Welcome to our new column ‘Insight Spotlight’, where we share insights from industry experts in some of the hottest markets out there. This week we are pleased to offer expert advice from Mary Ann Hall from Quarry Books

Primary Market: The illustrated book market.

How can this market be lucrative for an artist?

Doing regular freelance work as a designer or illustrator, or if you are a really accomplished artist, perhaps you can author a book.

What is going to be hot in your market in 2015 such as subject matter, colors, products?

Beautiful art and creativity books that offer something really unique.

What kinds of products/offerings are a growth sector for your company?

Illustration practice and technique books have been our strongest category.

What do you look for when buying new art?

A unique vision, total beauty, accessibility for a wide market.

Is there any rhyme or reason to why some products sell well and why others don’t?

Not always. I am sometimes surprised!

What is the one thing you wish artists would do differently when pitching art to you? Or what do you love that they do when they pitch to you?

I like a concise message–and a clear pitch–an overview that really gives the pitch at a glance, with enough supporting material that I see that the artist has done their homework. And tell me WHY it will sell, and how your network will support that.

What one piece of advice do you have for artists trying to sell their first piece of art in that market?

Don’t give up!

About Mary Ann

Mary Ann is an experienced publishing professional specializing in innovative, illustrated art and technique books. For 12 years, she led the art and crafts publishing program for Quarry Books and is currently editorial director for Quarry Books and Rockport Publishers developing books on art, crafts, design, artisan food and lifestyle topics.

Currently based in Shaker Heights, Ohio, she is a Midwesterner who has lived the largest part of her life elsewhere and an urbanite who loves to hang out in woods. As a serial enthusiast, she enjoys many creative pursuits, including Burmese cooking, zydeco dancing, hiking, hot yoga, painting, reading, and having adventures with her children.

Mary Ann is one of the esteemed judges on the Global Talent Search judging panel.

Find out more at Qbookshop

Want to learn more about making more commercially viable art whilst staying true to yourself? Join our acclaimed online course ‘Make Art That Sells‘, led by top agent Lilla Rogers. Next class starts March 2 – find out more and register here!

You may have seen the fabulous work in the January Bootcamp gallery published yesterday here. For the 2015 edition of Bootcamp we have invited some of the talented Lilla Rogers Studio artists to contribute with some surprise bonus lessons. You can meet the featured artists below.

Silvia Dekker

Silvia Dekker grew up in a small village in the middle of the Dutch flower district. She went to The Royal Academy of Art in the Netherlands to study Conceptual art and design. After graduating Silvia went on to study Fashion and Textile design for 3 more years and started working freelance as a surface pattern designer and illustrator in 2001.

Silvia started working for European department stores Hema designing patterns for their baby- and children’s wear collections, soon followed by their homeware collections, postcards, bedding, stationery, toys, and Christmas collections. Hema has been her client for 12 years now.

After collaborating with international clients O’Neill sportswear and Oilily ladies and girls’ wear Silvia became one of Lilla Rogers Studio artists in 2009. New clients Hallmark, teNeues, Fisher Price, American Girl and Target followed. In 2012 her first fabric collection ‘Winter Warmth’ in collaboration with Wilmington prints was released, followed by ‘Atomic Bots’ in 2013, a robot and spaceship fabric collection for boys.

Her work has been featured on several blogs and magazines including the Print & Pattern blog and book, Flow magazine, UPPERCASE magazine, Lilla Roger’s book ‘I just like to make things’ 101 Living ideas and Bloesemkids blog.

Silvia lives in the old city centre of Leiden near Amsterdam with her partner and 2 boys. She is inspired by fairytales, folk art and vintage fabrics. Her colorful flower and vegetable garden in the Dutch countryside is also a great inspiration for her floral patterns.

For her Bootcamp Bonus Silvia will be teaching Basic Adobe Illustrator drawing skills!

