Exercise - Self publishing

To make my own zine I found that the simplest way was using a single sheet of paper as shown here from a site called Rookie and here by wikiHow. The brief asks to develop an idea from my sketchbook into a zine or artists book. When I'm relaxing I draw my dog and cat so I have lots of sketches, this seems like a good opportunity to make use of them.

For this first version I scanned ready made sketches in. My last feedback warned against over finishing my work so this was an attempt to keep the freshness of the original drawings. My problem was that I didn't have an obvious storyline, or at the time, a working printer. 

Loosely working on an idea of advice for life from the perspective of my elderly dog I drew some pictures on a prepared zine base.

Zines are difficult to present on a blog, in order, the text reads; From sleep: to the original downward dog: then: no peace: until: our morning walk. I haven't managed to come up with a title yet.....

I wasn't very happy with this version so I drew another.

and added a little colour though it doesn't show up on the scan, a bit too subtle although it has increased the contrast and makes the drawings stand out better.

Growing old gracefully, Advice from my dog

Get plenty of sleep

He used to feel obliged to chase squirrels 

Now he pretends that he can't see them

and sleep

If you don't want to do something pretend that you don't understand

and sleep.

The drawings are let down by the weak storyline.

Maybe a version with a cat.

This time I used some collage. The writing lets it down so I photoshopped in American Typewriter.

Inside: the box: Under the bag: is a cat: not quite: Hiding.

(and changed the cat under the pink bag to a cutout because the original drawing didn't work once scanned and printed)
Now the printer is working I went back to the original assemblage and added text.

When you are old: you need to get plenty of rest: a hard stare will usually get food: and: a lap is more comfortable: than a bean bag.
Again the storyline is pathetic but the drawings are a bit nicer.

Here are some of the zines made up

I felt that a zine shouldn't be too polished but maybe I'm being too conventional here. Because I started with my sketches I didn't have a decent title or storyline. The brief says: How would you title your work and how does this title feed back into the development of your idea?
and my answer has to be that I'm still looking for the appropriate title so the work has a massive hole in it. From my research I would say that a zine can be anything and that's a bit daunting because there is so much choice. I think that I need to have an idea and then turn it into a zine. I love the style of the little zines in that I can produce one in an evening so an idea doesn't get lost during the production. There is a discipline in telling a story over such a small format and that is some of my problem in that my ideas need to be boiled down to just their essential elements and I haven't managed to do that. I feel that they're like a haiku poem and need a lot more work to develop the skill to fully utilise their potential.

Apart from Visual Communication students, who buys zines? It is a niche market but I can see that you could get hooked on them as collectors items. It's a way of cheaply owning art from someone whose work you admire, its also a way of seeing unfiltered views of the world. My zines aren't marketable without some more work but if I improved the text they might appeal to pet owners?

I don't feel that I'm quite finished with zines, None of my products really quite work and couldn't reasonably appear for sale. It's not the drawings it's the text, I haven't found the right story yet. I tried a guide to sighthounds which isn't enormously interesting but fitted with the existing drawings.

Is it any better? I think that I'd like to illustrate the poem Leisure by William Henry Davies, it would suit my illustrations and it would fit nicely into the mini zine format. Looking back I've spent nearly a month so far on this project, so I think, reluctantly, it's time to move on.

Feedback

My tutor thinks that I'm overthinking things still "...the original version of “growing old...” is really very charming, your drawings in this instance have a quietness to them, and so to combine them with too much information can tip the work off balance, and detract attention from the strength of your drawings." This is where the skill of a real illustrator comes in, I'm still overworking because I don't have enough confidence in my drawings. I don't know how to fix this, practice, and iterations that I show to someone with more restraint seem to be my only options at this stage.