If it makes you feel any better, I can’t really remember the last time I made pencil sketches for a project. I usually do all my drafts on the computer too, but could probably make jpg or PDF versions of them to show someone a “process” if I needed or wanted to. Most of my process is thinking and making relationships in my head, and not something that I often manifest in a way that would be visually accessible to others.

I think the section you’ve put together works absolutely fine “as is”. I just wish there were more samples there to look at so one could get a better idea of everything that you’re capable of. Maybe think about re-designing some of your favorite albums or book jackets to show how you would have represented them.

Honestly, I think you have a lot more “industry cred” than you give yourself credit for. You show more aptitude and ability in what you’ve presented through your web offerings than many of my cow-orkers who possess design degrees. You realize that your work represents you and that it’s better to ensure that what you choose to reflect your work do that in a manner that you feel does you justice. Plus, it’s better to have a consistent quality to your work, regardless of the client or the budget. All projects should be treated with the same respect and given the same attention, regardless of where they come from or the budget they have.

P.S. You’re going to have to try a whole lot harder than that if you want me to “de-friend” you. ;)

thank you. i have dialup, too, so i keep that Kb-limit in mind always when pretty much doing anything electronically. i guess that makes me Low-Impact Girl from Planet Nobudget!

in earlier iterations of self-promotional work that i previously made public online, i would spend some copy time — okay, a lot — on explaining the mechanics behind my creative process. for this go-round, i felt that it was probably best to just let the work do the speaking, because in the end, i want the other party to have a need to speak with me in further detail, following their pre-examination of my work.

you know, “whoa, hi! tasty! i wanna talk to her now. maybe she can tell us more!”

and, ummm, maybe the following four grafs will shatter what little professional respect you ever had for me before, but i have never gone by the book in creating client-related ideas, mostly because i was never taught by anyone on how to do this stuff.

i was once conditionally accepted to attend the Academy of Art College in SF in 1997 (OCAD was my first pick, but Harris was decapitating the higher education system in Ontario — “Americanizing” it, oh the irony — that year, so no go), but then every life plan i had back then suddenly and rudely got thrown into disarray or scuttled altogether until, well, the first of January, 2002. i painfully bided my time during the four years in between.

i don’t often make artist/AD-calibre sketches or spec drawings, because A) i don’t illustrate well and B) beyond a skeletal pencil/paper plan, i handle all drafts in Illustrator, moulding and bending the work in successive iterations — saving each point along the way separately, when need be — much like working with clay. and unsurprisingly, i work best with clay when i’m creating artsy stuff on my on time.

oh, and C) i don’t have a flatbed scanner (haven’t been able to afford one yet), so i would be stymied on transferring the raw paper ideas into a nice jpeg without dropping too much cheddar at a Kinko’s or something. when all the difference is between computer rental or dinner, i’d rather not end up in bed hungry again.

post script: and if you de-friend me from LJ after this, i really wouldn’t blame you. *grin*

Only thing you might consider adding would be some description of how you came to those particular design solutions and possibly showing sketches of other options you considered along the way to show your design process “in action”.

so you may or may not know about the 30th anniversary of the clean water act thing.. what do you think of the idea of Watershed Trading Cards?