#yet another Pinterest study turned fanart

[dellaray]

Sirius if Walburga actually sent him to Durmstrang like she threatened to in atyd

[doodlingwren]

It's 2024 can we please stop saying it's normal to trace or copying an entire drawing and pretending it's 100% your work? Just bc you changed the character or added clothes on a base you found on pinterest it doesn't mean you created original art

[fluentmoviequoter]

h e l l o, Hanna!!! ♡ guess who is back again with prompts for V-day??? well, what a magician that you are here, here are some prompts that i chose for one and only Victor Vale BUT as we both love college!Vic that much; thus, i would love to see the college lovers day with these prompts!!

“i could marry you right now.” + “you’re all i’ll ever want.” = ♡

bonus: i actually came across with your post how you like shy!reader; if you want you can do this with a shy reader, i don’t mind really since i am a shy person too. happy writing, love ♡

Softie college!Vic🫶🏼 I love these prompts together!!

Warnings: fluff! takes place at Lockland before the events of Vicious, Angie and Eli are together. 1.4k+ words.

Fanart from Pinterest (pretty boy.)

Valentine's Theory

It’s always hard to talk to Victor, but it becomes harder when he’s studying. You’re never sure if he’s intentionally blocking you out or just so focused that he truly can’t hear you. As you lay on his bed, picking at a box of chocolate someone left at your door, he is sitting at his desk and studying for an exam that is months away (and he will ace, no matter how much he does or doesn’t study).

“Vic, are you doing anything for Valentine’s Day?” you ask, rolling onto your side to look at his back.

He doesn’t answer, and you reach for another chocolate. After a moment, he asks, “When is it?”

“Tomorrow.”

Victor shrugs, mumbling that February 14th is just another day on the calendar. You smile, having expected no less.

“Let me guess, it was commercialized by the card companies and chocolate makers,” you joke.

“Absolutely, it was. How else do you explain the stereotypical, not to mention, expected, gift or a card, roses, and chocolate? There are millions of ways to show you love someone, yet those three have their own day,” he explains.

“Okay, then.”

As you put the lid back on your chocolates, having eaten all your favorite flavor combinations, you wonder about something.

“If you were going to go out,” you begin, “what would be your dream date? With your valentine.”

Victor turns toward you, his pale brows raised as he abandons his textbooks. “Who am I going with?”

You shrug, looking back at the heart-shaped box beside you. “Your choice.”

Victor thinks for a moment, then sighs. “I just don’t see the point.”

Smiling, you ask, “What if I show you?”

Victor doesn’t answer, but you push the chocolate toward him and announce, “We’re going out tomorrow. You have to at least try Valentine’s Day before you decide it’s pointless.” Noticing his blank stare, you whisper, “Unless you don’t want to.”

A man of science (and a man who has unexplained feelings around you and difficulty turning you down), Victor agrees. “You have one chance to prove your theory that it’s worth it.”

Standing from his bed, you tap his shoulder in thanks before leaving to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day.

✯✯✯✯✯

Victor finds you waiting outside his first class on the morning of Valentine’s Day. Extending a box, you wait until he takes it, then tuck your hands behind your back and press your lips together nervously.

Victor’s expression is unreadable as he looks at the gift: a black watch with a cat engraved on the back. At that moment, you have no way of knowing that it will become his most prized possession, and even years in the future when it’s scraped and worn, he looks at it and remembers this moment.

“I know it’s not much,” you begin.

“It’s perfect. Thank you. I, uh, I didn’t get you anything.”

“That’s because you are my valentine for the day, not the other way around,” you remind him. “Have fun in your class and I will see you at lunch.”

Victor watches you walk away before looking at the watch again. It’s the most thoughtful gift he’s ever gotten, but he’s more surprised by the sudden desire to follow you. Victor Vale will do anything to get what he wants, but now he’s questioning what he really wants and what he’s willing to sacrifice for it.

The watch holds his attention throughout the class, and Victor doesn’t hear Angie calling his name until she touches his hand.

“Angie, hi,” he says, blinking as his eyes adjust to looking at more than a watch.

“Eli and I are going out for Valentine’s Day, but I wanted to see if maybe you want to come hang out before?” she offers. “It’s not fair to have to be alone.”

