The Illustration Department Podcast

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Matt Curtius, illustrator at Gina and Matt, and educator at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, about how he and his wife, Gina Triplett, make art together; what it means to work within creative boundaries; what the benefit is of an active practice of making; and more. To learn more about Matt, visit  ginaandmatt.studio . Artists mentioned in this episode include...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to literary agent and founder of Heirloom Literary and Media, Elena Giovinazzo, about publishing’s waiting game; why it’s normal for us to feel “self-I don’t know”; how illustrators can avoid getting buried in the querying trenches; and more. To learn more about Elena and Heirloom, visit heirloomliterary.com . Photograph © Joanna Maguire If you find value in this podcast,...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to New York Times best-selling author, cartoonist, and educator, Bob Eckstein, about why we shouldn’t be “open” to AI; how an artist can know when their work of art is done; why Bob wants illustrators to worry less; and more. To learn more about Bob, visit bobeckstein.com . Find Bob on Substack . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Maira Kalman, Steve Brodner, Sam...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, caricaturist, journalist, author, educator, lecturer, and political commentator, Steve Brodner, about the alchemy of illustration; what he looks for in a portrait; who illustrators should really listen to; and more. To learn more about Steve, visit stevebrodner.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Peter Kuper, Andrea Arroyo, Brad Holland, Greg...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Mariam Quraishi, Senior Designer at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, about how she works with illustrators. She also answers questions from listeners about the efficacy of postcards, querying agents, and more. To learn more about Mariam, visit mariamquraishi.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Matthew Forsythe, Kelly Murphy If you find value in this...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator, artist, designer, and writer, Maira Kalman, about navigating life’s inconsistencies; how we can stay centered and grounded creatively; what the most important thing is about being an illustrator; and more. To learn more about Maira, visit mairakalman.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Beatrix Potter, Remy Charlip, Maurice Sendak...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to renowned children’s book illustrator, Axel Scheffler, about the deep, dark mistake he made with The Gruffalo ; what he thinks about his “imperfect” art style; why he prefers to be called a family book creator; and more. To learn more about Axel, visit axelscheffler.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Posy Simmonds, Jean-Jacques Sempé, Tomi Ungerer, Judith...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and fine artist, Michael Deas, about his early years as an illustrator; how he created “The Torch Lady” for Columbia Pictures; why he doesn’t look back on his long career; and more. To learn more about Michael, visit michaeldeas.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Ted Lewin, Betsy Lewin, Herbert Tauss If you find value in this podcast, consider...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator, and distinguished educator, Robert Hunt, about why illustrators should embrace “woodshedding”; how he created the DreamWorks logo; what the great Kazuhiko Sano meant to him, and to the illustration world at large; and more. To learn more about Robert, visit roberthuntstudio.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: John Singer Sargent,...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to writer and (sneaky) artist, Nishant Jain, about why it’s okay for artists to say, “I am a creative”; how we can break free of social media prison; why one’s creative practice is like an infinite game; and more. To learn more about Nishant, visit sneakyartist.com . Books mentioned in this episode include: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction and On Phot...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Amanda Burdan, Senior Curator at The Brandywine Museum of Art, about N.C. Wyeth’s early life; what led to the restoration and permanent exhibition of Wyeth’s The Apotheosis of the Family ; what today’s illustrators can do for tomorrow’s curators; and more. To learn more about the Brandywine, visit brandywine.org . For tours and the mural experience, visit brandywine.or...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and storyteller, Fahmida Azim, about where and how illustrators can find validation; why a creative’s self-worth should not come from their work; what illustration really is; and more. To learn more about Fahmida, visit fahmida-azim.com . If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack , or a supporter on Patreon . On eith...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, artist, and author, Emma Carlisle, about how an illustration practice can be a bit of a whirlwind; why some illustration advice is infantilzing; why finding joy in your art is more important than it sounds; and more. To learn more about Emma, visit emmacarlisle.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: London Ladd, Helen Stephens, Beth Spencer If yo...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, artist, and educator, London Ladd, about why he thinks “style” is a four-letter word; what and who helped him stay on his feet; how to keep going in life and art; and more. To learn more about London, visit londonladd.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Mark English, Kazuhiko Sano, James Ransome, Romare Bearden, Ezra Jack Keats, Jerry Pinkney,...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, author, and son of Patricia and Richard Scarry, Huck Scarry, about his father’s life and artistic process; how he approached Busytown—from color palettes to car accidents; what his advice would be for illustrators today; and more. To learn more about Richard Scarry, visit richardscarry.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Stan Berenstain, Dr. S...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Illustrator and author, Henry Cole, about the early years of his long career; what he experienced with the banning of And Tango Makes Three ; how (and how not) to learn from artistic influences; and more. To learn more about Henry, visit henrycole.net . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Steven Kellogg, John James Audubon, Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, John Sing...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to educator, author, and graphic medicine cartoonist, Kriota Willberg, about why she felt the need to write Draw Stronger: Self-Care for Cartoonists and Other Visual Artists ; how artists can take care of their bodies, and why they don’t; and more. To learn more about Kriota, visit KriotaWelt.blogspot.com . If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subsc...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Martina Flor, award-winning lettering artist, author, and educator, about why creatives need to embrace self-promotion; what it means to be a letter designer; what it takes to be an artistic entrepreneur; and more. To learn more about Martina, visit martinaflor.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Lisa Congdon, Jessica Hische, and Malika Favre If you find v...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Véronique Sweet, Art Director for Crown Picture Books and Little Golden Books at Penguin Random House, about what she looks for in an illustrator’s portfolio; how Little Golden Books aren’t just for little readers; what it means for illustrators to be storytellers; and more. Véronique’s email address vsweet@penguinrandomhouse.com. Artists mentioned in this episode incl...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Vanessa Robles, Director of Production for Penguin Young Readers, about a production team’s role in bringing a book to life; why the number sixteen is important in book production; why we all need to put more respect on Production’s name; and more. Vanessa can be found on LinkedIn . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Judy Schachner If you find value in this pod...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Whitney Sherman, illustrator, designer, and founding director of the MFA in Illustration Practice program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, about how she began her distinguished career as an educator; what it takes to survive a creative practice; why artists, of any discipline, should not be afraid of failure; and more. To learn more about Whitney, visit whitne...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, writer, and creator of Introvert Drawing Club on Substack, Beth Spencer, about what she’s learned from Introvert Drawing Club; why we should always use human intelligence when creating art; how illustrators don’t need much to do what they want; and more. To learn more about Beth, visit bethspencerillustration.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to renowned designer and art director, Paul Buckley, about what it takes to be a good art director; why illustrators and designers should aim for distinction; how depression and creativity correlate; and more. To learn more about Paul, visit paulbuckleydesign.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Jim Tierney and Sara Wood If you find value in this podcast, cons...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to author, illustrator, and character designer, Matthew Forsythe, about the many forms a picture book can take—from morality books to “fantastic binomials”; how to make sense of color; how to like your creative work; and more. To learn more about Matthew, visit comingupforair.net . As was discussed in this episode, here is an article about Gianni Rodari’s concept of the “...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Maria Middleton, Senior Art Director at Candlewick Press, about the role of an art director within the collaborative inner-workings of children’s publishing; what she looks for in illustrators; why illustrators should make work that makes them happy; and more. To learn more about Maria, visit mariamiddleton.com . To send Maria your illustration portfolio, email her at...