Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Brett Helquist about how challenging it can be for illustrators to make time to make art; how he approaches character design; what artists need on their creative journeys; and more.

To learn more about Brett, visit bretthelquist.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Robert Neubecker, Hank Ketcham, Christian Robinson, Howard Pyle

Find Brett’s book, The Haunted Playground, at your favorite bookstore, or by visiting penguinrandomhouse.com.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator and writer, Shawn Harris about the difference between detail and specificity in an illustration; what a picture book can be about (hint: literally everything); how illustrators can color correct traditional art; and more.

To learn more about Shawn, visit shawnharris.info.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Júlia Sardà, Quentin Blake, The Fan Brothers, William Steig, James Marshall, Jan Brett, Maurice Sendak, Chris Van Allsburg, Sandra Boynton, Alexander Utkin, Helen Stephens, Dr. Seuss

Shawn and Giuseppe talked about playing cassette tapes in one’s car. If you’re interested, here’s how.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, educator, and creative investigator, Sterling Hundley about why it’s challenging for artists to find a “voice”; why it’s important to stay present—especially for creative and depressive types; why illustrators should embrace the word, “interesting”; and more.

To learn more about Sterling, visit sterlinghundley.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Mark English, John English, Brad Holland, Bob Peak, Bernie Fuchs, Diego Velázquez, John Singer Sargent, Robert Heindel

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to writer, producer, and co-creator of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra, Michael Dante DiMartino, about the challenges he faced in self-publishing his young adult novel, Both Here and Gone; how he weaves emotions like grief, depression, and anger into appealing stories for a young audience; how artists can bring balance to their creative lives; and more.

To learn more about Michael, and his novel, visit michaeldantedimartino.com.

Originally published on February 11, 2025.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator, author, and educator, Catarina Sobral about how she uses color to keep her illustrations in balance; what people misunderstand about the picture book as an art form; why moments of tangible happiness are so important for illustrators; and more.

To learn more about Catarina, visit catarinasobral.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Christian Robinson, Oliver Jeffers, Benjamin Chaud

Giuseppe mentioned his Substack article, Brown Deserves Better. You can read it here.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to visual artist, Emiliano Ponzi about how he uses chaos and ping-pong to come up with creative ideas; how an artist is like a broken glass of water; how illustrators, or any artist, can follow their own nature; and more.

To learn more about Emiliano, visit emilianoponzi.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Lorenzo Mattoti, Anita Kunz, Guido Crepax, Mike Mignola, Luis Mendo

Headshot by Emanuele Zamponi.

Emiliano mentioned The Philippe Labaune Gallery. You can learn more about it here.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Kathleen Merz, Editorial Director at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, about what she looks for in children's book text and art; what top five things creators need to know before they submit their children’s book to a publisher; what creators should be chasing instead of “the market”; and more.

To learn more about Kathleen and Eerdman’s, visit eerdmans.com.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator, Yuko Shimizu about how illustrators can manage their fear of failure; how to negotiate with illustration clients; what necessary steps illustrators need to take to be successful; and more.

To learn more about Yuko, visit yukoart.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Christoph Niemann, William Steig, Katsushika Hokusai, Mirko Ilić, Leo Lionni

Originially published on June 10, 2019.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator and writer, Jon Klassen about how mid-century UPA cartoons led him to a children’s book career; why illustrators can use quieter color palettes (despite being told otherwise); why illustrators should get into the habit of saying, “I don’t wanna”; and more.

You can find Jon, his links, and his books on Instagram.

Giuseppe mentioned his popular Substack article, Get Into Your Comfort Zone. You can read it here.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Dr. Seuss, John Hubbell, P.D. Eastman, Roy McKie, Frank Thomas, Gustaf Tenggren, J.P. Miller, Aurelius Battaglia, Bill Peet, Retta Scott, Dan Krall, William Steig, Arnold Lobel, Jess Hannigan, Syd Hoff

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, Ann Telnaes about her news-making departure from The Washington Post; how illustrators can combat cynicism; what advice she has for struggling illustrators; and more.

To learn more about Ann, visit anntelnaes.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Barbara Dale, Barry Blitt, Thomas Nast, Honoré Daumier, Herb Block, Barbara Shermund

Check out:

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.