Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, author, and educator, Shadra Strickland about what led her to becoming a picture book maker—despite the naysayers; why realism in illustration is not an out-of-fashion style; what artists need to remember about being artists; and more. To learn more about Shadra, visit jumpin.shadrastrickland.com . Shadra has work on display from her book, Bird , in the “Imprinted: Illustrating Race” show at the Norman Rockwell Museum. To learn more, visit nrm.org . Arti...
Aug 09, 2022•47 min•Ep. 168
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Mike Lowery about how he managed to turn illustrating into a living; why drawing every day is a vital part of his life and work; what illustrators can learn from craft-makers; and more. To learn more about Mike, visit mikelowery.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: John Hendrix If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration , on Substack . Among other benefits, you w...
Aug 02, 2022•46 min•Ep. 167
Giuseppe Castellano talks to animation director, production designer, and illustrator, Chris Sasaki about how he found his way—in spite of multiple rejections—into the animation world; what he learned about character design from working at Pixar; why drawing in a sketchbook would be his ideal full-time job; and more. To learn more about Chris, visit Chris Sasaki . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Stephen Gammell , Chris Turnham , Bill Peet , Mary Blair , Carter Goodrich , and Peter de ...
Jul 26, 2022•54 min•Ep. 166
Giuseppe Castellano talks to best-selling illustrator and author, Eileen Christelow about her transition from being a photographer in the 1960’s, to becoming a best-selling children’s book maker; what illustrators (especially those in critique groups) can learn from Jim Giblin—Eileen’s long-time editor; what illustrators can do to improve (hint: it’s likely you’re already doing it); and more. To learn more about Eileen, visit christelow.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Henri Cart...
Jul 19, 2022•46 min•Ep. 165
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Felicita Sala about her early days as an illustrator; why illustrators need to find their “why”; what makes it so difficult to write good books for children; why being inconsistent with her picture book illustrations is fine by her; and more. To learn more about Felicita, visit felicitasala.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Gianluca Maruotti , Kitty Crowther , Beatrice Alemagna , Isabelle Arsenault , The Fan Brothers , Gianni Rodari , Ilon...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 164
Giuseppe Castellano talks to best-selling illustrator and author, Antoinette Portis, about how creative expression can help one navigate life’s hardest challenges; what Maurice Sendak meant when he told her that illustrators need to be “secret agents”; where we can find the ideas for our creative expression; and more. To learn more about Antoinette, visit antoinetteportis.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Marcel Duchamp , Rowboat Watkins , and Edward Koren If you find value in thi...
Jul 05, 2022•48 min•Ep. 163
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, designer, and educator, Eugenia Mello about what “draw what you know” means—and why it’s both good and frustrating advice; why she thinks the act of illustrating is like a dance; how illustrators are music makers, and why the music they make is as magical as anything; and more. To learn more about Eugenia, visit eugeniamello.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration ,...
Jun 28, 2022•53 min•Ep. 162
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Robyn Phillips-Pendleton—Professor of Visual Communications at the University of Delaware, and Interim Director for the MFA in Illustration Practice at Maryland Institute College of Art—about whether social media is bending the quality of today’s illustrations toward mediocrity; why introspection is a key component to being an illustrator; and more. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. You can listen to Part 1 here . To learn more about Robyn, visit rphillipspe...
Jun 21, 2022•25 min•Ep. 161
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Robyn Phillips-Pendleton— Professor of Visual Communications at the University of Delaware, and Interim Director for the MFA in Illustration Practice at Maryland Institute College of Art—about Illustration’s racist history; the power illustration has to heal… and to harm; and more. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Part 2 can be heard here . To learn more about Robyn, visit rphillipspendleton.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Jerry Pinkney , T...
Jun 14, 2022•39 min•Ep. 160
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Heidi and Ryan Sanchez, Art Agents and Cofounders of Spinning Yarn, about how they formed and (with a little help from Captain Kangaroo) named their agency; how they find clients for the illustrators they represent; what is and isn’t professional when emailing an illustration agent (spoiler alert: don’t use emojis); and more. To learn more about Spinning Yarn, visit spinningyarnreps.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our bes...
