BIG HEADS Charlotte Mei & Grace Helmer

We had a Big Heads from Charlotte Mei and Grace Helmer, which I found a really useful insight into how illustrators work and connect within the field.

Before I started this course I was torn as to whether I should choose LCA or Camberwell, and since these two graduated from Camberwell, I found it really interesting to see how they had grown during their time at university. These were they key points they presented:

- Both worked full time then illustrated on top
- Interned at Camberwell press
- After graduation, they didn't know what to do exactly, just dabbled in shows etc. until they decided what direction to take
- Gained validation in their practise through seeking work and applying for all work
- Got a space together with other graduating students
-Created Day Job, an art collective based on their day jobs- created zines about their jobs and grew from there
- Working as a collective allows for self-approval
- Just doing what you want- decided to go to Japan and 'break the bubble'
- Impacts of being illustrators in London- events well funded, most 'big names' there
- Worries- put into product with no meaning
- Commercial side of illustration can be bread and butter to fund own adventures
- It doesn't work the engineer things other people will like- do something you like and others will too
- Sticking to one style is better- NOT TRUE
- Making way more than needed and narrowing down after to what 'feels' better can be a good way of working
-Advice- Don't worry about what it looks like yet, this time is to experiment, make it worth it!

- What makes great illustration? Knowing there's a genuine feeling rather than a means to an end


Charlotte Mei:

I find Mei's work a refreshing change from the forms of illustration I am usually presented with, and I think the way she is not afraid for her work to look simple, and how she boldly presents her quite timid ideas and characters all works together to create a very unique illustration. I also like how she challenges the barriers of what illustration is, and peters on the edge of function. I find her outcomes really inspirational, as their immediately recognisable characteristics ensure there is no doubt who created the work and why.

Grace Helmer:

I actually saw Helmer's work a few years ago, so it was great to actually be able to talk to her! Similarly to Mei, she isn't afraid to present the simple, often mundane, but does so in such a refreshing manner that they become captivating scenes full of stories and secrets. I would love to explore her type of approach more to build quiet narratives within seemingly simple scenes.