Ten Tips For Finding Markets Online

(written for _Applied Arts_ magazine, Mar/April issue)

"Luc¹s work makes you smile," says Thomas O¹Quinn, art director of OUT magazine about Vancouver illustrator Luc Latulippe, whose clients have also included American Demographics, La Press, L.A. Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

Drawn to comics and cartoons as a youngster, Latulippe¹s list of influences include Tintin and superhero comics as well as animators Bruce Timm (new Batman cartoons) and Craig McCracken (Power Puff Girls, Dexter¹s Laboratory). While taking an animation course at Sheridan College in Toronto, Latulippe was offered his first job by a headhunter, an invitation to work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series. "I was even more excited when I found out they were paying for the airfare and an apartment in Ireland; it made up for our insanely meager slave-wage salaries!"

During the next ten years, Latulippe worked for several animation studios in Canada and the U.S. in various freelancing and in-studio positions, from cel-painting and animation to development and directing. He also spent two years in Indonesia helping friends set up and run a full-service professional animation studio to service the Pacific Rim market.

During this time, however, Latulippe found his enthusiasm for animation waning. Although the industry had taught him a great deal, he disliked the production line environment and lack of creative independence. "The term Œanimation industry¹ is an oxymoron of sorts," says Latulippe. "It industrializes a creative process." After returning to Toronto and doing some storyboard work, he launched a line of greeting cards in 1998 called ReallyGayCards. Working on the greeting cards sparked a realization: "Although I had lost my passion for animation, I certainly hadn¹t lost my passion for drawing."

Encouraged, Latulippe began doing illustrations for magazines in Los Angeles and Toronto. He knew that making a transition from animation to illustration would be tricky; his contacts were all in the animation industry, not illustration. He says he enjoyed the challenge, however. "I learned that I like a bit of risk, especially because my professional life had gotten quite predictable." Realizing that his chances of succeeding were slim without a decent portfolio or enough experience, Latulippe began looking for a representative with contacts in the business.

Through online research, he found Anna Goodson (www.agoodson.com). "Anna had a job for me the very next day!" says Latulippe. "Needless to say, I signed up with her, and have been kept so busy that I¹ve been able to leave animation and focus on illustration." He says that Anna¹s Web site attracts a lot of potential clients because of the strong and varied work on display. Latulippe has also created his own Web site (www.luclatulippe.com), which he designed with Photoshop and FrontPage 98.

Latulippe does almost all his work directly on his computer. After doing an initial sketch by hand and having the sketch approved by the client, he scans it into Photoshop, then brings it into Illustrator and traces it using a mouse. If he needs any added texture or shading, he imports the image into Photoshop. Doing most of his work on the computer has both advantages and disadvantages, according to Latulippe. Rearranging a layout is much simpler on a computer, for example, as is experimenting with different colours, but this flexibility can also be a crutch. "I found this was the case in animation. Some animators suddenly seemed to forget everything they learned about colour theory. It became almost too easy to use colour."

Latulippe finds that using a computer is especially useful for doing extremely precise work, or certain special effects that can¹t be done by hand. Computers also help him deliver artwork quickly and efficiently to a client. Despite the advantages of working on a computer, Latulippe says he may eventually go back to working with traditional watercolours, partly because he doesn¹t want to grow too dependent on using the computer. He admits, "I also think I would one day enjoy creating work that actually, rather than virtually, exists."

Before starting a piece, Latulippe says he makes a concerted effort to understand what a client wants. Because his style is realistic, some clients give specific details about what they want to see. Others may simply describe their needs, letting Latulippe come up with the visual on his own. Thomas O¹Quinn from OUT magazine says, "Luc doesn¹t need a lot of art direction, which makes him a dream to work with, and he always delivers quality work."

Fernando Resende, the Associate Art Director of Elle Canada, says that Latulippe understands how to read a story and pick out its key elements without being too literal. "He¹s able to provide an interesting context for each illustration without losing focus on the message created by the figures," Resende adds. "Most importantly, he has a terrific sense of humour and a real understanding of contemporary issues. He makes us laugh."