Podcast
Thoughts on Illustration
Hosted by Tom Froese · EN
Thoughts on Illustration is a bi-weekly podcast about Showing Up and Growing Up as a commercial artist. Join award-winning illustrator and top teacher, Mr. Tom Froese, as he shares valuable tips, insights, and reflections from his own experience as an illustrator. Tom wants to encourage his fellow creatives and help them get further on by sharing in a transparent, accessible way. If you are passionate about unlocking professional and personal creative fulfillment, you are invited to follow along as Tom does the same!
73episodes
Episodes
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Can you earn a living from illustration alone in 2025?
Jan 21, 202500:54:25Tap to summarizeTake "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK (Use my link to get 30 days free). In this episode I share my income sources in 2024, and how much of my overall earnings I took in for each one. I look into whether I'm the only illustrator who earns most of their living from outside of illustration. I'll share some helpful tips for anyone hoping to find new income sources in 2025. IN THIS EPISODE Is it possible to make a living just from illustration in 2025? How much of other illustrators' income sources comes from outside illustration? My other passive income sources, such as Teaching, Patreon, and more. Tips for choosing and building new income streams as a creative professional SHOW LINKS LA Fires — Are you an illustrator affected by the LA Fires? Tell us your story. More info at http://tomfroese.com/firestories Anoosha Sayed: Breakdown of an Illustrator's Salary Jill Labieniec: Income Sources in 2024 - Ohn Mar Win: How I Made Money in the Last Year (2022) HOW TO SUPPORT Share this episode with your friends on Social Media! Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe! Become a $3 Fan or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit http://patreon.com/tomfroese to learn more. CREDITS Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk - http://www.linktr.ee/semiathletic FIND ME ELSEWHERE Work and Classes - http://www.tomfroese.com Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
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Reflections on 2024. Predictions for 2025.
Jan 7, 202500:49:31Tap to summarizeTake "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK (Use my link to get 30 days free). In this episode I reflect on the last trip around the sun and make some bold predictions for 2025. Be warned, I went commando in this episode — no script, no idea of how the show would go — but I think I pulled off a meaningful, if not personable, episode. (I'm speaking figuratively — I was wearing underpants, and pants, the whole time). Enjoy! IN THIS EPISODE Was 2024 better than my worst year ever (2023)? Why I'm feeling optimistic about 2025 Thoughts on aging, time acceleration, and how I perceive "the present moment". Highlights and Struggles of the year Predictions for the state of illustration by year-end SHOW LINKS Take my new class! Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK Substack (where I will publish my written annual review) - http://mrtomfroese.substack.com HOW TO SUPPORT Share this episode with your friends on Social Media! Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe! Become a $3 Fan or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit http://patreon.com/tomfroese to learn more. CREDITS Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk - http://www.linktr.ee/semiathletic FIND ME ELSEWHERE Work and Classes - http://www.tomfroese.com Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
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Moving from Adobe to Procreate with Kyle T. Webster
Dec 24, 202401:26:22Tap to summarizeKyle Webster is arguably the most influential person in digital illustration brushes, period. He started making Photoshop brushes a long time ago, leading to Adobe's acquisition of his brushes and his talent in 2017. In 2024, Kyle left Adobe and joined Procreate in very close succession. I wanted to catch up with Kyle and let him explain what happened, in his own words. IN THIS EPISODE Why did Kyle leave Adobe? What does Kyle think of Procreate compared to Adobe's Fresco and Photoshop? Making brushes in Procreate vs. Photoshop (Key differences) Kyle may or may not know what's coming with Procreate v6 Happy birthday to Thoughts on Illustration! SHOW LINKS Kyle's Newsletter, The Accidental Expert - https://accidental-expert.com/ Kyle's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kyle.t.webster/?hl=en Max Packs Procreate brushes - https://maxpacks.com/ Jing Sketch Procreate brushes - https://jingsketch.com/ HOW TO SUPPORT Share this episode with your friends on Social Media! Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe! Become a $3 Fan or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit http://patreon.com/tomfroese to learn more. CREDITS Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk - http://www.linktr.ee/semiathletic FIND ME ELSEWHERE Work and Classes - http://www.tomfroese.com Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
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How Do You Know When an Illustration is Done?
