The Good Ship Illustration
The Good Ship Illustration 117 episodes Nov 6, 2026
The Good Ship Illustration is a podcast for illustrators, hosted by three full-time illustrators: Helen Stephens, Katie Chappell, and Tania Willis. They discuss topics like confidence, tricky clients, pricing, creative block, picture books, and publishing. New episodes are released every Friday, and listeners are encouraged to submit their questions.
Episodes
The illustration job nobody tells you about 🌈
It's Tania Willis is in the hot seat this week (have you heard of her? That name rings a bell...) and our Katie is grilling her about maps! We dug out our dusty listener question spreadsheet and the first one out was a good 'un: how long does a map take? HOW LONG IS A PIECE OF STRING? Tania is going to tell you. Just hit play and snuggle in, ok?Timestamps, for the timestamp fans:00:00 –
How do I get my work featured? With Creative Boom's Katy Cowan
This week our Katie chats to Katy Cowan, founding editor of Creative Boom, the independent platform that's been cheering on creatives of every background for 17 years. It started as a side project dreamed up on a sun lounger on her honeymoon (true story!) and now reaches over 300,000 readers a month.If you've ever wondered how illustrators get picked up by Creative Boom, Katy tells us ev
How to stay in touch with your illustration clients without being annoying - part 2 of our @MadebyJames interview
James Martin (aka @MadebyJames) is baaack! Part one was your starter, and this week is the chonky main course. James did promise to come back with something v useful, and he kept his word.Buckle in for a step-by-step formula to help you build relationships with the people you'd love to work with. There is absolutely NO cold emailing or cheesey self-promotion involved. Timestamps, for the time
Is there any point becoming an illustrator now that AI is here? An interview with James Martin @madebyjames PART 1!
Trigger warning: In this episode, James talks openly about his experience of childhood sexual abuse, as well as addiction (drugs and alcohol). It's mentioned briefly in the 06:52 to 11:00 section and discussed again from 45:23. There's also plenty of strong language throughout. Look after yourself and skip this episode/seek support if you need it.This week our Katie is chatting to James
Lessons from our 'failures' + Illustration Business Club doors close tonight!
This week, you're stuck with Katie and Helen again, answering more of your businessy questions (Tania's back next week! Don't cry! She's coming back, really!)RIP to our dear friend and editor Deirdre McDermott of Walker Books, who died recently. Dee was a legend. We don't have the words to do her justice here, but we miss her very very much. 💛 And of course, Smelly Peggy
Help! Posting my illustration work makes me cringe 😬
This week it's just Helen and Katie here (helloo - Tania was off in Naples eating pizza for us. We were living vicariously through her.)Let's get stuck in and answer your excellent questions about marketing your illustration work. "I just don't know where to begin!" and overcoming our arch nemesis: cringe. Plus SLOTH FACTS. You're welcome.Timestamps, for the timestamp
"I hadn't drawn for 21 years" an interview with Jo Overend 🐥
Jo Overend is in da house (ship?)But first, Illustration Business Club is finally OPEN! It's been over a year since we last flung the doors open and we'd love to have you sailing with us! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/businessJo is an author-illustrator, an OG Good Shipper, and the author and illustrator of Megaduck (her debut picture book with Walker Books) 🐥When Jo started ou
Do I need loads of followers to get illustration work?
