The Orange Zest: I Made This For You

One of the most difficult aspect of being an artist is self-promotion, and so this week I thought I would feature one of the more inventive ways that I have seen to promote a portfolio. It comes from Mississippi native and Austin, TX resident Will Bryant (see original interview here), and it is a 7.5"x7.5", 66 pages, perfect bound collection of his illustrations, hand drawn typography, design, patterns and even some photography. It's filled with color, and a perfect example of what this up-and-coming artist has to offer. This week I asked Will about, I Made The For You, which was released just a few months ago.

Orange Alert (OA): I love the concept of compiling print into a book format. How did you decide to make an art book, and how did you pick which drawings and prints to include?
Will Bryant (WB): As an exiting senior graphic design student at Mississippi State I was required to make a self promo. This promo would be used for job hunting, interviews and such. I decided to make something that could easily be reproduced and would showcase more than just a few examples of work and a resume. Honestly, if it's in a book then it has to be legit, right?

OA: You went through lulu for the actual printing. Have you been happy with the results?
WB: Lulu was great. There were some registration issues in the first few books, but they turned out nice in the final printing. I will probably use them again to showcase some other projects. Also, the turnaround was about a week, which was really convenient for meeting deadlines.

OA: The "Powerpack" sounds cool. How did you come up with the items that would be included?
WB: Thanks! It's an illusion of cool. Not only did I want someone to be able to have printed illustrations, but also something personal. That is why it includes the 2 DIY screen prints, buttons and is signed, doodled and numbered (edition of 40). The winner medal just reminds you of how awesome your purchase was.

OA: What next for Will Bryant?
WB: In the near distant future I will attend grad school for my MFA. Then I will hopefully teach at a university and fill my spare time with freelance projects, gallery exhibitions, and church league basketball. Tomorrow I'll probably draw something while listening to music, play Wii with my wife, and go for a bike ride. What about you?

For more information on Will Bryant please visit his website, and to order your own copy of I Made This For You go here.