Dec 10, 202400:32:17Tap to summarize"An artwork is never finished, only abandoned." This is apparently a quote from Leonardo Da Vinci. If one of the greatest artists of all time had trouble knowing when his work was finished, then it's no wonder the rest of us do as well. In this episode, I share some ideas on what it means to complete a work, how to know when you should call it done, and if that's not possible, how to responsibly abandon it. At the end I share some important news about the future of the podcast. IN THIS EPISODE A new definition of "perfection" Missing the mark: Is your work "sinful"? How to know when a work is done Overcoming perfectionism in client work and personal projects News about the future of this podcast SHOW LINKS Take Drawing Towards Illustration on Skillshare. Learn how to connect how you draw with how you illustrate. https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/drawing-towards-illustration HOW TO SUPPORT Share this episode with your friends on Social Media! Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe! Become a Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit http://patreon.com/tomfroese to learn more. CREDITS Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk - http://www.linktr.ee/semiathletic FIND ME ELSEWHERE Work and Classes - http://www.tomfroese.com Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
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Embracing Hand-made in Your Work
Nov 26, 202400:26:52Tap to summarizeIn the age of AI, it's time to double down on being a human. That means things like bringing more hand-influenced spontaneity into, and embracing analogue processes in, your art. In this episode I share how I'm doing this in my own practice and how it's bringing me more joy and even creating new opportunities for me. By listening to this episode, you'll learn how to embrace your own humanity to re-spark your joy and feel more connected in your everyday practice as an illustrator.
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Consistency is The Key to Success
Nov 12, 202400:42:02Tap to summarizeLearn how to be more consistent in your client work — Take The Six Stages of Illustration on Skillshare today: https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/the-six-stages-of-illustration (Get 30 days free on Skillshare with my links). Consistency is Key. You've heard this before, but what does it mean? Throughout my career, consistency has been key to my success. This has been true both in my habits and in what my work looks like. Most importantly, it's been important in having any sense of focus at all. But for many of us, there are all kinds of things distracting us, or pulling us in different directions, that make it hard to be consistent. In this episode, I offer you some helpful tips for staying the course, and some pretty motivating reasons for doing so.
Transcribe →Episode 41 Postponed - November 5, 2024
Nov 5, 202400:01:06Tap to summarizeToday's scheduled epsiode (Episode 41) will be postponed until next week. Stay kind!
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The Illustrator's Guide with James Hughes
Oct 22, 202401:14:57Tap to summarizeIn this episode I chat with James Hughes about his new book, The Illustrator's Guide, a comprehensive, motivational handbook for artists trying to break into the freelance illustration market. James is an agent at Folio Illustration and Animation Agency, representing some 60 illustrators around the world. Taking advice from James means learning from someone who sits at the front lines of both illustrators and the clients who hire them every day.
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Listen to This if You're Bored With Your Style
Oct 8, 202400:39:35Tap to summarizeDevelop a Drawing Habit in 30 Days. Take my class, Drawing Is Important – https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/drawing-is-important. Use my links to get 30 days free on Skillshare. In this episode of My Thoughts on Illustration, I dive deep into my recent experience with a style crisis and how I turned to a daily drawing challenge to reignite my creativity.
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Making the Big Leap with Martina Flor
Sep 24, 202401:52:33Tap to summarizeSkillshare class promo link In this episode I talk with lettering artist Martina Flor. Martina started as a designer in Argentina, but she soon discovered the joy of hand lettering. From there she built a successful career as a lettering artist, which has now become a small empire of inspiring work, masterclasses, coaching groups, books, and even a podcast. Of course, she couldn’t do all of this on her own. She’s built an entire team around her so she can focus more on doing what she loves most, while being able to grow her business well beyond what she could do alone. As she puts it best, ““There’s no progress in isolation.”
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