There was a time when Victor would have been angry and hurt at the idea of Angie and Eli together and more so at their pity-driven invite to save him from a perceived miserable, lonely night. Now, though, he can only think of you and how, for once, he’s somewhat excited to spend time with someone else.

“I’ve got plans,” he mumbles. “Thanks though.”

“Wait, Vic! Plans with who?” Angie asks.

The watch beeps, and Victor knows it’s a reminder to meet you for lunch. You really did think of everything.

“Sorry, have to go, have fun with Eli.”

Angie yells after him, but he only has one thing on his mind: you. All those moments with you, the feelings that he couldn’t place… he’s starting to realize that you’re showing him something he has never experienced before. The second realization, though, that you’ve been doing it since long before the Valentine’s Day theory arose, is the one that makes him question everything.

✯✯✯✯✯

Around sunset, you take Victor to a small restaurant in a secluded area. You know it won’t be busy, making it more comfortable for you and Victor, and you’re glad to have his full attention when you sit across from him.

Victor has been distant since telling Angie and Eli he was happy for them. You could tell it was a lie, but you seemed to be the only one. Part of you thinks he’d rather be out with Angie, but he’s not. He’s with you.

“How is your day going?” you ask kindly.

Victor nods, and you smile. “Thank you, for all of it.”

You see the watch on his wrist, surprised that he hasn’t taken it off yet. When the waiter approaches, you turn to order, and Victor’s hand brushes yours under the table. His touch disappears quickly, but the spark you felt sticks with you.

It’s no secret to you that you have feelings for Victor, but now you wonder how obvious they are to other people, to him. Friends aren’t usually so willing to take one another on dates and buy custom gifts to prove that a day dedicated to love doesn’t have to be scripted or stereotypical. Yet, here you are. Sitting in a nice restaurant with a guy who has never given you anything close to an idea that there could be more between you.

Victor tugs his hand back into his lap before he takes it too far. Your kindness, loving actions, and soft questions and reassurances make Victor see the point of Valentine’s Day. You show him love daily, he realizes, but today is the one day that it is wholly acceptable to show off the person you love and shower them with the gifts they deserve. It’s a day of appreciation, which happens to involve cards and chocolate for some people.

✯✯✯✯✯

As you leave the restaurant after a dinner filled with pointless conversation, neither of you willing to acknowledge the touch or the fact that this is a date, you walk beside Victor and work up the courage to speak.

“Is there anything else you want to do? We need to make the day perfect.”

Victor slows, and you turn toward him as he answers, “You’re all I’ll ever want.”

“Vic.”

“I think I knew. Or have known, for a while, I just didn’t realize what it meant,” Victor admits quietly, his eyes on the ground.

“So, what now?” you whisper.

Victor takes your hand, and your skin alights at his touch. He fights for his composure, his entire being bending to your will with a single touch. Knowing that he is totally yours, Victor doesn’t hesitate to answer.

“I could marry you right now.”

Your hand tightens around his fingers, and you silently hope his trench coat is soft before you lean against it, hiding your face against his shoulder.

“Why’d you ask if the answer was going to make you shy away from me?” Victor asks.

“I was expecting a, ‘let’s take it slow’ or ‘we’ll see,’ not a few words short of a proposal,” you say against him.

“It’s your fault. You’re the one who wanted to show me the point of Valentine’s Day.”

Pulling back, you look at Victor, whose eyes seem softer than usual. You argue, “It may have worked a bit too well.”

Victor runs his tongue over his bottom lip before tipping his head toward you to ask, “Are you denying that everything you say and do comes from a place of love? Love for me?”

“Vic.”

“You already said that. You’re getting redundant.”

“I- we…“ You stop, inhaling deeply before asking, “Is this ending tonight? Was all of this just for Valentine's Day?”

“Oh,” Victor says, making a noise that sounds suspiciously like a chuckle as he pulls you against his side and begins walking again. “This is starting tonight.”

Bonus: 2 Years Later

"Vic, it's falling apart, just let me replace the watch," you beg. "I can get the same engraving, like it's the same watch."

"It won't be the same watch," he argues. "I like this watch."

"The new one can be a Valentine's Day gift, just like that one was."

