Thoughts on Illustration

Tom Froese
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Thoughts on Illustration is a bi-weekly podcast about Showing Up and Growing Up as a commercial artist. Join award-winning illustrator and top teacher, Mr. Tom Froese, as he shares valuable tips, insights, and reflections from his own experience as an illustrator. Tom wants to encourage his fellow creatives and help them get further on by sharing in a transparent, accessible way. If you are passionate about unlocking professional and personal creative fulfillment, you are invited to follow along as Tom does the same!

  1. The State of Illustration Report with Darren Di Lieto

    16 DEC

    The State of Illustration Report with Darren Di Lieto

    The State of Illustration Report with Darren Di Lieto | Episode 65 What does the illustration industry really look like right now — beyond highlight reels, social media, and shiny success stories? In this episode, I talk with Darren Di Lietto, founder of Hireillo and the author of the State of Illustration report. For more than a decade, Darren has been surveying illustrators around the world to better understand how we work, how we get paid, and how sustainable illustration actually is as a career. We have an honest conversation about confidence, pricing, late payments, mental health, and the quiet pressures shaping illustrators’ lives today. We talk about who’s best positioned to thrive, where illustrators are struggling most, and why so many are being squeezed out early on in their careers. I was surprised, and honestly a little bit depressed by the numbers in the report—but Darren helps me see some of the positive takeaways as well. 🙏 A huge thank-you to all paid supporters on Patreon — your support makes conversations like this possible. IN THIS EPISODE What the State of Illustration report reveals about the current health of the industryWhy confidence in pricing and negotiation remains such a challengeWho seems best positioned to last — and who is most at riskHow late payments and income instability continue to affect illustratorsThe impact of the cost-of-living crisis on creative careersMental health, anxiety, and confidence among working illustratorsWhat hope and resilience Darren sees in the dataWhere the State of Illustration report might go nextSHOW LINKS From Darren State of Illustration report ($18USD — PDF download) — https://www.stateofillustration.comHireillo — https://www.hireillo.comDarren's website — http://darrendilieto.comFrom Tom 🎨 Inky.af — My new class on creating expressive, inky illustrations using analogue techniques in Affinity (now free forever) — http://tomfroese.com/teaching/inkyaf📗 Drawing Is Important — Book preorder available now — http://geni.us/DrawingisImportantSUPPORT THE PODCAST You can support Thoughts on Illustration by: Sharing this episode with a friendLeaving a commentLeaving a rating or review on Apple PodcastsFollowing the show / Subscribing to this channelBecoming a paid supporter on Patreon — https://patreon.com/tomfroese FIND ME ELSEWHERE Website — https://www.tomfroese.com Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese Daily Drawings — https://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant CREDITS Music and cues by Mark Allan Falk — https://linktr.ee/semiathletic

    1h 30m
  2. Should You Be Embarrassed About Using AI? | FREE PREVIEW

    2 DEC

    Should You Be Embarrassed About Using AI? | FREE PREVIEW

    In this episode, I get honest about the tension so many of us feel around AI: the uneasiness of using it while also distrusting it. I talk about why that discomfort might actually be meaningful—and how embarrassment or shame can act as a compass for finding the line between assistance and authorship. I share a real story about how AI helps me not over-think a purchase decision with my daughter. I also share about my feelings about receiving AI-written emails. You'll learn how I think about using AI to help me without letting it replace the parts of my job that actually matter. We talk about the long game: creative confidence, limits, process, and what it really means to maintain authorship as an illustrator. IN THIS EPISODE: Why discomfort around AI is healthyThe difference between assistance and authorshipHow AI can quietly shift from convenience to dependencyWhy the process—not just the product—is central to illustrationWhy “drawing the line” is literally part of our jobTwo reflection questions to check your relationship to AISHOW LINKS Paul Kingsnorth's Substack — https://paulkingsnorth.substack.comIn the podcast I mistakenly said his Substack was called Pilgrims in the Machine. It's actually called the Abbey of Misrule, which is way more badass.Paul Kingsnorth's website — https://www.paulkingsnorth.netRethinking Creativity in the Age of AI — A more pro-AI conversation on The Future with Chris Do and Jodie Cook — https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-futur-with-chris-do/id1209219220?i=1000737893787THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Thanks as always for supporting the podcast. Patreon and Paid Spotify Supporters make it possible for me keep doing this! FIND ME ELSEWHERE My New Book! Drawing is Important! — tomfroese.com/links — look for the green book coverWork and Classes — tomfroese.comInstagram — instagram.com/mrtomfroeseDaily Drawings — instagram.com/drawingisimportantCREDITS Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk — semiathletic on LinktreeDRAWING IS IMPORTANT — NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER My new book, Drawing Is Important, is your guide to making drawing a meaningful daily habit. Through stories, insights, and exercises, it helps you draw more often—with less pressure and more joy. Available Spring 2026 — Pre-order now! The first 500 orders get a free hand-signed book plate! Look for "get pre-order prizes" after clicking the link.

