The Good Ship Illustration

The Good Ship Illustration
  • 5.0 (60)
  • DESIGN
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to The Good Ship Illustration - the podcast for illustrators who are quietly working away in their sketchbooks thinking… “is it just me?” …it’s not just you! We’re Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell and Tania Willis - three full-time illustrators from three different corners of the industry (and three different age brackets ). We live in the same seaside town in the UK and started having cuppas and chats… and accidentally became illustration agony aunts. Now we record those chats for you! We answer your questions about confidence, tricky clients, pricing your work, creative block, picture books, publishing, and everything in between. ✨ New episodes every Friday. ✨ Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and do send us your questions! P.s. Fancy some freebies? Head to thegoodshipillustration.com for colour workshops, picture book templates, and other treats. Byeeee for now!  x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢🚢🚢

  1. 2D AGO

    Tara Tayyebi Fard on finding her creative voice (and illustration career) after 10 years of being an architect

    Pssst, while you're here... On Tuesday 10th February 2026 we're running a live workshop! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/aiworkshop  Standing out in a sea of robots: being an illustrator when AI is everywhere This workshop's perfect for you if you: Call yourself an illustrator, image-maker (or want to)Feel a bit wobbly about AI and what it means for your style and creative workWant to stand out in a sea of slop Know you're brilliant, but struggle to articulate what makes you differentAre ready to stop worrying and start being more unapologetically YOU.Let’s get weirder, eh? 🤖 ------------------------------------ OK! On with the show(notes)! "Unfortunately, I was good at maths." -Tara Tayyebi Fard Tara is a Persian illustrator, humorist, architect and violinist currently based in Belgium. She grew up reading stories, playing music, keeping a stack of diaries, and offending people by drawing them all fat. Tara spent most of her adult life studying and working in architecture, and has been whining about it ever since. She now holds a masters degree from Amsterdam School of Art, which she happily keeps in the depths of her wardrobe. In 2023, Tara jumped aboard the Good Ship Illustration, rediscovered her love for drawing and gradually started her career as an illustrator. Two years later, she signed with her agent, Lucie at Luddington Creative; working on picture books, doing commissions, live event illustration and making personal work. Tara pivoted to a career in illustration after 10 years of being an architect. In this episode, we chat to Good Shipper Tara about finding her creative voice, why being properly herself is what led to her dream clients, why being unsuccessful can be weirdly freeing, aaaaand **deep breath** how consistency and creative jealousy can be big flashing neon signs to help you figure out what you DO want to do. Rough timestamps for our timestamp-fans: 00:00 – Intro + free workshop mention 02:00 – Architecture → illustration pivot moment 05:00 – Childhood clues + diaries + sketchbooks 08:00 – Being annoyed = excellent character research 09:00 – 60 weeks of Substack and what that builds 10:00 – Illustration loneliness vs illustration community reality 12:00 – Making work when the world feels a bit bleak 14:00 – Commission hamster wheel vs personal work 15:00 – Dream clients happen when you show your actual personality 17:00 – The “what you love / what you’re good at / what pays” overlap 19:00 – Planning for creative brains (menus > rigid schedules) 23:00 – Creative jealousy = useful information, not failure 26:00 – The regret test (8-year-old you vs 80-year-old you) 27:00 – Can illustrators make money? Also: you can be bad at any career 😌 Stuff mentioned: Tara's Substack: https://substack.com/@tarastimeout Tara's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.tekentafel Tara's website: https://www.taratayyebifard.com/ Good Ship Illustration Monthly Numbers Tracker (freebie) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

    31 min

  2. JAN 30

    Want to know what February’s #WalkToSee prompt is?