Connect with Silvia here: Website | Artist page

John Coulter

John Coulter has been working as a freelance illustrator  for over 15 years and with Lilla Rogers Studio since 2001. He has been commissioned by a wide variety of clients including Target, Anthology Magazine, Virgin Airlines, Papyrus, Barnes & Noble, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post, Utne Reader and Wine Spectator.

John was raised on a farm near Joy, Illinois. He grew up drawing constantly, exploring the woods, hunting mushrooms and working on the farm. At the county fair, he would strategically create an entry for every drawing category and win a blue ribbon in each.

He didn’t enjoy working with pigs, so he dreamed of a more creative career. He earned a BFA degree in Visual Communications at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. After college, he spent over 2 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic.

And yes, he lost on Jeopardy.

For his Bootcamp Bonus John will be teaching how to create textures on vector art in Adobe Photoshop

Connect with John here: Website | Artist page

Talitha Shipman

Talitha is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  She went to school for studio art at Taylor University, Upland, and then headed south for an MFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design.  Some of her clients include: Little Brown, Random House, Birds and Blooms, Galison Mudpuppy, American Greetings, Hallmark, Cricket Magazine, and many more!

Talitha is also a designer and animator for Blue Pony Motion Design.  Yes, she’s a busy lady!  She loves drawing dogs, flowers, birds, people or anything else that strikes her fancy.  Her specialties include book and greeting card illustration.

For her Bootcamp Bonus Talitha will be teaching Painting in Adobe Photoshop!

Connect with Talitha: Website | Artist page

Suzy Ultman

Suzy was raised in central Pennsylvania, playing in the woods and collecting stickers. She finds inspiration in scouring antique shops and flea markets, spending time in nature, walking down quirky city streets, and doodling on sticky notes.

As part of the Lilla Rogers Studio gang, Suzy has worked with Chronicle Books, Land of Nod, Crate & Barrel, Papyrus, Abrams Books, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, K&Company, Madison Park Greetings, Oopsy Daisy, and many more.

Her charming creations grace the shelves of Target, Archiver’s, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrel, and Modcloth. Suzy’s vast variety of products includes holiday ornaments, home decor pieces, journals, craft kits, stationery sets, dolls, and fabric collections. The work is simple and sweet, from an artist who lives in a land of mustached snails and apple houses.

For her Bootcamp Bonus Suzy will be teaching how to design your own logo!

 Connect with Suzy here: Website | Artist page

The first gallery from our 2015 Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp class is now live! You can view it here:

The gallery features nearly 500 pieces of original art inspired by the January class assignment… a journal featuring Edwardian brooch-inspired imagery!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE JANUARY GALLERY!

There was so much fabulous work submitted in response to this brief, and we love the ongoing supportive energy in the Bootcamp community. What a generous, talented group of artists they are!

STOP PRESS – REGISTRATION REOPENED FOR 48 HOURS ONLY! Although Bootcamp started in January, by popular demand we are re-opening the registration doors for 48 hours only. If you want to be part of this awesome class with artists from across the world, CLICK HERE to register. You will join the class from February, but will have access to the assignment from January to do in your own time, plus you’ll get access to all the fabulous bonuses we are offering with this class including:

*A video interview with Lilla on everything you need to know when seeking representation and working with an agent, specifically

• How to know if you are ready and suited for representation
• How to decide which agent would be a good fit for you and your work
• How to approach an agent for representation
• What to do if you get knocked back
• Top tips for working with an agent

*Basic Adobe Illustrator drawing skills (featuring LRS artist Silvia Dekker)
*Creating textures on vector art in Adobe Photoshop (featuring LRS artist John Coulter)
*Painting in Adobe Photoshop (featuring LRS artist Talitha Shipman)
*Designing your own logo (featuring LRS artist Suzy Ultman)

Sound good? Hurry, we are only re-opening registration for 48 hours. JOIN HERE.

Lilla and Beth

xoxo

PS Read what our students say about the MATS courses here.

Welcome to our new column ‘Insight Spotlight’, where we share insights from industry experts in some of the hottest markets out there. First up is Evie Ashworth, Design Director in the Retail Division of Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

What is your primary market?

