The Illustration Department Podcast
Giuseppe Castellano talks to folks in illustration, graphic design, publishing, animation, and other creative fields about the ups and downs of their careers.
Episodes
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and fine artist, Michael Deas, about his early years as an illustrator; how he created “The Torch Lady” for Columbia Pictures; why he doesn’t look back on his long career; and more.
To learn more about Michael, visit michaeldeas.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Ted Lewin, Betsy Lewin, Herbert Tauss
If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substac...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator, and distinguished educator, Robert Hunt, about why illustrators should embrace “woodshedding”; how he created the DreamWorks logo; what the great Kazuhiko Sano meant to him, and to the illustration world at large; and more.
To learn more about Robert, visit roberthuntstudio.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: John Singer Sargent, London Ladd, Bruce Wolfe, David Grove...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to writer and (sneaky) artist, Nishant Jain, about why it’s okay for artists to say, “I am a creative”; how we can break free of social media prison; why one’s creative practice is like an infinite game; and more.
To learn more about Nishant, visit sneakyartist.com.
Books mentioned in this episode include: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction and On Photography
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Amanda Burdan, Senior Curator at The Brandywine Museum of Art, about N.C. Wyeth’s early life; what led to the restoration and permanent exhibition of Wyeth’s The Apotheosis of the Family; what today’s illustrators can do for tomorrow’s curators; and more.
To learn more about the Brandywine, visit brandywine.org. For tours and the mural experience, visit brandywine.org/mural.
Artists mentioned in this epis...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and storyteller, Fahmida Azim, about where and how illustrators can find validation; why a creative’s self-worth should not come from their work; what illustration really is; and more.
To learn more about Fahmida, visit fahmida-azim.com.
If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bo...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, artist, and author, Emma Carlisle, about how an illustration practice can be a bit of a whirlwind; why some illustration advice is infantilzing; why finding joy in your art is more important than it sounds; and more.
To learn more about Emma, visit emmacarlisle.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: London Ladd, Helen Stephens, Beth Spencer
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, artist, and educator, London Ladd, about why he thinks “style” is a four-letter word; what and who helped him stay on his feet; how to keep going in life and art; and more.
To learn more about London, visit londonladd.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Mark English, Kazuhiko Sano, James Ransome, Romare Bearden, Ezra Jack Keats, Jerry Pinkney, Keith Henry Brown, G. Gregory Christi...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, author, and son of Patricia and Richard Scarry, Huck Scarry, about his father’s life and artistic process; how he approached Busytown—from color palettes to car accidents; what his advice would be for illustrators today; and more.
To learn more about Richard Scarry, visit richardscarry.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Stan Berenstain, Dr. Seuss, Will Eisner, Ashley Bryan, Van K...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Illustrator and author, Henry Cole, about the early years of his long career; what he experienced with the banning of And Tango Makes Three; how (and how not) to learn from artistic influences; and more.
To learn more about Henry, visit henrycole.net.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Steven Kellogg, John James Audubon, Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, John Singer Sargent
Giuseppe Castellano talks to educator, author, and graphic medicine cartoonist, Kriota Willberg, about why she felt the need to write Draw Stronger: Self-Care for Cartoonists and Other Visual Artists; how artists can take care of their bodies, and why they don’t; and more.
To learn more about Kriota, visit KriotaWelt.blogspot.com.
If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on P...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Martina Flor, award-winning lettering artist, author, and educator, about why creatives need to embrace self-promotion; what it means to be a letter designer; what it takes to be an artistic entrepreneur; and more.
To learn more about Martina, visit martinaflor.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Lisa Congdon, Jessica Hische, and Malika Favre
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Véronique Sweet, Art Director for Crown Picture Books and Little Golden Books at Penguin Random House, about what she looks for in an illustrator’s portfolio; how Little Golden Books aren’t just for little readers; what it means for illustrators to be storytellers; and more.
Véronique’s email address vsweet@penguinrandomhouse.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Irene Chan, Jill Howarth, Richar...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Vanessa Robles, Director of Production for Penguin Young Readers, about a production team’s role in bringing a book to life; why the number sixteen is important in book production; why we all need to put more respect on Production’s name; and more.
Vanessa can be found on LinkedIn.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Judy Schachner
If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscri...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Whitney Sherman, illustrator, designer, and founding director of the MFA in Illustration Practice program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, about how she began her distinguished career as an educator; what it takes to survive a creative practice; why artists, of any discipline, should not be afraid of failure; and more.
To learn more about Whitney, visit whitneysherman.com.
Artists mentioned in th...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, writer, and creator of Introvert Drawing Club on Substack, Beth Spencer, about what she’s learned from Introvert Drawing Club; why we should always use human intelligence when creating art; how illustrators don’t need much to do what they want; and more.
To learn more about Beth, visit bethspencerillustration.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Richard Scarry, Emma Carlisle, and S...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to renowned designer and art director, Paul Buckley, about what it takes to be a good art director; why illustrators and designers should aim for distinction; how depression and creativity correlate; and more.
To learn more about Paul, visit paulbuckleydesign.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Jim Tierney and Sara Wood
If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Sub...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to author, illustrator, and character designer, Matthew Forsythe, about the many forms a picture book can take—from morality books to “fantastic binomials”; how to make sense of color; how to like your creative work; and more.
To learn more about Matthew, visit comingupforair.net.
As was discussed in this episode, here is an article about Gianni Rodari’s concept of the “fantastic binomial”.
Artists mentioned ...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Maria Middleton, Senior Art Director at Candlewick Press, about the role of an art director within the collaborative inner-workings of children’s publishing; what she looks for in illustrators; why illustrators should make work that makes them happy; and more.
To learn more about Maria, visit mariamiddleton.com.
To send Maria your illustration portfolio, email her at Maria.Middleton@candlewick.com.
Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning cartoonist, author, and comedian, Jason Chatfield, and award-winning illustrator and creator of Ten Minute Artist, Adam Ming, about what they like and don’t like about Substack, how it can benefit illustrators creatively and financially; and more.
To learn more about Jason and Adam, visit jasonchatfield.com and adamming.com.
Artists mentioned in this episode include: Austin Kleon, Wendy MacN...
Giuseppe Castellano talks to children’s book illustrator and character designer, Toshiki Nakamura, about the all-important three months before and after a picture book’s publication; what his approach is to character design for clients like DreamWorks and Netflix; what your past, creatively or otherwise, has to do with your future; and more.
To learn more about Toshi, visit artoftoshi.com.
Popular Podcasts
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!