How and why illustrator Amanda "Din" Duarte (Disney Lorcana, Ubisoft, Blizzard) left her solo freelance career to form a virtual studio that now employs over 40 creative professionals.

PLUS: Burn out or burn it all down?

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00:00 Episode Start

08:52 Freelancing Vs. Running A Studio

10:26 "The Fear Of Failing Everyone"

13:25 Knowing When To Pivot

17:00 Finding The Right Artist For The Job

21:52 Best/ Worst Advice

26:41 Who Is Your Favorite Muppet And Why?

27:26 The Magic Feather

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think" on all major podcast platforms: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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If you like our show, please comment, subscribe, thumbs-up, ring the bell, write a review, share with a friend, etc. Those efforts really do make all the difference in whether our show actually finds the artists and storytellers we're here to inspire and support.

Thank you for listening!

Procreate's Kyle Webster, the Internet's favorite digital art brush builder, on why brush choice matters more than many artists realize.

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00:00 Episode Start

02:40 Why Brushes Matter At Studios

08:45 Why Brushes Matter For Beginners

09:27 Why You Should "Audition" Your Digital Art Brushes

10:55 Why Brushes Matter for Artistic Style

13:45 Why Brushes Matter To Kyle

15:44 How Brushes Inspire New Styles

18:09 Why Brushes Matter for Workflow

21:04 Why Brushes Matter for Speed

21:55 Best/ Worst Advice

26:51 Who's Your Favorite Muppet And Why?

28:49 The Magic Feather

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

Shawn Pryor, author of over sixty published books and graphic novels (most for all ages), offers insights on outlining, working with artists and the essential role of conflict in story development.

01:55 An Expansive Bibliography

03:09 Finding Something To Say

04:37 The "Conflict List"

07:17 Developing The Outline

11:32 Placing The Act Breaks

13:56 The First Draft Transition

15:27 Working With Artists

21:00 Common Problems With Comic Scripts

22:09 When Is A Script Finished?

23:59 Best/ Worst Advice

25:44 Who's Your Favorite Muppet?

26:06 The Magic Feather

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Subscribe to You're A Better Artist Than You Think: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Get FREE digital art brushes every month for a year when you join The Magic Box Brush Club at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

Connect with Shawn: https://ShawnPryor.com

KM Weiland, author of "Creating Character Arcs" and "Structuring Your Novel" reveals how to solve plot problems using "chiastic" or "mirrored" story structure.

Plus: Understanding "The Thematic Lie" and building the most important structural "beat" in storytelling!

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00:00 Episode Start 02:15 Introduction To "Mirrored" Storytelling 03:04 The Hook And Resolution 03:37 The "Normal" World & The "New" World 05:13 Mirrored Story Structure in "Toy Story" 06:40 Join The Magic Box Brush Club 07:06 How Act Breaks Mirror Each Other 10:25 The Thematic Lie 15:47 The Midpoint As A Mirror 28:51 Solving Story Problems With "Mirrored" Structure 31:07 Structural Timing 34:46 Why Story Structure Matters 40:30 Making Story Structure Your Own 42:59 Best/ Worst Advice 44:46 What Was Your Personal Midpoint As An Artist? 48:19 Mindset Shift 51:34 The Magic Feather 57:14 End Credits

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SPOILER WARNING: This conversation contains major spoilers for Toy Story and minor spoilers for The Godfather and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Find KM Weiland's books and blog at http://HelpingWritersBecomeAuthors.com and learn more about our mentorship program The Clockwork Heart at http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

In this episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think: Why "time management" so rarely works for artists and four tips for a more effective solution.

As creative people, we care a lot about time because our projects require so much of it. Furthermore, many, if not most of us want to spend more time working on our creative projects, not less. Even when we're successful in implementing "time management" strategies, the strategies themselves are not.

That's because "time management," as it's commonly understood, is not the solution, but rather, priority management. With these four priority management tips, you'll learn how to give your best energy to what matters most in your creative life.

00:00 Intro/ Theme Music

00:17 Can't Find Time For Art? Try This...

00:56 Get Free Digital Art Brushes Every Month!

01:24 Give Your Best To Your Project

16:48 Tip #1: Make Early Easier

18:30 Tip #2: Plan For Smooth Transitions

29:16 Tip #3: Optimize Your Workspace

43:26 Tip #4: End With Preparation

Get new digital art brushes with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year at http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Victoria Ying, animation visual development artist (Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6) and comics creator (City Of Secrets, Harvey winner Hungry Ghost) joins for today's episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think!

Learn how to avoid overwhelm, burnout and art-related injuries, set realistic deadlines and push through the boredom when attempting ambitious, creative projects.

Plus: Why routines aren't for everyone...

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00:00 Episode Start 00:22 Tip #1: Start Small 04:04 Tip #2: Accept The Boredom 06:41 Tip #3: Know Your Timelines 09:25 Tip #4: Practice Finishing 11:11 Tip #5: Routines Aren't For Everyone: 14:21 Tip #6: Find The Friction 16:17 Tip #7: Work With What Ya' Got 17:44 Tip #8: Break Down Deadlines 19:27 Tip #9: Mind Your Body 21:56 Tip #10: The Longer The Project, The More Opportunity For Setbacks 27:32 Tip #11: Just Get To The End 28:36 Tip #12: Find Your People 32:42 Best/ Worst Advice: 34:16 Who's Your Favorite Muppet? 34:46 The Magic Feather: 36:09 Read/Watch/Play/Listen

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

The Jim Henson Company Archives' Director and Historian Karen Falk offers insights into Jim's creative process, his collaborative style of leadership and the evolution of his characters.

