AOI LTM comp

Cycling in London Competition

London Transport Museum and the Association of Illustrators are delighted to announce a call for illustrations featuring cycling as an emerging mode of transport in London..

Students and professionals are invited to submit entries that demonstrate the environmental, health and/or recreational benefits of cycling. It is the task of entrants to create an illustration that shows cycling as a fun and efficient way to get around the city.

The top three entries will receive a monetary award and may be used in an advertising campaign for cycling. The top 50 entries will be displayed in an exhibition at the London Transport Museum that will open in summer 2010 in conjunction with the launch of TfL’s cycling programmes. For more info see the aoi website.

http://www.theaoi.com/



London Transport Museum/Association of Illustrators
Exhibition from 5 July to 22 August 2010, at the London Transport Museum



Deadline for entries: 17 May 2010 by 5pm

Whoever you are and wherever you look a revolution is taking place. Cycling is quickly becoming a part of the fabric of everyday life in London. During Summer 2010, Transport for London will will join the revolution with the launch of its Cycle Superhighways and Cycle Hire Schemes as well as a host of other initiatives to improve cycle safety and security. In conjunction with these programmes, London Transport Museum and the Association of Illustrators are delighted to announce a call for illustrations featuring cycling as an emerging mode of transport in London.

Students and professionals are invited to submit entries that demonstrate the environmental, health and/or recreational benefits of cycling. It is the task of entrants to create an illustration that shows cycling as a fun and efficient way to get around the city.

The top three entries will receive a monetary award and may be used in an advertising campaign for cycling. The top 50 entries will be displayed in an exhibition at the London Transport Museum that will open in summer 2010 in conjunction with the launch of TfL’s cycling programmes.

Competition Prizes

Cash prizes will be awarded in three levels.

First prize: £2000
Second prize: £1000
Third prize: £750





Schedule of timings

January 25: Launch of competition
May 17 (by 5pm): Deadline for entries
May 18 – 28: Judging
May 31: Notice of selection by email
June 14 – 18: Delivery of framed artwork to AOI
July 5: Award ceremony
July 5 – August 22: Exhibition
August 23 – 27: Collection of artwork by exhibitors from LTM

The Jury

To be announced.

How to submit your entry

The competion is free to enter and you can enter as many images as you wish.

1. Prepare your image
Your image should measure 1200 pixels on the longest edge, be in RGB mode and saved as either a jpg or gif. Name your file(s) sequentially and with your surname and initial separated by an underscore i.e.smith_f_01.jpg
Where possible use Photoshop's 'save for web' feature. Your resultant filesize should come in at under 1mb.
2. Accept Conditions of Entry
Read the Conditions of Entry below. If you want to proceed, click the Agree/Enter button.
3. Submit your entry
Upload your image and accompanying text information.

Conditions for Entry

Please read the terms for entry carefully. You will be asked to agree to them before you can submit your images to the competition.

The competition is open to all AOI members and non-members illustrators and students of illustration.

Agents or colleges may only submit entries on behalf of the illustrator with the express permission of the artist.

Entries will be judged by an independent committee of judges. The judges decisions regarding the award winners and entrants to the exhibition at London Transport Museum will be considered final.

All those selected to exhibit will be required to provide original framed artwork no larger than A1, or high definition, high quality prints no bigger than A2. Artwork is required to be framed with simple black wood profiles fitted with mirror plates for hanging at London Transport Museum, Covent Garden from 5 July to 22 August 2010.

Award winners will be named at an award ceremony to be held at London Transport Museum, to be attended by LTM invitation when the exhibition opens.

Award winning copyright holders are required to grant their license to TfL, London Transport Museum and/or their affiliates for the use of their image in publicity/Advertising materials and for the possible use on posters and postcard merchandising. In the event of posters or postcards being produced for sale, the artist shall agree to receive 40% of the net profit of the sale administered by LTM.

Entrants agree that their selected image and name can be published on the LTM and AOI websites.

Exhibitors must collect all artwork from London Transport Museum within one week of the end of the exhibition on the 22 August. Collection deadline is Friday 27August.

It all adds up

The financial side of running a business is something that most creatives seem to shy away from, but crucially is an important aspect that can ensure the success or failure of your creative endeavours. Graduates need to be financially aware and busines savy. Recently we contacted TWD a firm of accountants with offices around the UK. They are one of the UK's leading low-cost, fixed fee tax and accountantcy services. They have agree to provide our third year students with packs which cover issues such as setting up small businesses and steps to dealing with taxation for the selfemploymed/freelancers. Ok so this might not be your first choice for bedside reading but it will at least equip them with some basic finanical foundations which ensure more of the money they make stays in their pockets.

