The Good Ship Illustration

Episode: How to stop your illustration style looking generic & blah

Date: November 21, 2025
Hosts: Katie Chappell, Helen Stephens, Tania (Libby) Willis

Main Theme

This episode dives into how illustrators can develop a unique, authentic style that stands out from the generic, overly referenced trends often seen in the industry. The hosts—Helen, Katie, and Libby—discuss why personal voice is critical for connecting with audiences and getting attention from art directors, and they share personal stories, advice, and book recommendations to help illustrators avoid falling into the “generic & blah” trap.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem with Generic Illustration

• The hosts have recently seen accomplished work that lacks “humanness” or personal perspective.
• Katie (00:23): “If you work towards that [stereotype], you’re going down quite an impersonal, boring route that doesn’t show anything about who you are.”
• Many aspiring illustrators emulate what they think picture book illustration “should” look like, resulting in work that is technically skilled but uninspired.

2. Why Authenticity Resonates

• Illustrations that reflect real emotions or personal stories capture attention and connect with viewers.
• Helen (01:14): “That’s the work that is really exciting to look at, isn’t it? Feel it that some of their thing is in there.”
• Libby explains that the industry only looks up from the “Instagram scroll” when something unexpected, “that slightly freaks you out,” appears (02:18).

3. Drawing from Real Experience & Emotion

• Personal anecdotes and observations fuel memorable illustrations and stories.
• Katie (05:46): Shares a family story about her grandparents squatting in a Nissan hut and how these details—though not always literally used—infuse her stories with authenticity.
• Libby notes that “truth is stranger than fiction” and it’s easier to believe in, and persist with, stories rooted in real life (05:11).

4. Building Stories with Relatable, Recognizable Moments

• The group discusses the power of urban myths and emotionally resonant “small moments” that foster universal connection.
• Helen (10:35): Talks about paintings and illustrations where the artist’s real feelings (grief, joy) are visible even without explicit explanation.

5. The Idea of “Smile in the Mind”

• Libby recommends A Smile in the Mind, explaining that compelling visual communication invites the viewer to finish the story themselves, creating an emotional connection (08:54).

6. Narrative Arcs in Illustration & Story

• Katie recounts Emily Howarth Booth’s model of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis from film and storytelling, relating it to illustration and personal change (11:00).
• This dynamic structure keeps stories—and art—fresh and relatable.

7. The Value of Deep Exposure to the Field

• Katie credits her development to spending countless hours reading children’s books as a part-time bookseller, learning by osmosis what worked and what didn’t (14:33).
• Libby (16:03): Emphasizes “full immersion” in picture books as critical to avoiding a narrow, outdated vision of what illustration can be.

8. Artists with Unique Voices in Different Fields

• Jill Calder and Libby van der Ploeg are highlighted as examples of illustrators who have maintained their unique voices across packaging, editorial, branding, and children’s books (17:20).
• Libby (19:00): “The project and the clients adapt their creative parameters for her, so they've seen her work and say, gosh, you don't see that in children's book illustration that often. Let's try inviting Jill into that creative arena…”

9. Be Yourself—No Imitations Needed

• The hosts caution against creating work as an “impression” of what is perceived to be marketable.
• Helen (19:47): “You can tell if they're just saying things that they think you want to hear rather than seeing what they actually think… I can tell if somebody was obsessed with snails, that's so much more interesting because you can tell they're just doing their thing.”
• Katie (21:02): “Don’t do an impression of, ah, whatever area of illustration you want to be in.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Libby (02:18): “The only way an art director is going to stop whizzing through an Instagram scroll is to see something where they're like, what the hell is that? You actually need to make something that slightly freaks you out to know that you have moved beyond the boundaries of something that is too generic, too stereotyped.”
• Helen (08:54): “When the viewer has solved the puzzle of looking at an image and understanding what this unusual image means, they then feel part of it, like, oh, I completed it. And it gives you a smile in the mind.”
• Katie (11:00): “She described it as like a thesis. They set out the thesis... there’ll be an antithesis... and then you have synthesis, where the original character has now got their thesis and their antithesis mixed up and makes synthesis. And that is your ending.”
• Libby (16:03): “If your view of what is picture book illustration is so narrow, you're going to do some work and people are like that old stuff. No, we're beyond that now.”
• Helen (19:47): “I can tell if somebody was obsessed with snails, that's so much more interesting…”
• Katie (21:07): “Just be obsessed with whatever you're obsessed with.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:14 – Problem of generic illustration; the importance of personal expression
• 02:18–03:39 – Breaking free of stereotypes; surprising the industry
• 03:58–07:16 – Drawing inspiration from real experiences and authentic emotions
• 07:16–10:35 – Urban myths, story believability, “Ideas that Stick”
• 10:53–12:30 – Story structure: thesis, antithesis, synthesis
• 13:10–15:39 – Personal growth as a storyteller and illustrator
• 16:03–17:20 – Research and immersion in contemporary publishing
• 17:20–19:46 – Artists with unique, consistent voices across sectors
• 19:47–21:13 – Final advice: authenticity trumps imitation

Tone & Atmosphere

Friendly, conversational, and full of practical encouragement—like a creative coffee with wise, warm-hearted industry friends.

Actionable Advice for Illustrators

• Regularly visit bookshops/libraries to see contemporary illustration—not just what you grew up with (16:03).
• Draw from your real life, quirks, memories, and passions—even if they don’t seem “bookworthy” at first.
• Don’t try to predict or imitate trends—by the time you see them, they’re already over (19:58).
• Keep your portfolio true to your voice; remove work that’s an “impression” rather than authentic (20:16).
• Study storytelling structure (books/workshops suggested: A Smile in the Mind, Emily Howarth Booth's classes).
• Let your “obsessions” and interests, however niche, guide you—it’s more memorable and fun (21:07).

For More

Find color workshops, picture book templates, and illustration treats at thegoodshipillustration.com.

Summary prepared for those seeking a richer, more personal path in illustration.