Thoughts on Illustration

In this episode I talk about why it’s so hard to make digital art look more natural. For many of us, we work digitally out of convenience but really want our work to have a more analogue appearance — as though it were made using physical media. I explain why this is harder than you might think, citing 3 key factors I’ve encountered in my own experience. Then, I offer 5 more practical ways you can overcome these challenges and make your work look more natural. Stick around to the end where I try a new segment called “The Embarrassing Story of the Episode”! NOTE: I accidentally published this episode a day early and now I can't take it back. Enjoy the head start! IN THIS EPISODE * 3 reasons why it’s hard to make digital art look analogue * The most common mistake of new digital artists * 5 ways to avoid an overly digital look * PLUS - Embarrassing Moment of the Episode: Lady Jacket SHOW LINKS * Jonathan Woodward’s (@jonathan_woodward_studio) collages - https://www.instagram.com/p/DIuHhUkKcPL/?img_index=3 [https://www.instagram.com/p/DIuHhUkKcPL/?img_index=3] * I said I’d share a specific issue from Roman Muradov’s DADA ISSUES Substack, but I couldn’t find it. Either way, go subscribe to it anyway. It is truly one of the best newsletters out there for illustrators. https://dadaissues.substack.com/ [https://dadaissues.substack.com/] HOW TO SUPPORT 1. Share this episode with your friends! 2. Like/Subscribe/Follow/Comment/Review 3. Become a $3 Supporter or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. VIsit http://patreon.com/tomfroese [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

In this episode I share my recent thoughts on what it means to "Re-wild" my illustration process. Inevitably, this means my continued quest to bring more analogue elements back into my process, with the ultimate aim of increasing my joy in the creative process and in the work itself. IN THIS EPISODE * How style fatigue sparked a shift in my creative practice * Reconnecting with analogue roots * Re-wilding as a way of bringing more joy to the creative process * Finding analogue techniques that mimic digital tools (rather than the other way around) * What does re-wilding mean for a commercial practice? SHOW LINKS https://mrtomfroese.substack.com/p/re-wilding-my-digital-art-process [https://mrtomfroese.substack.com/p/re-wilding-my-digital-art-process] HOW TO SUPPORT 1. Share this episode with your friends! 2. Like/Subscribe/Follow/Comment/Review 3. Become a $3 Supporter or $8 Drawing Buddy on Patreon. VIsit http://patreon.com/tomfroese [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

Eliminate time-wasting decisions by discovering your style! Learn more in The Style Class on Skillshare. https://skl.sh/4cFnIej — Use my link to get 30 days of free Skillshare membership. Decision Paralysis — or as some call it, Analysis Paralysis — is the experience of getting stuck on some kind of decision. It could be a big decision, or something very minor, but even the tiniest option can get us spinning our tires for hours or even days! If you struggle to make any kind of decisions, even sometimes, this episode is for you. I’ll open up by sharing some of my own experiences with indecision, and then I’ll share a few different illustration-specific situations where most of us might get stuck the most. I’ll share ways that I navigate these and keep moving, and of course, offer some ways you can use these in your own life. IN THIS EPISODE * What is decision paralysis, and how can it get us stuck? * Why having keeping options to a minimum is necessary for the decision-impaired * How to give yourself “outside” feedback * What to do when you can’t stop making new iterations of an illustration * Why finding your reason for doing anything is the key to doing it at all * and more! SHOW LINKS * Illustration Coaching - http://tomfroese.com/coaching * All My Classes - http://tomfroese.com/teaching 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

With apologies! Stay tuned for Episode 51 — coming no later than April 8, 2025.

Working with Editorial Art Directors with Mike Schnaidt Learn how to make Clever Conceptual Illustrations in my new Skillshare class, Drawing Ideas — https://skl.sh/40dk9rK [https://skl.sh/40dk9rK] Mike Schnaidt is the Creative Director at Fast Company, an Adjunct Professor at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), and author of Creative Endurance: 56 Rules for Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Your Goals. I picked Mike’s brain about all things Editorial Illustration, and invited him to share some deep insights on how to stave off burnout and keep going as a creative from his book, Creative Endurance. IN THIS EPISODE What is the difference between an art director and a creative director? What is the best way to reach out to an editorial client? Is Email or a Mailer the better way to get noticed? How do art directors discover new illustrators? What is the ONE THING you need to SHINE with your editorial clients? What is the state of illustration today? Is pursuing a career as an editorial illustrator a bad move in 2025? Mike’s last-minute choice to interview a total stranger he met in a coffee shop for his book — and how that changed the whole book for him. SHOW LINKS Creative Endurance (the book) — https://www.mikeschnaidt.com/creativeendurance [https://www.mikeschnaidt.com/creativeendurance] Help Mike shape his next book — https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLScdjF1Kx4GDwqEdONKEvu349PCvxJUgydRLUMIdXxVLvVgWUg/viewform?usp=send_form [https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLScdjF1Kx4GDwqEdONKEvu349PCvxJUgydRLUMIdXxVLvVgWUg/viewform?usp=send_form] Mike’s Website: https://www.mikeschnaidt.com [https://www.mikeschnaidt.com/] Follow Mike on Instagram: http://instagram.com/schnaidt 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