Any card designers/illustrators out there?

[craggie]

Would really love to get some of my designs printed and made into cards. I want the quality to be good enough for me to try and sell them to some local boutiques and maybe etsy?

I would just love to find out how illustrators work...Am a frustrated artist who lacks confidence since becoming a mum of 2!

TIA

Try not to lack confidence and do not undersell yourself. Is it one design you wish to use on alot of cards or will each one be hand made / stuck etc.?

have you looked at www.phoenix-trading.co.uk? They have useful information for potential artists.

I used to do this years ago - got my first contact through an ad in the local paper, by a designer who had too much work to do.

Then I started to get a trade mag and found other potential clients there.

I never made much of it at the time (think I was too young to work at home all day by myself, and I hated the teddy designs they always asked me to do).

Also have a look at www.greetingcardassociation.org.uk - it tells you the dates of trade fairs coming up, which are a useful way to see the sort of things publishers produce before submitting your own designs - although the focus as far as the publishers are concerned is to sell to the trade.

You might find some friendly person who commissions and will give you their details.

That website also has a list of publishers looking for artists, and useful resources for you - what more could you want?!

Hello, sorry I didn't respond last night ds2 woke needing a feed!

I will definitely look at these websites thank you very much!

I suppose I already could have a collection; work I've done previously from my degree (thought it could just get me started!). My degree work has just been published in a book my tutor has written so I think it's preety good although I'm just a bit sick of it now!
I'm just trying to start some new work at the moment.

When I graduated my tutor told me to get an agent...but stupidly I just wanted to have a break after and intense 3 years and then a year later I had ds1 and since then I've not really done any work.

It's strange I feel like the longer I don't do anything new I'll loose any talent I have!

I did my degree in graphics 22 years ago, did some really quite basic design jobs interspersed with the card stuff, then was made redundant, at which point I took a conscious decision that the design world was not for me.

I started a career in sales, at which I was quite successful, then had DS1 at the age of 31 - haven't worked since then.

I'm now toying with the idea of an MA in Fine Art or Illustration, which I now realise I should have done all those years ago, especially as we'd moved to London.

I don't think you lose your talent through not using it - the ability comes back after practise - but, for me, I'd saythe imagination is definitely creaky.

I now take recreational classes to try and build up my skills again - maybe that might be a place to start?

Btw (nosey) what degree did you do?

Hi I've also been toying with the idea for a few years to go back and do a fine art or illustration MA. Money is quite tight though and to spend all that money whens there no certainty as to whether I'd earn any money afterward is a bit risky maybe at the moment!

I did textile design in london however by the end I was more of an artist/illustrator. Kind of wished I had done that to start with although I did enjoy it but the fashion side wasn't really for me. Also I just wasn't confident enough to 'get out there' after I'd graduated I don't think.

I'm desperate to go and do some life drawing classes or something ANYTHING! but I'm still breast feeding ds2 who's 5 months.

I think if you can go and do an ma you should bet it would be brilliant! Imagine all that time to create!

When I think about I think I'm only really content when I'm doing something creative! Don't get me wrong though I do love my ds'!

Gosh! Sorry my grammar is dreadful!

I think you must be me but 20 years younger. I also wish I'd done Fine Art or Illustration - I was kind of pushed into it on my foundation course.
Looking back, only the super-confident, middle class types were encouraged to go down the 'arty' route - being working class, it was sort of assumed you'd do something vocational with (ironically) a better chance of a job at the end of it.
I plugged on, but I don't think my heart was ever really in it, which probably showed through at interviews.
I've just done a term of weekly life drawing, which was fantastic, but I'm afraid to tell you that my youngest is now 8.
Some colleges and individual tutors run weekend workshops - maybe when your DCs are old enough to be left for a day you could sign up for something.
I wish I'd made more effort to do these sorts of classes years ago, instead of getting totally caught up in family life. My DH was away a lot, and I thought it was healthier for the children to see us together at weekends.
Where I live, there are lots of venues where artists work, and there's usually a notice board or table of leaflets. Also art shops often have ads for classes. And, obviously, 'Artists and Illustrators' magazine.

Hi,

I run a small part time business printing photo cards and calendars. All our cards are printed on high quality digital machinery. I would be more than happy to print some of your designs on cards for you to sell for a nominal cost.