Escape From Illustration Island

Episode 10 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Holly DeWolf, Illustrator and author of the book Breaking Into Freelance Illustration. Together we discuss the many great features of her book, and the ways that Illustrators can take their art from hobby to career. As a special treat, Holly is teaming up with EFII to award a signed copy of this great resource to the winner of this week's competition. Listen to my conversation with her to find out how to enter! I also announce the winner of last week's Wacom Tablet Giveaway, and tell you about the new developments in the EFII community. For links to resources mentioned on the show, go to http://escapefromillustrationisland.com

Episode 9 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Jonathan Woodward, Illustrator and founder of Zero 2 Illo, which is a blog for aspiring Illustrators that documents Jonathan's adventures in building his Illustration career. Together we discuss the resources and topics that he covers on his site, as well as Location Independent, a joint venture with his wife which encourages people to "Live and Work Anywhere You Choose". I also announce the entry guidelines for the much-anticipated Wacom Tablet Giveaway, which is just one part of a 3-week series of contests designed to invite EFII listeners to participate in a growing community of artists.

Episode 8 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Ninja Mountain, a collective of artists working in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi field. Together we discuss the origins of Ninja Mountain, the evolution of the podcast side of the mountain, and the controversial question: "Are forums dead?" We get some exclusive insight into the genesis of their group-format show, via a reading of the coveted Ninja Mountain Scrolls, a previously protected portion of early forum discussions. The international collective also shares some of the resources that they use on a regular basis to get the job done. Weigh in on the current state of the online forum by taking part in the poll at IllustrationMundo.com. Nominate the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast for the upcoming Podcast Awards at podcastawards.com. Visit the shownotes for Episode 8 at escapefromillustrationisland.com/efii-podcast for links to the resources mentioned on the show. EFII is brought to you by thomasjamesillustration.com. Audio editing provided by whiskeysound.com.

Episode 7 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Chris Oatley, inspiring artist, friend, and host of Chris Oatley's Artcast.  This "after hours" discussion is my part of a crossover between his show and EFII.  You can find the other half here.  Together we go behind the scenes to explore the past, present, and future of his show, as well as the significance of the "human element" that is so prominent in all of his creations.  In addition, I also politely "call him out" and challenge him to expand on some of the themes and ideas that he has previously only hinted at to his listeners. Want to climb inside Chris Oatley's brain?  Then you'll love this in-depth conversation. For links to the resources mentioned on the show, go to http://escapefromillustrationisland.com/ EFII brought to you by Thomas James Illustration (http://thomasjamesillustration.com) Audio editing provided by Whiskey Sound (http://whiskeysound.com)

Episode 6 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Penny Dullaghan, Illustrator and creator of Illustration Friday, one of the more original Illustration community sites on the internet, where artists submit work based on a weekly theme.  The growing site also features a forum, a blog, and an artist interview section.  Penny and I discuss the future of Illustration Friday, her early days as an aspiring Illustrator, her experiences with contacting her heroes, her approach to acquiring an artist representative, and more. I also introduce a new segment, read a listener e-mail, and share a promo mp3 sent in by a previous guest. Here are some of the resources mentioned on the show: Illustration Friday -(http://illustrationfriday.com/index.php)�Illustration Friday Facebook Page -(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Illustration-Friday/79647497908?ref=ts)�Penelope Dullaghan's Illustration Website -(http://penelopeillustration.com/)�How to Work with an Illustrator -(http://penelopeillustration.com/blog/2007/11/08/easier-than-calculus/)�How I Became an Illustrator -(http://penelopeillustration.com/blog/2007/06/03/how-i-became-an-illustrator/)�Self-Assignments -(http://penelopeillustration.com/blog/2007/10/05/self-assignments-2/)�Utopian.net -(http://utopian.net/)�Altpick -(http://altpick.com/)�folioplanet -(http://folioplanet.com/)�CartoonSmart -(http://www.cartoonsmart.com/)�Digital-Tutors -(http://www.digitaltutors.com/09/index.php)�Illustration Mundo -(http://www.illustrationmundo.com/)�The Process Diary -(http://theprocessdiary.blogspot.com/) Visit Escape From Illustration Island at http://escapefromillustration.com Audio cleanup provided by Whiskey Sound, at http://whiskeysound.com

In Episode 5 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast, I am joined by Jeff Fisher, Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, to tackle the topic of social networking for Illustrators and other creative professionals.  This audio interview was inspired by a recent article written by Jeff for the October issue of How Magazine, in which he highlights the value of using online social media tools to take control of self-promotion and networking with fellow creators.  I met with Jeff for EFII's first face-to-face discussion to explore the possibilities inherent in these tools, and to ask some of the questions that the article raises.  Jeff helped to illuminate the topic by drawing on his years of experience and sharing a long list of resources that can be found below. Jeff Fisher online: Jeff Fisher LogoMotives Central http://www.jfisherlogomotives.com/ LogoMotives http://jefffisherlogomotives.blogspot.com/ blog-oMotives http://blog-omotives.blogspot.com/ LogoMotives on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-Fisher-LogoMotives/18597299183 Identity Crisis! http://identitycrisisbook.blogspot.com/ The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success http://www.howbookstore.com/product/the-savvy-designers-guide-to-success-cd/business Here are some of the resources Jeff mentions on the show: HOW Magazine http://www.howdesign.com/GeneralMenu/?r=howppcg&cid=ppcgl Twitter http://twitter.com biznik http://biznik.com/ Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/ Creative Latitude http://creativelatitude.com/ Design Related design:related http://www.designrelated.com/ graphics.com http://graphics.com/ designer ID http://www.designerid.com/ Ning http://www.ning.com/ Naymz http://www.naymz.com/ startup nation http://www.startupnation.com/ entrepeneur.com http://www.entrepeneur.com/ Business of Design Online (BoDo) http://www.businessofdesignonline.com/index.php Powell's Bookstore http://www.powells.com/

In Episode 4 of the EFII Podcast, I speak with Von Glitschka, Illustrative Designer, Educator, and creator of the Illustration Tutorial site, IllustrationClass.com. Together we discuss the Illustration industry, the art of designing tutorials and speaking engagements, and a unique approach to Twitter, amongst other things. I also make an exciting announcement about the future of Escape From Illustration Island and unveil more ways that you can contribute to the site and podcast. Here are some of the things mentioned on the show: vonglitschka.com illustrationclass.com artbackwash.com Sourcebook zazzle.com snipurl.com/creativelycurious twitter.com illustrationmundo.com

For this week's episode, I am joined by friend and collaborator Jason Ritz, sound designer of Whiskey Sound and Symbolic Pictures. Together we discuss our 16-year history of exploring the art of collaboration, and the ways that we have benefited and grown as creators from these joint efforts. We approach the topic as an analysis of three possible forms of collaboration, and talk about how you can use these methods to Escape From Illustration Island.

In the sequel to Episode 1, I speak with Paul Caggegi, creator and host of The Process Diary. Together we discuss the benefits and risks of exposing the inner workings of a project that is still in development. I also read some listener mail and add more resources to the growing list to be found at escapefromillustrationisland.com.

The maiden voyage of the show features Nate Williams, Illustrator and creator of Illustration Mundo, one of the best Illustration sites on the Internet. Together we discuss his website, life philosophies, and the many ways to Escape From Illustration Island.