Social Media And Working With Brands As An Illustrator

Social Media And Working With Brands As An Illustrator

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Illustrator Nic Mac Shares Her Career Story So Far

Everyone navigates their creative career differently, even within the same role and position. From just starting out to working with big brands – the progression of an illustrator never looks the same across the board. For another edition of Dark Yellow Dot’s artist talks, we sat down with freelance Illustrator Nic Mac to get her take on all things social media, brands, murals, mental health and more.

Getting into illustration

Mac, who is predominantly based around London, recalls the beginning of her artistic journey as we dive into conversation. After realising it was one her main talents as a child, she continued studying art throughout her education, including at university level. Despite this, there was a lack of clarity around what the future could hold, as the only jobs on her radar at the time revolved around graphic design. By default, that plan stuck with Mac, until towards the end of her study. She eventually found herself drawn to an array of other artistic paths – including illustration. What’s interesting to note is the many instances along the illustration path in which people would put Mac down, saying she “wouldn’t be able to do it” and “it wasn’t in her”. This only made Mac more determined, and rightly so.

In terms of her career in illustration, Mac touches upon a pivotal moment in time. Following the release of her work ‘‘The Big Plastic Wave’, the artist experienced a boom of unexpected success online. Beforehand, her follower count on Instagram had built up slowly, reaching somewhere between 600-900. What occurred afterwards took Mac by surprise, as she was suddenly gaining those numbers in one go, now amassing an impressive 18.7K. Describing the experience as ‘a bit scary’, Mac wondered what all these new fans wanted. She goes on to discuss the demand for art prints which she’d never explored previously, and the ways she introduced these into her practice using plastic free packaging; supporting the environmental issues raised in the very work that brought her traction.

Her advice for approaching the arts industry yourself? Try not to focus too much on what others are doing around you, and make the work you like. Jump straight in and start sharing your creativity, and keep it up.

The Great Plastic Wave, 2020

Art processes and inspirations

It’s obvious that technology has a huge impact on Nic Mac’s work, as the majority of the art she shares online is digitally created or edited in one shape or form. When asked about her processes, Mac mentions the app Procreate as being a ‘game changer’, through its vast abilities and potentials. She finds herself doodling straight onto images she’s taken of loose pencil sketches, rather than having to endure the laborious process of drawing, inking and scanning. The use of technology doesn’t just save Mac time during her creative process; it allows her to innovate and generate numerous ideas. Now she’s able to quickly sketch and test out colours all with the client present.

As a beginner artist, there may be a lot of projects you want to do but you find yourself waiting for the job – well that’s where digital mock ups come into play. In Mac’s case, further aided by Procreate – she photographs a wall and digitally draws a mural that she’d like to do, whether it be a plan for an upcoming project or evidence of what she can do for portfolio purposes.

When it comes to inspiration, Mac enjoys trying new things and drawing motivation from the development of her work. But the main aspect that fuels her creativity is storytelling and the art of being able to convey emotions. This derives from her connections to mental health, a common theme within her work as seen from her zine example. Having experienced her own creative dip when going through a rough patch, Mac gives huge credit to art and making, explaining how it helped her get back into the flow of things. This can be done through art therapy or simply ‘making a mess’, as Mac widley recommends to anyone, whether they are artists or not. The important thing here is to not put pressure on the work you’re making. Art is about expressing emotion and if it doesn’t work today, try again tomorrow.

“That’s what art is to me, hope”

In relation to her career, Mac tries to keep on top of her motivation and organisation with lots of lists, but understands that creation can sometimes only come about when you find yourself in the right mood. In order to keep the process fun and rewarding, Mac discusses the importance of not putting yourself in a box early on, as this can somewhat limit the areas you’re able to experiment within. It can be easy to get caught up in your brand or style when your previous work has been successful, but trying new things can actually help with inspiration. For Mac, it’s worth staying open as you can to new ideas and not honing down completely.

Social media and working with brands

A significant amount of Nic Mac’s talk centred around the ways in which she tackles social media, including her freelance work with brands. For beginners who are looking to gain some working experience, Mac suggests seeking and entering competitions to get your name out there. Using her collaboration with Cano Water as an example, Mac highlights the importance of just ‘going for it’, as working with a company through a competition could be the gateway to more jobs and opportunities to come. Even without the competitions, she emphasises how there’s nothing stopping you from designing your own can, going back to the idea of mock ups and idea plans. When approaching a brand with your said ideas, make sure you’re well researched and understand what the company is all about. Mac talks about how a brand wants to see how you can apply your work to their business, so this is a good chance to send visual ideas and what you want to do for them. To find a way in with them, you’ll need to bring out an area of their brand where your art would fit.

nic mac illustration

This isn’t the only method of receiving work. Sometimes, when you’ve pushed your art out onto every online platform, a brand will contact you directly for a project. This can be very exciting, especially for beginner illustrators – but despite her fairly positive experience, Nic Mac lists a couple of things to keep in mind amongst the buzz. Firstly, make sure you’re in control by asking a lot of questions, this is the best way to ensure you get all the right information. Enquire about their budget and think about the value of your work and time. Mac reveals that there’s plenty of videos and resources online, from the useful ‘Graphic Artists Guild Handbook’ to our own articles covering topics like pricing artwork, taking on commissions and building an online presence. Something Mac brings attention to is working for free. Although not recommended, it’s up to the artist. If the project is something that will benefit them, especially when just starting out and looking for experience it should be ok to do. The most important thing is that the artist feels comfortable, but generally always make sure and keep in mind that you’re giving your art the value it deserves.

A big part of Nic Mac’s journey is down to social media, as she opens up and shares her advice following the success of her rise on Instagram. Essentially, it’s all about consistent sharing. Keep sharing both the works in progress and the completed pieces as it keeps your followers engaged. It’s ok to feel lost, as Mac admits she still suffers with this sometimes. A lot of our struggles as artists come from ourselves, letting perfectionism hold us back. Mac returns to the idea that beginner illustrators need to ‘go for it’, even if they believe the work to be bad. You never know, someone could see something they love in your work and bring a great opportunity into your life.

Future projects

As the talk rounded to a close, Mac had the time to reflect on the direction that her illustration was heading. As evident from her presentation – murals are starting to form a large part of her practice and she expressed hopes of continuing them in the future. She also touches upon books and comics surrounding themes of mental health, something she’d love to explore going forward. This passion links to another domain Mac wishes to venture into – poems. It’s already something she is doing a lot behind the scenes, but Mac wants text to feature more prominently in her work going forward. Why? Because words help convey a story, especially relatable ones that people can connect to. Mac’s plans to develop her art circle back to her honest inspirations and we can’t wait to see where she takes it.

Where To Find Nic Mac

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicmacillustration/?hl=en

Website: www.nicmacillustration.com/

Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/NicMac/videos

Twitter: twitter.com/nicmactweets

To watch Nic Mac’s talk about illustration and experience our other conversations with artists like Kelly Frank and our founder Lauren Little, check out our video library. You’ll gain access to all of our insightful talks so far, ready for you to watch as and when you need.

Don’t forget you can always share your art with us or tag us on Instagram – @darkyellowdot.

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