The Good Ship Illustration

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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119 episodes
Updated July 10

Episodes119

Newest first

Sep 12, 2025 · 21 min
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 (almost all the time) This week we got a good question from an anonymous listener 'how do I deal with loneliness when working from home?' Sometimes we love it, sometimes we do not 😅 In this episode we talk about: Why lots of us illustrators prefer working solo… sometimes Shared studios vs. doors-that-close Headphones, boundaries, and avoiding “being watched” energy Partner-as-studio-mates 👀 Can it work? Using Zoom to humanise client relationships Instagram as a “virtual kitchen” Local micro-communities, Good Ship meet-ups, and regular check-ins Assuming positive intent ❤️ Rough timestamps, for people who like that sort of thing 00:00 Anonymous listener Q: “How do I deal with loneliness working from home?” 01:00 Tania’s Hong Kong years: craving team vibes 02:30 Partners in the studio: the headphone solution 04:00 Open-plan offices, self-consciousness, and wiggly energy 05:30 The magic of a shut-the-door studio 06:30 Home distractions vs. helpful pottering 07:30 The dream setup: close to home, small, warm, tree view 09:00 Commit to the space: move the “big computer” 10:00 Cloud storage and keeping work in one place 10:30 Instagram as water cooler… or a brain sponge 11:30 Real-world chats that top up your social tank 12:30 Online threads that turn into real communities over time 13:30 Good Ship meet-ups: sketches groups and weekly Zooms 15:00 Why creativity needs privacy and no-one-is-watching energy 16:00 Lonely… but nice lonely (with planned people bits) 16:30 Zoom with clients to reduce email-anxiety and “they hate it” spirals 18:00 How to write and receive feedback without spiralling 19:00 The rule that saves sanity: assume positive intent 20:00 Quick answers: studios with doors, small communities, kinder stories Byeee for now. Let us know if you're coming to the workshop. WE ARE SO EXCITED!! Here's the link again in case you missed it: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/atlas Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Sep 5, 2025 · 9 min
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 illustrators off. When we asked our students though, the answer was a big NO. That word was exactly what motivated them to jump in and learn the nuts and bolts of building a creative career they love (and get paid for). Hooray! 🎉 In this episode, we chat through how to know which course might be the best place for YOU to start, and how to avoid getting stuck in analysis-mode worrying about making the wrong choice. Here’s what we cover: How to know if you have found your creative voice yet Consistency = a magic ingredient for picture book characters When does it make sense to start with Fly Your Freak Flag? ...or dive straight into the Picture Book Course Our creative car vs business car analogy 🚗 🤓 Why the Business Course tends to work best after Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag Freebies you can try if you're just not sure (Childhood Illustrated, the Colour Workshop, our Character Workshop and more) The veeeery high-tech decision tree that makes the which-course-should-I-do choice for you 😆 Timestamps 00:00 – The big question: Which course first? 01:00 – Do you know your creative voice? 02:15 – Why consistency matters in picture books 03:00 – Picture Book vs Freak Flag (gut instinct wins) 04:30 – The Business Course (and why not to mix it in too soon) 05:30 – Creative car vs business car analogy 07:00 – What to do if you are not ready yet (hello freebies) 08:30 – The one-hour live illustration masterclass 09:00 – Our decision tree Links and goodies mentioned Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag The Picture Book Course The Business Course Freebies Page (it's a long. Grab a cuppa.) Live Illustration Masterclass Art Club on Instagram - we're @thegoodshipillustration Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Aug 29, 2025 · 9 min
