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Biannual Update - Summer 2025

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Finding that Illustration Style My aim at the start of the year was to create a portfolio of work and start contacting potential clients, but I was hesitant. It became clear that I needed a clearer understanding of my illustration “style” and I was still unsure what I was going to illustrate. After tying up a few loose ends I began evaluating the work of Illustrators I admire. Firstly Arthur Rackham. An English book illustrator that was prominent during the golden age of illustration. Secondly, Yoshitaka Amano. A contemporary Japanese illustrator, costume designer and character artist. He is known for his work on the Final Fantasy video game franchise, Speed Racer and various other projects. I am interested in continuing the practice of traditional art and I'm inspired by these artists as well as many others. For the sake of pinpointing a specific style, this seemed like a good place to start. Using the 7 basic elements of design I noted the consistent themes, symbolism and techni...
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Biannual Update - Winter 2025

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Introduction As a new year beckons I’m pleased to say its been a great year and I’ve got a lot done. Slowly but surely progress is being made and I will leave this year more than satisfied. Since my last post, I’ve been working on finding a better work-study balance. It’s been tough, but I’ve been able to stick to a schedule and get things done. But, you know how it is, it’s like one step forward and two steps back. I’ve learned that’s just the way things are when you’re trying something new. So, I’m trying to stay positive and not get discouraged.  Though I have allotted my time to studying, reading and producing art, most of my time in recent months has been devoted to finding ways of being more efficient. This means tackling administrative tasks and laying the groundwork for the future. Finding new ways to increase organisation, speed and productivity. As I go into the new year I feel more prepared and there’s a lot less clutter and a lot more clarity. If you want to achieve som...
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Location: United Kingdom
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Welcome to the Art Jotter

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Introduction My name is Tony Jackson and I am an Illustrator. Following a schedule I continue to grow my skills, expand my portfolio and create artwork. Using the Art Jotter I intend to share my creative process. Previously I had planned to use this schedule as a breakdown of subjects that I would cover in future blog posts. For example a section on art study, portfolio development and so on. However, for the sake of efficiency and speed I have abandoned this plan in favour of biannual updates presented in chronological order. Timetable 2024/2025 Art Study Art study is a vast and ongoing process that is as much to do with actual practice as it is about reading and learning different skills and techniques. I have a long list of courses to complete, books to read and art techniques to practice.  Illustration Portfolio Development I am interested in finding work as an illustrator. Therefore, my aim is to develop a suitable portfolio to display my skills and services to prospective cli...
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Affinity Sells Out to Creative Communism.

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It's no secret that in recent years the rise of A.I. has been swiftly introduced into our everyday lives. Through smart phones and computers, societies have become so reliant on digital technology and the internet it's become almost impossible to function without them. With such wide use of the internet it's safe to assume that it has a huge influence on society and it could be argued that content providers have a responsibility to their users. However as big tech firms have grown in dominance is it fair that they hold the power to assert their will over society by dictating how information is shared.  The UK is a democratic society, where freedom of speech is a basic right and of fundamental importance. Yet, various social media platforms and tech giants have simply disregarded this basic right, introducing their own systems presented as a democratic solution to opposing views. Banning the use of certain words, making it possible to hide users comments, block profiles or e...
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Prepare to switch off.

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The internet is manipulated by big tech, governments, greedy capitalists and globalist organisations. The government knows it, big tech knows it and the greedy elite know it. The internet as it is and democracy cannot co exist. It’s the responsibility of every man and woman to abandon the internet. Think of it like this. If you don’t do it now you will never have the option to leave the internet's overreaching grip on every single aspect of your life and surely having the option to switch off and still be able to live comfortably should be a basic human right. Don’t hand your lives over to algorithms, endless terms and conditions and give your life away. Prepare to switch off. A.I. tech and computers are not free and are not your life. Tony Jackson Illustration and Design www.ajrjackson.com
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