This information constantly changes as government policy shifts and so its great to have TWD on side advising our students. This isn't an advert for there services and unfortuneatly I'm not recieving a cut of their profits for the year.

6X6 Launch night

As part of the Manchester Literature Festival, the '6x6' book was launched last Friday (23rd of October)
In the grandeur of the Lord Mayor's Parlour the authors gave readings from their books and the illustrators were interviewed to reveal the working processes behind the images. It was a great success with both authors and illustrators speaking confidently and professionally, once again suggesting that collaboration is the future.
As the wine flowed and the books flew off the shelves (competitively priced at only £4) the plotting began to create
a bigger better version next year. Here's what the press say:

Six By Six is an exciting new publishing project which brings together MMU Cheshire’s latest Creative Writing graduates with Stockport College Illustration undergraduates. Earlier this year, Alice Slater, Liz Smith, Naomi Potter, Jason Weight, Jack Boardman and Tom Heinsohn handed over their unusually accomplished short stories to the cream of Stockport College's Illustration degree programme: Alan Dalby, Liz Ardolino, Natalie Wood, Chris Madden, Libby Vickers and James Peters. The result is a stylish and cool illustrated short story anthology. Join them this evening for a special launch event featuring readings from Six By Six and an exhibition of the artwork that so vividly enhances these fictions.

Poster Competition

Here is an other competition to have a go at, run by Print magazine in America.

AOI Business Classes

Master Classes for Illustrators Thursdays from 27 August to 5 November 2009 6pm – 9pm – Cockpit Arts (Holborn) off Cockpit Yard, Northington Street, London WC1N 2NP This course will guide you through the various steps of the business start up process. In a series of practical workshops you will develop knowledge and skills essential for self-employment. You will learn about sources of support, business planning, and long-term vision. You will find out how to develop a market for your work, present your portfolio and develop confidence and negotiation techniques. You will understand the importance of tax, how to get paid and key legal issues such as generating income from your copyright and the use of contracts. By the end of the master classes you will have gained the confidence and tools to work as a freelance illustrator and draft a 18 month business plan. The Master Classes are open to AOI associate members, recent illustration graduates and people working as freelance illustrators that feel the need to fill knowledge and skills gaps. The workshops will be run by Alison Branagan - Creative Consultant for the Visual Arts and Creative Industries, Fig Taylor – AOI Portfolio consultant and sefl promotion expert and renowned Ilustrator, Rod Hunt, illustrator and AOI board member. “Invaluable. It has provided really useful information”. Caragh Jackson, 2008 Business Masterclass attendee. “I learnt so much about the practicalities of being an illustrator and starting out, it has been so helpful. My confidence and ambition has grown 10 fold. This is what I want to do and now I know I can.” Ellie Smith, 2008 Business Masterclass attendee.

illustrative competition

Young Illustrators Award call for submissions Deadline 30 September 2009 Registration Form at: illustrative.de The Swatch Young Illustrators Award encourages and supports designers in their artistic practice and offers them an international platform. Awarding talent in three different categories: Illustrative art works, art projects with graphic influences, animations and book art objects. The jury will decide the winners in October. Nominees of the Young Illustrators Award will be invited to Berlin and get the opportunity to exhibit their work at Illustrative 2009. Prizes include 6.000 Euros as well as publications, illustration agency contracts and a chance to be featured in future international exhibitions. One winner will be invited to design a Swatch Watch. The nominees will be awarded by an international jury consisting of leading art directors, experts and editors such as Julius Wiedemann (editor Illustration Now), Jessica Helfand (Design Observer), Angharad Lewis (Grafik Magazine), Keiichi Tanaami (Illustrator), Maria Serrano (étapes), and Olaf Hajek (Illustrator). The short-listed artists will be announced on the Illustrative website in the beginning of October. Prizes will be awarded in a ceremony at Illustrative 09 in Berlin on 17 October 2009.

A Sneak Peek at Rilla Alexander’s Studio

Rilla Alexander is a member of the well known and respected art and design collective, Rinzen. The group’s posters and album covers have been exhibited at the Louvre and their large scale artwork installed in Tokyo’s Zero Gate and Copenhagen’s Hotel Fox. Today she gives Grain Edit readers a sneak peek into her studio and shares some of her favorite objects.


See her studio here