How?
From storyboards and fully animated works to live painting, mobile food van wraps and everything in between, we successfully see hundreds of commissions through to fruition each year, so we pretty much have the whole illustration thing down to a science.
Like a delicate snowflake, no two jobs (or artists!) are ever alike. So while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the work JW takes on, we can walk you through some of the more common steps to give you an idea of what to expect from working with us and our artists, whether your deadline is tomorrow morning or next month.
Here's how it works:
Find an artist or send us a brief
We here at the agency are in close contact with all our artists, and can usually let you know their availability immediately.
Our newly revamped artist pages have been specifically designed to showcase a wide spectrum of visual output for each artist. While many have their signature style and specialties, there is also a huge diversity in aesthetic that our artists are able to achieve, so if you can’t find what you’re looking for in our online or print folios, please get in touch as we have much more out back in our virtual stockroom.
Get a quote
Detailed information on how we cost jobs can be found here. For advertising and design work, comprehensive estimates that include full production timelines, revision schedules, and cost breakdowns can often be turned around within the hour, depending on the level of information provided.
Meet us at Basecamp
Once an estimate is approved and returned, you (and anyone else working on the job) will be set up on our online collaboration system, Basecamp, where you and the artist have a direct connection as well as a dedicated space to cooperate on your work. Sketches, feedback, final art and anything else related to the job will take place here.
We use Basecamp to keep everything related to the job in one place. It’s far superior to email when it comes to project-related discussions, keeps everyone on the same page, and allows us to ensure that everything runs to everybody’s expectations.
Roughs
After the artist is fully briefed – either via Basecamp, on the phone or in a personal meeting – they will begin to work on rough sketches. Each artist approaches the rough stage differently.
For editorial work, some like to type ideas out before they put pen to paper, and then go to a very detailed sketch
Some artists do a series of very rough pencils which turn into very polished final art, and some like to get straight into it.
In any situation, you should look to the artist’s portfolio of finished work to set your expectations for how the final art will emerge from this conceptual shell.
Sketch approval and revisions
After a sketch is approved, the artist will usually go on to make a tighter, more developed sketch. At each stage of work, there are a number of allowable revisions which are set out in the original estimate. The tighter the deadline and budget, the less revisions available. Revisions in excess of those set will incur additional fees, and may not always be possible within the timeframe. It is therefore essential that all parties involved in the approval process see the work at every stage to ensure that all expectations are being met.
Proceed to final art
When everyone is satisfied with the tight sketch, the green light will be given to go to final art. Once final art is supplied, no more bets! (In some cases minor tweaks can be made). Final art is supplied digitally – either on Basecamp, a file transfer service, or FTP.
Show us the money
When everyone is happy, an invoice will be raised and emailed to you which acts as your license. Please note that usage rights are not transferred until an invoice is settled. We are very much aware of the small gnome who haunts offices and hides our invoices and odd socks in a shallow burrow, and are working day and night on his extermination.
All images contain invisible and trackable digital watermarks.
We know where you live. Knowhaimsayin'?