4th March 2022
This week was a fairly quiet week, understandably so, as I spent most of it doing the work for my first ever commission. Whilst the brief was fairly easy to do and understand, some of the pieces were harder than they look, since it was mainly a case of deciding which details to include, and which ones to leave out, as well as countless attempts of trying to draw perfectly straight lines, not to mention that there were a lot more straight lines than I expected.
So far, I’ve done 4 out of 5 of the illustrations that I’ve been set to do, with some of them only taking half an hour since they’re literally just line drawings, and where I don’t have to add that much detail to them, whereas others have taken longer because of the details that I have to add as well as focusing on the technical aspects, such as perspectives and drawing straight lines, but so far, so good, and I didn’t have to negotiate the project at a lower price, so that’s a little win.
I can’t really say much about the work itself, mainly because it’s for a client, and I’m doing it, as well as accepting the fact that some of the things will change, but it’s an experience. This is the first time that I’ve ever taken on a commission, and the pressure is on, mainly knowing that there is a set deadline, as well as it being paid for, which means that I have to produce decent work, especially since I’m starting out and I’m building my reputation in the process, so that others decide whether I’m good or not, and whether I like the fact that this happens or not, I have to accept it since potential clients will get pretty much what they see.
So, that’s been my week so far. A bit unremarkable compared to previous weeks, but hey, I’m glad that things are starting to take off a bit, and that I’ve got a bit of work coming in as well as seeing a sense of tangible process starting to take place, although now, I literally have to care about what other people think, especially as I create things for them, and whilst I’d rather not have to worry about that, it’s something that I have to take into account, because if I don’t care what other people think (especially when it comes to creating work), all they’re going to do is look for someone else who will do that same work for them, which means that I won’t be able to get that opportunity; having this opportunity is more of a learning experience for me, just to understand how the world of freelancing works, as well as giving me a taster of what to expect when it comes to freelancing along with ultimately deciding if it’d be for me in the long run. Sure, I can read countless articles arguing both sides all day long, but I won’t know it’s for me unless I actually try it, since most people learn best by doing.