Starting Illustration Late with Eric Castleman

May 14, 2024
Eric Castleman joins Will Terry and Jake Parker to discuss his late (but very successful) start in illustration, the benefits of critique groups, the opportunities around AI, and much more in this engaging interview.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Work with the intensity of a beginner and soon you’ll be a master.
  • Some jobs help you earn, others help you learn. As you begin your illustration career, embrace jobs that give you professional experiences.
  • Join (or start!) a critique group; other artists will help you see what you can’t.
  • Seek inspiration from other artists. We need to consume art to make art!
  • AI brings challenges, but it also comes with opportunities to leverage. Don’t be so busy being afraid of the future that you miss the new options opening all around you today.
BIO

Eric Castleman is a writer, illustrator, and SVSLearn alum. Although his interest in art started young, he felt the need to be practical and began his career as a welder. His wife, a painter, encouraged his interest in illustrating children’s books, but it wasn’t until his thirties when his child’s special needs demanded he take time off work that he pursued illustration. Through classes on SVSLearn, a critique group, and consistent effort, Eric’s career developed and he quickly landed an agent.

Today, Eric has illustrated multiple children’s books and taught an online course. He lives and works in Helena, Montana.

RESOURCES
Jake Parker: mrjakeparker.com. Instagram: @jakeparker, Youtube: JakeParker44
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