The Illustration Department Podcast

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Jason Chatfield, Cartoonist, Comedian, and President of the National Cartoonists’ Society, about what illustrators can learn from Jason’s multi-hat-wearing ways; how comedians and cartoonists are cut from the same cloth; how illustrators are not alone in the fight against art theft from AI-image generators; and more. To learn more about Jason, visit jasonchatfield.com...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Frances Soo Ping Chow, VP & Creative Director for Running Press and Black Dog & Leventhal, about her role and her time at Running Press; what words illustrators should never use when submitting portfolios to art directors; why illustrators should focus less on style, and more on quality; and more. To learn more about Running Press, visit runningpress.com . You...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Kerry Martin, Creative Director of Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink. Kerry answers questions from Patrons of the podcast on submitting picture book dummies; what good habits she thinks illustrators should have; what catches her attention when she looks at portfolios; and more. They also discuss what might be the worst piece of advice for illustrators. You can fo...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to author, illustrator, creative director, and executive director of Illustration Institute, Scott Nash about welcoming discomfort and change into one’s creative practice; who’s to blame for the general public’s ignorance of illustration; why you should know who Dahlov Ipcar, Barbara Cooney, and other great illustrators are from the great state of Maine; and more. To lear...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Cathy Olmedillas, founder of Anorak and Dot Magazines, about the early days of her career as a children’s magazine publisher; why respecting readers and paying illustrators seem to be novel business models in the children’s magazine world; why you should start an illustration career, or a podcast, or a magazine, with joy; and more. To learn more about Cathy and her hap...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to author, former New York Times art director of the Op-Ed page and Book Review, and co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer as Entrepreneur program, Steven Heller. Steven talks about the early years of his career at the New York Times, and why the word “legacy” is on his mind; what he was looking for in an illustrator’s portfolio—beyond their ability to draw and paint; why he w...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, character designer, and “brushmancer”, Max Ulichney about the importance of studying from your favorite artists’ favorite artists; why not having a stylistic home-base may not be a bad thing; how he designs (and how you should use) his MaxPacks brushes; and more. To learn more about Max, visit maxulichney.com . If you find value in this podcast, consider b...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and educator, C.F. Payne about the early years of his illustration career, and how a frustrating portfolio review became a turning point; why he defines illustration as “art done under the circumstances”; why “get good” is the best piece of advice illustrators will ever hear; and more. To learn more about C.F., visit cfpayne.com . Artists mentioned in this...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and author, Bryan Collier about how he dealt with years of rejection and coded racism from publishers; why he thinks there is “no landing place for an illustrator”; what it means to be a “dream walker”; and more. To learn more about Bryan, visit bryancollier.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Ezra Jack Keats , Crockett Johnson , Ernie Barnes ,...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Aram Kim, Art Director at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, about how she manages her creative duality as both art director and illustrator/author; what it feels like when a book you art direct (not illustrate) wins a Caldecott; why illustrators don’t need to know what she looks for in portfolios; and more. To learn more about Aram, visit aramkim.com . If you find...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Charlie Bowden, agent and founder of Pickled Ink about the founding of her illustration agency; how illustrators should negotiate fees with clients; what it means to be a friendly agent; and more. To learn more about Charlie and Pickled Ink, visit pickledink.com . If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack , or a supporter on Pat...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Tracy van Straaten, Founder and President of TvS Media Group, about the difference between marketing and publicity in children’s publishing; what illustrators and writers should realistically expect from marketing and publicity departments; why the pre-order window is important when it comes to the life or death of a book; and more. To learn more about Tracy and TvS Me...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and author, Steve Light about the early years of Steve’s illustration career; why drawing should be like breathing; what it means to be a stylophile; why a little bit of tenacity can take us a long way toward our goals; and more. To learn more about Steve, visit stevelightart.com . Steve’s favorite pen is a Montblanc 149 . He also recommends the “fude” nib....

Giuseppe Castellano talks to multi-award-winning illustrator, R. Gregory Christie about how his illustration career got its start with the help of a local dance club; why illustrators would do well to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset; what Greg’s three keys are to making it as an illustrator; and more. To learn more about Greg, visit: rgregorychristie.com Artists mentioned in this episode include:...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to organizers and artists involved with the first annual Kennett Square Arts Festival, in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The organizers explain why proceeds from the fair are needed to support a new library, and how libraries are funded. The artists share their experiences with exhibiting at festivals and fairs; why collecting emails from attendees is of utmost importance;...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to artist and writer, Shaun Tan about his new book, Creature: Paintings, Drawings, and Reflections—and what he learned from compiling twenty-six years worth of his work; how illustrators can avoid falling into the rabbit hole of self-imitation; why having fun might be the best guide for any artist’s creative journey; and more. To learn more about Shaun, visit: shauntan.ne...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Anna Goodson,  President & Founder of Anna Goodson Illustration Agency, about why—“post-COVID”—her illustration agency is busier than ever; how an illustrator should build their portfolio; whether social media is truly a necessary marketing tool for illustrators; and more. To learn more about Anna and her agency, visit agoodson.com . This is Anna’s second appearanc...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to the attendees of The Illustration Department’s Illustrators’ Day in this “campfire” episode. Recorded on September 24, 2022, the attendees explain why they chose illustration as a profession; why authors should never say “my illustrator” (with help from illustration collector and author, Roger Reed); what frustrates them most about being an illustrator; and more. The s...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Corey Peterschmidt, Book Art and Design Manager at Blizzard, about what they look for in illustrators’ portfolios, and why they say there’s magic in fan art; how trauma can split you into more than one person; what has helped them work and live with Depression (including the healing power of illustration); and more. Corey’s Instagram handle is @bcpeterschmidt . If you...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and author, Loren Long about the early days of his illustration career, and why being a children’s book illustrator was not part of the plan; how he paints with color blindness; why he feels like he’s still trying to figure things out with his art; and more. To learn more about Loren, visit lorenlong.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Frederic...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to artist, author, and educator, Alice A. Carter about the life and love of Red Rose Girls—Jessie Willcox Smith, Elizabeth Shippen Green, Violet Oakley, and Elizabeth Cozens—and the scandal that broke them apart; why there’s been a disparity between women and men in the illustration Hall of Fame; why it’s important to view contemporary illustration through an historical l...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustration agent and founder of Alan Lynch Artists, Alan Lynch about what has and hasn’t changed in illustration during his 30-year career as an agent; how conversations about AI-generated imagery sound very familiar (and why that might be good news for illustrators); how agents have a negative reputation, and why it’s unfair “for the most part”; and more. To learn m...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, author, and visual literacy advocate, Ed Vere about growing up with Jan Michał Pieńkowski—and the life-lessons Jan imparted upon him; why it is so important to teach visual literacy to teachers; why “supposed to” should not be part of any creative process; and more. To learn more about Ed, visit edvere.com . To learn more about The Power of Pictures , visi...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Melissa Castrillón about how she went from being “pretty bad” at approaching publishers to becoming a full-time illustrator; what her approach is with character design, color, and negative space; how—through limitation—illustrators can find freedom with their creativity; and more. To learn more about Melissa, visit melissacastrillon.co.uk . If you find val...

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Mumtaz Mustafa—Senior Art Director for William Morrow, Harvest Books, and Mariner Books at HarperCollins—about how she oversees and art directs hundreds of books a year; what the four main steps are when designing a book cover (and why they’re judged, often harshly, within Publishing); how illustrators can get her attention; and more. To learn more about Mumtaz, visit...