How did everyone get started doing posters? Any advice for

[Anonymous]

I was reading the thread about uncommissioned posters and was wondering how you all got started making posters? I'd love to make posters for bands I like -hell, I'd even love to make posters for bands I don't like- but what's a good way to break into it?

A friend of a friend who's been doing some posters for local bands told me he started by making umcommissioned posters for bands he liked, gave them to the bands at their shows and told them "if you like my style, I'd like to do more." If they liked it they would commission him. Was he unethical in doing that?

So please, tell us how you started out, and what advice you have for us newbies. I'm sure others want to know as well.

Thanks in advance,
-matter

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: matter on 2002-01-15 14:36 ]</font>

[Nolen Strals]

I started by knowing a local guy who put on shows and just asking him if I could. I did some flyers first, then told him I could screenprint, and he saw I knew what I was doing well enough, and he started paying for the supplies if I did the posters far enough ahead of time that he could hang some around town to promote the show, and I sold the rest at the door as people walked out.

Also, as Poster Mistress suggested to me, and it worked, just call or email a band you like who's coming to town, tell em you like them and that you wanna print a poster for a show they're playing soon. If it's an independent/underground band, most of em will be totally flattered and into it (even some of the bigger indie bands I've done work for are really surprised and happy that someone did a poster for one of their shows) and then just do the poster and take it to the show.

If you have some DIY, non-corporate promoters in the area, it might be good to try working with/through them to do posters coz they'll probably give you a little money if you give them some in advance to put up around town...a good promoter is willing to pay a little extra for some atypical promotional work that will stand out from all the flyers.

[Nolen Strals]

Quote:
On 2002-01-15 14:44, Nolen Strals wrote:
I started by knowing a local guy who put on shows and just asking him if I could. I did some flyers first, then told him I could screenprint, and he saw I knew what I was doing well enough, and he started paying for the supplies if I did the posters far enough ahead of time that he could hang some around town to promote the show, and I sold the rest at the door as people walked out.

Also, as Poster Mistress suggested to me, and it worked, just call or email a band you like who's coming to town, tell em you like them and that you wanna print a poster for a show they're playing soon. If it's an independent/underground band, most of em will be totally flattered and into it (even some of the bigger indie bands I've done work for are really surprised and happy, been really humbled, that someone did a poster for one of their shows) and then just do the poster and take it to the show.

If you have some DIY, non-corporate promoters in the area, it might be good to try working with/through them to do posters coz they'll probably give you a little money if you give them some in advance to put up around town...a good promoter is willing to pay a little extra for some atypical promotional work that will stand out from all the flyers.

Hope to see your stuff on here soon.

[Speed]

walk into yer nearest punk rock club, find a local show, ask for the manager, and say, "Hey, I'm (insert name here) and I'm gonna make you a flyer for this show. I'll give you 50 copies if you put me and my friends on the guest list. Then go home and start making a flyer. Start at the bottom of the mountain, the whole trip is fun. I wouldn't have missed those first 400 or so flyers I made for anything, and it got through college without having to pay to see bands or drink beer.

[DaveGink]

Matter wrote:
>>A friend of a friend who's been doing some posters for local bands told me he started by making uncommissioned posters for bands he liked, gave them to the bands at their shows and told them "if you like my style, I'd like to do more." If they liked it they would commission him. Was he unethical in doing that?&lt;&lt;

I think that's a very common way many poster artists start out and it's not necessarily unethical. You will find however that a number of people in the Graphic Arts community may look down on an artist for doing that. Primarily because it may ultimately hurt what the professional artist can charge. A client may say "why should I use you to do this poster when 'Joe Smith' will do it for free?" You get enough artists willing to do it for free and pretty soon no one is making any money. I would suggest that if you take this route you only do that once or twice to 'get your foot in the door', or soon you may be labled 'free' or 'cheap' yourself.

It's really no different than young artists just starting out doing pro-bono work to build up their portfolios.

Hope this helped.

[vibranium]

Forget about being a fanboy...be a designer first. be true. don't get caught looking back at a career of giving shit away for years...the music industry will eat that up. if you give shit away theres a chance you wont be taken seriously.

i hear the same things (on this site), and it's hard to hear. self-commisioned, self-published, i'm talking neither the venue, the band or the promoter/mangement know anything about the poster...that's shameful, i dunno, i don't get it.


it took me a long time to break in. Orlando is a tough scene. It's a talent rich market...lure, gooch, stainboy...and there are more...ALOT of guys vying for a FEW shows.

i had to scratch and claw. the Rev horton heat poster was my first ever. I was psyched it got so awarded....cuz i waited and watched in the wings for a while...paid my dues. The relationship with my client is IDEAL, and I value it immensely.

ugh, sappy.

[vibranium]

Forget about being a fanboy...be a designer first. be true. don't get caught looking back at a career of giving shit away for years...the music industry will eat that up. if you give shit away theres a chance you wont be taken seriously.

i hear the same things (on this site), and it's hard to hear. self-commisioned, self-published, i'm talking neither the venue, the band or the promoter/mangement know anything about the poster...that's shameful, i dunno, i don't get it.


it took me a long time to break in. Orlando is a tough scene. It's a talent rich market...lure, gooch, stainboy...and there are more...ALOT of guys vying for a FEW shows.

i had to scratch and claw. the Rev horton heat poster was my first ever. I was psyched it got so awarded....cuz i waited and watched in the wings for a while...paid my dues. The relationship with my client is IDEAL, and I value it immensely.

ugh, sappy.

[Dusty!]

We basically started doing it as a creative outlet, something our day jobs wouldnt let us do. So we just saw that there were some cool shows coming up, made posters for them, gave 10 to the promoter and said "hey, we did these posters, do what you want with them" he hungthem around town, and actually hooked us up with one of the bands and now we are doing doing art work for thier upcoming tour and shirts. The promoter still doesnt pay us, but allows us to sell the posters at the shows which so far has proven to be more than fair. And the rest as they say is, well, happening right now...

[Speed]

Be a pest, and don't let 'em screw you. If they do, don't ever forget it.

[JoltedJoel]

I started out by being in a band that needed posters. Then after doing the posters and flyers the bands we shared the bills with asked if I'd do stuff for them. It sort of snowballed from there. Doing stuff for fanzines is also great exposure because tons of bands read those things. I got to do a record cover for Lookout! Records that way.
Basically I agree with everyone else that's posted: start at the bottom and climb. I mean, here I am still very near the bottom but I love doing these things. After all, that's really what posters are: an illustrator/designer making his love for rock tangible.