Interview with Raymond Biesinger

How do you defend your creative work when clients underpay, misuse your images, or ignore copyright entirely?

In this episode, I talk with Montréal-based illustrator, artist, and author Raymond Biesinger, whose new book 9 Times My Work Has Been Ripped Off (Drawn + Quarterly, 2025) is part memoir, part self-defence guide for independent creatives.
Raymond pulls back the curtain on wage theft, unauthorized usage, blurred legal lines, and the everyday realities illustrators face when protecting their work — and their livelihood.

This is a wide-ranging, candid conversation about money, boundaries, professionalism, and what it really takes to survive as an illustrator today.

🙏 A huge thank-you to all paid supporters on Patreon — without you, this show wouldn’t exist.

IN THIS EPISODE

• What “being ripped off” really means (hint: it’s not just stylistic copying)
• Why wage theft is rampant in the creative industries
• The blurry, case-by-case nature of copyright enforcement
• How creatives can strategically bluff to protect their work
• Why talking openly about money is essential for healthier creative careers
• The role of mood, timing, and resources in deciding whether to pursue a dispute
• How Raymond developed his signature collage-driven style
• The surprising story of a fan who copied his style — and how it turned into something positive
• What Raymond hopes independent creatives will take away from the book

SHOW LINKS

Raymond Biesinger
Website — https://fifteen.ca
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/raymondbiesinger
📕 9 Times My Work Has Been Ripped Off (Drawn + Quarterly, 2025) —  https://drawnandquarterly.com/books/9-times-my-work-has-been-ripped-off/
📘 305 Lost Buildings of Canada — Goose Lane Editions — https://gooselane.com/products/305-lost-buildings-of-canada?_pos=1&_psq=305+lost&_ss=e&_v=1.0

From Tom
🎨 SLO-FI Illustrations (new Skillshare class) — 30 days free: https://skl.sh/4nbo3KT
📗 Drawing is Important — now available for preorder: https://geni.us/DrawingisImportant

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

You can help Thoughts on Illustration grow by:
• Sharing the episode with a friend
• Leaving a rating or review
• Following the show
• Becoming a paid supporter on Spotify or on Patreon — https://patreon.com/tomfroese

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

Website — https://www.tomfroese.com
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
Daily Drawings — https://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant

CREDITS

Music and cues by Mark Allan Falk — https://linktr.ee/semiathletic

What is the secret to making cohesive illustrations? Also known as unity and harmony, this is the elusive quality that makes your illustration feel "whole". In this episode, I look at why that sense of unity is harder to achieve in digital work, and how thinking in terms of physical media and physical reproduction methods can bring your images together. 

I introduce what I call The Five Stars of Cohesiveness—Purpose, Drawing Style, Medium, Reproduction Method, and Application—and show how, when these align, your work gains that solid, self-contained presence we all chase. Using Ben Shahn’s The Shape of Content as a case study (read on for visual examples), I unpack how medium and black-only printing worked hand-in-hand to create unusually cohesive results—and how we can borrow that logic in our digital workflows. 

If you’ve struggled to make your digital illustrations feel unified—and want a concrete framework to diagnose why—this episode is for you.

IN THIS EPISODE

• “Truth to materials” — keyword materials
• The Five Stars of Cohesiveness
• How physical constraints shape shape your style—and why limitless tools can derail it
• Case study: Ben Shahn’s expressive linework printed black-only in The Shape of Content
• Why your chosen medium is the central star, influencing both idea and outcome
• Illustrating for print (even when your art never gets printed)
• Try This: would your piece hold up in black-only? as a 2–3 colour Riso print?
• Classes and resource recommendations

SHOW LINKS

• Ben Shahn — The Shape of Content (book) — https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674302426
• “Illustration” (definition/context) — general reference — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illustration
• My Skillshare: Illustrating for Letterpress (technical limits → clearer decisions) — https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/impress-me
• Slo-Fi Illustrations (analogue paradigms in a digital flow) — https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/slofiillustrations
• Di Ujdi — Introduction to Risograph Printing (layered colour thinking) — https://skl.sh/47BXNm5

HOW TO SUPPORT / LISTEN

If you’d like to support this podcast and hear the full version of monologue episodes like this one:

• Join on Patreon for as low as $3/month

• Become a paid subscriber on Spotify ($2.99/month)

• I also post monologues as full articles on Medium.