Victor's hand gently cups your hip, turning you toward him as he says, "You will have to take this watch from my dead body."

Speechless, you blink at him. "Okay."

He nods, keeping a hand on your back as he returns to what he was doing.

"But could I at least get it cleaned or something?" you add.

Victor's hands move to your face, cupping your cheeks as he says, "Absolutely not."

[gay-otlc]

Keepers of the Chaos (Chapter 2)

Summary: Tam, Linh, Keefe, Biana, and Fitz are part of the tiny fandom for Keeper of the Chaos, and Tam and Linh's podcast convinces some of their other friends to watch it as well. The group finds themselves strangely invested in this show, where students at Tumblr High School who work together to write about an elf named Sophia, cause incomprehensible chaos, and fight their rival Pinterest High School.

Content warnings: Cursing, food, L*ura

Word count: 2005

Notes: Check out the beautiful theme song here!

(Read on AO3)

Sophie rolls her eyes as she opens the link her girlfriend sent her and puts in her earbuds. Biana has been incessantly pestering her to watch Keepers of the Chaos for so long that Sophie half wants to watch it just to shut her up, but she's always tired, or busy, and she doesn't really like watching new things. Still, Biana asked her very nicely to listen to this one podcast, and she looked very pretty when she asked, so Sophie's dumb omni ass couldn't refuse.

"Welcome to the Twins of the Chaos podcast," it begins after loading for an obnoxiously long time. The girl speaking has a pretty voice, Sophie has to admit- sweet and melodic and vaguely amused.

Maybe listening to this podcast won't be so bad if she can listen to that girl's voice the whole time.

But another person speaks, adding "Where some chaotic twins discuss our favorite show, Keepers of the Chaos," and his voice is not as pretty. She continues listening anyway, since Biana may or may not murder her if she stops.

The two voices- whose names are Linh and Tam, apparently- start talking about Keepers of the Chaos some more, giving Sophie a summary she's heard tons of times from Biana and Fitz- though the twins explain it slightly more coherently and with less... whatever the verbal equivalent of keyboard smashing is. Biana usually starts rambling about her favorite characters, like Lynn- not "Lynn the fandom mom," but the other Lynn- and Avery, or sometimes Nora and Darwin. Sophie doesn't understand any of those names and loses track of the conversation as soon as it involves too many unfamiliar names.

But Tam and Linh are making more sense, at least for the most part, until they start mentioning specific couples. The conversation gets again comprehensive soon enough, though, and Sophie does smile at the name "The Dark Duck."

By the end, when Tam says "half of them wearing sleeping masks with teal eyes painted on and the other half watching the chaos with mild amusement," Sophie is curious enough to be mildly intrigued. She listens to their outro music, and before she can regret it, types out a text message to Biana.

Sophie: fine

Sophie: ill watch it

Biana responds instantly with an array of heart emojis. Sophie blushes.

Biana: can i come over and watch with u?

Sophie: ok!

Sophie: moms making mallowmelt

Sophie: but u cant have any

Biana: >:(

Biana: hope u like being single then

Sophie: fine u can have some mallowmelt

Biana: yayyyy!

Biana: ily

Sophie: ilyt

Sophie: now lets watch ur stupid show

Biana: on my way!!!

Sophie smiles, shaking her head. She's a little annoyed, but fine, it sounds interesting enough from the podcast. And what else would she be doing? Studying? Having US history as an alternative would make even the most horrible of shows seem good. She stuffs her textbooks into her backpack and shoves some things out of the way so her room looks a bit neater before rushing downstairs. The mallowmelt smells good enough to make her mouth water.

"Mmm..." she sighs, barely taking time to let it cool off before taking a large bite. "That's so good. Thanks, Mom."

Edaline  smiles. "You're welcome. Just save some for your father and I."

"Fine, fine. I have to share with Biana, anyway." Sophie huffs and takes another bite. "She's coming over, is that alright? We're going to watch a show together."

"Sure, just make sure to get your homework done."

Sophie rolls her eyes. "Fine."

"And keep the door open!" Grady calls. Edaline laughs as Sophie's face flames.

"I'm going back to my room," she grumbles, taking a plate of mallowmelt with her and walking up the stairs. She manages not to trip over her own feet and drop the mallowmelt, thankfully, as she grabs her laptop and opens Netflix. Sighing, she searches for Keepers of the Chaos and clicks on the show that comes up before waiting for Biana to arrive.

