Skylar Smith

Audio Block
Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more
Image

Giuseppe Castellano talks to visual artist and illustrator, Asia Orlando, about why she turned away from interior design and architecture to become an illustrator; how one can leverage their past experiences, good and bad, to help define their present; why persistence really is the key to an illustration practice; and more.

To learn more about Asia, visit asiaorlando.com.

⚡ Follow The Illustration Department Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you find podcasts.

✨ Become a Patron of the Podcast. For $1.00, $4.00, 0r $6.00 a month, you can receive:

  • A reusable 10%-OFF discount code!

  • Patron-only podcast episodes called “Extra Credit”!

  • Invitations to our “Art Directors After Hours” get-togethers!

  • Our nifty soft-enamel pin with the ID logo (designed by Giuseppe)!

✏️ Be the first to hear about news, sales, and other offers and invitations by signing up to our newsletter.

🎧 Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello.

Brett Bean

Giuseppe Castellano talks to comic book artist, character designer, and author, Brett Bean, about why Brett wishes he had his own book on drawing when he was starting out; why adjectives and verbs come before nouns with character design; what it means to keep your goals and dreams in your own hands; and more.

Read more

Paul O. Zelinsky

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator, Paul O. Zelinsky, about what his former Yale professor, Maurice Sendak, thought about social media; why he’s aways wondering at point he can get away with not being good enough; where illustrators can find validation (hint: it’s not in an award); and more.

Read more

Christopher Denise

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Honor-winning, New York Times best-selling illustrator and author, Christopher Denise, about why “show, don’t tell” is advice children’s book creators should avoid; how an anthropomorphized animal can look more like a mascot, and why that’s bad; how no illustrator working today knows, entirely, what they’re doing; and more.

Read more

Lisa Maltby

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and designer, Lisa Maltby, about why freelance creatives should know the difference between constant and consistent; how illustrators, designers, and other creatives, can negotiate fees with clients; why the only artist, the only person, you should be comparing yourself to is yourself; and more.

Read more

Frank Cammuso

Giuseppe Castellano talks to author, cartoonist, and educator, Frank Cammuso, about Frank’s approach to pacing with panels, and why it’s one of the most beautiful things about comics; how Steve Ditko does not get the credit he rightfully deserves; what you can learn from a good tomato sauce recipe about making comics; and more.

Read more

Jules Feiffer

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, Jules Feiffer, about the early years of his life and career; how Maurice Sendak and William Steig changed his approach to illustration; why failure is not to be feared; and more.

Read more

Peter Brown

Giuseppe Castellano talks to #1 New York Times best-selling illustrator and author, Peter Brown, about what it’s like getting “The Caldecott Call”; how an illustrator can struggle with knowing if their illustration is good and done; why Roz from The Wild Robot is more than a wild robot; and more.

Read more

Oriana Leckert

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Oriana Leckert, Head of Publishing at Kickstarter, about the steps creators should take to start their Kickstarter journey—including one crucial one; how self-publishing differs from traditional publishing; what work needs to be done to publish through Kickstarter; and more.

Read more

Tracy Shaw

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Tracy Shaw, Art Director for Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, about how the world of picture books is more than lollipops and rainbows; what her art department’s policy is on Generative AI; she answers questions from podcast patrons about emails, styles, palettes; and more.

Read more

Robin Preiss Glasser

Sponsored by Agency Access.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to New York Times bestselling illustrator, Robin Preiss Glasser, about how she worked with Jane O’Connor on Fancy Nancy (and how close Nancy came to a horrible death); what “the buzz” is, and why artists should not listen to it; what art can do and be in times of hardship and pain; and more.

Read more

Brian Biggs

Giuseppe Castellano talks to author, illustrator, designer, and educator, Brian Biggs, about how reinvention can play a part in one’s creative life; what it means to be a victim of your own success; whether or not creative types need to be inspired (if inspiration even exists); and more.

Read more