with the work I did back then I would not have got signed. I guess my work was different enough to get signed . But signing with them over the long run has been great. I have had to really push my work into better places and it’s not just about your work looking pretty , you need to be able to come up with great concepts which can be for someone’s commercial benifits .
I’ll be very honest getting signed is incredibly difficult and I personally think students think if they get a student the world is there oyster. You really need to focus on your craft and building up a body of work and learning how to be a freelancer before you get an agent .
Also even if you get an agent you are not guaranteed a steady income , I still get quite allot of my own work and I’m always planning for the future and where I want to take my business .
Any advice for a young creative who's just about to graduate and wants to enter the world of illustration?
Just keep your head down , don’t get sucked into social media . Look way beyond it and you will produce work that stands out.
rejection is also a major part of freelancing and how you deal with it will massively shape your career .
Be patient with clients , if you are commercial illustrator you are being hired . This is work and you must collaborate , the work is bigger than ego. So don’t complain about clients online push back if you feel strongly against what they are saying . But state why you feel this way and back it up but at the end of the day it’s for them so they have the final say. Eventually over time people will trust your wisdom but you have to earn it .
Also if you have a skill set like photoshop/after effects/ premier pro etc . Don’t be too proud to use these when you start out and if you want to be freelance you kind of have to do whatever it takes to build up an income . You can do basic graphic design , art working, motion company’s etc . Don’t just think illustration , you can learn so much from people outside of your field .
Also my experiance is my own path there really isn’t any kind of secret formula or map . Everyone goes on there own adventure. So whilst someone’s viewpoint is interesting don’t take it as gospel.
Ok that’s a mega waffle email! I hope this was of some use .
Good luck
Matt
Some of Matts work-
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