Fancy getting into your business car for a bit? Illustration Business Club doors are open until 9th October 2026, and you get lifetime access, so you can go at your own pace (pudding first, broccoli later). We'd love to have you sailing with us https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/business///We recorded this podcast LIVE on Instagram on Friday! (So please excuse the audio if it doesn'
Marketing *without* social media as an illustrator. Is it possible? (Illustration Business Club doors now open!) 🎉🎉🎉
This week, we're back at the kitchen table after the summer holidays, and the doors to Illustration Business Club are officially OPEN! Wahoooo 🎉A quick catch-up first: Katie trying to not-work for six whole weeks, and Tania's summer spent changing her work on a big museum project. Then there's a nice big juicy question from a listener: can you market yourself without social media if
"Your old sketchbook drawings could be earning you money" - An illustration licensing chat with Margo Tantau
This week our Tania is speaking to the one and only Margo Tantau (the licensing whisperer).Margo is a good ship Pal, founder of Tantau Studio and you might have heard her on her brilliant podcast Windowsill Chats. Here's a link: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/windowsill-chats/id1529045232 In this chat, Tania and Margo talk about all the important stuff liiiike:What is licensing? How do
"You really don't have to go to art school!" An interview with Carly Kuhn
This week our Katie is chatting to Carly Kuhn, a US-based illustrator, artist and author who ended up in illustration kindofbyaccident. She grew up in New York wanting to do TV comedy, worked at a Hollywood talent agency, took improv classes at The Groundlings, and started drawing on printer paper nicked from the office, just as something creative to do after work. Then Sarah Jessica Parker repost
"Nobody can hire you if they can't see you". An interview with Mollie off of @ShortSupplyMCR
"Why does promoting my own work feel so cringe?"HIYA WELCOME BACK! We missed you!Summer holidays are all done here in the UK. Hope you had a good rest too. This week our Katie's chatting to Mollie Balshaw, one half of Short Supply:Short Supply is an artist-led creative practice founded by Mollie and Rebekah Balshaw. Since 2019, they have helped artists navigate creative careers thro
RIP Hockney & (Art) school's out for summer 🤘 🌴 🍦🩲
What're you doing this summer? Are you having a little rest?This episode is all about taking breaks and we have a wee look at our plans:Helen is in her illustrator hermit cave for July to get the next Salty Dog book finished before the deadline, with a nice August off as her reward. Tania is working on a museum commission for a 'Gossip Wall' in Berwick Museum, with plans to experime
No, you *don't* have imposter syndrome - an interview with Lauren Currie OBE
What's the point in making all this gorgeous work if you don't have the confidence to share it, eh? EH!?Who better to grill on this subject than Lauren Currie, OBE.Lets gooo:Timestamps, for the timestamp fans:00:00 – Intro 01:00 – Confidence = the elephant in the room for creatives02:00 – Lauren on why confidence matters so much, especially for women and marginalised people 05:00 – The s
Help, I’ve forgotten how to draw 🫠
This week's podcast is a sneaky peek into the live Q&A calls we do for our Find Your Creative Voice; Fly Your Freak Flag students. (They happen monthly at the moment.)WHADDA CHAT.In this episode, we talk about:Pursuing boredom The Artists' WayWhy finding your style doesn’t always feel fun and easy and natural (Instagram's lying to yooou) What to do when you have hundreds of proj
"I spent ages on the detailed stuff...but they liked the quick sketch." An interview with the brilliant Alice Bowsher
This week our Katie is chatting to Alice Bowsher, who's work she would like to bite (In a good way. The same way you want to bite very cute babies. Is it called cuteness aggression?)Anyways, there's chat about creative career paths, Glastonbury bags, cardboard bedrooms, Walker Books, baby board books, and the very very important role of biscuits. Mmmm.Timestamps, for the timestamp fans:0
And the award for Best Stand at Bologna Children's Book Fair goes to...
This week, we're STIIIIIILL talking about Bologna Children's Book Fair (for the last time, we promise 😅) - this episode was supposed to come out as soon as we got home, but the technology gremlins have been fighting with us every step of the way. BACK OFF, GREMLINS. You'll hear at the very end that we went on talking for three whole blimmin' episodes before we realised the mic
"Help! I love my rough illustrations and panic on the final piece. How do I get out of my own way?"
