Lecture- Gary Neil, Scheduling and working methods.

Last Friday I had a lecture with Gary Neill, who I had seen previously on past semesters/years ago. He had come to inform us about his working methods on illustration, deadlines, scheduling, all that jazz.

Gary has worked in the business for roughly above 25 years and has done bold conceptual design work for newspapers and magazines. His development and research consists of understanding different forms of research and keeping development in different projects separate. Much like a different sketchbook or scrapbook to write or doodle in for the current work at hand.

As I had previously had extreme issues with schedules and keeping focus on work due to my learning disabilities, I struggled to keep an open mind on this lecture. However there were a good lot of helpful hints that I could try, its just going to be hard to commit to them.

This was a spider diagram given to each of us as a way of conceptualising a process we might want to take. But for now, I am going to cover what I remember from the lecture/discussion.

1.

Scrapbooks and a relaxed working environment.

Gary has his scrapbooks made from cheap paper and card with a simple ring binder, this allows him to be less self conscious and relax when he’s developing ideas. It’s important to your health that you are relaxed when you are searching for ideas. Removing yourself from a stressful and distracting environment helps, a library, a train, a small closed in room. We watched a small documentary clip of famous children’s author Roald Dahl having all the things he needs to keep working long hours including a small flask, a relaxing chair and no music but just him and his pencils. This is all in a special shed he keeps in his garden, the house would offer up to many domestic temptations and distractions to keep him from working which is why he tries to remove himself from it, that makes a lot of sense.

2.

Visual Research

Gary Neill seems to have very little qualms with looking for inspiration online, however you will get more results if you look into Adobe Bridge. It’s essentially similar to a database, full of thumbnails to help amalgamate ideas and such. I have never really wanted to learn adobe bridge as I prefer looking to the internet and taking snippets of things that interest me instead. He also suggested pinterest to a lesser extent as it doesn’t really mass the material needed for the project, nor with accurate sources. I never liked pinterest anyway as I hate being recommended it with no end, despite having an account, there is just not as many options as I like or understand. So that’s out the question for me.

3.

Time Management

Lower down on social media, much like a domestic space it will distract and keep you from work. Limit your time with it so you can think and focus more as well as feel confident in what your doing. Your work is important and it needs a lot of care and attention, working on it now and then isn’t really going to amount to much, especially if you’re working on a commission. 8 hours a day of work is the suggested way to go, and setting up individual tasks for the creative process on a timetable helps shift quickly from one thing to the next.

4. Contextual Research

This is slightly different from research on your current project. It’s more ideas for future projects, colours, designs, themes and linework, just a whole bunch of visual influences that could help you in future projects.

Thoughts-

Overall I don’t think I entirely agree with the methods gary suggests in terms of the work hours as I am an easily distracted person, I can’t really promise myself to stick to a schedule. But removing myself from home and working in a quieter, work friendly environment could be really helpful, I can see myself enjoying it more without social annoyances and digital entertainment to stop me. I’m not suggesting university as that already stresses me out, but maybe a small office space where I can keep to myself, or maybe the local library, it’s a good place for research.

Something to really think about.