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.

HOW TO SUPPORT

Thank you for listening/watching!

01 — Share this episode/podcast with a friend.

This is the single most effective way to help grow this podcast.

02 — Support me on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomfroese

• $8 Drawing Buddies gain exclusive access to my monthly Draw With Me meetups.
• Join for as low as $3 to get 20% off my 1-on-1 coaching sessions

03 – Take my Skillshare classes!

• Visit http://tomfroese.com/teaching to find links to all my classes. Use these links and get 30 days of free membership on Skillshare!

04 – Subscribe to my Substack Newsletter

• Never miss an important update. Sign up at https://mrtomfroese.substack.com

IN THIS EPISODE

• Episode intro
• Thanks/How to Support
• Updates
  1. Skillshare Referral Drive Update (Thanks for showing up for me!)
  2. Response to Episode 30 in Designer Sketches: Learning to Speak Machine with John Maeda
• 10 Things I Did to Get my Illustration Career Off the Ground
  • Tip 1 - Start as a designer
  • Tip 2 - Make everything about illustration
  • Tip 3 - Make mistakes
  • Tip 4 - Start it on the side
  • Tip 5 - Start local
  • Tip 6 - Submit work to blogs, collections and awards
  • Tip 7 - Have a daily project that you share
  • Tip 8 - Invest in special self-promotion
  • Tip 9 - Get an agent (when you are ready)
  • Tip 10 - Pay attention to what others say about you
• Conclusion
  • Plant seeds now, that's the only way you'll see growth later
  • Don't listen to the bad stuff people say, embrace only the positive
• Outro

EPISODE LINKS

Learning How to Speak Machine with John Maeda — https://designersketches.substack.com/p/learning-how-to-speak-machine-with

PODCAST TEAM/CREDITS

Mark Allan Falk, Audio/Video Engineer
https://linktr.ee/semiathletic

All Music, including Theme Song and Cues by Mark Allan Falk.

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

www.tomfroese.com

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.

HOW TO SUPPORT

Thank you for listening/watching!

01 — Share this episode/podcast with a friend.

This is the single most effective way to help grow this podcast.

02 — Support me on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomfroese

• $8 Drawing Buddies gain exclusive access to my monthly Draw With Me meetups.
• Join for as low as $3 to get 20% off my 1-on-1 coaching sessions

03 – Take my Skillshare classes!

• Visit http://tomfroese.com/teaching to find links to all my classes. Use these links and get 30 days of free membership on Skillshare!

04 – Subscribe to my Substack Newsletter

• Never miss an important update. Sign up at https://mrtomfroese.substack.com

EPISODE LINKS

• The original Threads Post - https://www.threads.net/@mrtomfroese/post/C5T2uL6PEj2
• The Six Stages of Illustration (Skillshare Class) - https://skl.sh/4cCTxEH

PODCAST TEAM/CREDITS

Mark Allan Falk, Audio/Video Engineer
https://linktr.ee/semiathletic

All Music, including Theme Song and Cues by Mark Allan Falk.

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

www.tomfroese.com

Discover Your Illustration Voice in The Style Class - https://skl.sh/3S6PCF1 — Use this link to get 30 days free on Skillshare

Is the AI Illustration Apocalypse Here, and is it going to take all our jobs away? In this episode, I'm going to share my thoughts on how AI is affecting the illustration industry today and how it might affect us in the future. I go a bit dark in this one but stick with me, in end I share 3 reasons I’m holding on to hope as an illustrator. In the very end, I offer one main thing that you can ALWAYS rely on to be your true value, both to yourself and to whoever you work with.

HOW TO SUPPORT

Thank you for listening/watching!

01 — Share this episode/podcast with a friend.

This is the single most effective way to help grow this podcast.

02 — Support me on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomfroese

• $8 Drawing Buddies gain exclusive access to my monthly Draw With Me meetups.
• Join for as low as $3 to get 20% off my 1-on-1 coaching sessions

03 – Take my Skillshare classes!

• Visit http://tomfroese.com/teaching to find links to all my classes. Use these links and get 30 days of free membership on Skillshare!

04 – Subscribe to my Substack Newsletter

• Never miss an important update. Sign up at https://mrtomfroese.substack.com

SKILLSHARE CLASSES MENTIONED

Now's a great time to finally check out Skillshare while supporting this podcast in a major way!. Get 30 days free membership with these links.

• Try LUCY LAMBRIEX's class, Peculiar Prompts for All-Round Creatives: Gain Confidence & Find Your Flow - https://skl.sh/4a40tJb
• Take Tom's class — The Style Class: Work Out Your Illustration Style in a Daily Project - https://skl.sh/3TLdkeh

SHOW LINKS

• Open AI Illustration in United Airlines magazine - https://www.threads.net/@taxali/post/C4v6oMMvq5E
• Luddites on Wikipedia- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite
• Luddites have been getting a bad rap for 200 years. But, turns out, they were right (article on Quartz) - https://qz.com/968692/luddites-have-been-getting-a-bad-rap-for-200-years-but-turns-out-they-were-right

PODCAST TEAM/CREDITS

Mark Allan Falk, Audio/Video Engineer
https://linktr.ee/semiathletic

All Music, including Theme Song and Cues by Mark Allan Falk.

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

www.tomfroese.com