It's all fun and games until someone mentions FINAL ARTWORK. (Arghhhh)Sound familiar? Thought so.So we get stuck into Inky's question: how do you get out of your own way and switch off the overthinking brains? All three of us wrestle with this in different ways.Also mentioned: expensive paper + a shared fantasy about buying a tiny round Father Ted caravan to draw in. Pour yourself a deca
⚠️ Illustration scams to watch out for
Ooft, this is a good one. This week we're discussing illustration scamsWe've all had them land in our inboxes, we see 'em in the Good Ship community (too) regularly, and TBH you need to know what to look out for. 👀Plus: Salty Dog is in actual bookshops and the Waterstones staff read it and couldn't stop laughing. Weyyy! 🎉Timestamps, if you like that sort of thing:00:00 – Why we
'They keep asking me to tone it down.' Flying your freak flag in their faces 🚩
This week we're answering a brilliant voice message from @shanaramadesigns.Shana asks about Russian illustrator Victoria Semikina: how does someone learn to draw in that gloriously exaggerated, expressive way? And why, when she does it, does everyone love it, but when Shana tries it, art directors ask her to tone it down?NO FAIR.Happy listening :) And hellooo to Victoria - we've been cha
"I used to cry in the toilets before every job (and then I'd go draw)" - a live illustration chat with Katie
This week, our Katie's chatting with Helen and Tania about her favouritest thing and specialism/niche: live illustration. What's it like to arrive at a fancy corporate event with an iPad (or a board and some paint), when someone says "ok, draw everything"?It's a proper deep-dive into the live illustration world, from the adrenalinny (new word) thrill of drawing in real tim
You don't have to pick just one thing - an interview with illustrator-astrologer Nicola Allan
This week, our Katie is chatting to Nicola Allan, an artist, writer and consulting astrologer based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. After 12 years working as a lawyer, Nicola pivoted to illustration and has since built a brand that weaves together everything she loves: The Wild Way.Nicola's a brilliant example of what happens when you stop trying to choose between the things you're drawn to
This illustrator got a book deal lead on DAY ONE of Bologna… 😳 (part 2)
Here's part two of our Bologna interviews. Thank you so much for listening, and if you managed to come and find us at Bologna Children’s Book Fair, thank you. We had so much fun meeting everybody, and we’re hoping to do that again one day because it was cool. Okay, see you soon. Enjoy listening to these brave people🚢🚢🚢⏱️ Timestamps for our timestamp fansLauren00:00 – Part 2 hiya 00:40 – Laure
Brave Good Shippers at Bologna - we shoved a microphone in these illustrators faces 😆 (part 1!)
Interview #1 is with Paulina Zawiska and Kate Osmond.Interview #2 is with Lorna Burt (begins at 05:30)Bon apetit! We just announced the winners of our iPad giveaway and art supply shop vouchers - come and celebrate the winners with us over on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thegoodshipillustration/ Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome to Bologna (the audio isn't perfect but neither are we 🤪) 00:30
Helen Stephens chats to Prof. Martin Salisbury - Is your illustration style really yours? When influence turns into imitation 👀✏️
Ever worried your work looks a bit too much like somebody else’s? 😬 This one’s for youuuu.In this episode, our Helen chats with the brilliant Martin Salisbury about plagiarism. The temptation to borrow a bit too heavily when you’re surrounded by endless beautiful work online is real. Hopefully this conversation helps you fly your own freak flag :)Timestamps:00:00 Hello Martin Salisbury01:00 Instag
Guide to the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2026 - The Good Ship Illustration
Absolutely knackered just thinking about Bologna? Same 😅Here are our Bologna Children’s Book Fair survival tips. Whether it's your first time or you're a seasoned Bologna Book Fair-er. Exciting news: The Good Ship Illustration is exhibiting this year in Hall 25, and we’d love to see you there!This episode:What even IS the Bologna Children’s Book Fair?Whether you reeeally need to goThe bi
It’s not too late, you’re not behind, and yessss, you should still start - an interview with illustrator Carys Wright
This week, our Katie is chatting to Carys Wright - a London-based writer and illustrator, hardcore Good Shipper, and all-round excellent example of what can happen when you follow the creative thread, even if your path looks a bit wiggly.Carys went from acting and theatre into illustration, and we chat about how sketchbooking helped her find her creative voice, and what it’s looked like to keep bu
The 7 email rule: Pitching your work to illustration clients - Kira Matthews
Nobody is born knowing how to pitch.(Katie here) I've been known to pitch once, hear nothing, and decide 'Oh well. Never mind.' Then never reach out ever again. 😅So you can imagine my SHOCK and INCREDULITY (is that a word?) when Kira told me that she will reach out 7 times to a brand before giving up. Whaaaaaat!?Kira Matthews (aka Kira the Bold), is like confidence in a bottle. She&
How Salty (our Picture Book mascot) became a 2-book deal
This week we're pulling up a chair at Helen's kitchen table to finally spill the beans on Salty. Salty Dog and Pals is the book that started as The Picture Book Course branding and somehow ended up as a 2-book deal with Walker Books.The big question: How do you write a zillion short stories with your pal in 10 sessions flat?We chat about the origins of Salty (and which printmaker Bernard
Identity + rejection: when your illustration work *is* you 🥲
This week we're dragging ourselves away from our hypothetical gardens and custom urn businesses (lol) to have a proper sofa-chat about the big question: what would you do if you weren't an illustrator?Specifically: Is your identity too wrapped up in your work? What happens when things go quiet on the work front?COMMUNITY IS MAGIC. That is all. Happy listening.p.s. Salty Dog & Pals (H
Instagram Is Not Your Portfolio (PHEW!)