Fabric by the yard and for manufacturers of fabric related products globally. Our main buyer selects fabrics that will work for beautiful quilts primarily, secondarily clothing and accessories. Our customers come to our company for top quality products, service and design. The licensing of artwork has given us the opportunity to have many wonderful relationships with our designers. It’s always fun to see what they’re up to! Our artists keep our products in demand.

How can this market be lucrative for an artist?

For us, the more artwork you have, the larger stable of designs you will get placed. We select hoping the designs will stay in the line as long as possible. The more diverse your work is makes you available for multiple categories in our line. We need to fill themes from sports, infant, kids, florals, novelty, holiday….and many more.

What is going to be hot in your market in 2015?

We’re looking at texture for our new basics. Color continues to be bright for us…but used in interesting ways…mixed with gray, taupe and peach to soften the look. Handrawn or painted geometrics feel right to us….metallics used as well.

What kinds of products/offerings are a growth sector for your company?

Basics are our best sellers and we’re expanding this area. This includes lots of classic geometrics done in a new fresh approach.

What do you look for when buying new art?

Is the artist easy to work with? Flexibility is key. We know what’s best for our market. Something special in technique or theme…and a built out collection is a real hook. We’re always hoping to connect with an artist that we can brand and have a long term working relationship with. Our customers look for their favorite artists.

Is there any rhyme or reason to why some products sell well and why others don’t?

Interesting question. Many times it can just be well timed or poorly timed launches. Less competition on an item…well priced…not too much in a niche. Grabbing a trend early and enjoying the ride…and knowing when to slow it down. An appealing new color palette can grab our buyers.

What is the one thing you wish artists would do differently when pitching art to you? Or what do you love that they do when they pitch to you?

Keep your emails brief….no long stories please! Have a workable website. Don’t include a link to your site with a presentation if there isn’t much more there than what your pitching. Don’t get discouraged if we pass on a group – your next one could be just what we want. Don’t give up! We need fresh art continually. We may have passed because the art duplicates another’s work. I have a hard time critiquing work and am frequently asked to do so if we pass. I really wish I had the time to go there.

What one piece of advice do you have for artists trying to sell their first piece of art in that market?

Do your homework – are you offering something different in our market? Show a lot of art. Have a good sized portfolio. Ask what timing is best for submission. Don’t give up!

About Evie:

An established member of the textile industry for over 40 years, Evie has traveled the world to all production points from Europe to Asia and in between. She brought her expertise to Robert Kaufman in 2000 to establish a whole category of product specifically for quilt fabric retailers. She merchandised the line, introducing the concept of coordinated samples and print basics, including the trademarked Fusions(TM) brand, and today continues to ensure Robert Kaufman brand’s association with only the highest quality standards. Evie currently directs a large internal design team as well as several art studios abroad, to produce Robert Kaufman’s signature in-house Luxe and Gallery looks as well as a broad range with external licensed artists and brands. Evie is one of the esteemed judges on the Global Talent Search judging panel.

Find out more at www.robertkaufman.com.

Want to learn more about making more commercially viable art whilst staying true to yourself? Join our acclaimed online course ‘Make Art That Sells‘, led by top agent Lilla Rogers. Next class starts March 2 – find out more and register here!

One of Lilla’s favorite things is creating new assignments for her classes. She takes great care to pick subject matter which is ahead of trend or a new twist on a current trend, is quirky or unexpected, and will be fun to draw. In doing so she stretches Make Art That Sells students further than they thought they could go.

MATS Assignment Bootcamp (which starts TODAY) is no different. When we challenged you to guess the first mini assignment, more than 400 of you made brilliant guesses, and today we can reveal that the subject matter is…

EDWARDIAN BROOCHES!

No-one guessed it precisely, but a few of you were close with vintage jewelry. Those who guessed closest were Sil Pencillory & Irene Tan  with ‘vintage brooch’. Congratulations Irene and Sil – you win a free place in the Bootcamp class, a signed copy of Lilla’s book and a necklace made by Lilla!

