James Pyman's illustrated version of Dracula by Bram Stoker. Designed by John Morgan & published by Four Corners Books.
During the discussion with Luke Best we defined the difference between self-authored work, exploring sequential or narrative forms, and self-promotional work, usually creating product in the form of t-shirts, tote bags, surface decoration...
Self-authored work is not simply personal work done outside of the commissioning process but has a defined context. It is where the illustrator can bring into focus their own subject matter/content. Today with the means of reproduction more widely available (in the form of small publishers such as Nieves Books, Nobrow, Landfill Editions, Ditto Press...) there are opportunities for illustrators to explore content within their practice.