This week we’re wrapped up in some blankets havin' a proper sofa-chat about Instagram.Specificallyyyy:Should your Instagram be your portfolio?What's the difference between a snazzy website folio and the mad addictive world of social media? We also get into showing your human face, illustrators following illustrators, AI-era credibility, and why you absolutely do not owe the algorithm/tec
🍎 Elephantasia (aphantasia) - can you see an apple in your mind?
This week we roll headfirst into the interestin' world of aphantasia.It all started with conversations inside Find Your Creative Voice and The Picture Book Course - when Good Shippers were telling us, “I can’t see ANYTHING in my head.” Which sent us down a rabbit hole of aphantasia, imagination. And does everyone experience it the same way?Nope.In this episode, we chat about:What aphantasia i
Anna Mac on finding her creative voice (after years designing for retail)
Permission to play can change EVERYTHING!This week we’re chatting to Anna Mac - artist, printmaker, illustrator, product designer, sleep counsellor, mum of twins, and hardcore Good Shipper who's been sailing with us since 2020.In this episode, we talk about scenic creative routes, why permission to play can change everything, creative voice vs paying the bills, and why sometimes felting a jum
Are illustrators doomed… or is this our time to shiiiiiine? [AI workshop replay]
Here's the audio replay from our AI workshop last week. There are slides too - the full replay with slides is available to watch HERE (but it goes away today. We're putting the workshop inside Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag.) There's a PDF handout to download there too. Go grab it before it disappears!https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/aiworkshop The audio isn&ap
Tara Tayyebi Fard on finding her creative voice (and illustration career) after 10 years of being an architect
Pssst, while you're here... On Tuesday 10th February 2026 we're running a live workshop! https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/aiworkshop Standing out in a sea of robots: being an illustrator when AI is everywhereThis workshop's perfect for you if you:Call yourself an illustrator, image-maker (or want to)Feel a bit wobbly about AI and what it means for your style and creative work
Want to know what February’s #WalkToSee prompt is?
Are you joining in with #WalktoSee?In this episode, we chat about how our Helen's hashtag Walk to See started, how it works, (there are basically no rules 😆), and why monthly prompts are muuch gentler on the brain/energy levels than daily prompts.In this episode: 00:00 What Walk to See is 01:30 The only “rule” 02:30 Why the format changed 03:30 How often you actually need to draw 04:30 Januar
When you want to work but can’t seem to start
Ahhh this ol' chestnut. You know it. We've aaall been there. You sit down...you need to work. But you get absolutely nowt done. Instead, you do absolutely everything else... then panic-work at the last minute, or just never get round to it.You're not alone! Most illustrators we speak to will have their own weird and wonderful tricks to get into work mode.In this episode, we talk abo
Is copying ever OK in illustration? When does inspiration turn into plagiarism? 👀✏️
Let’s talk about the big hairy thing that no one really wants to talk about… copying.In this episode, we discuss inspiration, and how social media has changed things so much for illustrators. Trying on someone else’s illustration hat for too long can derail your creative career.This one’s especially for you if you’ve ever felt like someone's getting a bit toooo inspired by your work, or you&a
You're invited! Plan your creative year with The Good Ship Illustration
Sign up for the 2026 planning party HERE: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/planningparty This is a wee replay from last year (with a new intro to tell you the new dates for our planning party) -------------------Are you raring to set goals, or are you feeling more “no plans, just let me lie down” this year? We chat about:Why some years are for sprinting, and others are for walking.The power
You’ll Never Feel Ready. Do It Anyway. An interview with Good Shipper Amber Au.