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’s the final week of our pretend Good Ship Summer Camp. This week's topic is panic. Mmmmm. Our favourite. (How to stop doing it.) In this episode: Why “no panicking” is our golden rule here at the Good Ship Illustration Part-time jobs, anti-desperation energy, and creative freedom Cat metaphors, war artist fantasies, and business meetings 🐈‍⬛ Why shouting at yourself doesn’t work Cheesy notes vs reverse psychology for calming down Creativity and nervous systems (and when to just lie on the floor) Finding your pace, your people, and your process Want to join in? Download the free Summer Camp workbook here Timestamps: 0:00 – Welcome to week 5: no panicking allowed 1:18 – You can’t force creative growth (sorry) 3:01 – Part-time jobs = creative freedom 4:08 – Don’t fill your portfolio with jobs you don’t want more of 5:05 – Recap of all 5 creative steps 5:44 – Why being kind to yourself actually works 6:06 – Walks, breaks, and giving your brain a breather 7:13 – Live deadlines vs long deadlines 8:03 – Katie's war artist career plan (sort of) 8:31 – Action step: write a cheesy note or one to rebel against 9:18 – Course doors closing soon – but no pressure 9:41 – Byeeeee from Summer Camp! Links mentioned: 📖 Download the free Summer Camp workbook 📚 Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag course 🎧 Watch an Art Club on Instagram 📺 Watch Art Clubs on YouTube Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢 Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Aug 22, 2025 · 10 min
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? Hiyaaa this week's episode is for you. PLAY!! It’s not optional. It can trick you into making your best work, and we are going to show you how to sneak it into your creative routine (even when you’re hiding from your sketchbook). In this episode: Why play isn’t just fluff, it’s a very necessary illustration fuel Sneaky ways to outsmart your inner procrastinator Fake deadlines Making up your own artist residency (Tania-style) Colour workshops, art clubs, and triple reverse psychology Getting into “the zone” via flags, bush digging, or hot chocolate One treat per timer session 🍫 Want to join in with our summer camp? Download the free workbook here Timestamps: 0:00 – Welcome to Day 4: Play, or else! 1:09 – Why play is the secret sauce for good work 3:04 – Fear of starting and how to ease into it 4:15 – Urgency, novelty, and fake deadlines 5:16 – Tania’s Barcelona residency (ahem, made-up) 6:09 – Playing with colour: the colour workshop 🎨 6:42 – Being kind to yourself vs bullying yourself into work 7:08 – Treats, timers, and starting small 8:12 – Getting into the zone (flags, bush digging, Blindboy) 9:31 – Action step: do an art club session with us! 10:22 – Course doors close soon + one-to-one feedback info 11:04 – Last episode of the series tomorrow! Links mentioned: 📖 Download the free workbook 🎨 The Colour Workshop (free) 🎧 Watch an Art Club on Instagram 📺 Watch Art Clubs on YouTube 📚 Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag course Doors are open right now! Come on iiiiin! Be lovely to have you sailing with us. 🎧 Blindboy Podcast Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢 Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Aug 15, 2025 · 21 min
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? You’re not alone. In fact, you’re very much in the club. In today’s episode, we’re talking about confidence – or the lack of it – and how community, creative voice, and good pals can make all the difference. In this episode: The niggly voice that says you’re not good enough (blergh) Why working alone is tough and how community helps Creative confidence vs comparison doom scrolls Why finding your voice removes the pressure to compete Helen’s career pivot from baby books to bold new work The bravery of letting your work be fast, weird and you How to connect with fellow illustrators online (without being creepy) Want to join in with us? Download the free workbook here Timestamps: 0:00 – Hello and welcome to *week* 3! 1:19 – “My work isn’t good enough” – how to quiet the voice 2:19 – Community builds confidence (and sanity) 4:32 – Competition, scarcity mindset, and the Bologna Book Fair 5:30 – Other illustrators are as important as art directors 6:17 – Instagram friendships + the power of being visible 8:37 – What if your style no longer fits who you are? 10:40 – Making a big change in your work (Helen’s story) 13:47 – Why clients want you, not just polish 15:38 – Pricing confidence + permission to go fast 17:23 – You don’t need to draw everything, just the right thing 18:11 – How to connect with other illustrators online 19:19 – A Pia Bramley fangirl moment ❤️ 20:00 – Our community (Facebook group, art club, and course space) 20:56 – Your action step: Make illustrator friends, not competitors Links mentioned: 📖 Download the free Summer Camp workbook 🖥️ Sketchbooker’s Friend Facebook Group - the free group is no longer active (you get ushered into a secret students-only group when you join any of our courses), but we do still have a Facebook page! And we love hanging out on Instagram. 📚 Our course: Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag 🖋 Pia Bramley on Instagram 🎨 Molly Fairhurst on Instagram Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢 Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Aug 8, 2025 · 8 min
