A Bologna Book Fair special: 6 Good Shippers were finalists in the Illustrators Exhibition!
Hi there, Helen here.This is a special episode of the podcast because we had six of our Good Shippers - that’s people who’ve done our courses - selected as finalists in the Bologna Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition!Which is pretty amazing news. It’s really difficult to be a finalist because the competition is so high. Last year there were 4,374 people who entered, and only 324 were selected to be finalists. So for six of them to be Good Shippers is SO exciting.Now that the fair’s finished, I thought it would be lovely to catch up with them and hear how it all went. In this episode, you’ll hear from Emma Simpson, Lisa Loffredo, Amber Au, Sam Jones and Kate Leiper.A special mention to Charlotte Durrance, who was also a finalist but couldn’t make it to the recording. Congratulations to all of you!V Rough timestamps in case you like that sort of thing:[00:00] Helen introduces the six Good Shippers who made it to Bologna 🎉 [00:02] Emma Simpson [00:11] Lisa Loffredo [00:18] Amber Au [00:25] Sam Jones [00:37] Kate Leiper Other links mentionedFind Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag courseThe Picture Book courseDPictus ShowcaseBologna Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition info on how to take part – Entries usually open in July and close in NovemberTiffany Leeson – Creative Director at Farshore BooksKen Max Wilson – Writer, illustrator and publisherPicture Hooks – Helping illustrators access the world of children’s publishing (based in Edinburgh, open to all emerging illustrators)🎉 If you’d like to apply for the Bologna Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition, the doors are usually open from July until November. Get your work ready and go for it!We're cheering you on.Taraa! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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#WalkToSee is baaack! The hashtag responsible for over 120,000 drawings (join in!)
Our Helen’s #WalkToSee hashtag on Instagram is baaaack with a new monthly prompt. After seven years of #walktosee there are now over 120,000 drawings on there and counting!In this episode, we chat about Helen’s relaunch of #WalkToSee (with new monthly prompts), drawing from life vs. photos, why small sketchbooks are weirdly hard, aaand rediscovering messy materials and carbon paper.Special guest: an enormous chunk of charcoal.If you'd like a gentle kick up the butt to do some drawing from life, then join in! In this episode:The story behind #WalkToSee and why Helen's relaunched itHow to join this month’s prompt: #WalkToSeeWeather ☁️🌧️Why drawing from life feels more “alive”Sketching in public = good panicSmall sketchbooks or massive sketchbooks... which camp are you in?Materials that make drawing fun again (paint sticks! Sharpies! toilet roll!)The autumn urge to make something just for funApple presses, lino cuts, carbon paper and whisky samplesTimestamps: 00:00 – Helen on starting #WalkToSee back in 2018 02:00 – Why hashtags stopped working and how she brought it back 04:00 – October’s prompt: #WalkToSeeWeather 06:00 – Drawing tiny and feeling rusty 08:00 – Sharpies, paint sticks and rediscovering fun materials 10:00 – Drawing in public (and how to avoid chatty strangers) 12:00 – The “panic” energy in real-life drawing 15:00 – Autumn creative urges and sneaky side projects 17:00 – The joy of carbon paper and slow stationery 19:00 – Studio updates, new neighbours and collaboration 20:00 – Katie’s apple obsession 🍎 21:00 – Tiny whisky bottlesLinks & things mentioned:Join in on Instagram: #WalkToSeeWeatherHelen’s Instagram: @helenstephenslionand ours @thegoodshipillustrationThe Good Ship Illustration: www.thegoodshipillustration.comByeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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Remember drawing for...fun? 😅 what is that?
Deadlines... yeah yeah yeahhh, but what about doing illustration stuff just for YOU!? This week we chat about squishing in personal projects when client work always feels much more urgent.We are gathering ourselves after a very exciting Illustration Business Club launch. Phew! Definitely time for fun non-worky projects around here.(Rough) Timestamps if you want to skip to a certain bit00:00 Question: “How do you make time for personal artwork?”01:00 Why deadlines are easier than self-led projects02:00 Fine art drive vs. illustration mindset03:00 Projects we have managed to finish (and why)05:00 Creativity that doesn’t look like ‘work’07:00 You’re probably doing more than you realise08:00 The power of art clubs + sketching friends09:00 Big projects that turn into ‘scratch records’10:00 Permission to make things simple (or stop entirely)12:00 Sorting hat trick for choosing ideas14:00 Productivity16:00 Parking ideas and bullet journaling18:00 Craft supplies, hoarding, and deferring projects20:00 New paints, new studios, more art clubs21:00 Psssst...you’re probably already doing more than you thinkByeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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"Double your fee without drawing more" say whaaat!?
