BE MORE WONKY In this episode:Why quick sketches usually have more life in 'em than polished piecesHow perfectionism kills creativityBeware of the pause button (when you're doing graphic recording / live illustration)What to do when you're scared your work isn’t “worth the money”Tips for keeping final artwork fresh and looseHuman vs AI: what if the secret is just… being wonky?Timestamps, if you're into that kind of thing00:00 – Can sketches be “the” illustration?01:00 – The gap between sketch and final art02:00 – Helen’s owls05:00 – What kills good work06:00 – The hourly rate mindset07:00 – Simple marks 4eva08:00 – Sketchy = human (and that’s a good thing)09:00 – Tips for keeping your work feeling fresh10:00 – Live illustration = brave, imperfect, magic11:00 – Be more human, more wonkyByeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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12:06
Inside Helen's hermit cave
Where does she go? What happens in there? Come and have a wee peek inside Helen’s hermit cave with us.BUT FIRST - is it true? Do you prefer a podcast when there's a video too? Katie's just been to Australia and chatted to some creatives and they all said that they *ONLY* listen to a podcast if there's a video to go with it. Whaaat!?Let us know on Instagram if these rumours are true. You're allowed to slide into our DMs 😆 ❤️ We're @thegoodshipillustration.Right, podcast stuff.This episode is all about:– Shutting the studio door and ignoring WhatsApp – Recreating rainy caravan holidays to get in the zone– The magic drawer– How long it takes to make a picture book (blimmin' ages)– BoundariesTimestamps, for people who like that sort of thing: 00:00 – Welcome to Helen’s hermit cave 01:00 – Dressing gowns, headphones and comfort telly 02:00 – Childhood holidays 03:00 – How long does it take to make a book? 04:00 – The magic drawer of ideas 05:00 – Making books in your 20s vs. making books now 06:00 – Burnout, insomnia and terrible lighting 07:00 – Early birds vs. night owls 08:00 – Deadlines 09:00 – Salty & Pals picture book sneak peek! 10:00 – Bedtime!Stuff wot we mentioned: – The Picture Book Course – Pencil Pals (Our Helen's Substack where there are some lovely sneaky peeks of the Salty Seadog artwork in case you're as excited as we aaaare.)See ya next Friday, x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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10:27
Get more illustration work: A pep talk, some tips, and a tiny rant
Errrr, how do you find illustration work in 2025? Pitching? Instagram? Postcards? SEO? In this nice an' juicy episode we’re answering the 'Heeelp, how do I find clients as an illustrator?' question.What worksWhy we don’t “hunt” clients 😅SEO tips to help the right people trip over youHow to be pals with art directorsPitching can feel YUCK (but it doesn't have to)Old-skool stuff that still worksSHOW YOUR WORK, PLEASETimestamps, for people who like that sort of thing: 00:00 – Listener question: “How do I find clients?” 01:00 – Why “hunting” clients feels weird (and what to do instead) 02:30 – Laying out your stall: making your online presence irresistible 04:30 – SEO tips to help clients find you 05:15 – The rise and fall of illustration directories and annuals 06:45 – Do postcards still work? (Short answer: yes!) 08:10 – Instagram, visibility and staying top of mind 10:00 – DMs and the etiquette of messaging clients 12:00 – What not to do when reaching out 13:30 – Building genuine relationships over time 15:00 – Do you need an agent or gallery? 16:00 – How to sell your own work (without a gallery) 17:00 – Strategic competitions and why they matter 18:00 – Cards, shops and flinging mud (yes, really)Links we mentioned:World Illustration AwardsJo OverendPicture Hooks MentoringGood Ship Illustration CoursesByeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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19:00
Residencies and Substack
Hiya. This week’s episode of The Good Ship Illustration podcast is all about artist residencies... illustrators are allowed to go on them too!Our Tania’s just returned from her first ever residency (in a chateau, of course. Ooh la laaa) and we wanted to hear about the muscly trees, the chickens, and whether she got the entire chateau to herself.What a residency actually looks likeHow to pick the right oneDrawing for the sake of it. Mmmmm.Going analogue, trying Procreate, and brush chatSubstack nerves, audio letters, and being “consistent” ...aghhhh.Timestamps0:20 – Why we’re talking residencies this week1:00 – Tania’s chateau residency 3:30 – Types of residencies & picking the right one5:45 – Drawing slowly, and for fun for the first time in years7:00 – Procreate adventures + brushes we love11:00 – Substack fears and starting without pressure16:00 – Curating your inbox vs. doom scrolling19:00 – Patreon vs Substack burnout23:00 – Substack inspiration & our favourite creators28:50 – Katie nearly drops her mic (again)Links + Mentions:https://saintpierredemejans.com/en/ <--- the dreamy place Tania stayed)https://resartis.org/Brushes we love: Vivian Mildenberger, Joel Stewart, Retro Supply CoOur fave Substacks: Tara Ford, Garbage Day, Carson Ellis, Bob Shenanigans, and LIANA FINCK! (That's the one Katie couldn't remember)Tania’s Substack is coming soon… 👀 Maybe. If we bully her enough.Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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31:21
Live Illustration (Course Closes Tonight!) No-fluff Q&A
Today’s a biiiig day... the doors to our Live Illustration Course are closing tonight! AGH! In this special live illustration-y episode, we grill Katie with loads of the brilliant live illustration questions you submitted. Katie also shares some behind-the-scenes stories about v early gigs, navigating some more unusual client requirements (hiya, Apple lawyers!), and why your own values matter just as much as your skills.Timestamps00:36 – Is it risky to live illustrate by hand? 03:15 – How to build your live illustration portfolio even before you’ve had a client05:59 – How Katie got started (and her very first paid-in-sandwiches job)07:59 – Managing nerves and the fear of making mistakes10:25 – Is it okay to check references while you’re live illustrating?12:11 – How much do you need to know beforehand, and what to ask your client15:24 – Transitioning from "normal" Illustrator to Live Illustrator17:47 – What happens if you go blank during a live session?18:51 – How much preparation should you really do before an event?21:06 – Can you still be a live illustrator if you’re dyslexic?22:02 – Is live illustration realistic as a side gig?24:37 – What to ask clients about output expectations 25:41 – Is semi-live illustration allowed?27:06 – How to set up cameras for live drawing28:00 – Should you specialise in a niche for live illustration work?30:04 – What kinds of businesses actually use live illustrators?32:39 – Final encouragement: fly your freak flag and be yourselfp.s. The doors to the Live Illustration Course close tonight (2nd May)! If you're thinking about joining, now's the best time! Why though?This is the lowest price it will ever be - we're doing a special price for this first ever live round of the courseYou get lifetime accessYou can hop back in for future live rounds, get ALL future course updates and take it at your own pace. The price *will* go up next time. Find out more and sign up here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/lic Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
We’re here to offer no-nonsense advice for illustrators and image-makers navigating a creative career. At The Good Ship Illustration, we are all about finding your creative voice, standing out from the crowd, building career-longevity, and being yourself. We're Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell and Tania Willis - 3 full-time bread-winning (mmm, bread) illustrators working in 3 separate niches of the illustration industry. Between us, we've clocked up over 70 years of experience and illustration wisdom, and we're here to share it!You’d love your creative work if only you could find more time to do it, make more money, and feel confident with what you make. We believe you DO have what it takes, illustration needn’t be scary, and we’re with you all the way, along with the rest of the crew in our online community.
South Africa