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 hanging off your leg? Perfect. You’re in exactly the right place. 😆 This week's episode is all about actually drawing. Even when you’ve only got a receipt, a half-working pen, and 3 minutes to spare. In this episode: Why drawing in a rush can be a superpower Katie’s eyebrow-threading sketch session What drawing from life teaches you about your creative voice Tiny tools, weird surfaces, and packing your pencil case like a pro The #WalktoSee hashtag and sketchbook magic ✏️ Three-materials challenge, anyone? Want to join in with us? Download the free workbook here Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro + a great listener question 1:01 – Can you find your voice if you have no time? 2:17 – Drawing quickly makes it better (promise) 3:29 – Eyebrow queues and standing sketches 4:12 – The value of drawing from life 5:17 – Pack your pencil case! 6:24 – Drawing on receipts and IKEA pencils 6:54 – Walk to See, and how to join in 7:12 – Three-material challenge tips 7:38 – A wet thing, a dry thing, and something with texture 7:51 – Sketchbooker’s Friend: the robot voice that lives on 8:35 – Action step: keep your drawing tools on you at all times 9:01 – See you tomorrow for Day 3! Links mentioned: 📖 Download the free workbook 🎧 Sketchbooker’s Friend audio guide 🖼 All about the #Walktosee hashtag on Instagram (started by our Helen) 🖍 Find Your Creative Voice – Fly Your Freak Flag course. Doors are open right now! Be lovely to see you in there. Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢 Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Aug 1, 2025 · 11 min
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 one you actually like? 😬 In today’s episode, we’re chatting about that awkward bit of figuring out your voice as an illustrator, and why the weird stuff you’re secretly obsessed with might actually be the key to your best work. In this episode: What to do if your voice feels ick Why “basking in your weirdness” matters That Ira Glass quote we always bang on about Over-art-directing yourself (oops) Katie’s Eminem phase Why being a people-pleaser is the worst career strategy Your homework for this week Want to join in? Download the free workbook here Timestamps: 0:00 – Hello from us! 0:47 – What if you don’t like your creative voice? 2:10 – Art direction, publishers, and breaking out of boxes 3:33 – David Bowie, freak flags and bravery 4:37 – Eminem, rebellion, and tired teenagers 6:01 – People-pleasing vs doing your own thing 8:31 – Future-proofing your illustration career 9:33 – Action step: pay attention to what you really love 10:35 – Come back next week for Day 2! Links mentioned: 🖍 Our course: Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag 📖 Download the free workbook 🎬 Moonage Daydream documentary (about Bowie) Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢 Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Jul 25, 2025 · 22 min
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 then… we go deep on AI. Copyright, ethics, government policy, and what we illustrators can actually do to protect our work. Chris is off to Parliament soon (!!!) and shares everything he’s learned so far. In this episode: How Chris got his first book deal without an agent Staying confident through rejection and doubt The terrifying reality of generative AI and what we can do about it How copyright works (and what’s at risk) The organisations fighting for our creative rights Timestamps: 00:00 – How Chris broke into picture books (by accident) 04:00 – Animation, art school, and graphic style 08:00 – Building confidence through volume 10:00 – Words, images, and writing your own stories 14:00 – Why AI is a massive threat to illustrators 17:00 – Who’s fighting back (and how to get involved) 21:00 – Why we need all creatives on board 🛟 Links + Resources mentioned in this episode: The Association of Illustrators (AOI) Simona's Substack: Against the Box Chris Haughton's website Chris' Instagram ✨ If this episode has ye all fired up (us too!) please do share it with your creative pals – and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next! Bye bye, x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Jul 18, 2025 · 33 min