The doorbell rings soon, and Sophie carefully sets down her laptop and her plate on her bed before rushing down the stairs. Panting slightly, she opens the door for her girlfriend. Biana's wearing a t-shirt with the Amsterdam flag on it. Sophie has no idea why. Maybe Biana likes the country? Her girlfriend is pretty weird. "Come on in," she says, realizing she's been staring. In her defense, Biana is pretty and Sophie is very omni.

"Ready to go watch Keepers of the Chaos?" Biana asks. She bounces on her toes slightly.

"Alright," says Sophie. "I set it up on my laptop in my room."

"Awesome! You'll love it."

Sophie follows Biana up the stairs and into her room. They sit on the bed together, Sophie leaning against the wall and Biana leaning against Sophie, and Biana presses play. Somber kazoos begin playing in the background as the theme song starts.

We're on the edge of chaos

No one is straight

We're making fanart

Because L*ura we hate

And we're gonna have teal eyes in the end!

We must be weird, and we must be gay

(We must be gay!)

We will find every bit of sanity that we have

And give it all to Lynn

Ohhhh

We must be gay!

Biana dances a little along with the song, and Sophie can't help but smile. A curvy, round-faced person with short dark hair and colorful earrings plays a few notes on the piano, and then a KEEPERS OF THE CHAOS logo flashes across the screen. Then, a group of students sit in a classroom.

"Shai! Tater! Lynn! You three finally got together?" says the same person who just played piano, gesturing to a redhaed wearing a Sappho lesbian flag cape. She's holding the fingerless-gloved hand of a lanky person with brightly colored hair, and they're holding hands with a tall girl who has chin length brown hair. The rest of the class applauds the fiancees before returning to their own conversations.

"Yep! Thanks, Ink," says Tater.

Ink smiles at them and turns to a person with light brown skin and golden hoop earrings partially covered by long dark hair. "Hi, Kiri, how was your break?"

"Good! Here's to a good 2021?" Kiri turns to the person next to them. "How about you, Ref?"

Ref has short brown hair and red glasses. "Yeah, my break was dOPE," she says, leaving everyone to wonder how he did that with their voice. "oH, and happy belated Hanukkah to Shai!"

"Thanks, you too. And guess what! I didn't set my hair on fire this year!"

A short guy with strawberry blonde hair looks concerned. "Um. Congratulations?"

"Thanks, Sam!"

Sophie looks away from the screen and at Biana. "There are a lot of characters..." she mutters.

"Yeah, but you get to know them well enough eventually," says Biana. "Now shh, let's keep watching!"

A lot of other characters are introduced in various conversations, and Sophie's brain has a hard time keeping track of them all. She does remember Tara, a curvy, bored-looking girl with long sideswept bangs, and Blue, a bisexual who may or may not be an arsonist. She doesn't know either of their personalities very well yet, but she likes them so far. Lucat, a pale, blue haired asexual, who later joins the Hanukkah conversation, also seems cool.

Once quite a bit of introductions are done- Sophie lost count at around twenty something- are over, an announcement comes over the school's loudspeakers.

"Welcome back, Tumblr High School!" announces a voice. "I hope you all had a good break. Now, the Tumblr staff have an important announcement for you all. High schools in this county, like ours, Pinterest High School, and Instagram High School, will be holding a competition. All members of the winning team will receive a scholarship to AO3 college. If you are interested, meet in room 69 after school. Now, onto other announcements..."

Somber kazoos play again as the principal's droning voice fades into the background. A montage of the previously introduced characters wishing they could go to AO3 college moves across the screen. After a few minutes of them zooming through school and talking about how fucking boring it is, all of them gather in the room (some of them with more jokes than others) to discuss the competition.

A blonde woman welcomes them into the room. They wait a while to make sure no one else will arrive, but once everyone is there, the woman clears her throat. "Hello, everyone! I'm glad you're interested in joining the competition. My name is Shannon Messenger, and I'm in charge of admissions at AO3 College. My coworker L*ura and I designed this competition."

