The Helpful Hand of Dominique Byron: Portfolio Visit

Not so long ago I posted about Dom Byrons' exhibition up at Kosmonaut bar in the Northern Quarter of Manchester, 'Conspiracy Theories'. Well I contacted her afterwards to say well done for hosting such a well presented show and asked her if she had the time to take a look at my PDF portfolio and website. Of course being such a generous person she obliged and didn't hesitate in sending me reems of advice on both.

All images taken from dominiquebyron.com

In regards to layout she didn't have any recommendations on adapting them, only kind words about how clean, well annotated and consistent the PDF is and that the website was easily navigated. The navigation and usability of my website are two things I've been eager to receive feedback on, posting links on Facebook and Tumblr have helped me to gain knowledge on this matter and gain public opinion. A big reassurance. Next up was the range and consistency of my work, she picked out straight away that one of my favourite subjects to illustrate revolves around animal form and fictional characters, something that has always caught my attention in narrative or real life. She commented on how well informed my line drawings were and that potential clients would have confidence commissioning me from these examples. I'm not really one for ego inflation but it's rather nice to hear that your work is seen as high standard by successful Illustrators in comparison to you mam telling you it's lovely even if she doesn't know what the hell it is.

"Your work seems to stay consistent and look good with the use of different materials or processes. The paintings are cool and add a nice splash of colour throughout your portfolio. Your screenprint looks ace too, having the detailed fox with the block colour of the leaves is a really nice balance. I think that showing you can do both b/w and work with colour is a real plus and just adds another string to your bow. The attention to detail and time you've spent will really set you apart I reckon." (Byron, taken from an email conversation shared between us)

Again, she put another worry to bed for me when mentioning how she could see ways in which my work could be applied to different media easily; books, album covers, products and textiles. Distinctly my 'Piece for Protest' Fox and Pig as a pair work instantaneously as text supplements, perfect for editorial content as they hold extra concept to accompany an article. For me, this is something I'm going to make the effort to try my hand at more regularly after university. I believe that applying concept to my work will bring out the best in it. She added that if editorial or merchandise were areas I could be interested in, I would benefit from creating templates and mock-ups to place my illustrations in as clients will immediately be able to visualise a much wider window of application.

Really helpful and encouraging words, again thank you Dom for your kindness!