lcsv4.com
MailMeArt
shack29
PixelPresence
gimur.net
apefluff.com

illosaurus on Online promotion
An interview with Darren Di Lieto - LCS founder

Darren Di Lieto is at the forefront of a new generation of entrepreneurial image makers. As well as founding the essential illustration portal, the Little Chimp Society (LCS), he runs his own hosting and web design company and orchestrates the global collaborative art project MailMeArt. His most recent site, shack29, markets limited edition prints from illustrators around the world.

illosaurus: Simply listing all your projects was enough to wear me out. How do you find the energy to manage so many different ventures?

Darre di Lieto: If I tried to run them all as different ventures it would never work. Everything I do at the moment is to support the LCS and help it evolve. PixelPresence, MailMeArt, GiMUR.net and Shack29 are all part of the LCS.

However you divide it up, there are still only 24 hours in the day...

Well… I sleep on Wednesdays and my wife Jane also helps out a hell of a lot. :)

Is there a master plan behind it all?

I love illustration! The sole purpose of the LCS is the promotion of illustration and illustrators full stop. Umm… and a bit of world domination.

Many of your projects are geared towards providing illustrators with opportunities to promote their work. Do you think the internet has replaced more traditional means of self-promotion?

Totally! Source books are dead although coffee table books still have a place. Old fashion postcard mailers still work and cold calling kicks butt as long as you’re in the right time zone. But what really works now is how easy it is to network. Plug any art director into any computer hot wired for the internet and he’s spoilt for choice.

Are there any drawbacks?

The internet has given public access to a lot of rubbish ... ‘cough MySpace cough’ ... but at the same time I think it has given birth to a global community of like-minded image-making individuals. Being able to access the work of so many great illustrators at the same time has raised the bar as far as quality and competitive drawing goes. The problems start to show when you think about how big the internet is and how much choice there is. How can a freelancer compete with the rest of the world when someone on the other side of it is happy to work for half the fee and (allegedly) deliver the same goods…?

Sites like LCS are a fantastic way for artists to raise their profile within the illustration community. Do you think they are also an effective way to reach commissioners and editors?

Yes! The Little Chimp Society reaches a huge audience and a number of LCS members are art directors. I’ve been emailed and ask for help finding an illustrator on numerous occasions by commissioners and editors and I’m always happy to help.

One of the great things about LCS is its inclusivity. Why did you decide on an open access model for contributors rather than an editor-led system?

The backend changes from week to week, so I can’t really narrow it down to any sort of model at the moment. If you had seen the LCS when it first started it was just a links box on my personal site. I was adding links from day to day. So I decided it was easier just to give the people being linked access to add their own links and news.

The collaborative spirit behind LCS and MailMeArt was one of the inspirations for illosaurus. Why do you think illustrators are so open to creating online communities?

Isolation drives most people insane. By the way I’m glad we could help to inspire what is fast becoming a great resource.

The LCS sister sites offer web design and hosting services. Do you think illustrator-led businesses have an edge over conventional web companies?

I can’t compete with conventional web companies that have money to throw left right and centre, but being a freelance illustrator myself I know the needs of other illustrators and I know what works and what doesn’t. So I’m not going to waste your time by selling you things you don’t need and I always make sure you know the final cost before proceeding, unlike conventional web companies who might slam you with extras and tax after you’ve committed to a purchase. Your online portfolio should be a partnership with your hosting company, not just another purchase for the sale person to add to their statistics. I know this sounds tacky, but GiMUR.net is run by people who love and want to promote illustration, not a committee that are trying to squeeze every penny they can out of you.

Finally, if you could change one thing about illustration today, what would it be?

I would get rid of speculative work and stock houses. I would reduce the number of creative courses. I would educate clients and commissioners about the true value of illustration and I would introduce a non-profit organisation that actually had the power to stand up for the rights of illustrators. :)