Art by Analise Black
In this episode, Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry share strategies for reaching your goals, from growing an email list to improving your shading to finally landing an agent.
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SHOW LINKS
CLASS: Light and Shadow for Illustrators
ConvertKit
Mailchimp
Substack
@allysaadamsillustration
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Beginners draw simply; intermediates render complexity; masters see the complexity and simplify deliberately.
The more detailed your subject is, the less you should complicate it with highlights and shadows.
Add value to your followers. Give them something they want and they’ll line up to support you.
Not getting work doesn’t necessarily mean your style is bad; sometimes you only need to tweak a thing or two to help your art shine.
QUESTIONS
Joe asks, “Recently I’ve become enamored of French and Belgian comics makers. These folks are in a league of their own; how did they get there and how can I emulate them?”
European culture values beauty, so children there may receive more exposure to quality art at a young age, informing their taste. Perhaps they also have more access to good artistic training. If we take any lesson from this, let’s give our kids the resources to foster their creativity!
Giorgos asks, “How do I grow my email list?”
The best way to attract subscribers is to offer them something of value. Remember, your subscribers are your potential buyers and Kickstarter supporters, offer something that appeals to that market. Give them a taste of what it’s like to support you on a larger scale.
For example, if you’re a comic artist, create a mini-comic and offer it for free as a PDF. If someone wants to download it, direct them to your website where you can collect their email for them to receive the file. (You can use email services like Mailchimp, Substack, Google, or ConvertKit; most are free for until you reach 1,000 subscribers.)
Periodically create something small and new to offer as an incentive to sign up for emails. Once you’ve got a decent list built, you can invite your subscribers to back Kickstarters, buy from your shop, or support whatever you’re working on (and make them feel extra special as the first to know). Simple as that!
Tamz asks, “How do you create shadows that help an object look less disconnected or floating and more grounded and attached to the surface beneath it?”
We have an entire class on this subject: check out Light and Shadow for Illustrators on SVSLearn.com. The short answer is that the darkest part of the shadow should be directly beneath your object, fading lighter as it stretches further away from the point of contact.
Lysa asks, “I've been reaching out to agents and art directors over the past few months, and while I've received some kind words, a lot of the feedback has been that there's not enough demand for my style. Does this mean I’m not good enough or that I need to overhaul my style to get work?
Lysa’s technical and storytelling abilities are all there. The only suggestion we have is to lighten up your darkest darks to reduce the contrast in her work. Lysa’s most successful pieces are those with a lighter palette, so leaning into that could be helpful. Additionally, her style might be better suited to the YA market than children’s books. These simple tweaks could make a world of difference!
LINKS
Jake Parker: mrjakeparker.com. Instagram: @jakeparker, Youtube: JakeParker44
Will Terry: willterry.com. Instagram: @willterryart, Youtube: WillTerryArt
Lee White: leewhiteillustration.com. Instagram: @leewhiteillo
Daniel Tu: danieltu.co.
Lily Camille Howell: lilycamille.com
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