Jun 07, 2022•55 min•Ep. 159
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Charlie Moyler, Fiction Art Director at Little Tiger, about how her path to becoming an art director; and how making a little noise helped her get there. She answers questions from Patrons of the podcast on connecting with children’s book art directors, the importance of blogs, the professionalism of “DMing” art directors; and more. Charlie is @charliemoyler on Instagram. If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publica...
May 31, 2022•48 min•Ep. 158
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and author, Keith Henry Brown about how music has a played a vital role in both his life and art; what it means to feel entitled to your mistakes—and how that applies to creativity; and why we must embrace our individuality in the age of Comparison Culture. To learn more about Keith visit, keithhbrown.com . Keith mentioned liner note written by Bill Evans about the artistry of Miles Davis. You can read it here . Artists mentioned in this episode include: ...
May 24, 2022•51 min•Ep. 157
Giuseppe Castellano talks to picture book illustrator and author, Tom Lichtenheld about why and how he works in so many different styles; why not having enough time to draw or paint or write may not actually have anything to do with time; how illustrators can approach composition; what advice you should not follow from Mem Fox; and more. To learn more about Tom, visit tomlichtenheld.com . Tom created a comprehensive guide for illustrators and writers who are interested in children’s publishing. ...
May 17, 2022•41 min•Ep. 156
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Jacqueline Lipton, founding agent at Raven Quill Literary Agency, and faculty member at The University of Pittsburgh’s School of Law. Among other topics, she explains what copyright is and isn’t for creators; how artists can legitimately protect their work; why “fear of the law” shouldn’t stop one from being creative; and more. Jacqueline is closed to submissions. However, you can send your query to her… but only if you listen to this conversation. To learn more abou...
May 10, 2022•54 min•Ep. 155
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, author, and educator, Rivkah LaFille about the sequence of events that led her to becoming a graphic novel creator; why many illustrators find it difficult to believe in themselves and their work; three misconceptions people have about the creation of a graphic novel; and more. To learn more about Rivkah, visit rivkah.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration , on Sub...
May 03, 2022•54 min•Ep. 154
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Emma D. Dryden—founder of drydenbks, a children’s editorial and publishing consultancy—about what it was like to work alongside one of the great children’s book editors of all time, Margaret K. McElderry; what led Emma to forming drydenbks, after an illustrious career as an editor and publisher; why we should separate our job title from our identity; why you CAN write children’s books in rhyme; and more. To learn more about Emma and what she offers children”s book cr...
Apr 26, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 153
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, animator, director, and educator, Richard Borge about choosing a freelance life over something more (ostensibly) stable; why illustrators should embrace their work’s evolution; how to conceptualize an editorial illustration; why some great pieces of advice for illustrators aren’t that great; and more. To learn more about Richard, visit richardborge.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Scott Santoro , Ed Bedno , Matt Mahurin , and Mark Fredric...
Apr 20, 2022•43 min•Ep. 152
Giuseppe Castellano talks to New York Times Best-selling illustrator and author, and creator of Pinkalicious, Victoria Kann, about how Rolling Stone helped kickstart her illustration career; how a made-up disease led to her popular Pinkalicious franchise; why we shouldn’t have just one favorite color; what it means to fear success; and more. To learn more about Victoria, visit ilikeart.com If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes...
Apr 12, 2022•51 min•Ep. 151
This is our 150th Episode! To celebrate, Giuseppe Castellano has compiled short highlights from Episodes 101 to 149. If this is the first time you’ve listened to our podcast, you’ll hear from illustrators, agents, art directors, editors, publishers, and more. Through these 49 episodes, we covered a wide range of topics, including: best practices in building a portfolio and submitting it to art directors; the many varied paths our colleages have taken to find their illustration career; the power ...
Apr 05, 2022•29 min•Ep. 150
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Roz Chast, long-time cartoonist for The New Yorker, about the early days of her fifty-year career; what tricks she uses to work through anxiety and artist’s block; what Helen Hokinson and other women cartoonists throughout history have meant to Roz; and more. To learn more about Roz, visit rozchast.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Lynda Barry , Sam Gross , Jules Feiffer, Stan Mack , Mark Alan Stamaty , Ethel Plummer , Mary Petty , Ilonka Karasz , Hele...