    12 min
  3. How You Can Protect Yourself From Being Ripped Off | Interview with Raymond Biesinger

    18 NOV

    How You Can Protect Yourself From Being Ripped Off | Interview with Raymond Biesinger

    Interview with Raymond Biesinger How do you defend your creative work when clients underpay, misuse your images, or ignore copyright entirely? In this episode, I talk with Montréal-based illustrator, artist, and author Raymond Biesinger, whose new book 9 Times My Work Has Been Ripped Off (Drawn + Quarterly, 2025) is part memoir, part self-defence guide for independent creatives.Raymond pulls back the curtain on wage theft, unauthorized usage, blurred legal lines, and the everyday realities illustrators face when protecting their work — and their livelihood. This is a wide-ranging, candid conversation about money, boundaries, professionalism, and what it really takes to survive as an illustrator today. 🙏 A huge thank-you to all paid supporters on Patreon — without you, this show wouldn’t exist. IN THIS EPISODE • What “being ripped off” really means (hint: it’s not just stylistic copying)• Why wage theft is rampant in the creative industries• The blurry, case-by-case nature of copyright enforcement• How creatives can strategically bluff to protect their work• Why talking openly about money is essential for healthier creative careers• The role of mood, timing, and resources in deciding whether to pursue a dispute• How Raymond developed his signature collage-driven style• The surprising story of a fan who copied his style — and how it turned into something positive• What Raymond hopes independent creatives will take away from the book SHOW LINKS Raymond BiesingerWebsite — https://fifteen.caInstagram — https://www.instagram.com/raymondbiesinger📕 9 Times My Work Has Been Ripped Off (Drawn + Quarterly, 2025) —  https://drawnandquarterly.com/books/9-times-my-work-has-been-ripped-off/📘 305 Lost Buildings of Canada — Goose Lane Editions — https://gooselane.com/products/305-lost-buildings-of-canada?_pos=1&_psq=305+lost&_ss=e&_v=1.0 From Tom🎨 SLO-FI Illustrations (new Skillshare class) — 30 days free: https://skl.sh/4nbo3KT📗 Drawing is Important — now available for preorder: https://geni.us/DrawingisImportant SUPPORT THE PODCAST You can help Thoughts on Illustration grow by:• Sharing the episode with a friend• Leaving a rating or review• Following the show• Becoming a paid supporter on Spotify or on Patreon — https://patreon.com/tomfroese FIND ME ELSEWHERE Website — https://www.tomfroese.comInstagram — https://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroeseDaily Drawings — https://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant CREDITS Music and cues by Mark Allan Falk — https://linktr.ee/semiathletic

    1h 21m
  4. How Do You Make an Illustration Cohesive? | FREE PREVIEW

    4 NOV

    How Do You Make an Illustration Cohesive? | FREE PREVIEW

    What is the secret to making cohesive illustrations? Also known as unity and harmony, this is the elusive quality that makes your illustration feel "whole". In this episode, I look at why that sense of unity is harder to achieve in digital work, and how thinking in terms of physical media and physical reproduction methods can bring your images together.  I introduce what I call The Five Stars of Cohesiveness—Purpose, Drawing Style, Medium, Reproduction Method, and Application—and show how, when these align, your work gains that solid, self-contained presence we all chase. Using Ben Shahn’s The Shape of Content as a case study (read on for visual examples), I unpack how medium and black-only printing worked hand-in-hand to create unusually cohesive results—and how we can borrow that logic in our digital workflows.  If you’ve struggled to make your digital illustrations feel unified—and want a concrete framework to diagnose why—this episode is for you. IN THIS EPISODE “Truth to materials” — keyword materialsThe Five Stars of CohesivenessHow physical constraints shape shape your style—and why limitless tools can derail itCase study: Ben Shahn’s expressive linework printed black-only in The Shape of ContentWhy your chosen medium is the central star, influencing both idea and outcomeIllustrating for print (even when your art never gets printed)Try This: would your piece hold up in black-only? as a 2–3 colour Riso print?Classes and resource recommendations SHOW LINKS Ben Shahn — The Shape of Content (book) — https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674302426“Illustration” (definition/context) — general reference — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IllustrationMy Skillshare: Illustrating for Letterpress (technical limits → clearer decisions) — https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/impress-meSlo-Fi Illustrations (analogue paradigms in a digital flow) — https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/slofiillustrationsDi Ujdi — Introduction to Risograph Printing (layered colour thinking) — https://skl.sh/47BXNm5 HOW TO SUPPORT / LISTEN If you’d like to support this podcast and hear the full version of monologue episodes like this one: Join on Patreon for as low as $3/month Become a paid subscriber on Spotify ($2.99/month) I also post monologues as full articles on Medium. FIND ME ELSEWHERE My New Book! Drawing is Important! — tomfroese.com/links — look for the green book coverWork and Classes — tomfroese.comInstagram — instagram.com/mrtomfroeseDaily Drawings — instagram.com/drawingisimportantCREDITS Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk — semiathletic on Linktree—————— DRAWING IS IMPORTANT — NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER My new book, Drawing Is Important, is your guide to making drawing a meaningful daily habit. Through stories, insights, and exercises, it helps you draw more often—with less pressure and more joy. Available Spring 2026 — Pre-order now! The first 500 orders get a free hand-signed book plate! Look for "get pre-order prizes" after clicking the lin