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

• My New Book! Drawing is Important! — tomfroese.com/links — look for the green book cover
• Work and Classes — tomfroese.com
• Instagram — instagram.com/mrtomfroese
• Daily Drawings — instagram.com/drawingisimportant
• 
  

CREDITS

• Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk — semiathletic on Linktree
• 
  

——————

DRAWING IS IMPORTANT — NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

My new book, Drawing Is Important, is your guide to making drawing a meaningful daily habit. Through stories, insights, and exercises, it helps you draw more often—with less pressure and more joy. Available Spring 2026 — Pre-order now! The first 500 orders get a free hand-signed book plate! Look for "get pre-order prizes" after clicking the lin

How does one become a professional cartoonist? In this episode, I talk with New Yorker cartoonist Tom Toro, whose sharp wit clever drawings have kept readers laughing (and thinking) for more than fifteen years.

Toro’s debut book, And to Think We Started as a Book Club (out now from Simon & Schuster), gathers the best of his cartoons from over a decade and a half at The New Yorker. In our conversation, we dig into the realities of professional cartooning — from the weekly grind of submissions and rejection, to the balance between writing and drawing, and the creative fire that keeps artists like Tom doing it anyway.

🙏 Thank you to all paid supporters on Patreon — without your support, this would be an expensive hobby. Thank you!

🟢 Listen on Spotify | 🟣 Listen on Apple Podcasts | 🔴 Listen/Watch on YouTube

Cover of And to Think We Started as a Book Club …

IN THIS EPISODE

What it’s really like to be a New Yorker cartoonist — and why rejection is part of the job

How the relationship between writing and drawing defines the cartoon form

The secret to making a success New Yorker-worthy cartoon

Why embracing imperfection keeps art alive

How Tom feels about his body of work from the past 15 years

SHOW LINKS

Tom Toro’s Website — https://www.tomtoro.com

Tom Toro on Instagram — www.instagram.com/tbtoro

📕 And to Think We Started as a Book Club (Simon & Schuster, Oct 7 2025) — https://publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com/book/and-to-think-we-started-as-a-book-club/

SLO-FI Illustrations (my new Skillshare class) — GET 30 DAYS FREE WHEN USING THIS LINK — https://skl.sh/4nbo3KT

📗 Drawing is Important — https://geni.us/DrawingisImportant

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

You can show your appreciation for the Thoughts on Illustration podcast by:

Sharing with your friends on social media

Liking / Following / Subscribing

Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts

Becoming a paid supporter on Patreon — patreon.com/tomfroese

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

Work and Classes — http://www.tomfroese.com

Instagram — http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese

Daily Drawings — http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant

CREDITS

Music and cues by Mark Allan Falk — http://linktr.ee/semiathletic

Thanks for reading Thoughts on Illustration with Mr. Tom Froese! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Looking to Get Into Illustration? Here’s How to Begin.

NEW—I am now offering free previews of Monologue episodes. This will help you decide if subscribing on Patreon / Spotify is right for you.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an Illustrator’s Starter Pack that could get you up and running as an illustrator ASAP? The reality is that any attempts to find a fast track into illustration could actually slow you down. In this episode, I share my SMART System: five paradigms (Styles, Markets, Applications, Reasons, Techniques) that help you get specific about what you want to make and where it belongs. Instead of hunting for the perfect gear or foolproof course list, SMART gives you a clear way to map your starting point.