“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 wonky career path from graphic design to editorial, picture books and his latest deep dive into the History of Information. A total freak-flag project that he's been obsessed with for nearly 20 years. Chris tells Good Ship: How he ended up with a wildly colourful, unmistakable illustration style, even though he "couldn't do colour" How 10 years of editorial work shaped his picture book voice What hiding Mummy Owl in a picture taught him about storytelling Why your first sketch is usually the best one Drawing peas and chopsticks with hole-punch confetti (amazin') 🚨 This is just Part 1! Subscribe so you don’t miss Part 2. Part 2 will be released next week (on Friday 25th July.) Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro from Katie, Helen & Tania 01:00 - Chris introduces himself and how his style evolved 05:30 - The origin of A Bit Lost and hiding things in the background 08:00 - How a greetings card turned into a picture book idea 10:00 - Chris' obsession with the History of Information 14:00 - Drawing as a form of information technology 17:00 - Chris’s brief stint as a live scribe (!!) 21:00 - Publishing headaches when your audience is "everyone" 24:00 - Finding your style vs getting stuck in a style 27:00 - Undo button = illustrator superpower 31:00 - Hole-punched peas Links an' stuff we mentioned: Chris Haughton's website: https://chrishaughton.com The History of Information, Chris Haughton's book History of Information lectures from UC Berkeley shared here via InfocoBuild Find Your Creative Voice, Fly Your Freak Flag course from The Good Ship Illustration Katie’s Live Illustration course Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Jul 8, 2025 · 1 min
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 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) 🚢🚢🚢 Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Jul 4, 2025 · 14 min
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 it Colour tips and some good stuff Chris Haughton taught us NO ZOOMING IN ALLOWED 😠 John Burningham Old Lady Baby (rough) Timestamps: 00:00 – Emily’s question: “Backgrounds scare me – help!” 01:00 – The Chris Haughton breakthrough about colour 03:00 – Tonal tips: how to make your characters stand out 04:00 – Thin lines, wobbly pens, and keeping backgrounds soft 06:00 – The menace of digital zoom 😬 07:00 – Backgrounds = hints, not homework 08:00 – John Burningham, cut-out characters and painterly skies 10:00 – Embracing imperfection and storytelling over polish 11:00 – Blindboy’s advice: fail on purpose 13:00 – Art Club, recycled drawings, and happy accidents 14:00 – Upcoming Art Club news & picture book course teaser 15:00 – Weighted blankets, fancy deodorant, and Aesop air freshener 😌 Links & stuff: The Picture book course details: www.thegoodshipillustration.com/pb Make sure you're getting our emails for Art Club invites: Scroll to the bottom here Bye bye bye x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Jun 27, 2025 · 17 min
💰 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 requests How charity auctions can be a smarter way to give back Free pitching: where to draw the line That time Katie backtracked on a call (and the world didn't end) What to say when a client demands an answer right nowwww The biggest myth of all: “If you say no, they’ll never ask again” Timestamps: 00:00 – Biscuits first. We have our priorities in order 🤣 01:00 – “How do I say no to free work… nicely?” 02:30 – Quotas, boundaries, and rude assumptions 04:00 – Saying no to friends and students 06:00 – Turning FAQs into blog content 07:00 – A better way to support charities (without giving away your time) 08:00 – “I used to worry people wouldn’t like me if I said no…” 10:00 – Paid development work in picture books: what’s normal? 12:00 – The pitch trap and how to avoid it 13:00 – Katie’s mural pricing wobble (and recovery!) 14:00 – The power of taking your time to decide 15:00 – You’re not being too picky. You’re just not people-pleasing anymore! 16:00 – On "playing": why your language matters Oh! While you're here... You can join the Picture Book course here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/PB Taraaa, x Good Ship Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Jun 20, 2025 · 22 min
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 typical in the picture book process (roughs, colour roughs, final art, etc) When changes are fine… and when they’re totally out of order How to set better boundaries (and how to stick to them) Our own early-illustration-career experiences, and what we'd do differently now Timestamps: 00:00 – Is this normal? A horror story from an illustrator 02:00 – Unrealistic deadlines & being pressured to work weekends 05:00 – When publishers ignore your roughs completely 06:30 – What a healthy picture book workflow looks like 09:00 – Final artwork and why changing it is a big deal 12:00 – Bologna book fair: what gets shown 14:30 – When you can trust your publisher/designer (and when you really can’t) 16:00 – Agents behaving badly 20:00 – Why this doesn’t mean all of publishing is bad! #NotAllPublishers Links an' that Our picture book course doors are opening SOON! Keep yer eyes peeled and grab the freeebies here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/PB Got a question? Send it our way and we might answer it in a future episode! Bye for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Jun 13, 2025 · 22 min
