Eliminate time-wasting decisions by discovering your style! Learn more in The Style Class on Skillshare. https://skl.sh/4cFnIej — Use my link to get 30 days of free Skillshare membership. Decision Paralysis — or as some call it, Analysis Paralysis — is the experience of getting stuck on some kind of decision. It could be a big decision, or something very minor, but even the tiniest option can get us spinning our tires for hours or even days! If you struggle to make any kind of decisions, even so...
Apr 06, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 51
With apologies! Stay tuned for Episode 51 — coming no later than April 8, 2025.
Apr 01, 2025•1 min
Working with Editorial Art Directors with Mike Schnaidt Learn how to make Clever Conceptual Illustrations in my new Skillshare class, Drawing Ideas — https://skl.sh/40dk9rK Mike Schnaidt is the Creative Director at Fast Company, an Adjunct Professor at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), and author of Creative Endurance: 56 Rules for Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Your Goals. I picked Mike’s brain about all things Editorial Illustration, and invited him to share some deep insights on how to sta...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 3Ep. 50
Take Composition for Illustrators on Skillshare. Learn how composition works on last year’s 2nd most-watched class! Use my link to get 30 days of free Skillshare membership. — https://skl.sh/3vtU3Ep In this episode, I share 5 tips to help you maximize your earnings and your joy in turbulent times as an illustrator. IN THIS EPISODE What it means to diversify your definition of illustration A guaranteed way to stand out to art directors Tips for maximizing the impact of your portfolio Overcoming c...
Mar 03, 2025•57 min•Season 3Ep. 49
Take "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK (Use my link to get 30 days free). Today I answer the question, “How did you approach getting representation and landing your first editorial clients?” Thanks to @sipcozyart on Threads for the question! IN THIS EPISODE How do you know when you’re ready to reach out to a rep? What do you say to an agent when you’re reaching out? What is an illustration rep/agent, and w...
Feb 18, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 48
Take "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK (Use my link to get 30 days free). Jess Miller is a designer, illustrator and educator based in LA. She joins me to share her story of losing everything in the Eton fire and how her community, near and far, are rallying to support her as she starts her life all over again. IN THIS EPISODE Using social media as a life-line "Dead inside" — Why going back to ...
Feb 04, 2025•57 min•Season 3Ep. 47
Take "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK (Use my link to get 30 days free). In this episode I share my income sources in 2024, and how much of my overall earnings I took in for each one. I look into whether I'm the only illustrator who earns most of their living from outside of illustration. I'll share some helpful tips for anyone hoping to find new income sources in 2025. IN THIS EPISODE Is it possi...
Jan 21, 2025•54 min•Season 3Ep. 46
Take "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK (Use my link to get 30 days free). In this episode I reflect on the last trip around the sun and make some bold predictions for 2025. Be warned, I went commando in this episode — no script, no idea of how the show would go — but I think I pulled off a meaningful, if not personable, episode. (I'm speaking figuratively — I was wearing underpants, and pants, the whole time). Enjoy...
Jan 07, 2025•50 min•Season 3Ep. 45
Kyle Webster is arguably the most influential person in digital illustration brushes, period. He started making Photoshop brushes a long time ago, leading to Adobe's acquisition of his brushes and his talent in 2017. In 2024, Kyle left Adobe and joined Procreate in very close succession. I wanted to catch up with Kyle and let him explain what happened, in his own words. IN THIS EPISODE Why did Kyle leave Adobe? What does Kyle think of Procreate compared to Adobe's Fresco and Photoshop? Making br...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 44
"An artwork is never finished, only abandoned." This is apparently a quote from Leonardo Da Vinci. If one of the greatest artists of all time had trouble knowing when his work was finished, then it's no wonder the rest of us do as well. In this episode, I share some ideas on what it means to complete a work, how to know when you should call it done, and if that's not possible, how to responsibly abandon it. At the end I share some important news about the future of the podcast. IN THIS EPISODE A...
Dec 10, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 43
In the age of AI, it's time to double down on being a human. That means things like bringing more hand-influenced spontaneity into, and embracing analogue processes in, your art. In this episode I share how I'm doing this in my own practice and how it's bringing me more joy and even creating new opportunities for me. By listening to this episode, you'll learn how to embrace your own humanity to re-spark your joy and feel more connected in your everyday practice as an illustrator.
Nov 26, 2024•27 min
Learn how to be more consistent in your client work — Take The Six Stages of Illustration on Skillshare today: https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/the-six-stages-of-illustration (Get 30 days free on Skillshare with my links). Consistency is Key. You've heard this before, but what does it mean? Throughout my career, consistency has been key to my success. This has been true both in my habits and in what my work looks like. Most importantly, it's been important in having any sense of focus at all. ...