    18 min
  5. Being a Cartoonist for the New Yorker | Interview with Tom Toro

    21 OCT

    Being a Cartoonist for the New Yorker | Interview with Tom Toro

    How does one become a professional cartoonist? In this episode, I talk with New Yorker cartoonist Tom Toro, whose sharp wit clever drawings have kept readers laughing (and thinking) for more than fifteen years. Toro’s debut book, And to Think We Started as a Book Club (out now from Simon & Schuster), gathers the best of his cartoons from over a decade and a half at The New Yorker. In our conversation, we dig into the realities of professional cartooning — from the weekly grind of submissions and rejection, to the balance between writing and drawing, and the creative fire that keeps artists like Tom doing it anyway. 🙏 Thank you to all paid supporters on Patreon — without your support, this would be an expensive hobby. Thank you! 🟢 Listen on Spotify | 🟣 Listen on Apple Podcasts | 🔴 Listen/Watch on YouTube Cover of And to Think We Started as a Book Club … IN THIS EPISODE What it’s really like to be a New Yorker cartoonist — and why rejection is part of the job How the relationship between writing and drawing defines the cartoon form The secret to making a success New Yorker-worthy cartoon Why embracing imperfection keeps art alive How Tom feels about his body of work from the past 15 years SHOW LINKS Tom Toro’s Website — https://www.tomtoro.com Tom Toro on Instagram — www.instagram.com/tbtoro 📕 And to Think We Started as a Book Club (Simon & Schuster, Oct 7 2025) — https://publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com/book/and-to-think-we-started-as-a-book-club/ SLO-FI Illustrations (my new Skillshare class) — GET 30 DAYS FREE WHEN USING THIS LINK — https://skl.sh/4nbo3KT 📗 Drawing is Important — https://geni.us/DrawingisImportant THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! You can show your appreciation for the Thoughts on Illustration podcast by: Sharing with your friends on social media Liking / Following / Subscribing Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts Becoming a paid supporter on Patreon — patreon.com/tomfroese FIND ME ELSEWHERE Work and Classes — http://www.tomfroese.com Instagram — http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese Daily Drawings — http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant CREDITS Music and cues by Mark Allan Falk — http://linktr.ee/semiathletic Thanks for reading Thoughts on Illustration with Mr. Tom Froese! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

    1h 2m
  6. The Illustrator’s (Smarter) Starter Pack | FREE PREVIEW

    7 OCT

    The Illustrator’s (Smarter) Starter Pack | FREE PREVIEW

    Looking to Get Into Illustration? Here’s How to Begin. NEW—I am now offering free previews of Monologue episodes. This will help you decide if subscribing on Patreon / Spotify is right for you. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an Illustrator’s Starter Pack that could get you up and running as an illustrator ASAP? The reality is that any attempts to find a fast track into illustration could actually slow you down. In this episode, I share my SMART System: five paradigms (Styles, Markets, Applications, Reasons, Techniques) that help you get specific about what you want to make and where it belongs. Instead of hunting for the perfect gear or foolproof course list, SMART gives you a clear way to map your starting point. If you’ve been overwhelmed by tools, apps, or conflicting advice—and you just want a concrete way to begin—this episode is for you. IN THIS EPISODE Why gear and classes alone won’t make you an illustratorThe SMART System overviewStyles vs. Techniques: how they relate and why they’re not the same thingMarkets vs. Applications: who buys the work vs. where the work livesReasons (purpose): the “why” that sharpens every briefThe closest thing to a starter pack? — (iPad + Apple Pencil + Procreate)How to use SMART to choose your next practice project and reduce decision paralysisTwo starter-pack parables: first-aid kits and flimsy badminton setsAs always (from now on), a reflection prompt to help you turn my thoughts into your actions! SHOW LINKS Malika Favre (style reference) — malikafavre.comHervé Tullet (style reference) — herve-tullet.comJohn Roman, 45 Markets of Illustration (markets overview)What is Risograph Printing? (technique primer) — risottostudio.comProcreate (iPad app) — procreate.artMy New Skillshare Class — SLO-FI Illustrations HOW TO LISTEN/READ If you’d like to hear the full version of monologue episodes like this one: Join on Patreon for as low as $3/monthBecome a paid subscriber on Spotif ($2.99/month)This is also available as a story on Medium for paid members on that platform. FIND ME ELSEWHERE Work and Classes — tomfroese.comInstagram — instagram.com/mrtomfroeseDaily Drawings — instagram.com/drawingisimportant CREDITS Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk — Semiathletic on Linktree

