Thoughts on Illustration

By Tom FroeseArts Design

Thoughts on Illustration episodes

March 03, 20255 Ways to Survive in 2025 as an Illustrator
Take Composition for Illustrators on Skillshare. Learn how composition works on last year’s 2nd most-watched class! Use my link to get 30 days of free Skillshare membership. — https://skl.sh/3vtU3Ep

In this episode, I share 5 tips to help you maximize your earnings and your joy in turbulent times as an illustrator.

IN THIS EPISODE
What it means to diversify your definition of illustration
A guaranteed way to stand out to art directors
Tips for maximizing the impact of your portfolio
Overcoming creative loneliness
Why a personal daily drawing practice is key to your professional survival
A listener shares her thoughts on the podcast

SHOW LINKS
Illustration Coaching - http://tomfroese.com/coaching
All My Classes - http://tomfroese.com/teaching
The Studio (Creative Boom) - https://community.creativeboom.com

HOW TO SUPPORT
Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!
Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!
Become a $3 Fan or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit ⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/tomfroese⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

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
57 min
February 18, 2025How I Found My First Agent and Editorial Clients
Take "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK (Use my link to get 30 days free).
Today I answer the question, “How did you approach getting representation and landing your first editorial clients?”
Thanks to @sipcozyart on Threads for the question!

IN THIS EPISODE

How do you know when you’re ready to reach out to a rep?

What do you say to an agent when you’re reaching out?

What is an illustration rep/agent, and what do they do?

How I found my rep, what I sent, and why I think it worked

How I found my first editorial projects/clients

And more!

SHOW LINKS
Illustration Coaching - http://tomfroese.com/coaching
My Classes - http://tomfroese.com/teaching
Secret Random Episode (on Patreon) - https://www.patreon.com/posts/secret-random-48-122527763

HOW TO SUPPORT

Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!

Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!

Become a $3 Fan or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit ⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/tomfroese⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

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

FIND ME ELSEWHERE

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

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

Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
45 min
February 04, 2025Jess Miller on Losing Everything in the LA Fires
Take "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - ⁠https://skl.sh/40dk9rK⁠ (Use my link to get 30 days free).

Jess Miller is a designer, illustrator and educator based in LA. She joins me to share her story of losing everything in the Eton fire and how her community, near and far, are rallying to support her as she starts her life all over again.

IN THIS EPISODE
Using social media as a life-line
"Dead inside" — Why going back to work is so hard

Why GoFundMe is necessary after disaster strikes

Having to choose what to keep when you leave all else behind

Why GoFundMe is necessary after disaster strikes

The kindness of strangers

SHOW LINKS
LA Fires Funds + Resource Log (shared by Agent Pekka) — https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XoTlgtYuPQ1tD1FSJnJzzWa7XSi3YO9orlY9cIWX3uQ/edit?gid=910889114#gid=910889114

Jess Miller's GoFundMe — https://gofund.me/1508aee5

Venmo: @jessmillerdraws

PayPal: [email protected]

My 2024 Annual Review on Substack — https://open.substack.com/pub/mrtomfroese/p/2024-the-year-in-review

SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!

Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!

Become a $3 Fan or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit ⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/tomfroese⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

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

FIND ME ELSEWHERE
Work and Classes - http://www.tomfroese.com

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

Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
57 min
January 21, 2025 Can you earn a living from illustration alone in 2025?
Take "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK (Use my link to get 30 days free).

In this episode I share my income sources in 2024, and how much of my overall earnings I took in for each one. I look into whether I'm the only illustrator who earns most of their living from outside of illustration. I'll share some helpful tips for anyone hoping to find new income sources in 2025.

IN THIS EPISODE
Is it possible to make a living just from illustration in 2025?
How much of other illustrators' income sources comes from outside illustration?
My other passive income sources, such as Teaching, Patreon, and more.
Tips for choosing and building new income streams as a creative professional

SHOW LINKS
LA Fires — Are you an illustrator affected by the LA Fires? Tell us your story. More info at http://tomfroese.com/firestories
Anoosha Sayed: Breakdown of an Illustrator's Salary
Jill Labieniec: Income Sources in 2024 -
Ohn Mar Win: How I Made Money in the Last Year (2022)

HOW TO SUPPORT
Share this episode with your friends on Social Media! Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe! Become a $3 Fan or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit
⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/tomfroese⁠⁠⁠
to learn more.

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

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

55 min
January 07, 2025Reflections on 2024. Predictions for 2025.
Take "Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond " on Skillshare! - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK (Use my link to get 30 days free).

In this episode I reflect on the last trip around the sun and make some bold predictions for 2025. Be warned, I went commando in this episode — no script, no idea of how the show would go — but I think I pulled off a meaningful, if not personable, episode. (I'm speaking figuratively — I was wearing underpants, and pants, the whole time). Enjoy!