If you’ve been overwhelmed by tools, apps, or conflicting advice—and you just want a concrete way to begin—this episode is for you.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why gear and classes alone won’t make you an illustrator
• The SMART System overview
• Styles vs. Techniques: how they relate and why they’re not the same thing
• Markets vs. Applications: who buys the work vs. where the work lives
• Reasons (purpose): the “why” that sharpens every brief
• The closest thing to a starter pack? — (iPad + Apple Pencil + Procreate)
• How to use SMART to choose your next practice project and reduce decision paralysis
• Two starter-pack parables: first-aid kits and flimsy badminton sets
• As always (from now on), a reflection prompt to help you turn my thoughts into your actions!

SHOW LINKS

• Malika Favre (style reference) — malikafavre.com
• Hervé Tullet (style reference) — herve-tullet.com
• John Roman, 45 Markets of Illustration (markets overview)
• What is Risograph Printing? (technique primer) — risottostudio.com
• Procreate (iPad app) — procreate.art
• My New Skillshare Class — SLO-FI Illustrations

HOW TO LISTEN/READ

If you’d like to hear the full version of monologue episodes like this one:

• Join on Patreon for as low as $3/month
• Become a paid subscriber on Spotif ($2.99/month)
• This is also available as a story on Medium for paid members on that platform.

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

Work and Classes — tomfroese.comInstagram — instagram.com/mrtomfroeseDaily Drawings — instagram.com/drawingisimportant

CREDITS

Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk — Semiathletic on Linktree

What happens when you bravely create from what matters most to you—even when you’re not sure others will understand? In this episode, I talk with artist and author ⁠Suzy Ultman⁠, whose work blends joy, vulnerability, and cultural identity in a way that’s both incredibly specific and widely relatable.

Suzy is the creator of a series of Jewish-themed board books for Penguin Workshop — ⁠I Like Your Chutzpah⁠, ⁠Shabbat Shalom⁠, and It’s a Mitzvah! — and in our conversation, we explore the story behind these books: the experiences that shaped them, the fears Suzy had about putting herself out there, and what it means to lead with joy even when it’s rooted in something much deeper.

IN THIS EPISODE

• How Suzy went from client-based work to building a licensing brand around her own voice
• Why she was initially afraid to make books that reflected something deeply meaningful to her
• Why she sees herself as a bridge (middle child, anyone!?)
• What it looks like to make joyful work rooted in meaning, emotionally layered, and honest
• Suzy’s advice for artists who want to create from a deeper place but aren’t sure where to start

REFLECTION PROMPT

What’s something you’ve been afraid to share in your creative work — and what might change if you let it in?

SHOW LINKS

• Suzy Ultman’s Website — https://www.suzyultman.com/
  
• It’s a Mitzvah! (Penguin Workshop, Sept 2, 2025) https://www.suzyultman.com/shop/p/mitzvahbook
  
• Suzy on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/suzyultman
  
• Paper Doll Parade – Chronicle Books — https://www.suzyultman.com/paper-doll-parade
  
• Friendship Carousel – Chronicle Books — https://www.suzyultman.com/friendship-carousel-bts

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

You can show your appreciation for the Thoughts on Illustration podcast by:

1. Sharing with your friends on social media
2. Liking/Following/Subscribing
3. Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts
4. Becoming a paid supporter on Patreon — patreon.com/tomfroese

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

Work and Classes — http://www.tomfroese.com
Instagram — http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
Daily Drawings — http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant

CREDITS

Music and cues by Mark Allan Falk — http://linktr.ee/semiathletic

Welcome to a special preview episode of Thoughts on Illustration. At the end of last season, I wasn’t sure if this podcast would continue — but here I am. After a summer of reflection (and a little camping, surfing, and book work), I’m ready to share how Season 4 will look different.

This season I’m making changes to keep the podcast sustainable for me and more valuable for you. Season 4 officially begins on September 9 with the first monologue episode.

IN THIS PREVIEW

• Updates from my summer: working on my book Drawing is Important (out early 2026), teaching, and new class prep
• Why I nearly quit the podcast — and what convinced me to keep going
• The 3 key shifts for Season 4
• New Patreon perks: quarterly Q&A sessions, monthly Draw With Me, and access to every episode

SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Join on Patreon — To hear all episodes — monologues and interviews — join me on Patreon starting at $3/month. Drawing Buddies at $8/month also get access to monthly Draw With Me sessions and replays.
patreon.com/tomfroese

Follow on Substack — Free listeners will still get access to all interview episodes on your podcast app or via Substack at mrtomfroese.substack.com.