    12 min
  7. Focusing on the Kids Market | Interview with Suzy Ultman

    23 SEPT

    Focusing on the Kids Market | Interview with Suzy Ultman

    What happens when you bravely create from what matters most to you—even when you’re not sure others will understand? In this episode, I talk with artist and author ⁠Suzy Ultman⁠, whose work blends joy, vulnerability, and cultural identity in a way that’s both incredibly specific and widely relatable. Suzy is the creator of a series of Jewish-themed board books for Penguin Workshop — ⁠I Like Your Chutzpah⁠, ⁠Shabbat Shalom⁠, and It’s a Mitzvah! — and in our conversation, we explore the story behind these books: the experiences that shaped them, the fears Suzy had about putting herself out there, and what it means to lead with joy even when it’s rooted in something much deeper. IN THIS EPISODE How Suzy went from client-based work to building a licensing brand around her own voiceWhy she was initially afraid to make books that reflected something deeply meaningful to herWhy she sees herself as a bridge (middle child, anyone!?)What it looks like to make joyful work rooted in meaning, emotionally layered, and honestSuzy’s advice for artists who want to create from a deeper place but aren’t sure where to start REFLECTION PROMPT What’s something you’ve been afraid to share in your creative work — and what might change if you let it in? SHOW LINKS Suzy Ultman’s Website — https://www.suzyultman.com/ It’s a Mitzvah! (Penguin Workshop, Sept 2, 2025) https://www.suzyultman.com/shop/p/mitzvahbook Suzy on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/suzyultman Paper Doll Parade – Chronicle Books — https://www.suzyultman.com/paper-doll-parade Friendship Carousel – Chronicle Books — https://www.suzyultman.com/friendship-carousel-bts THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! You can show your appreciation for the Thoughts on Illustration podcast by: Sharing with your friends on social mediaLiking/Following/SubscribingLeaving a review on Apple PodcastsBecoming a paid supporter on Patreon — patreon.com/tomfroese FIND ME ELSEWHERE Work and Classes — http://www.tomfroese.com Instagram — http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese Daily Drawings — http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant CREDITS Music and cues by Mark Allan Falk — http://linktr.ee/semiathletic

    1h 1m

  8. 4 SEPT · BONUS

    Season 4 Preview: Big Changes are Coming!

    Welcome to a special preview episode of Thoughts on Illustration. At the end of last season, I wasn’t sure if this podcast would continue — but here I am. After a summer of reflection (and a little camping, surfing, and book work), I’m ready to share how Season 4 will look different. This season I’m making changes to keep the podcast sustainable for me and more valuable for you. Season 4 officially begins on September 9 with the first monologue episode. IN THIS PREVIEW Updates from my summer: working on my book Drawing is Important (out early 2026), teaching, and new class prepWhy I nearly quit the podcast — and what convinced me to keep goingThe 3 key shifts for Season 4New Patreon perks: quarterly Q&A sessions, monthly Draw With Me, and access to every episode SUPPORT THIS PODCAST Join on Patreon — To hear all episodes — monologues and interviews — join me on Patreon starting at $3/month. Drawing Buddies at $8/month also get access to monthly Draw With Me sessions and replays.patreon.com/tomfroese Follow on Substack — Free listeners will still get access to all interview episodes on your podcast app or via Substack at mrtomfroese.substack.com. GET IN TOUCH Email - hello@tomfroese.com Website - tomfroese.com

    21 min
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About

Thoughts on Illustration is a bi-weekly podcast about Showing Up and Growing Up as a commercial artist. Join award-winning illustrator and top teacher, Mr. Tom Froese, as he shares valuable tips, insights, and reflections from his own experience as an illustrator. Tom wants to encourage his fellow creatives and help them get further on by sharing in a transparent, accessible way. If you are passionate about unlocking professional and personal creative fulfillment, you are invited to follow along as Tom does the same!

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Froese
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tom Froese
  • Show Website
    Thoughts on Illustration

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