Mar 29, 2022•42 min•Ep. 149
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Arsh Raziuddin, Creative Director at Bon Appétit and Epicurious, about her career in editorial design and art direction; what experiences she’s had as an art director at The Atlantic and The New York Times; what she looks for in an illustrator’s portfolio; why we’ll be seeing more illustrations in Bon Appétit; and more. To learn more about Arsh, visit arshraziuddin.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publicat...
Mar 22, 2022•40 min•Ep. 148
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Kat Irranejad—Co-Founder and Executive Agent at Snyder—about work ethic and entrepreneurship through the lens of being a First Generation American; how illustrators can use Instagram in a healthy, productive way; why we need to be our first, best advocate; and more. To learn more about Kat and Snyder, visit wearesnyder.com . Kat wrote a blog post about the intersection of Instagram and Commercial Art. Read it here . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Kelli An...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 147
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Greg Foley—illustrator, writer, designer, and all-around creator—about how studying fashion design at the Rhode Island School of Design led him down many varied creative paths; how Greg’s picture book, Thank You Bear, inadvertently and perfectly describes the picture book submission process; how we can achieve simplicity and authenticity with the work we create; and more. To learn more about Greg, visit gregfoley.co . If you find value in this podcast, you can suppor...
Mar 08, 2022•54 min•Ep. 146
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Nicole Tugeau, Agent and Founder of Tugeau 2 (also known as T2) about the founding of her agency; what she looks for in an illustrator’s submission (hint, don’t stress about your submission letter); what mistakes to avoid when submitting your portfolio or picture book dummy to agents; how she parts ways with illustrators; what doing “spec work” really looks like; and more. To learn more about Nicole and her agency, visit tugeau2.com . If you find value in this podcas...
Mar 01, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 145
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Maria Modugno, Executive Editorial Director at Random House Studio, about how Tomie dePaola taught her to become an editor; what the acquisition process is like for a children’s book; why debut children’s book creators need to learn about marketing—STAT; what Maria looks for in illustrations; and more. You can find Maria on LinkedIn . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Jane Dyer , Tomie DePaola , Holly Hobbie , Rob Scotton , Victoria Kann , Brigette Barrager,...
Feb 22, 2022•51 min•Ep. 144
Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator and writer, Judy Schachner, about how having an imagination saved her life—especially during a difficult childhood; why her first steps as an author included lying to editors; what the late, great Anna Dewdney meant to her; and more. To learn more about Judy, visit judithbyronschachner.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Arthur Rackham , Calvin Burnett , Ed Emberley , Alice and Martin Provensen , Aubrey Beardsley, Carl Larsson, ...
Feb 15, 2022•58 min•Ep. 143
Giuseppe Castellano talks to best-selling illustrator and author, Barbara McClintock, about how Maurice Sendak—literally—helped her begin her children’s book career (including portfolio advice every illustrator should follow); why starting any creative project is the hardest hurdle to jump; how illustrators can process rejections in a positive way; and more. To learn more about Barbara, visit barbaramcclintockbooks.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Maurice Sendak , Albrecht Dürer ...
Feb 08, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 142
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and comic book artist, Patrick Spaziante, about his career—from his early days at Archie Comics to becoming what Sonic the Hedgehog fans call “the legendary Spaz”; what lessons he’s learned from being a life-long copy artist; what illustrators can do if they don’t like any of the work they create; and more. As discussed in this episode, Patrick is one of the few artists who can have a career and not be online. You can learn more about him on his Wikipedia...
Feb 01, 2022•59 min•Ep. 141
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Kellee Riley, about how she became a copy artist for Holly Hobby, Dora the Explorer, and other properties; what a copy artist is, and why it deserves more respect from the illustration community; how having just a little bit of confidence—no matter what kind of art you create—can go a long way; and more. To learn more about Kellee, visit kelleeriley.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Pernille Ørum , Loish van Baarle , Ross Tran , and Brian ...
Jan 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 140
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Olivia Verdugo, Art Director at The Barnes Foundation about her role at the Barnes, and the circuitous route she took to get there; what illustrators can learn from Dr. Barnes’ idiosyncratic, holistic approach to art collection; why graphic designers are both poets and engineers; what five guiding principles helped Olivia find her creative path; and more. To learn more about Olivia, visit oliviasverdugo.design . To learn more about The Barnes Foundation, visit barnes...
Jan 18, 2022•50 min•Ep. 139
