How a Late Paying Client Can Ruin a Freelance Business

Aaaah dear. This again. This AGAIN.

As an artist and a freelance illustrator, I've always known the key differences in the two. As an artist, I work by myself, for myself. I create work that I love. Art that makes me calm and happy. And the way I am able to make art is by creating illustrations for different clients. 

And I love it.

There's nothing better than getting a challenging brief and really pushing yourself, and then getting it right. Also as an illustrator, I end up working more collaboratively. My job is to help visualise what the client wants, and sometimes I have to pull away and do my own thing to get the best results. 

It's all cool.

So the job's over, and weeks turn into months, and no payment shows up. This becomes really tricky. A freelance budget is constantly precarious. You're relying on the goodwill of your clients to pay when they say they will, and if they put it off, forget to pay you, or flat out refuse by dodging emails or losing your invoice, then you're in trouble.  

A late payment can be the difference between just getting by, and wracking up extortionate bank charges. A late payment can be the end of the line for an illustrator. 

It's hard to imagine for many people not getting a pay check every month. Every month, on the dot, you'll get paid. You may have had a slow month at work, it may have been one of the most stressful, but you know each month that the money is coming in. 

This is not the case for freelancers. 

I can budget all I want - things can look rosy. Jobs are lined up and are being illustrated. And then, the silence after the job. The long months of worry as you watch your careful plans for your business' survival crumbling. 

Why? 

Because your huge corporation of a client wants to hang on to your bill just one month longer. Screw the illustrator. She'll be fine. We don't care any way. 

Well - here's the thing...a late payment is death to a freelancers business. A business that they've spent years nurturing with loving hard work and long hours.  

So clients, when you've commissioned an illustrator...just pay your damn bill. 

Thank you.

Urban Mapping at the V&A

Being an illustrator : How to get inspired again

Hello again from (stormy and sunny) Cornwall!

One thing I get asked a lot by illustrators/friends/tweets etc is what happens when you're creatively stuck? What happens when your style seems jammed up, and you can't produce anything good?

I think it's really important to remember we've all been there - staring at a blank page and having no idea what to fill it with, and even wondering if we want to fill it. My advice is always this: step away from the page, and give yourself a break. Go for a walk, do something else, read a book, go to a gallery. Be aware that you might just not want to do any work, and forcing yourself to produce something below your usual standard will just make you feel rubbish. Many artists who work alone, writers, musicians, illustrators etc will often beat themselves up with damaging inner monologue - 'why can't I work? What's wrong with me?' The truthful answer is - nothing. Nothing's wrong with you - the minute you substitute unkind thoughts for kind ones - 'you're doing great, you're OK', is the moment ideas become more free, and work starts to flow.

I often find that pushing yourself out of your comfort zone helps also.  Maybe try something different. After my time with the Beehive Design Collective, I've been inspired to do work with washes and inks much more. It's brought a depth to my work that's slightly different, and it's something that I find really exciting. 

Inks from Atlantis art shop, Hanover Street, Brick Lane

 For those who know my usual personal art work, I use lots of pen and ink and specialise in urban cartography (see below image of Chinatown © 2008) 

Chinatown © 2008, pen and ink

But recently I've been looking at lots of different ways of exploring my surroundings with my pen. Working on my new solo show with the Serena Morton Gallery, I've been researching and drawing London's lesser known treasures and committing them to the page. Below is the start of my piece of the Necropolis Railway near Waterloo, and below that is the Guy's Operating Theatre and Museum. 

Necropolis Railway, work in progress 2014/2015

Guys Operating Theatre Museum

So next time you're faced with this...

...then pop down to the art shop and try something different. 

You never know what could happen!

L x

DAKS 120th Anniversary mural, Hong Kong

Here are some pictures of our trip to Hong Kong where I was commissioned to create a mural for DAKS. It was the 120th Anniversary celebration for this lovely brand, and I created the mural over 3 days at Pacific Place, Hong Kong

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Latest commission

I've got a super fun commission on at the moment.  I can't reveal too much about my client just yet but it's a great brief : )

I'm using a mix of rapidograph pens (0.25, 0.3, 50.5) and Faber-Castell PITT artist pen Big Brush. These are great for adding colour if you're more of a traditional illustrator,  like me ; )

Follow my progress @LizzieMCullen for more info!

Latest commission for Lewis Hamilton

Watch the Video Here

Image Dump

This has been a crazy few months, with lots of exciting commissions. Some private commissions and some commercial. They've all been challenging and cool in their own ways. 

Here are a few images of some of the works in progress. 

Now - back to work!

Starting 3 month project today - bring on the inspiration and perspiration

Chalkboard Mural at Tent London 2013!

After four days of drawing at Tent London, I finally completed my chalk mural! It was a fun show this year but didn't have much of a chance to see the other exhibits - it all looked cool though!

Day 1....blank canvas.

The beginnings...

It's growing!

On the home stretch!

Finished!!!

And I couldn't have done it without my assistant Emily. Though we had a few too many Peronis over the course of the week...Happy Face!

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Best Drawing Pens

After many years of constant drawing, and innumerable hours of covering paper in inky lines, I thought it would be a good idea to put together a list of my favourite pens for drawing.

I get so many emails asking me for advice about best materials to use for my style of drawing, so here we go! 

My top 5 drawing pens!

1) Rapidograph

A pricey investment but with these bad boys, you get what you pay for!

A radiograph set will cost you around £45. But if you look after them, they'll last you a lifetime.

 This includes 3 pens of different weights: 0.10, 0.25 and 0.5.
You also get a ruler set, and the draftsman pencil set.

TIP: CASSart in London have constant sales on these sets, so check in there first!

2) Steadler 

Cheap and trusty, they may wear out quickly however they're super fast drying, and give a true line.

Usual RRP around £6.

3) Faber Castell 

Pwoar!!

These pens are amazing - they last for a long time and they have a true line. The only slight issue is the nib tends to bend a little too easily.

But still in the top 3!
TIP: Buy online! You'll save a penny or two.

4) Artline

A while back, the lovely Artline team in Australia sent me a treasure trove of merchandise for me to get lost in for a few weeks. In the package was a set of these pens. The Artline drawing system pens are similar to the Staedler range. Cheaply priced and good quality, they are well worth a go.

In weights 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.8

5) Q-Connect

This is a fairly recent discovery for me. The Q-connect fineliner with a nib width of 0.4mm.
Hardy and resilient, it's worth a go!