Graphic Art and Creativity

[Tairii]

Hi guys, I just graduated from high school this year. For the past two years, I've took college level course in Graphic Art and 3D Animation. In the past 6 months, I've started to work more intensely on my traditional skills, and started to fall in love with painting (even though I'm still pretty novice at it). This has pushed it's way into my graphic art (especially since I started digital painting). Problem is, many of my friends who I do work for dislike the "artsy" look I add to things and prefer I go back to my more technical route. I've been getting upset because, I've faced this issue before working with clients. They want something to look a certain way, and I feel that I am unable to add to it for fear of not making the client happy.

Now, I'm not here to discuss my personal problem, I wanted to get input from other graphic artists. If you don't mind, if you could answer a few questions, and maybe we can discuss somethings.

1. How do you add creativity or personal flair to the work you do for clients
2. Do you feel as if you are unable to add creativity? Is this something that comes with age and experience? (i.e. Overtime, you learn how to add your own touch).
3. How do you deal with overbearing clients? (I've had people come to me and give me a list of what they want done down to each pixel placement).

It would be nice to get some input, I'm really interested to hear from people with more experience than I have. Thanks in advance.

[agentarthur]

1. How do you add creativity or personal flair to the work you do for clients

In a design career (concepting, illustration - to most extents, animating, graphic design etc) most of the artistic satisfaction will come to you through the process itself. The end result can of course be a creative solution, aesthetic and rewarding but learning to manage your work inside a brief is critical.

2. Do you feel as if you are unable to add creativity? Is this something that comes with age and experience? (i.e. Overtime, you learn how to add your own touch).

i feel i can add it - and still at times depending on your client/relationship you MUST learn to deliver quality and creative solutions to briefs you care nothing for or think are not creative.

The better you get the faster you can work and more time you have to add flair and those things that become your own 'style'

In some situations they ahve chosen you BECAUSE of that style, so that's even better

3. How do you deal with overbearing clients? (I've had people come to me and give me a list of what they want done down to each pixel placement).

there will always be a very small percentage of clients that for some reason are psychos - but honestly most of the whining i hear (and admittedly do myself) about clients is based on the fact that they make us do work and change our ideas - which we need but don't want to do. The best thing for a designer to do early in their career is understand that the client is boss and customer. Don't be precious about your ideas, learn to deal with where they are coming from, how they see/understand things and accept change! its not your piece, its theirs.

Most creative people get attached to their ideas and hate changes, but ultimately i've rarely seen changes that haven't lead to a better end result for everybody (i say everybody, not just the artist/designer ).

If you want to do your own thing, become an artist and make work to your own brief and sell it...

if they want something 20 pixels to the left ...well - gotta do it!

I know its hard sometimes, but trying to build a good relationship with clients and getting on the same page makes for a better project long term

also, i guess coffee helps me a little ... and booze (but i dont recommend that)


anyways, all the best for reasonable clients in the future!
cheers

[Tairii]

1. How do you add creativity or personal flair to the work you do for clients

In a design career (concepting, illustration - to most extents, animating, graphic design etc) most of the artistic satisfaction will come to you through the process itself. The end result can of course be a creative solution, aesthetic and rewarding but learning to manage your work inside a brief is critical.

2. Do you feel as if you are unable to add creativity? Is this something that comes with age and experience? (i.e. Overtime, you learn how to add your own touch).

i feel i can add it - and still at times depending on your client/relationship you MUST learn to deliver quality and creative solutions to briefs you care nothing for or think are not creative.

The better you get the faster you can work and more time you have to add flair and those things that become your own 'style'

In some situations they ahve chosen you BECAUSE of that style, so that's even better

3. How do you deal with overbearing clients? (I've had people come to me and give me a list of what they want done down to each pixel placement).

there will always be a very small percentage of clients that for some reason are psychos - but honestly most of the whining i hear (and admittedly do myself) about clients is based on the fact that they make us do work and change our ideas - which we need but don't want to do. The best thing for a designer to do early in their career is understand that the client is boss and customer. Don't be precious about your ideas, learn to deal with where they are coming from, how they see/understand things and accept change! its not your piece, its theirs.

Most creative people get attached to their ideas and hate changes, but ultimately i've rarely seen changes that haven't lead to a better end result for everybody (i say everybody, not just the artist/designer ).

If you want to do your own thing, become an artist and make work to your own brief and sell it...

if they want something 20 pixels to the left ...well - gotta do it!

I know its hard sometimes, but trying to build a good relationship with clients and getting on the same page makes for a better project long term

also, i guess coffee helps me a little ... and booze (but i dont recommend that)


anyways, all the best for reasonable clients in the future!
cheers

Wow, this was a huge reality check. I love the way you went right into it. It's about business. I noticed how you especially separated your portfolio based on work and your free time. I really do want to get into the entertainment design fields (3D, Graphic Art, Concept Art) because I like how it's more stable than freelancing. All the pros do come with the consequences however. I will start incorporating your advice into my life right now. I always can have free time to work on personal projects.

In regards to clients hiring on style, I think I'm a little too young to have that going on yet. Most people hire me because I'm a graphic designer and I'm a student and they kinda assume it means professional quality at cheap prices for some odd reason...that's a story for a different thread however.

Thanks for your response, I really did appreciate it!

[TheMumm]

Be careful -- 'student' to many folks doesn't mean 'cheap' work -- it means 'free' work. Regardless of what they might say to you about 'It's for your portfolio! That's your payment!' don't buy it. You're doing labor, and you should be paid for it.

1. How do you add creativity or personal flair to the work you do for clients

Where one can -- Depending on the client, you'll have more or less leeway. I'm an in-house guy, but I'm given quite a lot of latitude because that's my role here.

2. Do you feel as if you are unable to add creativity? Is this something that comes with age and experience? (i.e. Overtime, you learn how to add your own touch).

Again, depends on the client. A fair amount of my work are product catalogs, so I can't go too crazy. IT is however, creatively stimulating to work with some strict requirements and try to make them look as tantalizing as possible, while being aesthetically pleasing. It's like a puzzle!

3. How do you deal with overbearing clients? (I've had people come to me and give me a list of what they want done down to each pixel placement).

Because the client is paying for it, they really do have the last word. However, you can go above and beyond by developing something that they didn't ask for (an alternate piece that you feel conveys the message more clearly to the consumer) and present it alongside the one he asked for. If they don't like it, bummer. If they do, you've made them happy!