GET IN TOUCH

Email - [email protected]

Website - tomfroese.com

In this episode, I reflect on the journey of the podcast so far and the evolution of my illustration process. From overcoming burnout in the early seasons to finding a sustainable rhythm in Season 3, I discuss how the podcast has mirrored my own creative growth. Alongside this, I get real about the challenges of balancing podcasting with the rest of my life and career, the emotional toll of self-doubt, and the joy of connecting with listeners. Plus, I dive into the challenges of building a community around the podcast and the ups and downs of monetization. I open up with a story about the little man who tried to tear me down on Threads.

If you’ve ever felt like giving up on something you love or questioned whether your efforts are worth it, this episode is for you.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Reflections on three seasons of podcasting and illustration

• The challenges of balancing podcasting with other creative projects

• How self-doubt and external criticism can shake your confidence

• Finding joy and fulfillment in podcasting, despite the obstacles

• The question of whether podcasting is still worth the effort—how to know when to keep going

• The evolving mindset behind my illustration process and the shift from burnout to rewilding

PLUS – Why I decided to stop doing custom episode art and the joy of simplifying the process.

SHOW LINKS

• Drawing Ideas (Skillshare Class) — Tom Froese Drawing Ideas

• Creative Boom: Top Podcasts for Creatives 2025 — Creative Boom List

  
  

HOW TO SUPPORT

BECOME A DRAWING BUDDY

• Live, monthly Draw With Me meetups

• All past DWMs available as replays

• Exclusive access to the DWM Discord Server

  
  

FIND ME ELSEWHERE
Work and Classes | Instagram | Daily Drawings

CREDITS
Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk – semiathletic on Linktree

In this episode, I share my thoughts on the evolving meaning of “rewilding” my illustration process. Originally, rewilding meant bringing analog elements back into my work—inking on paper, scanning textures, doing things the “hard” way. But lately, I’ve been asking myself: is it really about going analog? Or is it about something deeper? In this episode, I unpack how rewilding is less about tools and more about mindset. I look at how digital tools can either suffocate or support our creativity, depending on how we use them. And I share how I’m finding spontaneity, joy, and pride in my work—even when it’s 100% digital.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your creative process, or worried about how AI and digital tools are affecting your style, this episode is for you.

I also share some reflections on the Amish, digital minimalism, and why your mechanical pencil will never ask you to rate it on the App Store.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why rewilding might be a mindset, not a medium
• How digital tools can both hinder and help creative joy
• What I’ve rediscovered about spontaneity, surprise, and storytelling in illustration
• Why pride in your process matters—and how to get it back
• How AI is forcing illustrators to reevaluate their process
• The three key questions I now ask to evaluate any creative tool

PLUS – Why my Apple Pencil will never beat a Mason jar full of ink water.

SHOW LINKS

• Drawing Ideas (Skillshare Class) — https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/drawingideas
• Post by @brettpstenson — https://www.instagram.com/p/DKiYMKHSapr/?img_index=1
• See How Book Artwork Was Done In The Old Days Before Computers — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5YoyBvX1f8
• Graphic Design Tools Before Photoshop — https://youtu.be/O-XrRQf7BPM?si=GqEeaFOWfW3A87Ll
• My early style (Tom Froese Postcard example) — https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa6d6c0a9e028fce5f7f4b2/1523840966237-XPQXSOX8HCUS9WI1SEDW/Tom+Froese+Stationery-3.jpg
• My style a few years ago (totally digital) — https://www.tomfroese.com/work/canadianidentity
• My more recent style (more rewilded, in spite of being all digital) — https://www.instagram.com/p/DJr4MSTyTTv/ (image for my upcoming book, Drawing is Important).