    Are you joining in with #WalktoSee? In this episode, we chat about how our Helen's hashtag Walk to See started, how it works, (there are basically no rules 😆), and why monthly prompts are muuch gentler on the brain/energy levels than daily prompts. In this episode: 00:00 What Walk to See is 01:30 The only “rule” 02:30 Why the format changed 03:30 How often you actually need to draw 04:30 January’s prompt 05:30 Interpreting “wet” 06:30 Why daily challenges can be a bit much 07:30 Community stuff 08:30 Being seen on Instagram 09:30 Sharing / being shared 10:30 Drawing in the rain 11:30 Drawing in the dark 13:30 Walk to See GIFs 14:30 How to get a gold star 15:30 Imperfect drawings How to join in: Draw something from life -- that's the only rule! Take a photo. Share it on Instagram using #WalkToSeeWet to join in with February's walk to see! Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢✨ Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

    11 min

  3. JAN 23

    When you want to work but can’t seem to start

    Ahhh this ol' chestnut. You know it. We've aaall been there. You sit down...you need to work. But you get absolutely nowt done. Instead, you do absolutely everything else... then panic-work at the last minute, or just never get round to it. You're not alone!  Most illustrators we speak to will have their own weird and wonderful tricks to get into work mode. In this episode, we talk about fear, procrastination, perfectionism, and all the daft (+ useful) ways we trick ourselves into starting anyhoo. Rough timestamps for our timestamp-fans: 00:00 – Bribery 02:00 – Fear & perfectionism 03:00 – The 20-minute rule 04:00 – Drip drip drip 05:00 – Warming up still counts! 06:30 – Calling it “the bad version” 07:30 – Drafts & sleeping on it 08:30 – Why big projects feel terrifying 09:30 – HAVE FUN OR ELSE 11:00 – Tell the logical bit of your brain to shhhhh 12:30 – Tricks for focus that work 14:00 – You like drawing, remember? 😅 15:00 – Keeping the life in your work 16:30 – Spread yourself aboot (don't put too much pressure on one bit of work) 17:30 – Your tricks - please share what helps YOU!  We are nosy. We want to hear what helps you concentrate and get some creative work done. Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢✨ Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

    19 min

  4. JAN 16

    Is copying ever OK in illustration? When does inspiration turn into plagiarism? 👀✏️

    Let’s talk about the big hairy thing that no one really wants to talk about… copying. In this episode, we discuss inspiration, and how social media has changed things so much for illustrators. Trying on someone else’s illustration hat for too long can derail your creative career. This one’s especially for you if you’ve ever felt like someone's getting a bit toooo inspired by your work, or you've though “Ach, easy peasy. I could do that style!” (And then felt a bit weird about it.) We talk about: Why illustrators now mostly look at other illustrators for inspiration (and why that’s tricky)How social media has changed taste, trends, and originalityThe danger of trend-based work and being easily replaceableWhat actually makes a personal creative voice memorableWhy copying someone’s style can feel successful… until it doesn’tRebecca Green, ethicsBeing inspired vs copying and where that line really isDon't sand off all of your personality!Typos, wonkiness, we luv 'emA human made the workWhat to do if you think you’ve been copied (or fear you have)Authenticity 4evaByeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢✨ Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

    17 min

  5. JAN 9

    You're invited! Plan your creative year with The Good Ship Illustration

    Sign up for the 2026 planning party HERE: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/planningparty  This is a wee replay from last year (with a new intro to tell you the new dates for our planning party)  ------------------- Are you raring to set goals, or are you feeling more “no plans, just let me lie down” this year?  We chat about: Why some years are for sprinting, and others are for walking.The power of visual goal-setting.How to make goals human-sized, doable, and fun, without freaking yourself out.Here's a Good Ship permission slip to do your 2026 goal-setting in a way that works for your brain/energy-levels/life. Get your space on the 2026 planning party HERE: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/planningparty  Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

    25 min

  6. 12/12/2025

    You’ll Never Feel Ready. Do It Anyway. An interview with Good Shipper Amber Au.

