Excited for this episode - Jason's work is exceptional!

Loved this episode. I, too, am really curious where AI Art goes in 2023. As we get into next year, I'd be really interested to hear how other artists are arming themselves as AI continues to improve. Because, at the end of the day, I agree, artists work will prevail (the example of ebooks is excellent). I just think we've got a bit of a rocky bit forward to get through first.

Keep up the great podcast work! Happy almost 2023 🙂

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Art by Analise Black

What’s better than a fancy degree? Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry discuss what it takes to succeed in illustration, how to balance your workload, and more in this episode.

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Art by Mag Takac

Should you start a Youtube channel? Is your digital art too perfect? How can you build confidence in your work? Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry address these questions and more in this live Q&A episode!

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Just watched this on Youtube and was blown away. One of the best interviews they've had with so much info for the independent artist. As an older artist/writer/creator/business woman who quit her corp job last year to make a Webcomic FT - this was so motivational. Next year is going to be full of balance and making this art business work for me! Roar!

@Jake-Parker Just for the record, I never skip over the intro to the podcast. My favorite part is when you guys mess up and get off topic. Please don't stop!!!

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Art by Jake Parker

What does it mean to be a successful artist? What should I work on next? Listen in as Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry examine these questions, plus making time for play and much more!

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@KellyMaldonadoArt totally fine to mention that. We talk about it a lot on the podcast too and probably link his info in the show notes as well.

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Art by Analise Black

“Help! I’m feeling burned out!” In this live Q&A episode, Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry share how to protect your job from AI, overcome burnout, start illustrating late in life, and so much more.

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Having different styles can work to your advantage if you work in-house, or if you have a solid freelance relationship with one company. I worked for over a decade licensing designs with a greeting card company. I loved it because it gave me the opportunity to try out all different styles. I didn’t have to stick to one style. Great podcast, btw. Varda. Https://www.vardaart.com

@babs Oh my gosh - thank you so much!! I will definitely listen to it again. 😀

And welcome!

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Art by Kim Rosenlof

Can I succeed without Photoshop? How do I balance all my projects? And how can I digitize my work for prints? Catch answers to all this and more with Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry.

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@Jake-Parker I’m only a third the way through this and it’s already been sooo insightful!

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Art by Analise Black

Join Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry for their first-ever live Q&A! From agent relationships to sketches to passive income, the guys answer your illustration questions on the spot!

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@Jake-Parker Amazing episode, as always:)
I’d have one comment on the book dummy, as I still have in fresh memory how I myself was stuck in the query tranches… and I can’t stress enough how important research is!
As everything, submitting your picture book dummy to potential agents or/and editors has its own rules and breaking them means you are probably new and you don’t take this job seriously enough to do the work and learn how this stuff is supposed to be done. Agents don’t like to see the whole book finished. They very much prefer seeing a proper book dummy, it tels them you are a professional and you know this business. (And even if you already have an established relation ship with your agent, it looks to me like they very much prefer to be involved sooner rather than later, the last MS I’ve sent to my agent were not really a full picture book dummy, just very rough sketches on every spread and my agent was pleased to see this before I move forward to make something more tight.)
The query it self should be done in a proper way - there’s plenty of resources online and the Sub It group on Facebook is much helpful too.
Lastly - do not get discouraged after few rejections. For some it may take even 100 queries before they land their perfect agent/editor. It only takes one yes! So do not be disappointed if you get some NOs along the way. 🙂
Good luck to everyone who’s looking for the perfect home for their picture book baby. ❤️

This was a delightful episode! Would love to see a live tutorial on his process maybe! Yes and bring him on as an instructor for SVS if it fits 🙂

I just want to say thanks to Will, Lee and Jake for responding to my message and giving me honest feedback in the podcast.

I agree with everything you said about my work and about my overall approach. I always strive to get better and I have been taking online classes at schoolism for the past few years. I am in this for the long haul and I'm going to continue to push myself no matter how difficult it gets.

I'm currently working as a graphic designer. it's not something I am crazy about but it's a steady paycheck and along with my wife's job we do okay for us and our 2 kids. Painting and illustration is something that I will continue to pursue and strive for because I know in my heart It's what I want to do.

I have to give some deep thought as to where I want to push myself in terms of what kind of illustration I want to pursue. I know you guys mentioned that you see a good deal of caricature in my portfolio and to be honest I am thinking of moving away from that direction and more towards something more story-driven.

It is wonderful to read through these other experiences and know that I am not the only one who feels this way in my life.

All the best,
Marc

I loved this episode. I think it's one of your best... but that might also be because I love the banter you guys get into over stuff that I have very similar opinions over (like the sports vs. comics/Star Wars).

The interviews with people are great, but I have missed the banter of the three of you together on those interview episodes.

I would like to hear more thoughts on finding your niche and really making it your own. I would love to just illustrate my own children's books, not really anything else. Is that a niche, or just a pipe dream?

@Jake-Parker very informative episode. I love Stephen Silver's energy. So much to learn. Very motivational

For those remain uncertain what NFTs are, this finance-focused video does a good job explaining it in layman's terms.
YouTube: Two Cents | What the Heck Is an NFT? (And Should I Buy One?)

If you and your colleagues want to get into the NFT market, it is best to do research on those who've succeeded. Take note how gatekeepers continue to push artwork similar to the Bored Apes series or Beeple's works.

This podcast interview with artist Fewocious can give a understanding on getting discovered in the NFT market. The quick takeaways from the interview is:

Build a cult of personality within a niche community. (In Fewocious' case it was a LGBT+ art group.) Get scouted by a NFT speculator (not dissimilar from getting scouted by an art buyer or art critic.)

There's too much focus on the financial implications of NFTs. The true value of a blockchain is the potential to replace legal paper documents and managing product distribution (the video explains this).

In the (near?) future, people who buy, commission, or resell art will want a digital Certificate of Authenticity. Customers can opt to buy a physical or digital product with a limited issued NFT at an additional price. This can be of value to those who are considering resale.