Jun 13 2010
Judging Illustrators
As illustrators we have a debt to pay to the ones who came before us as well as our contemporaries.
A college recently asked me and an associate to award prizes in a show of their students’ work. To our horror, the work submitted was far below acceptable standards. We realized these were illustrations from young, inexperienced students but this blatant mediocrity was baffling. The job to pick winners from the sad pile sitting before us could not have been more difficult. It was at that moment I felt the weight of my obligation.
The honor of being asked to judge the next generation of artists is a huge responsibility. In a lot of ways this duty is helping to maintain and strengthen the very profession we have devoted our lives to. It is our passion. To attain a level of success and acceptance is the result of an extreme amount of hard work. More importantly, we make our living as illustrators so great care must be taken to find individuals who can be showcased to the world with pride. It is imperative to pick only the best. As my fellow juror and I looked over all those dreadful entries with disappointment, I equated the crucial task before us to a need to perfect our illustrator “bloodline.”
Early in my career I worked with many breeders of diverse dog and horse varieties. Commissioned portraits of some of the most esteemed winning animals in the country allowed me to build gratifying friendships with many interesting people. These folks are committed and enthusiastic about their animals. They clearly understand the need to perpetuate the strong, distinct, premier quality of the individual pedigree. Only the finest specimen will personify a historic lineage of innumerable years throughout the past. Now that I’ve attained a status of elder statesman I am required the same accountability. As a judge, painful choices have to be made to pinpoint who is worthy to sit alongside the inspiring heroes of our artistic ancestry.
Champion Breeds Come in Many Forms.
The illustrator pedigree is one of marvelous creativity and talent. So many outstanding people have worked diligently to make untold contributions to the advancement and prestige of our unique “breed.” A judge must keep an open mind but be demanding of the high standard that is due the trade. The winner of this competition will list this accomplishment on their resume under achievements. It will be this winning piece that will soon be presented at job interviews and displayed on websites. Their work will represent my profession. Essentially, their work will represent me.
I learned one very important lesson that day: judging is hard work.
Kurt Pfaff is an illustrator working in Pittsburgh, PA regularly collaborating with numerous agencies and corporations while maintaining his breed. His work can be found on package labels, books, brochures, posters and other printed material or websites. His work also hangs on the walls of galleries and homes. Visit his website at http://kurtpfaff.com
One Response to “Judging Illustrators”
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Surprising! We usually view young up and comers as competition but I guess not all of them are well prepared. Wonder if any of them are reading this article? This blog should be assigned reading!