IN THIS EPISODE
Was 2024 better than my worst year ever (2023)?

Why I'm feeling optimistic about 2025

Thoughts on aging, time acceleration, and how I perceive "the present moment".

Highlights and Struggles of the year

Predictions for the state of illustration by year-end

SHOW LINKS
Take my new class! Drawing Ideas: Create Conceptual Illustrations for Editorial and Beyond - https://skl.sh/40dk9rK

Substack (where I will publish my written annual review) - http://mrtomfroese.substack.com

HOW TO SUPPORT
Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!

Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!

Become a $3 Fan or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit ⁠⁠http://patreon.com/tomfroese⁠⁠ to learn more.

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

FIND ME ELSEWHERE
Work and Classes - http://www.tomfroese.com
Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
50 min
December 24, 2024Moving from Adobe to Procreate with Kyle T. Webster
Kyle Webster is arguably the most influential person in digital illustration brushes, period. He started making Photoshop brushes a long time ago, leading to Adobe's acquisition of his brushes and his talent in 2017. In 2024, Kyle left Adobe and joined Procreate in very close succession. I wanted to catch up with Kyle and let him explain what happened, in his own words.
IN THIS EPISODE
Why did Kyle leave Adobe?

What does Kyle think of Procreate compared to Adobe's Fresco and Photoshop?

Making brushes in Procreate vs. Photoshop (Key differences)

Kyle may or may not know what's coming with Procreate v6

Happy birthday to Thoughts on Illustration!

SHOW LINKS
Kyle's Newsletter, The Accidental Expert - https://accidental-expert.com/

Kyle's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kyle.t.webster/?hl=en

Max Packs Procreate brushes - https://maxpacks.com/

Jing Sketch Procreate brushes - https://jingsketch.com/

HOW TO SUPPORT
Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!

Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!

Become a $3 Fan or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit ⁠http://patreon.com/tomfroese⁠ to learn more.

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

FIND ME ELSEWHERE
Work and Classes - http://www.tomfroese.com
Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
1 hr 27 min
December 10, 2024How Do You Know When an Illustration is Done?
"An artwork is never finished, only abandoned." This is apparently a quote from Leonardo Da Vinci. If one of the greatest artists of all time had trouble knowing when his work was finished, then it's no wonder the rest of us do as well.
In this episode, I share some ideas on what it means to complete a work, how to know when you should call it done, and if that's not possible, how to responsibly abandon it.
At the end I share some important news about the future of the podcast.

IN THIS EPISODE
A new definition of "perfection"

Missing the mark: Is your work "sinful"?

How to know when a work is done

Overcoming perfectionism in client work and personal projects

News about the future of this podcast

SHOW LINKS
Take Drawing Towards Illustration on Skillshare. Learn how to connect how you draw with how you illustrate.
https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/drawing-towards-illustration

HOW TO SUPPORT
Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!

Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!

Become a Drawing Buddy on Patreon. Visit http://patreon.com/tomfroese to learn more.

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

FIND ME ELSEWHERE
Work and Classes - http://www.tomfroese.com
Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
Daily Drawings - http://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant
33 min
November 26, 2024 Embracing Hand-made in Your Work
In the age of AI, it's time to double down on being a human. That means things like bringing more hand-influenced spontaneity into, and embracing analogue processes in, your art. In this episode I share how I'm doing this in my own practice and how it's bringing me more joy and even creating new opportunities for me. By listening to this episode, you'll learn how to embrace your own humanity to re-spark your joy and feel more connected in your everyday practice as an illustrator.
27 min
November 12, 2024 Consistency is The Key to Success
Learn how to be more consistent in your client work — Take The Six Stages of Illustration on Skillshare today: https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/the-six-stages-of-illustration (Get 30 days free on Skillshare with my links).
Consistency is Key. You've heard this before, but what does it mean? Throughout my career, consistency has been key to my success. This has been true both in my habits and in what my work looks like. Most importantly, it's been important in having any sense of focus at all. But for many of us, there are all kinds of things distracting us, or pulling us in different directions, that make it hard to be consistent. In this episode, I offer you some helpful tips for staying the course, and some pretty motivating reasons for doing so.
43 min
November 05, 2024 Episode 41 Postponed - November 5, 2024
Today's scheduled epsiode (Episode 41) will be postponed until next week. Stay kind!
2 min

About Thoughts on Illustration

From the publisher's feed

Thoughts on Illustration is a bi-weekly podcast about Showing Up and Growing Up as a commercial artist. Join award-winning illustrator and top teacher, Mr. Tom Froese, as he shares valuable tips,…