    What a treat of an episode! Today we’re chatting with Good Shipper and picture book author–illustrator Amber Au. Amber talks about how drawing became part of her recovery from an eating disorder and how her therapist encouraged her to send her illustration work to her first ever client. Aaand how - in two whirlwind months - she was suddenly winning awards, signing a three-book deal, and being invited to meet editors at Bologna. Whaaa!? What a blimmin' brilliant reminder to do the things. Even when you don't feel "ready".  In this episode we cover: How Amber rediscovered drawing through her food diaryWhy starting with your local community can snowball into big opportunitiesHow to survive mixed feedback Competitions, and finding your peopleBeing a self-taught illustratorDiscipline, rest, and cultural expectationsPicture books, packaging, and branching out into multiple income streamsAmber's Bologna experience… including editors fangirling over her work (!)Rough Timestamps 00:00 – Introducing Amber and her illustration journey 01:00 – Awards, exhibitions, and feeling overwhelmed 02:00 – From nutritionist → illustrator → private tutor → illustrator again 03:00 – Using a food diary as a creative lifeline 04:00 – Getting encouraged to approach her first client 05:00 – Community, grassroots beginnings, and early work in Hong Kong 06:00 – Entering competitions and the door-opening magic that followed 07:00 – The leap from self-taught to picture book maker 08:00 – Finding a clear voice without formal training 09:00 – Discipline, rest, and the cultural pressure to always “do more” 10:00 – Blue Tomato beginnings 11:00 – Mixed reviews, conflicting opinions, and staying true to your vision 13:00 – Bologna meetings and signing with Little Tiger 15:00 – Knowing which advice is actually useful 17:00 – Copying as learning vs developing your own voice 18:00 – Style influences: Hong Kong comics, European picture books, texture, mark-making 19:00 – Procreate, iPad life, and her work habits 20:00 – Diversifying income: packaging, food illustration, prints 21:00 – New opportunities, restaurants, markets, and thinking strategically 22:00 – Picture books, nonfiction, and future plans 23:00 – Final encouragement: “You’ll never feel ready. Do it anyway.” Links & things mentioned Amber’s blog: The Pencil BakeryBologna Children’s Book Fair (We're going to be there in 2026 - we've booked a stand! Come and say hello if you're visiting Bologna.)Inkling AgencyLittle Tiger PressBlue Tomato (Amber’s upcoming book) p.s. We have a little rest at this time of year, so the podcast is having a rest too. We'll be back in January! 🎁 Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

    24 min

  7. 12/05/2025

    An interview with Lisa Congdon - consistency and finding your creative voice

    If you're an illustrator with access to the internet and you have eyeballs, you might've seen Lisa Congdon's work. Lisa started blogging her collections and illustrations back in the good ol' days, and even remembers Instagram back when it was good. (Remember that? It was nice, wasn't it?) In this episode, Katie asks Lisa about consistency and how to keep on keepin' on when the world is the way it is. We also meander through topics like ADHD, collections, comparison, agents - whether or not she has one - and last but not least, daily projects that change everythinggg. In this episode we cover: Ceramic mushroom collection 👀The “messy middle” bit of being an illustratorHow consistency has served her wellSurviving financially in the early yearsWhy not being a perfectionist was her secret super powerInstagram in 2025How to know when to work with an agentThe magical domino effect of following excitementSquishing comparison and staying in your own laneVery rough timestamps in case you want to skip to a certain bit 00:00 – Welcoming Lisa! How a decade of calendars sparked the consistency conversation 01:00 – Hyperfocus, collecting tigers, cycling five times a week, and going “all in” 02:30 – Early days: Etsy, commissions, pet portraits, and figuring out a style 04:00 – Most illustrators quit 05:30 – ADHD, Capricorn energy, and learning to be organised 07:00 – Posting imperfect work online and why it mattered 08:30 – Sharing finances, getting an agent, and diversifying income streams 10:00 – “A Collection A Day” and the power of daily projects 11:00 – Agents: when they help, when they don’t, and how pricing works 13:00 – The hardest job she’s ever done and how her agent stepped in 14:00 – Instagram then vs. Instagram now 16:00 – Why video doesn’t light her up 18:00 – The comparison trap (yes, even Lisa feels it!) 20:00 – Following your gut over the algorithm 21:00 – The daily project that led to a bestselling book 24:00 – Chronicle Books, chance encounters, and the magic of just...showing up!? 26:00 – The domino effect of doing what excites you 27:00 – Human Design chat 👀 28:00 – Byeee Lisa Links for this episode: Lisa Congdon: https://lisacongdon.comLisa's Books: https://www.chroniclebooks.comFollow Lisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacongdonCome and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

