Jimi Hendrix Portrait

I've been doing a lot of caricature and character illustration client work recently so in my down time, i have been working on this portrait of legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Continuing with my efforts to keep loose brush strokes, not undo, and not zooming in, I'm slowly creeping towards a look I am happy with.

I hope everyone's 2015 has started off well and let's see what this year brings!

Follow me on Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Portfolio www.kevinmcgivern.com

 

Tweet

- If you liked this post, please feel free to share!

Should I work for free?

One of the most common questions artists and creatives in general have is, "Should I work for free?" Indeed I have been asked this from many new and aspiring artists just starting their career, and my answer is always…….YES!!

This opinion goes against a the opinion of a lot of artists who I really admire who say that working for free cheapens the industry, that lawyers, doctors and dentists wouldn't work for free and that working for free makes it more difficult for artists to make a career for themselves when others are willing to do it for free.

In general, I agree. However, I still feel there is a place to work for free. The difference comes in who you work for. As an artists starting out on your career, the more work you put out online, the more eyes will see your work. It won't be long before you are offered the "opportunity" to do some form of work and you will be paid in one of the following ways; exposure, percentage of sales (if it sells) or "it will be good for you portfolio". Let me make this clear, I am in no way recommending taking on these jobs. For all the reasons above, this not a good way to start on your career. Also, if you are going to spend your time doing free work, why not do personal work, something you feel passionate about, demonstrates what you are about as an artist and tailored exactly what you want in your portfolio?

So when do I think you should work for free?

Particularly when you are in the early stages of your career, you have time where you are not working on paid work i.e. you are not working at full capacity. This is the perfect time to do exactly what you want. In doing so, ask yourself the following questions: What is your dream job? What companies do you want to work for? Who can help you with your next step up the career ladder? Once you figure these out, then you can start on your "free" work.

Let me give you an example. Say you are wedding photographer. Why not go to a local wedding cake designer or wedding dress shop and offer to photograph their shop or merchandise for their website or brochure. Offer to do it for FREE, and all you ask in return is that they recommend you to their customers, or give out your business card with every purchase? It's a win/win for both parties.

Or say you are an aspiring concept artist who wants to get into the video game industry. Why not do some fan art of a particular game for the company who you really admire? The power of social media nowadays means that is is really easy to get your work in front of the people who you want to see it.

So when I say you should work for free, it should be on YOUR terms. How is it good for you? Is it directly leading to something better for your career? As you get more experienced and regular paid work starts to come in (you approach working at capacity), there will be less and less time to adopt this technique. But as an artist in the early stages of your career, working for free, on your terms, is a fantastic way to market yourself.

That's all for now. I hope to continue these posts on a semi regular basis, answering any questions that any of you guys may have. Or just ranting about whatever comes in my mind!

If you have any questions, either "Ask Me" on Tumblr, comment below or drop me an email on info@kevinmcgivern.com

Follow me on Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Portfolio www.kevinmcgivern.com

Tweet

- If you liked this post, please feel free to share!

Livestreaming today

Streaming some "The Office" fan art in around an hour from now...10.30am GMT.

Come say hi!!

http://livestream.com/kevmcgivernart

Tweet

- If you liked this post, please feel free to share!

Peekaboo

Haven't updated here in a while so here's something I've been working on...

Tweet

- If you liked this post, please feel free to share!

Sketch

Had an idea for a new painting, here is the sketch for it.....

Tweet

- If you liked this post, please feel free to share!

Work Life Balance - my daily routine

So I finally booked a holiday and am in Lanzarote for a week. And like many things in life, you need to take a step back to see things more clearly.

I have realised I have become a slave to the freelance world. Our 'problem' as artists is that because we love what we do so much, we spend as close to every waking minute as possible, working. Whether its actually drawing and painting, or marketing ourselves online, we are never away from that computer! However, this isn't the reason I chose freelance as my career path. I wanted to be my own boss, work on a variety of projects, but the freedom aspect of freelance was the most important thing to me. The freedom to create my own hours, schedule my work around my life was the most vital in my chosen career path. But over the last year, I have lost sight of that.

So I have decided to get that freedom back! I have created a new daily routine that ensures I get my work done, but also gives me the freedom to enjoy life at the same time . So here it is..

Monday-Friday

7am - Wake up

7.30am - Go for a run 

8.15am - Shower and breakfast

9am - Client work

12 noon - Lunch Break

1pm - Client work

3pm - Personal work

6pm - Finish

This schedule has a few important features. Firstly, to wake up early! This has been a problem for me over the years! Having the discipline to wake up early is something I have found difficult as a freelancer. I would just think to myself 'I'll just have another hour in bed then I'll add that hour on to my working day'. And I keep doing this until I'm waking up at 1pm and working into the wee small hours. 

Secondly, I need to exercise more! Spending 12 hours a day at a desk is not a healthy lifestyle! Waking up early and going straight out for a run, gets the exercise 'in the bank' and wakes me up for the working day ahead.

Thirdly, I have allocated time for personal work. I find this important, to continually produce my own art. It's important for my own creativity but also, to stay consistent in the artist community. Constantly working on client work that you can't show publicly, means you are not very visible in the community.

Lastly, the time allocated to client work is for just that. Not 'client work with a movie on my other screen' or 'client work with Facebook and twitter on in the background'. Nothing slows down my work more than the Internet. In the time set aside for work, should only be for that. I find I work best with an audiobook, podcast or music on in the background, nothing visual. I can check Facebook, emails etc in my lunch break.

So this is my plan for the foreseeable future. Maybe this will be helpful for some of you, who have had similar issues with the freelance lifestyle.

New personal work to be posted soon!

Cheers!!

Tweet

- If you liked this post, please feel free to share!