What a treat of an episode! Today we’re chatting with Good Shipper and picture book author–illustrator Amber Au.Amber talks about how drawing became part of her recovery from an eating disorder and how her therapist encouraged her to send her illustration work to her first ever client. Aaand how - in two whirlwind months - she was suddenly winning awards, signing a three-book deal, and being invit
An interview with Lisa Congdon - consistency and finding your creative voice
If you're an illustrator with access to the internet and you have eyeballs, you might've seen Lisa Congdon's work. Lisa started blogging her collections and illustrations back in the good ol' days, and even remembers Instagram back when it was good. (Remember that? It was nice, wasn't it?)In this episode, Katie asks Lisa about consistency and how to keep on keepin' on
How illustrator Jill Calder built a long-lasting creative career (without losing her voice)
In this episode, our Tania chats with multi award-winning illustrator Jill Calder about 30+ years of illustration, and how she’s explored pretty much the entire “illustration atlas” without losing herself along the way.Stuff we cover:Staying recognisably Jill across 30+ years of illustrationMoving from editorial to corporate to heritage workBuilding a career with both illustration and hand letteri
How to stop your illustration style looking generic & blah
Y'know when you feel like your work is neeearly there… but it's missing a lil something-something? This podcast episode is all about that. Overcoming that.How the heck do you put more humanness into your work?🧠 What we talk about in this one“Accomplished” isn’t the same as “alive”How generic styles can creep in without us noticingThe danger of trying to look like “a picture book illustra
We’re good at failing (and you can be too) 🤣 the power of experiments
This week on The Good Ship Illustration Podcast, we’re chatting all things experiments - we get particularly excited about FAILED experiments. In the words of that there Bob Ross, "we don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents". 😆Behind the scenes, Helen gave Tania a haircut just before we recorded this episode. Can you hear Tania's new hair?Timestamps for our timestamp
What publishers reeeeally want to see in your picture book pitch
First, before we jump into the show notes, here's the link to sign up to the Picture Book Pitching Masterclass we've got happening soon! 🗓️ When: 17th of November at 1 pm UK time💰 Cost: Freeeee🚢 RSVP here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/pbpm How do illustrators actually get their picture books published? And what really goes on at Bologna Children’s Book Fair? This episode is al
'If it looks awful, keep going. It’ll work out' - an interview with illustrator Catherine Rayner
This week we’re interviewing another creative for the podcast. Hooray!Catherine Rayner is an award-winning author and illustrator based in Edinburgh, whose books have sold over two million copies and been translated into 35 languages. She’s written and illustrated 25 picture books and collaborated with legends like Julia Donaldson, Michael Morpurgo, and Michael Bond. Winner of the Kate Greenaway M
'If you keep showing up, you can't NOT get better' - an interview with Sandi Hester
We've decided to play around a bit and do some INTERVIEWS. Ooooh. First up is artist and YouTuber Sandi Hester, who recently moved from the US into a 100-year-old fixer-upper house in the UK.Katie (gently) grills Sandi about what it’s been like moving country and keeping her creative practice alive through chaos, health challenges, and renovation dust.Sandi shares how painting has become her
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
#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:
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 Questi
"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 🤓Co
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
Nice illustrator loneliness & working from home
🌎✏️ The Illustrator’s Income Atlas - exciting free workshop announcement! 🗓️ 24th Sept | ⏰ 1pm UK | 📍 Online Let'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 🤓Why we secretly love working alone (
Picture Book, Freak Flag, or Business… which one is calling yoooou?