Sophie gasps and looks at Biana. "L*ura? But isn't that the person they hate? They said that in the intro!" Biana smiles at her, and she blushes as she realizes that she's kind of... maybe... invested in the show now. She decides she'll endure the "I told you so"s later and looks back at the show, trying to telepathically tell the characters not to trust this L*ura person... and perhaps not Shannon either. It's too early to tell whether Shannon will be an antagonist or not.

"All of you will be working as a team to write a story together. The main premise is that a twelve year old girl named Sophia is a telepath, but she can't tell anyone her secret. Then, she meets a teal-eyed boy named Finn, and he tells her that she's an elf. She travels back to the elf world with him, where she struggles a bit at the elf school Firefox, makes friends with some other elves, learns that she is an illegal creation of a rebel group called the Dark Duck, and another rebel group- the Rarelynoticed- tries to kidnap and kill Sophia and her friend Deck. There are other details to be included into the story, which will be given out to the participants as a packet. The object of this competition is not to determine your ability at coming up with story ideas, but your ability to work in groups and execute well developed ideas. Does anyone have any questions?"

Someone raises their hand- a short, tanned girl. "Lynn?" prompts the principal.

"Did you say the rebel group was named the Dark Duck?"

"And the Rarelynoticed?" adds another person, with rectangular glasses and a red bracelet.

"Raise your hand before speaking, Auran," scolds the principal. "But yes, those are the names."

"Alright then," Auran mutters.

"Unless anyone else has questions, we'll be sending out sign up forms for everyone interested, and then we will distribute the information packets about your story. You can talk to each other and start planning."

No one else has questions, so once they've all filled out the sign up form, they gather in small groups and flip through the packets, making sarcastic comments or mocking names ("'Rarelynoticed' though-" a stylish hijabi named Raiin sighs as they come across a page of information about the group) as they try to form some semblance of a plan. Once they all agree that they've made a lot of progress, they make plans to meet up again soon and walk back home.

Unbeknownst  to them, a pair of ominous teal eyes watch from above.

Somber kazoos play once again, and the credits roll.

"So, what'd you think?" Biana asks as Sophie closes her laptop.

Rather inaudibly, Sophie mumbles "It was good."

"What was that?"

"It was good! I liked it!"

Biana grins. "I told you so." She leans over and kisses Sophie on the cheek. "Thanks for watching it. I have to go do some homework, awesome seeing you!" As she walks out, Sophie hears her singing under her breath. "We must be gay..."

[jaynearmesiln3001propractice]

                                     Their Website: https://theaoi.com/

AOI was established in 1973, their aim is to maintain the illustration industry, by uniting illustrators and the industry with education, promotion and campaigning to “achieve a thriving industry for all.” They represent a voice for independent illustrators, protecting their rights and creating ethical standards within the industry. 

The lecture was with Rachel Hill (membership manager), she covered a range of information, some of which I have covered slightly on this blog. But I will start with the benefits of joining the AOI, and prices. The AOI help with networking, and have a page on their website dedicated to upcoming events. When you become a member you gain access to exclusive resources that are very valuable and helpful. Once you leave uni, getting the support and advice you need can be hard, but the AOI offer these services. You receive dedicated help by email or by phone 24/7. They can advise you with forming contracts, negotiations and professional practice. Once a member you also receive discounts on their publications, directories, as well as a free magazine subscription. They offer portfolio reviews and feedback and business consultations with professionals. The best time to become a member is now, as the student discount is £56 per year, £4.80 a month. They also conduct a competition called the World Illustration Award (WIA), where the top 200 entrants are sent out to commissioners worldwide.

Their Publications:

- THE ILLUSTRATOR’S GUIDE TO LAW AND BUSINESS PRACTICE BY SIMON STERN

- THE EDITORIAL DIRECTORY

- THE ADVERTISING DIRECTORY

- THE PUBLISHING DIRECTORY

- ALL DIRECTORIES

The Lecture

Self-promotion

- keep your self promotional websites and social media, simple, clean and to the point, Let your work speak for itself, this means thinking about what work you’d like to be commissioned for and making sure your work reflects it. keep your work within one style, otherwise it can be confusing for clients. -Make sure your website works on mobiles, as this is the most common way people will find you. People rarely browse social media on their computers.  Clients and commissioners are not always a huge fan of contact forms, so include an option for direct emails or phone calls. Cut out the middle-man.  

