Giuseppe Castellano talks to Leslie Mechanic, art director at Simon & Schuster, about what catches her eye in an illustrator’s portfolio; why saying “it’s a competitive market” isn’t the most accurate take on the illustration industry; what all illustrators should know about the art director/illustrator relationship; and more.

To learn more about Leslie, visit lesliemechanic.com.

If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration, on Substack. Among other benefits, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello.