Thoughts on Illustration Tom Froese

Take Lisa's class, Imaginative Map-Making in Procreate on Skillshare — Use this link to get 30 days free! — https://skl.sh/3z8zI9a

Join in on my conversaion with Lisa Bardot, who teaches people how to make art on their iPad. But that job description is deceivingly simple. She may be best known for her vast catalogue of analogue inspired procreate brushes, aka Bardot Brush. (She’s kind of the Kyle T. Webster of procreate brushes). But she also teaches making digital online in places like Skillshare, YouTube and her own membership platform called Art Maker’s Club. She also runs in-person art trips — her most recent one being in France. If that weren’t enough, she’s also the author of a brand new book called Drawing Digital, The Complete Guide for Learning to Draw and Paint on Your iPad, AND she even provides monthly prompt lists for inspiration-seeking artists, which she calls Make Art Every Day. Lisa has created an entire universe of creativity and community around her passion for drawing and illustrating in Procreate. I really think she’s a perfect guest for the podcast, as she embodies the whole ethos of this podcast of showing up everyday and growing through it, no matter what (and thriving because of it).

>>> Video edition available on YouTube.

Learn how to make better art! Take Composition for Illustrators on Skillshare — Use my link to get 30 days free! — https://skl.sh/3TLdkeh Today I chat with my friend Chris Piascik. Chris is an illustrator for clients like Nike, Nickelodeon and Google. He's also a YouTuber and a Top Teacher on Skillshare. We have a free-ranging, loosey goosey conversation about things like: Whether you need to go to art school to become an illustrator; Why Chris and I feel like we don’t quite fit into the “traditional illustrator” mould; We discuss whether the ability to draw realistically is necessary for illustrators today; We commiserate about angry dudes leaving nasty comments on our videos and — We start off with an unexpectedly long conversation about vector files (but as far as these kinds of conversations go, I think it was pretty interesting).

In this episode, we tackle a question many creatives grapple with: should you work for your friends (and family)? Combining personal and professional relationships can be a double-edged sword, offering both unique advantages and significant challenges. We explore both sides the debate — FOR and AGAINST working for friends — and then, I'll give you 7 tips to help set you up for success (and safety) for those times when you decide to go ahead and do it.

Learn How to Make Good Work AND Please Your Clients — Take The Six Stages of Illustration: https://skl.sh/4cCTxEH — Use this link to get 30 days of free membership on Skillshare.

What makes otherwise good people such bad clients? How do you deal with them — and how can you avoid them in the first place? In this episode, I explain why there almost never truly bad clients. In my 10+ year career, I've had very few bad clients. Most of them were in the beginning, when I didn't have enough experience to spot them before it's too late. By listening to this episode, you'll learn what I wish I knew when I was starting out — and this will help you make sure every client is a good client! That means they'll trust you to do what you do best (the art!) and they'll give you everything you need to do your job.

Learn how to illustrate ideas in Sweet Spots: Expressing Big Ideas in Small Illustrations — https://skl.sh/3e8Wl33 — Use my links to get 30 days free on Skillshare.

So you know how to illustrate — now, how do you start your career as an illustrator? In this episode, I'll share 10 key strategies that helped kickstart my illustration career. These personal yet practical tips offer valuable insights for aspiring illustrators looking to advance in the industry. Whether you're seeking a reminder of fundamental practices or hoping for fresh perspectives, this episode provides a blend of familiar and surprising advice to motivate and inspire. This episode originally launched in July 2023 as a Patron's Only "Summer Shorts" episode.

Learn how to win more creative battles. Take The Six Stages of Illustration on Skillshare today. Use this link to get 30 days free access to every class on Skillshare — https://skl.sh/4cCTxEH

In today's episode, we'll dive into the delicate balance of navigating conflicts and compromises with our illustration clients and art directors. As artists, we often have strong opinions about our work, making compromise a challenging but necessary part of our creative process. Illustration, or commercial art, is unique in that it's not just self-expression; it's about expressing others' ideas through our unique abilities, style and point of view. Somehow, we need to maintain our artistic integrity while meeting the needs of our clients. Finding the right balance tricky. We can't make it all about us, but we also can't just give up our creative authority to appease our clients. By listening to this episode, you'll learn how to find more wins in your work by valuing both your client's needs and your own creative vision. Throughout the episode, I'll share insights from listeners and fellow illustrators, offering diverse, valuable perspectives on navigating creative conflicts in illustration.