Which course should I do? 🎨📚We get asked this aaall the time: “Do I start with the Picture Book Course, Fly Your Freak Flag, or the Business Course?”There is no wrong order.Right now the Business Course isn’t open, but… ✨ The Illustration Business Club (our shiny new name for it) opens for enrolment on the 19th of September!We almost dropped the word “business” because we thought it might put illu
PANIIIIC! (or don’t...) 😅 | Summer camp sketchbook week 5
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything!You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook Riiiight, pack up your art supplies. It’
Play, OR ELSE 🎲 | Summer camp sketchbook week 4
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything!You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook Feeling stuck? Procrastinating wildly? H
Finding Creative Confidence 🚢 | Summer camp sketchbook week 3
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything!You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook Feeling a bit wobbly about your work? Yo
Draw draw draw! ✏️ | Summer camp sketchbook week 2
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of five episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything!You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook Got limited time to draw? Children hangi
Bask in your weirdness ☀️ | Summer camp sketchbook week 1
Pssst, this episode was originally published in 2023 and we’re sharing it again as part of our Good Ship Summer Camp series. It’s one of 5 episodes to help you fly your freak flag this summer. If you’d like to join in properly, there’s a free workbook an' everything!You can download the workbook here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/workbook 🚢🚢🚢What if your creative voice isn't o
Is AI Coming for your job? Illustrators are fighting back! (Part 2) with Chris Haughton
This week, we’re back with part 2 of our conversation with the brilliant Chris Haughton – illustrator, author, and passionate copyright advocate.Here's a link to part 1 in case you need to catch up!In this half of our Chris Haughton special, Chris shares how his first picture book came about, and we also chat about confidence, creative doubt, and why showing up again and again matters.And the
“Do I Have to Pick One Style Forever?! (Part 1)” with Chris Haughton
How do you make picture books if you secretly hate writing? Can you REALLY just punch holes in a bit of paper and call it a finished illustration?! 👀This week we’ve got a proper treat for you. This is part 1 of our chat with illustrator and picture book maker Chris Haughton! (Katie wasn’t there, but Helen and Tania held the fort and asked him all the juicy questions.)Chris shares his brilliantly w
START HERE - Welcome to The Good Ship Illustration Podcast! (Here's our trailer) 🚢🚢🚢
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
You don’t have to draw everything (even in picture books)
Emily asked us why backgrounds can be so overwhelming. So in this episode, we share lots of low-pressure ideas to make them doable (maybeee even fun).Please enjoy Tania nearly falling asleep under a weighted blanket 🤣Podcast Episode Highlights:How to stop overthinking itColour tips and some good stuff Chris Haughton taught us NO ZOOMING IN ALLOWED 😠 John BurninghamOld Lady Baby(rough) Timestamps:
💰 How to protect your time, energy and income as an illustrator
“Can you just do it for free?” NO. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about working for free, how to say no without guilt, and why having nice strong boundaries won't ruin your career (we promise). Tania shares a BRILLIANT script for saying no to unpaid work. Thank you Taniasan, we luv ya.Other good bits of note:How to stop feeling bad about saying no to cheeky requestsHow charity auctions
Is this normal in publishing… or am I being taken for a mug?
When your project goes a bit pear-shaped you might wonder if that’s just how the illustration industry is.Well, this week we’re talking all about what's good, bad, and normal... and whether there are red flags you should look out for in your illustrator-publisher relationship.Highlights:Why it's never okay to get feedback on a Friday and be asked for a full redraw by Monday 🙃What’s typic
“Help! I found my illustration style… and I don’t like it” 😩
Have you ever looked at your own work and thought… egh? When you work so hard to find your style* it can feel rubbish to realise you don't even LIKE IT 😅.*We're not big fans of the word style...but we have to use it so you know what we're on about. We have a WHOLE ENTIRE COURSE about finding your creative voice & flying your freak flag.This episode is allll about not-holding-the
The joy of not finishing (all) your online courses
Quick note before we start: In this episode we use the words "women" and "creative women" but we know these things don’t just affect women, and not everyone relates to binary gender labels. This chat is based on our lived experience and isn’t meant to exclude anyone. You’re always welcome aboard, however you identify. WE LUV YA. xx Good ShipHow many unfinished online courses ha
The curse of "Final Artwork"
BE MORE WONKY In this episode:Why quick sketches usually have more life in 'em than polished piecesHow perfectionism kills creativityBeware of the pause button (when you're doing graphic recording / live illustration)What to do when you're scared your work isn’t “worth the money”Tips for keeping final artwork fresh and looseHuman vs AI: what if the secret is just… being wonky?Timest
Inside Helen's hermit cave
Where does she go? What happens in there? Come and have a wee peek inside Helen’s hermit cave with us.BUT FIRST - is it true? Do you prefer a podcast when there's a video too? Katie's just been to Australia and chatted to some creatives and they all said that they *ONLY* listen to a podcast if there's a video to go with it. Whaaat!?Let us know on Instagram if these rumours are true.
