Thoughts on Illustration

Tom Froese

Thoughts on Illustration is a 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, insights, and reflections from his own experience as an illustrator. Tom wants to encourage his fellow creatives and help them get further on by sharing in a transparent, accessible way. If you are passionate about unlocking professional and personal creative fulfillment, I invite you to follow along as I do the same!

  • 44 minutes 17 seconds
    How 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

    1. Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!
    2. Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!
    3. 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



    18 February 2025, 5:42 am
  • 56 minutes 52 seconds
    Jess 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


    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
    4 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 54 minutes 25 seconds
    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


    21 January 2025, 6:26 am
  • 49 minutes 31 seconds
    Reflections 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

    1. Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!
    2. Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!
    3. 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

    7 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 26 minutes
    Moving 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


    HOW TO SUPPORT

    1. Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!
    2. Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!
    3. 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

    24 December 2024, 5:49 am
  • 32 minutes 17 seconds
    How 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

    1. Share this episode with your friends on Social Media!
    2. Like, Comment, Follow, Subscribe!
    3. 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



    10 December 2024, 8:00 am
  • 26 minutes 52 seconds
    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.
    26 November 2024, 8:00 am
  • 42 minutes 2 seconds
    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.
    12 November 2024, 8:00 am
  • 1 minute 6 seconds
    Episode 41 Postponed - November 5, 2024
    Today's scheduled epsiode (Episode 41) will be postponed until next week. Stay kind!
    5 November 2024, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 14 minutes
    The Illustrator's Guide with James Hughes
    In this episode I chat with James Hughes about his new book, The Illustrator's Guide, a comprehensive, motivational handbook for artists trying to break into the freelance illustration market. James is an agent at Folio Illustration and Animation Agency, representing some 60 illustrators around the world. Taking advice from James means learning from someone who sits at the front lines of both illustrators and the clients who hire them every day.
    22 October 2024, 7:00 am
  • 39 minutes 35 seconds
    Listen to This if You're Bored With Your Style
    Develop a Drawing Habit in 30 Days. Take my class, Drawing Is Important – https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/drawing-is-important. Use my links to get 30 days free on Skillshare. In this episode of My Thoughts on Illustration, I dive deep into my recent experience with a style crisis and how I turned to a daily drawing challenge to reignite my creativity.
    8 October 2024, 7:11 am
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