If you're listening on one of the audio-only platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I do want to encourage you to check out the video version on our YouTube channel where we'll feature images from the new edition of Karen's book titled "Jim Henson's: Imagination Illustrated" as well as photos and video clips from my visits to various Henson exhibits.

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00:00 Intro

00:11 Theme Music

00:35 Interview Begins

00:58 Jim Henson's Imagination Illustrated

03:19 More Than Muppets

06:02 Jim's Personal Touch

07:13 Jim's Fearlessness

08:32 Jim Henson The Character Designer

09:20 From 2D To 3D

10:30 A More Professional Finish

13:12 Jim Henson's Character Designers

14:27 Jim Henson The Director

16:14 Controlled Chaos

17:04 Joining The Jim Henson Company

18:22 Jim's Red Book Blog

20:35 Puppet Preservation

22:06 The Museum Partners

26:47 Character Design Evolution

30:30 The Historical Record

31:40 The Jim Henson Legacy

35:11 Karen's Unique Perspective

38:06 Credits

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

Author Fritz Horstman of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation reveals how color "lies" to our eyes and why that matters to artists.

PLUS: Changing our relationship to color from "painful" to "playful."

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00:37 What Josef Albers Means To Present-Day Artists

01:24 Interaction Of Color

02:28 Science Vs Experience

03:51 Color Relativity

04:58 Playing With Color

06:04 Homage To The Square

06:49 The Personification Of Color

07:50 Rothko And Albers

11:15 Interacting With Color

15:11 Let Color Come To You

16:16 How To Play With Color

18:18 Color Intervals

18:48 The Illusion Of Transparency

19:45 Color And Music

21:27 How Color Distorts Proportion

22:55 To Open Eyes

24:56 No "Favorite" Colors

26:29 Developing Your Tolerance For Ambiguity

26:58 Color For Non-Artists

27:47 The Magic Feather

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

"The Disney Revolt" author Jake Friedman surveys the infamous animation strike of 1941, and explains why it matters to present-day artists.

We consider the cost of Walt Disney's perfectionism, the painful, personal consequences of his decisions, and whether he ever learned from them.

PLUS: The most influential Disney animator you've never heard of...

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00:49 Introduction: The Disney Animators' Strike Of 1941

04:08 Disney Vs. Disney

06:37 Art Babbitt - The Most Influential Disney Artist You've Never Heard Of

12:47 Reconstructing The Timeline Of The Disney Strike

15:37 Would The Disney Strike Have Happened Without Art Babbitt?

17:27 Loyalty Above Creativity?

19:01 Products Of Our Influences

20:08 How Walt Disney Was Like Michael Scott From "The Office"

22:44 When Disney History Repeats Itself

25:18 You Can't Fire Family

26:23 The Cost Of Walt's Perfectionism

28:41 Walt Supported His Artists (Until He Didn't)

31:37 The Emotional Ending

34:37 Did Walt Ever Learn His Lesson?

35:42 Was Walt Anti-Union?

39:15 Learn More At TheDisneyRevolt.com

39:55 Credits

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com

Nine of my current mentees were named "Rising Stars" of 2d & 3d art by ImagineFX magazine.

In this two-part interview series, they're here to share stories of artistic development and how being selected for the article affected their mindsets.

Illustrator Andrea Ivetic Vicai begins the episode with a positive spin on the more frustrating aspects of illustration.

Next, animation artist Lucy Ledsam talks about finding an art career that matches your personality.

VR artist Elizabeth Person and CG artist Carmen Thora Smith talk about making the switch from painting to 3d.

…and finally, character designer Laura Horan presents the benefits of an agile creative process.

Find links to their portfolios and samples of their art at bit.ly/ifxmb

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01:18 Illustrator Andrea Ivetic Vicai:

02:17 Infinite Challenge = Infinite Inspiration

03:46 The Devil On The Shoulder

04:52 Be Your Own Best Friend

06:36 Andrea's Magic Feather

08:09 Animation Artist Lucy Ledsam:

08:48 "I'm Not Big And Bombastic..."

12:14 Advice For Non-Bombastic Artists

13:05 Lucy's Magic Feather

18:01 VR Artist Elizabeth Person:

18:26 Specialization As Curation

18:59 Switching Industries

23:14 Lizzy's Magic Feather

23:51 Disney Is Convenient

25:53 CG Artist Carmen Thora Smith:

27:06 Learning Complicated Software

28:12 Shifting Stories

29:36 Tools Do Matter

30:28 Carmen's Magic Feather

31:26 "Just-In-Time" Learning

33:08 Character Designer Laura Horan:

34:28 Don't Settle For Less

36:01 Objectivity Is Impossible

38:04 Laura's Magic Feather

39:16 CREDITS

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Claim your 100% free, lifetime membership to The Magic Box Brush Club and get new digital art brushes (Procreate or Photoshop) with accompanying tutorial guides every month for an entire year: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com

Subscribe to "You're A Better Artist Than You Think": http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley

Mentorship: http://MagicBoxAcademy.com