Get more illustration work: A pep talk, some tips, and a tiny rant
Errrr, how do you find illustration work in 2025? Pitching? Instagram? Postcards? SEO? In this nice an' juicy episode we’re answering the 'Heeelp, how do I find clients as an illustrator?' question.What worksWhy we don’t “hunt” clients 😅SEO tips to help the right people trip over youHow to be pals with art directorsPitching can feel YUCK (but it doesn't have to)Old-skool stuff
Residencies and Substack
Hiya. This week’s episode of The Good Ship Illustration podcast is all about artist residencies... illustrators are allowed to go on them too!Our Tania’s just returned from her first ever residency (in a chateau, of course. Ooh la laaa) and we wanted to hear about the muscly trees, the chickens, and whether she got the entire chateau to herself.What a residency actually looks likeHow to pick the r
Live Illustration (Course Closes Tonight!) Q&A
Today’s a biiiig day... the doors to our Live Illustration Course are closing tonight! AGH! In this special live illustration-y episode, we grill Katie with loads of the brilliant live illustration questions you submitted. Katie also shares some behind-the-scenes stories about v early gigs, navigating some more unusual client requirements (hiya, Apple lawyers!), and why your own values matter just
“I’m not sure how to price my illustration work. I think I panic and undercharge because I’m worried they’ll change their mind if it’s too much.”
This week’s podcast question is from Annabelle:“I’m not sure how to price my work. I think I panic and undercharge because I’m worried they’ll change their mind if it’s too much.”Ooft. This is a juicy episode. Money, mindset, value, VAT nightmares, and charging what you’re worth. Bon apetit from your Good Ship pals. Tuck in.Timestamps00:00 – The question: “How do I stop undercharging?”01:30 – Peop
Illustrator vs artist: what’s the difference? + Creating your portfolio 🥳
Thanks for sending in yer juicy questions. Here are the ones we tackle in this week's podcast episode:“How do I build an illustration portfolio if I only have fine art work?”“What’s the difference between an illustrator and an artist?”Ahh yes that ol' chestnut. How to pivot from fine art to illustration without losing your mind. We dig into the figuring out what kind of work suits your a
Illustration trends vs your creative voice PLUS what materials to use
Two more chunky questions for this week's episode:“How do I choose the right materials and techniques when I love them all?”“How do I keep up with new tech and trends without hopping on every train and going bananas?”It's a longer one this week! A podcast title that went in the bin was: Mouldy bingo dabbers: A love story. A moment of silence for that title. It woulda been great, but not
Perfectionism, CMYK & a shout out to Barry in the cupboard (lovin' your work, Barry)
This week we’re answering TWO of your excellent questions:“How can I stop overthinking my story and just... FINISH IT???”“Which is better, RGB or CMYK?”Here’s what we chat about:That annoying feeling when you know your story’s missing something but you can’t figure out whatAsk your characters what they eat for breakfastMagic picture book editors - you don't need to do it all alone!And... how
How to become a paid illustrator (The step-by-step guide! lol)
This is something we hear quite a lot, and it's a BIG broad question: How do you actually become an illustrator who makes money. Dear Good Ship Illustration please break it down for me, step by step.No pressure (aaagh 😅)Alas, there is no tidy step-by-step guide… but in this episode we're doin' our very best to give you a solid direction to head in.Step 1 = loadsa drawingFinding your
Should you quit Instagram if you're an illustrator?
This week, we’re answering a question from listener Eilidh:"How do you navigate social media? Do you have a strategy or just post willy-nilly?"Gah. It’s complicated. In this episode of the podcast we chat about:Do illustrators really need Instagram anymore? Should you have a strategy, or is it fine to post when you feel like it?Why social media isn’t our main way of getting work (and wha
Your website might be missing this one thing – and nooo, it’s not more portfolio pieces
Ahoy! Doors to the Business Course (for illustrators!) are closing TONIGHT! We're going to be having a chat over on Instagram and you're more than welcome to bring your business of illustration questions along. Be lovely to see you there. We're @thegoodshipillustration over on Insta.p.s. Once the course doors close, they close. We're strict! You've got until 10pm UK time t
Is there enough work for illustrators? The truth about illustration jobs in 2025 - a rising tide floats all boats 🚢🚢🚢
Doors to the Business Course (for illustrators!) are open TONIGHT! We're going to be having a chat over on Instagram and you're more than welcome to bring your business of illustration questions along. Be lovely to see you there. We're @thegoodshipillustration over on Insta.🚢This week, we’re diving into the live illustration industry. How much work is actually out there, how to get
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