HOW TO SUPPORT

• Share this episode with your friends!
• Like / Subscribe / Follow / Comment / Review on Apple Podcasts
• Become a $3 Supporter or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon – patreon.com/tomfroese

BECOME A DRAWING BUDDY

• Live, monthly Draw With Me meetups
• All past DWMs available as replays
• Exclusive access to the DWM Discord Server
  Join here

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

• Work and Classes
• Instagram
• Daily Drawings

CREDITS

Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk – semiathletic on Linktree

In this episode, I share my thoughts on the difficult but exciting journey of rewilding my illustration process—bringing back more analog, handmade elements into the way I work. While the dream of working more physically is alive and well, the reality is a lot more complicated. In this monologue episode, I unpack six core problems I’ve identified as I try to rewild in real life, and I talk through some solutions, mindset shifts, and small actions I’m taking to move forward.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between your current style and the one you wish you had, or if you're navigating your own transition as a creative, this episode might hit home.

I also share some personal updates, what’s coming up with my classes and book, and an embarrassing story from my recent trip to Paris that involves vintage books, broken French, and a stranger’s purse.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why rewilding your process is easier said than done
• Six problems I’ve identified on my rewilding journey
• How I’m coaching myself through a style evolution
• Why confidence in your style is often external
• PLUS – Embarrassing Story of the Episode: A Canadian in Paris

SHOW LINKS

• Drawing is Important (Skillshare Class) – https://skl.sh/3TuA0NS
• The Style Class on Skillshare – https://skl.sh/4cFnIej
• Drawing Is Important (Sketchbook IG) – http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
• My Website – http://www.tomfroese.com

HOW TO SUPPORT

• Share this episode with your friends!
• Like / Subscribe / Follow / Comment / Review
• Become a $3 Supporter or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon – http://patreon.com/tomfroese

BECOME A DRAWING BUDDY

• Live, monthly Draw With Me meetups
• All past DWMs available as replays
• Exclusive access to the DWM Discord Server
• http://patreon.com/tomfroese

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

• Work and Classes – http://www.tomfroese.com
• Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
• Daily Drawings – http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant

CREDITS

Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk – http://www.linktr.ee/semiathletic

In this episode, I share my conversation with Roberts Rurans, a Latvia-based illustrator who creates all his work using traditional materials — literally painting his images with acrylics. When Roberts talks about his brushes, he means the actual ones lying on his table, not virtual tools in a menu! His process is physical, full of quirks, accidents, and unexpected moments — and yet, his work feels fresh and totally at home in today’s digital illustration landscape.

Roberts has worked with clients like Hermès, Nike, Apple, and Coca-Cola, but his artistic integrity shines through no matter the project. In our conversation, we talk about evolving your style, the tension between old and new work, the difference between art and design, and what it’s really like to work 100% analog in a mostly digital world.

Toward the end, Roberts answers questions submitted by my Patreon supporters — including whether he secretly uses any digital tools (you’ll have to listen to find out). I wrap things up with some community notes and another “Embarrassing Story of the Episode,” featuring me, a trail run, some hikers caught unawares, and a well-placed band-aid.

IN THIS EPISODE

• How Roberts Rurans keeps his fully analog style feeling fresh
• Thoughts on evolving your style without disowning the past
• The line between art and design in illustration
• Analog tools vs. digital tools — which gives you the edge?
• PLUS - Embarrassing Moment of the Episode: Shirtless in the Forest

SHOW LINKS

• Roberts Rurans on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/robertsrurans
• Roberts’s website – https://www.robertsrurans.com

HOW TO SUPPORT

• Share this episode with your friends!
• Like/Subscribe/Follow/Comment/Review
• Become a $3 Supporter or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit http://patreon.com/tomfroese to learn more.

BECOME A DRAWING BUDDY

• Live, monthly Draw With Me meetups
• All past DWMs available as replays
• Exclusive access to the DWM Discord Server
• http://patreon.com/tomfroese

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

• Work and Classes - http://www.tomfroese.com
• Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
• Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant

CREDITS

Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk - http://www.linktr.ee/semiathletic