Mondo Poster News & Rumors
With all due respect, this is one of the stupidest things I've ever read. I'd go so far to say that 95% of the time, revisions are requested from clients - and that's usually after rough ideations (plural) are submitted and a concept is selected to move forward. Especially using a blanket statement like "all businesses"... that couldn't be further from the actual truth of the matter. There has been an discourse for many years about designers and artists going through multiple "finals" and working with clients that are hard to please.
Art direction is indeed a thing.
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ygolohcysp
- Art Expert
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2014 12:57 pm
We've all been to mondocon, it's not a conspiracy theory. I thought that was an odd take as well, but I did appreciate the information about the penises.
Joe didn’t say anything about license holders giving critiques…he just said he gives it a good look over for penises. So from a BNG perspective, all they do is mostly look for peen.
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ygolohcysp
- Art Expert
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2014 12:57 pm
This one would have never made it past joe
Art direction is indeed a thing…that a majority of artists despise.EgoDeath wrote: ↑Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:09 pmWith all due respect, this is one of the stupidest things I've ever read. I'd go so far to say that 95% of the time, revisions are requested from clients - and that's usually after rough ideations (plural) are submitted and a concept is selected to move forward. Especially using a blanket statement like "all businesses"... that couldn't be further from the actual truth of the matter. There has been an discourse for many years about designers and artists going through multiple "finals" and working with clients that are hard to please.
Art direction is indeed a thing.
I just watched one artist go through 4 months of revisions with a big company (not a print company) to make $2k. After you do the math of how many hours they put into it, it's actually kind of sad how much money he made. Not to mention them going back on something they had agreed on to hopefully make him a little extra. At the end, it’s just makes them broken, full of negativity and tired. Makes them hate what they do. Makes them rethink career choices. I see it all the time especially from artists who go the mix of limited prints and commercial work route.
I personally like being the opposite of that here. A majority of comments I have to give back are from licensing that also becomes a negative conversation with the artist most of the time. I do though think on some properties it makes sense because the licensor understands details on things that are missed but sometimes I agree with the artist and it doesn’t make sense.
While I can’t speak for Mondo and we’ve seen presentations of them giving advice, I think this market is fun and I want to let the artist have it as well. If this is an image he or she wants to do, go for it. If it doesn’t do well then we try again next time. And I know for a fact, many other businesses in this field, don’t art direct the way you guys speak of art direction. Most support the artist and submit the original vision as is. I know this because I've asked many of them in the past.
At the end of the day, as I said above this is a fun hobby. It's not the most lucrative and to have an artist feel that there is constant judgment of their work nonstop by someone who isn't qualified to really judge is just going to deter them from working with you in the future and just halt any potential of building them any sort of base with your own following.
We get comments from licensing all the time and for something like Star Wars I actually love it. I think it does make the piece better. You have no idea how many artists forget a Boba Fett logo on his arm or draw the Falcon wrong. It makes it more real. However, I think that art direction is a little different then the art direction you guys are talking about?Joe didn’t say anything about license holders giving critiques…he just said he gives it a good look over for penises. So from a BNG perspective, all they do is mostly look for peen.
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jvwoodford
- Art Connoisseur
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2018 6:05 pm
- Location: Bristol, UK
When I think of art direction I attribute it to marketing terms: guidance on ensuring the core idea is being communicated as clearly as possible, whilst also giving attention to things on a more basic level such as quality control and visual balance.acidburn wrote: ↑Wed Jun 30, 2021 5:34 amArt direction is indeed a thing…that a majority of artists despise.EgoDeath wrote: ↑Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:09 pmWith all due respect, this is one of the stupidest things I've ever read. I'd go so far to say that 95% of the time, revisions are requested from clients - and that's usually after rough ideations (plural) are submitted and a concept is selected to move forward. Especially using a blanket statement like "all businesses"... that couldn't be further from the actual truth of the matter. There has been an discourse for many years about designers and artists going through multiple "finals" and working with clients that are hard to please.
Art direction is indeed a thing.
I just watched one artist go through 4 months of revisions with a big company (not any of us) to make $2k. After you do the math of how many hours they put into it, it's actually kind of sad how much money he made. Not to mention them going back on something they had agreed on to hopefully make him a little extra. At the end, it’s just makes them broken, full of negativity and tired. Makes them hate what they do. Makes them rethink career choices. I see it all the time especially from artists who go the mix of limited prints and commercial work route.
I personally like being the opposite of that here. A majority of comments I have to give back are from licensing that also becomes a negative conversation with the artist most of the time. I do though think on some properties it makes sense because the licensor understands details on things that are missed but sometimes I agree with the artist and it doesn’t make sense.
While I can’t speak for Mondo and we’ve seen presentations of them giving advice, I think this market is fun and I want to let the artist have it as well. If this is an image he or she wants to do, go for it. If it doesn’t do well then we try again next time. And I know for a fact, many other businesses in this field, don’t art direct the way you guys speak of art direction. Most support the artist and submit the original vision as is. I know this because I've asked many of them in the past.
At the end of the day, as I said above this is a fun hobby. It's not the most lucrative and to have an artist feel that there is constant judgment of their work nonstop by someone who isn't qualified to really judge is just going to deter them from working with you in the future and just halt any potential of building them any sort of base with your own following.
We get comments from licensing all the time and for something like Star Wars I actually love it. I think it does make the piece better. You have no idea how many artists forget a Boba Fett logo on his arm or draw the Falcon wrong. It makes it more real. However, I think that art direction is a little different then the art direction you guys are talking about?Joe didn’t say anything about license holders giving critiques…he just said he gives it a good look over for penises. So from a BNG perspective, all they do is mostly look for peen.
On that basis I think you are in fact giving some level of art direction but I think the more conceptual focus isn't necessarily something you focus on as much as Mondo (presumably) do. Going off your comment about not being qualified to judge an artists work, I am assuming this is primarily because you aren't a practicing creative director/designer like Rob Jones, and if that is correct then for that reason alone I actually think you are right to not dish it out. In many respects this is what sets you apart from Mondo and a USP can only be a good thing.
I mean this in the best way possible but I almost compare what you offer to the private commission world, where there is less of a focus on external direction and more of a 'let's see what the artist brings and roll with it' approach, only you have the added commercial restriction (and benefit) of licensing. So in many respects I don't think it's a bad thing at all as you're effectively an audience pleaser, which correct me if I'm wrong is the main reason you started the gallery in the first place (to give pop culture fans what they want), whereas Mondo aims to challenge conventions with their output in an attempt to represent pop culture on a larger more ambitious scale.
So two different brands with two different goals and processes, comparing you both actually seems pointless really.
After reading Joe's response, I was going to write this exact same thing - and now I don't have to. Well said jvwoodford.jvwoodford wrote: ↑Wed Jun 30, 2021 7:07 am
When I think of art direction I attribute it to marketing terms: guidance on ensuring the core idea is being communicated as clearly as possible, whilst also giving attention to things on a more basic level such as quality control and visual balance.
On that basis I think you are in fact giving some level of art direction but I think the more conceptual focus isn't necessarily something you focus on as much as Mondo (presumably) do. Going off your comment about not being qualified to judge an artists work, I am assuming this is primarily because you aren't a practicing creative director/designer like Rob Jones, and if that is correct then for that reason alone I actually think you are right to not dish it out. In many respects this is what sets you apart from Mondo and a USP can only be a good thing.
And thanks for providing your perspective Joe, it's always appreciated. I think it helps us better understand and appreciate what BNG brings to the market - and to the artists.