Finding Clients 

- Rachel Hill suggests to study the industry and find your niche, creating dream client lists can help you find your desired specific area in illustration.  - She also suggests to buy directories, which are full on client contacts, that want to be contacted. I have linked these books above and the AOI sells one for each industry sector for illustration. Make sure you are contacting people for valid reasons, do not send blanket emails, these are now against the law. When emailing avoid starting with “Dear sir/madam”, this feels impersonal and can come across as a scam/spam email. Find their name and make sure to introduce yourself, including a link to your website. Your email can include some images, we are all visual people, and like to see pictures.  - try posting physical items to commissioners. Again make sure it’s addressed to a specific individual usually an art director; easily found on LinkedIn. This is something I am already working on, as I am creating a calendar to send to Phil Cleaver. If this is something i want to be do on a more regularly, then postcards work well and are cheaper to send and produce. Make sure my name and contact details are on the front of the postcard. 

Business 

- Register with HMRC as self-employed no later than October 5th in your second year of working, this is the latest date but can be done before.  - File your self assessment  tax form by the end of January.  - Keep up to date with accounts or else you will be swamped before your deadline. Keep all receipts, invoices and contracts from every job. 

Social Media

social media is FREE advertising, so make the most of it.  Twitter - it’s recommended as a freelancer to have a twitter account. Having a sense of community can make the worklife feel less lonely and garner support from all over the world. Though be careful not to rant about bad experiences, these rants can be damaging and cost you future clients. Instead the AOI can help you deal with these issues privately. Make sure you do NOT post about projects that have yet been released to the public. Companies will try to sue you, unless previously discussed and agreed with.  Instagram  - Instagram is also great as its a visual platform, but make sure to keep personal and professional accounts separate. Make sure to use the stories function on instagram to draw people to your profile, and give some behind the scenes footage. Social media algorithms love consistent and constant uploads, so aim to post regularly, minimum twice a week. Also try to invest time into interacting with your followers. It is recommended that 30 minutes a day will keep you relevant enough for the algorithm to promote you. Make sure your instagram account is on ‘business’. 

Rights

When you produce an image, you have the copyright through your lifetime + 70 years after that. You cannot copyright a style, technique or idea only the image itself. This includes all creative fields including photography, so make sure to use multiple images for reference, as even an illustration or graphic portrait can be traced back to the original source. The main case study she uses to express the legal issues with this is the Hope, Obey artwork (below) where clearly the illustration was traced. This lead to a legal battle where the photographer of the original image won, and asked for a significant sum of money. Keep your work as unique as possible; stick to your niche, the more generic the greater the risk for infringement. Fanart is also discouraged for a similar reason. 

- Try to avoid a client that asks for copyright assignment. You will lose all rights to your work, and the client will be able to use the image for whatever they like, without further payment or permission. Try to work on a licensing basis, it gives the clients everything they need, whilst keeping your work safe from any unwanted changed, or applications. The AOI can help with licensing, and offer a downloadable PDF that you can fill out and send to the client. 

Moral rights waiver - is automatic to you, but can be waived. A specimen form of waiver by which the author of a copyright literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or the director of a copyright film, waives his rights to be identified as the author or director of the work in question and/or his right to object to derogatory treatment of the work.

Right of paternity - The right to be identified, known as the right of paternity, applies to the creators of original literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works. Your work is yours, and is identified with you.

Right of Integrity - The right of integrity protects artists from having their copyrighted works altered in such a fashion as to constitute a "distortion" or "mutilation" of the original work, or in a way that harms the author's reputation or honour.

- When uploading your work online, make sure it is in a lower dpi (72) and your name is apart of the file name, so that your work can be linked to you. But beware some sites such as facebook and pinterest strip all file names, so this link is lost. Also Society6 get the rights to your image, and can then use the image for themselves, so stay away. 