“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-bar-of-soap-too-tight. It's also about: What to do when your style feels a bit too safe or mainstream Why being too “good at drawing” can trap you How to bring more you into your work Whether you need to know colour theory to be a proper illustrator ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Lisa's brilliant question: “What if I don’t like my style?” 01:00 – Mainstream, safe, and not-quite-right: spotting the signs 03:00 – Flying your freak flag vs. pleasing the market 05:00 – Chris Haughton’s unusual route into publishing 07:00 – Why being “good at drawing” isn’t always helpful 09:00 – Getting stuck in the gun-for-hire trap 11:00 – Why clients want you, not your many styles 12:00 – Freya asks: do you need to know the colour wheel? 14:00 – Digital colour vs. painty messes 17:00 – How limitations can make your colour sing 20:00 – Create a family of colours (and avoid shouty guests) 21:00 – Final thoughts: soap metaphors & colour play 🔗 Links mentioned: 🎨 Our free genius colour workshop – grab it here! 🐘 Emma Tripolone’s fab work (Emma was one of our 1:1 mentoring winners from... 🚢 The Freak Flag course! 📚 Chris Haughton – Good Ship pal, designer and children’s book author-illustrator. We love 'im. Plus, coming soon we have a Chris-Haughton-treat for your ears. Stay tuned for that. Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
Jun 6, 2025 · 15 min
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 Ship How many unfinished online courses have you signed up for and then abandoned or forgotten about them? 👀 Yep, us too. Oh well. In this episode, we’re talking about why creative women often don’t finish - or even start - the online courses they sign up for. Before you run away, please know this: it’s not laziness. It’s ✨life✨. And maybe the course still helped by osmosis, even if you only managed to watch one video. The guilt of not finishing courses (and why it’s rubbish) How art courses can still be useful EVEN if you just skim them Community, confidence, and cheerleaders Why we’ve never ever chased people to “complete” our Good Ship courses Our 1:1 mentoring competition winners (congratulatioooons Rachael, Emma, Jacqui & Catiebell!) Bias in picture books Thoughts on why creative women sign up more than men Timestamps: 00:00 – Soooo… do you finish your art courses? 01:30 – Skimming, skipping, and still getting value 03:00 – Courses as permission slips and energy boosts 04:00 – Lifetime access = a soft place to land 05:30 – The joy of community (and a few sneaky sales mentions) 07:00 – Meet the new picture book mentees! 08:00 – Why women take more courses (and don’t finish them) 10:00 – Editorial vs picture book world: who gets seen? 13:00 – AI, weird shall illustrations, and missing credits 14:00 – Where are all the obvious places illustrators get seen now? See you soon! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢 Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
May 30, 2025 · 12 min
The curse of "Final Artwork"
BE MORE WONKY In this episode: Why quick sketches usually have more life in 'em than polished pieces How perfectionism kills creativity Beware 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 loose Human vs AI: what if the secret is just… being wonky? Timestamps, if you're into that kind of thing 00:00 – Can sketches be “the” illustration? 01:00 – The gap between sketch and final art 02:00 – Helen’s owls 05:00 – What kills good work 06:00 – The hourly rate mindset 07:00 – Simple marks 4eva 08:00 – Sketchy = human (and that’s a good thing) 09:00 – Tips for keeping your work feeling fresh 10:00 – Live illustration = brave, imperfect, magic 11:00 – Be more human, more wonky Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) 🚢 Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
May 23, 2025 · 10 min
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. You're allowed to slide into our DMs 😆 ❤️ We're @thegoodshipillustration. Right, podcast stuff. This episode is all about: – Shutting the studio door and ignoring WhatsApp – Recreating rainy caravan holidays to get in the zone – The magic drawer – How long it takes to make a picture book (blimmin' ages) – Boundaries Timestamps, for people who like that sort of thing: 00:00 – Welcome to Helen’s hermit cave 01:00 – Dressing gowns, headphones and comfort telly 02:00 – Childhood holidays 03:00 – How long does it take to make a book? 04:00 – The magic drawer of ideas 05:00 – Making books in your 20s vs. making books now 06:00 – Burnout, insomnia and terrible lighting 07:00 – Early birds vs. night owls 08:00 – Deadlines 09:00 – Salty & Pals picture book sneak peek! 10:00 – Bedtime! Stuff wot we mentioned: – The Picture Book Course – Pencil Pals (Our Helen's Substack where there are some lovely sneaky peeks of the Salty Seadog artwork in case you're as excited as we aaaare.) See ya next Friday, x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
