The Postcard Post Old Home Week: Gina Perry

The Postcard Post Old Home Week is so happy to welcome back illustrator Gina Perry. Gina has had lots of good news since her interview on The Postcard Post. Let’s get the whole story from Gina…

It’s so nice to return to the Sub It Club! I have been super busy since my post last Spring. In the summer of 2015 I sent out a new mailing. I went with my gut (and heart) and decided to do an over the top piece: full of magical beings and summer silliness. Well, wouldn’t you know but that postcard landed me my first trade picture book illustration job! I’m currently working hard on final art for Dan BarEl’s SO WHAT SHOULD DAD BE?, to be published by Tundra in Spring 2017. It’s been a dream job and full of magical creatures!

After that I’ll be working on my author/illustrator debut, SMALL, to be published by little bee books in Fall 2017. That book has been years in the making and it’s still hard to believe that it will be a real book next year!

But back to postcards… This piece is heavily inspired by childhood and is also the spark for
a series of book ideas. There is also something on every work I make that I’d like to share.
See that little swoosh with my name in the bottom left corner? That’s my brand mark. You’ll notice more and more artists doing this, so I thought I’d share my process.

When I rebuilt my website in 2013 I knew I wanted to create a ‘mark’ something that immediately identified me and carried across any work I create. I started by picking a font,
printing out different treatments and sketching ideas. These were fun! Too fun. I needed
something far simpler. Something that wouldn’t distract when placed on final art or be too
complicated to work with on different sizes and against different colors.

I looked at my illustrations and noticed a recurring shape that seemed to work perfectly.
Tada! I built the file as vector art and drop it in for portfolio pieces, blog posts, postcards,
business cards. My font is mechanical but I’ve seen a number of marks that use hand-lettered type that I think are great at staying simple but also showing a bit of the
illustrator’s hand and personality. Once you look for these marks, you will start seeing them everywhere!

As a bonus for the fabulous Sub It Club readers, I would LOVE to give one lucky person a
critique your whole portfolio, a picture book dummy, a brand mark, or a postcard. Your
choice!

Did you read that?! A GIVEAWAY! Feedback is often the most valuable giveaway prize of all.  If you’d like to be entered, leave a comment below and mention what you’d like critiqued: portfolio,  picture book dummy,  brand mark, or postcard. Don’t forget to include an email address if it isn’t in your profile.

One lucky winner will be selected March 8th!

*****This giveaway is closed.*****

CONGRATULATIONS TO LYNNOR BONTIGAO!!

*********

Thank you so much, Gina! The info on branding is so helpful. Illustrators don’t always think to create their personal mark. And your postcard images are lots of fun. We wish you much continued success!

Links to more of Gina’s work:

Website: http://www.ginaperry.com
Blog: http://www.ginaperry.com/blog
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ginapineapple/
Twitter: @ginamarieperry
Email: ginacarey@comcast.net

And if you missed Gina’s Postcard Post interview (it’s packed with images, info and even a video!), click here.