Contracts

Contracts are legally binding, they give clarity and show professionalism. They also act as evidence if there are any disputes between the creator and clients and can be used in court. There are two main types on contacts, verbal contacts that usually take place over the phone, and paper contracts, that are more black and white and in my opinion the one i feel most comfortable with. When a client come to you with a contract it will usually favour them, but it is normal to negotiate and bring them in your favour. This can only happen if you have not yet signed a contract, as afterwards they are non-negotiable. You should always have a contract, it is a good habit to get into, just incase. The AOI also offer a template agreement for clients that don’t have their own contracts. The AOI template is a silent agreement, which the client does not have to sign, they just have to respond if the agreement is okay.  Make sure to keep your end of the bargain, and keep on time with deadlines. The license start date is the date in which the client can start using the image, they cannot use it before this date. Make sure to use words like ‘ONLY’ and ‘EXCLUSIVE’, as it emphasises that they cannot use the images for anything else, and its only them that can use it. Things to look out for are copyright assignment, moral rights waiver and irrevocable licenses, always question these motives and get them removed before signing anything. 

Crucial clauses

- Always make sure payment is defined, how and when you’ll be paid. If your working for a large sum on money, make sure this payment is in stages, it ensures you are paid before moving onto the next steps, and if a project falls through last minute, you have at least been paid previously. These stages can be split between, roughs, amends, and final artwork. Allow 3 amends before charging further.  - Termination clause is needed in case something goes wrong and you wish to terminate. Cancellation is when a project doesn’t go ahead but it isn’t your fault. It also ensures payment up to the stage you have work until.  - Sub-licensing sections mean that if a new deal is negotiated regarding your illustrations, you can recieve more money. For example a children’s book, turns into a film.  - Make sure that you get to finish your work. Sometime companies get one illustrator to do roughs and another to finish them. This is not okay and should be avoided, as it complicated your rights as the copyright owner and payment. 

Negotiation and Payments

When negotiating prices and figures with clients try not to give ball-park figures, and do not accept these either. Push the clients (nicely) to give all details before signing anything, this is crucial to figuring out if you still want the job and if it’s right for you. Address clients like this: “Before I can quote I will need more details....”. Clients may also ask you for your day rate; illustrators do not work on a day rate so Rachel suggests that in response send the licensing agreement.  clients know how to get what they want, they often use tactic such as “we are looking at 3 other illustrators” to make you lower your price. Though don’t feel pressured by this, work for what you feel comfortable with. Working for low prices or for free undermines the illustration industry, as well as your future career and potential income. These big companies have the money to pay you, and often it is within their budget, so don’t let them pin illustrators against each other.  Fees change depending on a variety of reasons. The size of the artwork, where it will be seen, how long they are using it, what the exact usage is, how many illustrations. Softer considerations include, the clients industry; business and finance has a lot more money than education. This also applies to products ie an expensive whisky bottle. Make sure to do background research, this may help inform you on fees, budget and reach of audience. The AOI does offer a pricing calculator, and is only available to members. A good guideline for annual income is London’s living wage £18,700 when first starting, This can be increased after 1-3 years of freelancing to £20K-£25K. Make sure when pricing you consider you outgoings ie, software fees, rent, internet bills and general spendings. Keep track of your money! Average annual income per sector:

Editorial - £20K Advertising - £35K Publishing - £25K Products and Packaging - £22K Corporate - £25K 

Advertising - There are two types of advertising, above the line (magazines, newspapers, billboards etc) and below the line (their sites, social media, in house). Above the line means clients have paid for a the space. the term out of home (OOH) means use in public spaces, these are very valuable. Online adverts and social media posts are below the line and are less valuable. The larger the audience the more you can charge. 

Products and Packaging - payment will depend on the size of the company and the exposure. Background information is key, know the price of the product and its target market. It will give you an indication to the profits of the company and how much budget they have. 

Publishing - You get money for the initial illustrations, but then royalties once the book is sold. This works as a percentage of each book sold and ranges from 5-10% depending on if you also wrote the book. Advance fee which is based on the size of the publisher and the territory it is sold. It is advised that if a self-publisher approaches you, to only ask for a flat fee, as often royalties aren't worth the risk with them. Samples and pitches should be paid for a licence too. Uk licence, single use, illustration for client sample presentation use only £X amount. Additional fees should be added for amends, and if there's a quick turnaround (rush fee) make sure you increase you price, the work you put in should be respected, especially when having to work unsociable hours to rush a deadline (ie. a children’s book in 3 weeks).