Nov 12, 2024•42 min
Today's scheduled epsiode (Episode 41) will be postponed until next week. Stay kind!
Nov 05, 2024•1 min
In this episode I chat with James Hughes about his new book, The Illustrator's Guide, a comprehensive, motivational handbook for artists trying to break into the freelance illustration market. James is an agent at Folio Illustration and Animation Agency, representing some 60 illustrators around the world. Taking advice from James means learning from someone who sits at the front lines of both illustrators and the clients who hire them every day.
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Develop a Drawing Habit in 30 Days. Take my class, Drawing Is Important – https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/drawing-is-important. Use my links to get 30 days free on Skillshare. In this episode of My Thoughts on Illustration, I dive deep into my recent experience with a style crisis and how I turned to a daily drawing challenge to reignite my creativity.
Oct 08, 2024•40 min
Skillshare class promo link In this episode I talk with lettering artist Martina Flor. Martina started as a designer in Argentina, but she soon discovered the joy of hand lettering. From there she built a successful career as a lettering artist, which has now become a small empire of inspiring work, masterclasses, coaching groups, books, and even a podcast. Of course, she couldn’t do all of this on her own. She’s built an entire team around her so she can focus more on doing what she loves most,...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 53 min
Take Drawing is Important on Skillshare — https://skl.sh/3UWWY00 — Use my link to get 30 free days on the platform! Just like saving money in the bank, your drawings can gain interest over time. In this episode I explain how this works, and I share how this principle has yielded both creative and financial rewards in my own life. I open up the episode with some recap from the summer! In the end you’ll learn how to set your daily drawing practice up for success with my 5-step plan. Happy to be ba...
Sep 10, 2024•34 min
Take Inky Maps (Procreate Edition): Illustrate an Analog-inspired Map on Your iPad — Use my link to get 30 days free! — https://skl.sh/3Swd9SK I'm just dropping this bonus episode to say hi, I miss you, and I will be back at it in September. There will be some changes around here, and I talk about what those are. Also, please don't miss my new class on Skillshare, Inky Maps (Procreate Edition).
Aug 07, 2024•18 min
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 Skillsha...
Jun 18, 2024•1 hr 22 min
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 “tradit...
Jun 04, 2024•1 hr 32 min
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.
May 21, 2024•54 min
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...
May 07, 2024•1 hr 1 min
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 f...
Apr 23, 2024•31 min
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 ...
Apr 09, 2024•1 hr 12 min
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 ma...
Mar 26, 2024•38 min
Andy J. Pizza is a New York Times best-selling illustrator and author, and host of the Creative Pep Talk podcast. Today he joins me for a deep-dishy dive into all things illustration and creativity, especially where he and I share a lot of common ground. Along the way, we talk about such topics as the myth of the Inspired Artist, his message of adopting a more positive self-psychology, the balance of inspiration and craft in creative work, and even why he thinks full-blown therapy should be a pa...
Mar 12, 2024•2 hr 16 min
This is Part 2/2 of my conversation with Kyle T. Webster, which we started in the previous episode (Episode 27). Today we pick up where we left off, with Kyle’s advice for those asking if they should have one style or many, how his background in traditional art skills informs his digital brushes, and he even has a word for artists who might be afraid of how AI will affect the value of their work.
Feb 27, 2024•1 hr 2 min
I'm excited to share with you part 1 of a 2-part conversation I had with illustrator and pioneering digital brush-maker, Kyle T. Webster. Kyle is the guy behind the many, many digital illustration brushes (2,400 and counting) that come bundled with Adobe Photoshop and Fresco. In this episode we talk about his beginnings as an aspiring illustrator many years ago, and how he slowly but steadily built up a small empire around his digital brushes — which have no doubt shaped the world of digital ill...
Feb 13, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Support the Thoughts on Illustration Podcast at http://patreon.com/tomfroese In this first official interview episode on Thoughts on Illustration, Adam Ming shares his thoughts on becoming a successful kids book illustrator in his late thirties and early 40s. Adam is quickly becoming an accomplished picture book illustrator, and along the way, he's sharing his insights and inspiration on his Substack, apty called The Ten Minute illustrator. He's also a co-founder of ILLOGUILD, a community of pic...
Jan 30, 2024•1 hr 22 min
Support the Thoughts on Illustration Podcast at http://patreon.com/tomfroese Have you hit a dead end with your work? Are you bored of your style? Or maybe, like me, you feel even worse about the art you've been making lately? This past year has brought a few blows to my professional and personal creativity, and at the end of 2023, I was feeling pretty crappy about my own work. I've come to this point many times in my career, and usually I just shrug it off and keep going. But this time was diffe...
Jan 16, 2024•34 min