This full mini has now been released with a ton of visual inspiration and some top tips from Lilla. If you want to join this fun challenging class (with monthly assignments over the next six months, and a host of amazing bonuses), then hurry as class starts today. Book your spot here now and you will receive classroom access info within the next 24 hours.

In the 2015 edition of Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp (starting today!) Lilla spills the beans on exactly what you need to know when seeking representation and working with an agent. The in-depth interview included as a free bonus within the upcoming course includes:

• How to know if you are ready and suited for representation
• How to decide which agent would be a good fit for you and your work
• How to approach an agent for representation
• What to do if you get knocked back
• Top tips for working with an agent

Bootcamp starts today but you can still squeeze in if you are quick. This six month online course provides a structured way to build your portfolio with monthly professional level assignments. The agent insight mentioned above is one of the monthly surprises from Lilla, delivered in class. Others include:

• Basic Adobe Illustrator drawing skills (featuring LRS artist Silvia Dekker)
• Creating textures on vector art in Adobe Photoshop (featuring LRS artist John Coulter)
• Painting in Adobe Photoshop (featuring LRS artist Talitha Shipman)
• Designing your own logo (featuring LRS artist Suzy Ultman)

Hurry and book your spot now as the first mini assignment is released today and you don’t want to miss it!

We are bursting with excitement to unveil the special bonus content to be featured in Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp 2015. It includes:

• Everything you need to know about seeking out and working with an agent (featuring Lilla Rogers)
• Basic Adobe Illustrator drawing skills (featuring LRS artist Silvia Dekker)
• Creating textures on vector art in Adobe Photoshop (featuring LRS artist John Coulter)
• Painting in Adobe Photoshop (featuring LRS artist Talitha Shipman)
• Designing your own logo (featuring LRS artist Suzy Ultman)

These bonuses are all FREE, featured as monthly surprises from Lilla Rogers Studio within the MATS Assignment Bootcamp 2015 course.

Class begins on Monday, and offers a fun, structured way to stretch yourself and build your portfolio over six months with monthly professional-level assignments. Find out more and book your place now – but hurry, class starts very soon!

Want to know more? Listen to Lilla talk about why she loves Bootcamp – and why you will too!

*The small print: There is no assignment in March when MATS A + B classes are running. Lilla Rogers Studio School reserves the right to change or replace any of the above advertised free bonuses without notice.

Happy 2015! A new year brings a chance for new beginnings, new energy, and fresh commitment. In this short video Lilla shares some tips to make 2015 an amazing year for your art career and gives a sneak peek of some of the awesome things we have planned for the coming months.

We’d love to hear about your plans – please share in the comments below.

Best wishes for 2015 from all at Lilla Rogers Studio and the Lilla Rogers Studio School!

PS Want to get 2015 off to an amazing creative start? Join us for Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp, beginning January 5! Just a few spots left for this six month online course of advanced creative assignments to boost your portfolio and give structure to your art creation. Book your spot here!

If you want to kick start your year with a bang, and motivate yourself to create great art for many months, then join MATS Assignment Bootcamp 2015. This brilliant online class begins on January 5 and runs for six months, offering five monthly assignments*, lots of inspiration and a monthly surprise from the Lilla Rogers Studio, plus the chance to submit to an online public gallery each month to showcase your work. It’s a snip at just £99 (approx $149) for the entire six months!

(*There is no assignment in March when MATS A/B are running)

This class is a fantastic way to give yourself structure and deadlines so you build a strong body of work over an extended period. The class is delivered online and is at a relaxed pace, so you can take it alongside full time work (and even other classes).

CLICK HERE to find out more and book your spot

Some of the gorgeous work from Bootcamp 2014 

NOTE FOR RETURNING BOOTCAMPERS

If you joined us for Bootcamp in 2014 we’d love to have you back. We will have all new minis and assignments waiting for you, plus an exciting twist on the monthly special surprise. We promise you will love it!

THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT?

You can also gift this to a friend. If you want to do that please email school@lillarogers.com with ‘Bootcamp Gift Voucher’ in the subject, and give the full name of the person you are buying the gift voucher for, along with the email address you use for Paypal. We will email you back with a Paypal payment request and then send you the gift voucher once the payment has gone through. The last date for guaranteed Christmas delivery is Monday 22 Dec, by which time your payment must have been received in full. We therefore strongly encourage that you email in requesting your gift voucher by Friday 19 December latest to avoid disappointment!

Not sure if it is for you? Click here fore more details of the class.

THE SMALL PRINT: Please note all courses are payable in GBP. USD$ prices are given for guidance only and the actual equivalent in your home currency will depend on the Paypal exchange rate at the time of purchase. All sales are final. Please read the Terms & Conditions of sale before registering. ***

Our ‘Q&A with Lilla’ series is back and here is part 3. This is where we share questions from the previous class of Make Art That Sells.

In Lilla’s Make Art That Sells classes she often gets asked about how to sell work in particular markets, so we thought we’d share some of those questions and answers with you. If you want to work on making art that sells yourself, then why not join us for Assignment Bootcamp, starting on January 5*. (Please note there is no Q&A with Lilla in Bootcamp as the focus is on creating art. If you want to ask Lilla questions directly you will need to join MATS A or B)”

The next Make Art That Sells classes will take place in March 2015, so get on the mailing list here to be one of the first to hear when registration opens!

***

Q) When you’re just starting out in licensing, is it ok if your portfolio consists of art you made up on your own (versus “stuff that got licensed”)?

A) Totally, and even when you’re not starting out, because you want to show new work to clients that they can license.

Q) It seems that highly anthropomorphized animals and plants (and inanimate objects) have been trending for a while. Do you think artists decrease their chances of getting licensed with mainly non-anthropomorphized icons in their portfolio?

A) Why not have both? And if that’s not your thing, (to do anthropomorphized animals such as monkeys on bikes), then follow your passions and do other things that you’ve learned in MATS. There’s so much room for great art, and you absolutely do NOT need to do everything. In fact, you can’t, so you might as well follow your informed passions. By that I mean following what you love with an eye toward what you’ve learned in MATS vis a vis what’s happening in the markets.

Q: It has been mentioned that even a hint of ‘darkness’ in illustrations can turn away clients. Is it ever appropriate to create more melancholy/contemplative pieces without being commissioned, or is only “cheerfulness” sought after? Isn’t depicting a single mood rather limiting to both artists and clients?

A) Dark moods are great for children’s books, editorial (magazine) work, and occasionally in the Gift Market for indy/boutique clients.

Q: How does one know what is *ahead* of trend?

A) You don’t really know. It’s a continuum. I can tell in my bones. My course helps you do work that is on trend or ahead of trend. It all depends upon the subject matter and color palettes that I give you, and then the style of the art. The style can be dated or fresh (or somewhere in-between). If it’s fresh, then it can be ahead of trend, in a good way.

Know that some clients and markets are a bit behind, some are ahead, so it really is ok to just make art and show it. Some clients take big risks and some want more predictable work.

Q: What are your views on the ethics of spec work? Do you recommend artists do spec work even if odds are that they won’t be compensated?

A) It’s really tricky. It’s not black and white. Here’s when to do it: If a client is top notch and you want to get in with them; if you feel you’ll learn a lot in the process; if you can resell the art if they don’t pick it up. There has to be something in it for you.

***

Want to work on making art that sells yourself, then why not join us for Assignment Bootcamp, starting on January 5*. (Please note there is no Q&A with Lilla in Bootcamp as the focus is on creating art. If you want to ask Lilla questions directly you will need to join MATS A or B)”

Got your own questions for Lilla? Join us for the next round of Make Art That Sells. Class begins on Monday 2 March, 2015 and you can register your interest here to be one of the first to hear when registration opens.