life

A review of the Pat Morgan over the years

the tutor

Pat Morgan 6 years at the Prestigious Isitituto Marangoni

Patrick over the last 4 years has been teaching at Istituto Marangoni UK and has helped students evolve into butterflies of the fashion/styling/graphics industy. With a vast knowledge for design, advertising and image making Patrick has enabled the new and up and coming students branch in to a very competitve market.

More about the school:

Istituto Marangoni

Since 1935 the Istituto Marangoni has been recognised as the leading fashion school in Milan, Italy. Every year over a thousand students from all over the world arrive for training in a common passion: the art of fashion. Young talent benefits from the expertise and long experience of Marangoni tutors in order to become the industry professionals of the future.

The courses offered by Istituto Marangoni range from all sectors in the fashion industry, including creative, managerial and commercial.

In February 2003 Istituto Marangoni opened a new location in central London – its first outside Italy - in Fashion Street, Spitalfields, E1.

Why they chose London

“London is an extremely important creative centre for the fashion industry and represents an excellent cultural base where students can develop their skills. Through the synergies and the connections between our two locations, Milan and London, Istituto Marangoni decided to set up in London as our students can have the chance of studying in two of the world’s centres of European culture.”

For more information on Istituto Marangoni please click here:www.istitutomarangoni.com

faqs

Interviews of the Pat Morgan over the years

Interview: grafiktasarim april '07

author: halil yildirim

1) Patrick you are definitely a dream come true for a designer, i mean look at you, you are young, your work is everywhere- i dont know how many times i threw a jealous look at your illustrations on the london underground stations-, you have huge names in your clients list, you have a lovely studio which makes me jealous again , basically you are a successful illustrator and i hate you ( which means i envy you alot, we turkish people express our admiration in very wierd ways) . so tell me where this success is coming from,a little about yourself your past, how did your design story start? Who is patrick morgan?

A big hello to all you designers/artists/visionaires out there hope you are working hard and pushing yourself to bigger highs. Regarding the life of Patrick Morgan well it is not a long and crazy one just a hard working art loving person wanting to make his mark in the design industry.

As a young little kid I have always strieved in art and design wanting to paint/draw/scribble have fun with anything to create a shape or portrait. Once finding my feet that art was my main THING, then I invested in my pens and pencils and a sack full of sketch books.

I worked my way through Middlesex university on a one year foundation where I took a real love for screen printing and any other printing processes. Print making opened a lot of doors in my art world and pushed both my knowledge for colour, composition and mark making.

Kingston University BA illustration/graphic design a 3 year course of REAL hard work and testing my strength and dedication for drawing with plenty of criticism given. This really gave me a helping hand with battling against the odds and not giving in on the first hurdle when not hearing many positive returns. Kingston university works all the students with a constant battle of the best and it was the case only the best will survive I can still see the injuries 10 years later.

I Graduated from Kingston and was accepted by debutart an illustration agency which made me work on all my weak spots and helping me to become more commissionable. I built up a portfolio while having a job as a labourer on a building site. 1 year later I recieved my first commission and had a few cigars to celebrate this being a real achievement after such a long time working on a building site and in my bedroom.

I gave up the labouring as I was on my way in my mind to be a real professional without the cuts and bruises ready to push the boundries of my art career. 10 years later I am working for clients varying from Coca Cola, Virgin mobile to the Newyork Times (recent client). Illustration is a great business as long as you try to keep true to what you aim to achieve. I have earnt great money for jobs I have hated but that does nothing for you so you must promise yourself that if you earn money for shite then at least work in your own time creating something Sexy that you LOVE. Today I am still fighting between the two lifestyles of design working with non artisic directors and real creative super stars so keep your focus clear no matter what!

2) Which project was the turning point for your career? Being a talented illustrator doesnt mean that you will also be a succesful illustrator, self promotion plays a huge role in gaining the success. How did you promote yourself and have these means of promoting yourself changed? What is the best way to attract the attention of the big customers?

The project that really changed my life was the Selfridges Annual report in 2003 a real money spinner and great creatively. I had total artisic control and tried to push them to put as much cash into the cover artwork using Fluro inks and special blacks anything to really make me feel totally in control, not being a control freako.Attracting clients is one thing getting them to feel comfortable and happy to allow you to work you wonders is another thing. I have spent alot of money yearly to promote myself, an example of one years promotion for me.1500GBP for a double page advert in CONTACT work book/1700GBP double page advert in WORKBOOK in the US/980GBP single page advert in The art book/ AOI website 300GBP/IMAGES website 350GBP/120GBP The BLACK book website. So you can see from this that promoting yourself is not cheap. If you don't do it then keeping in the art world is very hard. Your own website will generate alot of student viewings but thats it really. I have had a few big jobs from my site but the people really go to your site to have a quick update.

3) I love your illustrations, because they are so personal and brave, you just show your lines and sketches so boldly ,there is no trick, no fancy complicated effects going on, its pure you.

Can you tell me a bit about your design process? Where do you get your inspirations from? And how do you visualize and finalize the concepts?

I have decided that I will keep true to art and not chase the rest of the art world in the use of illustrator making beautifully decorative design but this is a trend at the moment and too many people are jumping on the band wagon coping these styles. I draw, scan in and then really use photoshop to colour my artwork. I would love to stay with the screen print process but time is not on my side. One thing great about computers is that you can get the colours you want and not hope for the best from a drum scan.

4) I know that you are also teaching in Milan. Can you tell me a little bit about that? and how do you deal with it? Are you based in Milan ,London or New York?, how do you find time to make all those gorgeous illustrations?

I currently live in London teaching in both London and Milan and flying around Europe for meetings and conferences. I Have been working for Istituto Marangoni for 4 years now teaching drawing and computers using photoshop/illustrator/flash/Indesign. Regarding finding time to do illustration is hard and it is a 24/7 thing. I am trying now to slow things down reducing the work to only good clients with the right briefs. Wow I can select my briefs I feel like Robert De Niro picking his own scripts. Great.

6) Can you tell me about the awards you've won?
Awards won. The design and illustration awards for Selfridges annual report, marketing and print awards for marketing week magazine. Waitrose illustrated award for five a day booklet.

7) Tell me about Patrick morgan and associates? and farm?
Patrick Morgan associates/ farm is a collective of illustrators whom work with and for myself as colourist and assistants. Farm is a new agency to come this year which will show some top illustrators from all around the world one of my newest additions Marco Piemonte. Look him up.

8) Can you give me information about your previous, recent and future projects, I know you will be in Osaka and Barcelona. tell me a little about this?
Currently I am designing work for Waitrose a food retailer in the Uk promoting the new 5 a day concept in Britain. Hewlett Packard has been a big client of mine over the last 5 years testing large format printers which I am advertising Globally this year. I have got a plan for the future which is to open an illustration and design school helping people push forward in the industry and not be lost by the corporate machine and get back to creating real original art.

9) Finally thank you very much for this interview, would you like to give a final message to the turkish readers of grafik tasarim(graphic design) magazine and maybe some advice for the illustrator wanna be's.?

My advice for all you up and coming illustrators.
Think for yourself, be inspired by those at the top and don't be affraid to compete with the best they are not All powerful Monster.
Don't be beaten by the first hurdle of life and WORK HARD.