May 16, 2025 · 19 min
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 works Why we don’t “hunt” clients 😅 SEO tips to help the right people trip over you How to be pals with art directors Pitching can feel YUCK (but it doesn't have to) Old-skool stuff that still works SHOW YOUR WORK, PLEASE Timestamps, for people who like that sort of thing: 00:00 – Listener question: “How do I find clients?” 01:00 – Why “hunting” clients feels weird (and what to do instead) 02:30 – Laying out your stall: making your online presence irresistible 04:30 – SEO tips to help clients find you 05:15 – The rise and fall of illustration directories and annuals 06:45 – Do postcards still work? (Short answer: yes!) 08:10 – Instagram, visibility and staying top of mind 10:00 – DMs and the etiquette of messaging clients 12:00 – What not to do when reaching out 13:30 – Building genuine relationships over time 15:00 – Do you need an agent or gallery? 16:00 – How to sell your own work (without a gallery) 17:00 – Strategic competitions and why they matter 18:00 – Cards, shops and flinging mud (yes, really) Links we mentioned: World Illustration Awards Jo Overend Picture Hooks Mentoring Good Ship Illustration Courses Byeeee for now! x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania) Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
May 9, 2025 · 31 min
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 like How to pick the right one Drawing for the sake of it. Mmmmm. Going analogue, trying Procreate, and brush chat Substack nerves, audio letters, and being “consistent” ...aghhhh. Timestamps 0:20 – Why we’re talking residencies this week 1:00 – Tania’s chateau residency 3:30 – Types of residencies & picking the right one 5:45 – Drawing slowly, and for fun for the first time in years 7:00 – Procreate adventures + brushes we love 11:00 – Substack fears and starting without pressure 16:00 – Curating your inbox vs. doom scrolling 19:00 – Patreon vs Substack burnout 23:00 – Substack inspiration & our favourite creators 28:50 – Katie nearly drops her mic (again) Links + Mentions: https://saintpierredemejans.com/en/ <--- the dreamy place Tania stayed) https://resartis.org/ Brushes we love: Vivian Mildenberger, Joel Stewart, Retro Supply Co Our fave Substacks: Tara Ford, Garbage Day, Carson Ellis, Bob Shenanigans, and LIANA FINCK! (That's the one Katie couldn't remember) Tania’s Substack is coming soon… 👀 Maybe. If we bully her enough. Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙
May 2, 2025 · 34 min
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 as much as your skills. Timestamps 00:36 – Is it risky to live illustrate by hand? 03:15 – How to build your live illustration portfolio even before you’ve had a client 05:59 – How Katie got started (and her very first paid-in-sandwiches job) 07:59 – Managing nerves and the fear of making mistakes 10:25 – Is it okay to check references while you’re live illustrating? 12:11 – How much do you need to know beforehand, and what to ask your client 15:24 – Transitioning from "normal" Illustrator to Live Illustrator 17:47 – What happens if you go blank during a live session? 18:51 – How much preparation should you really do before an event? 21:06 – Can you still be a live illustrator if you’re dyslexic? 22:02 – Is live illustration realistic as a side gig? 24:37 – What to ask clients about output expectations 25:41 – Is semi-live illustration allowed? 27:06 – How to set up cameras for live drawing 28:00 – Should you specialise in a niche for live illustration work? 30:04 – What kinds of businesses actually use live illustrators? 32:39 – Final encouragement: fly your freak flag and be yourself p.s. The doors to the Live Illustration Course close tonight (2nd May)! If you're thinking about joining, now's the best time! Why though? This is the lowest price it will ever be - we're doing a special price for this first ever live round of the course You get lifetime access You can hop back in for future live rounds, get ALL future course updates and take it at your own pace. The price *will* go up next time. Find out more and sign up here: https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/lic Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration 🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