First things first, DOORS CLOSE TONIGHT! We start on Monday.https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business Be lovely to see you in there. Psssst, this is the lowest the price will ever be, and we're not opening the doors again until September 2026. 🚢🚢🚢Right. Podcast shownotes. Yes. Where were we?Here's a very quick lesson on copyright and licensing before you listen to this episode 🤓Copyright = you own the work. Licence = permission your client buys to use the work in specific ways (where, how long, which media, exclusive or not).Ok, lesson's over. Thanks for coming. If you'd like to earn more without drawing more, then keep your copyright, license the usage, and price it properly. It's juicy, not boring. We promise!Timestamps, if you want to skip ahead to a certain bit00:00 Why giving away copyright is a no-go01:00 Licence basics you can actually use02:30 Picture books: advances, royalties, reversions04:30 Foreign rights & special sales (how the money flows)06:30 Trust, statements, and chasing missing royalties07:30 Licensing agents & exclusivity windows09:00 Advertising uses: above/below the line (cost jumps)10:30 Building a simple “menu” clients can pick from12:00 Case study: the map that earned double via licensing14:00 Live illustration: online use vs print/murals16:30 Excluding branding/merch in your standard licence18:00 Merch options: flat fee vs % royalty20:00 Originals, ownership, and cautionary tales22:00 Why this stuff makes your work pay betterCome and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
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The bit art school forgot to teach you 😅
🌎✏️ The Illustrator’s Income Atlas - exciting free workshop announcement!🗓️ 24th Sept | ⏰ 1pm UK | 📍 OnlineLet's sit down together and map out your illustration income. You'll leave with a plan (a map, woohooo) you can stick on your wall and use.Save your spot and SIGN UP HERE!https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/atlas Ok, on with the shownotes 🤓We’ve taken our Business Course, given it a fresh lick of paint, and made it eeeeven more fun.It's now called Illustration Business Club...And the doors open tonight! (19th September 2025).You don't need your shoulderpads. Just bring yourself and a bit of an open mind to learn how the money-and-business side of illustration works. In this episode, we talk a bit about why we’re saying goodbye to the word “course” and what this shiny new Illustration Business Club is gonna look like. You're in for a treat - it’s eeeven better. By the way, if you're already in the Business Course, you don't need to do anything. You'll be inside Illustration Business Club automagically. Phew!Lifetime accessCommunity perks: private Facebook group + co-working every 2 weeksNice open chats about pricing, clients, and feesIt'd be lovely to see you in there!Timestamps, for our timestamp fans.00:00 Big news: the Business Course has changed01:00 Why “club” feels right (and way more fun)02:00 All modules unlocked: learn at your pace03:00 Community: private group + live calls04:00 What art school didn’t teach you05:00 Honest conversations about money + fees06:00 Adding new income streams07:00 Pricing insights: Katie & Helen’s two perspectives08:00 Guest interviews + insider knowledge08:30 Bonus: live Q&A with copyright lawyers09:00 How to join the Illustration Business ClubLinks mentionedJoin the Illustration Business Club HERESign up for our free income workshop HERECome and be our Instagram pals HEREByeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Welcome to The Good Ship Illustration - the podcast for illustrators who are quietly working away in their sketchbooks thinking… “is it just me?”…it’s not just you!We’re Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell and Tania Willis - three full-time illustrators from three different corners of the industry (and three different age brackets ). We live in the same seaside town in the UK and started having cuppas and chats… and accidentally became illustration agony aunts.Now we record those chats for you! We answer your questions about confidence, tricky clients, pricing your work, creative block, picture books, publishing, and everything in between.✨ New episodes every Friday. ✨Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and do send us your questions!P.s. Fancy some freebies? Head to thegoodshipillustration.com for colour workshops, picture book templates, and other treats.Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)🚢🚢🚢
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