    28 min

  8. 11/28/2025

    How illustrator Jill Calder built a long-lasting creative career (without losing her voice)

    In this episode, our Tania chats with multi award-winning illustrator Jill Calder about 30+ years of illustration, and how she’s explored pretty much the entire “illustration atlas” without losing herself along the way. Stuff we cover: Staying recognisably Jill across 30+ years of illustrationMoving from editorial to corporate to heritage workBuilding a career with both illustration and hand letteringBig, bonkers corporate jobs (including handwriting as other people!)Making the leap into children’s books later in her careerThe reality of nonfiction vs fiction picture books (time, fees, and headspace)Colour palettes, maps and Google Earth “walks” for picture atlasesWorking with Jackie Kay on Coorie Doon and handling deeply emotional textBringing wild, playful colour to I Love You Every ColorKeeping energy and looseness in final artworkWhat Jill’s working on now – including a brand new picture book with Gecko PressRough Timestamps 00:00 – Tania introduces Jill and why she’s a Good Ship favourite 02:30 – Early days: art school, editorial work and the 90s newspaper scene 05:00 – “By chance, someone took a risk on me…” – moving into design & corporate jobs 07:30 – Becoming “the handwriting person” 11:30 – The wildest job ever 15:00 – Champagne, iPads and the very fancy side of ad agency work 16:30 – Exhibition days, analogue work and why looseness matters 18:00 – Stumbling into children’s nonfiction with Robert the Bruce 21:00 – Picture atlases, strict colour palettes and Google Earth walks 22:30 – Nonfiction vs fiction picture books – fees, length and workload 26:00 – Collaborating with Jackie Kay on Coorie Doon and illustrating big feelings 29:30 – I Love You Every Colour – an illustrator’s dream text 31:30 – Two very different books in one year: soft dreamland vs riot of colour 33:30 – Handling emotion, light and character across spreads 34:30 – New project: Cass and the Beast for Gecko Press 35:30 – Keeping rough energy in final artwork (and managing the stress of it!) 37:00 – Where Jill pops up inside Good Ship courses and Facebook groups Stuff we mentioned Jill Calder – illustration, lettering and booksFind Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag (Good Ship course)The Picture Book Course (Good Ship course)Robert the Bruce – nonfiction picture bookCoorie Doon – written by Jackie Kay, illustrated by Jill CalderI Love You Every Colour – written by Carolyn Rose, illustrated by Jill CalderUpcoming: Cass and the Beast – written by Clare Mabey, illustrated by Jill Calder (Gecko Press)Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙

    38 min
See All (97)

Trailer

5
out of 5
60 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Good Ship Illustration - the podcast for illustrators who are quietly working away in their sketchbooks thinking… “is it just me?” …it’s not just you! We’re Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell and Tania Willis - three full-time illustrators from three different corners of the industry (and three different age brackets ). We live in the same seaside town in the UK and started having cuppas and chats… and accidentally became illustration agony aunts. Now we record those chats for you! We answer your questions about confidence, tricky clients, pricing your work, creative block, picture books, publishing, and everything in between. ✨ New episodes every Friday. ✨ Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and do send us your questions! P.s. Fancy some freebies? Head to thegoodshipillustration.com for colour workshops, picture book templates, and other treats. Byeeee for now!  x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢🚢🚢

Information

  • Creator
    The Good Ship Illustration
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Good Ship Illustration
  • Show Website
    The Good Ship Illustration

You Might Also Like