As you may know, I’ve loved teaching for over 40 years–at art schools, in my Studio, mentoring my artists, and for the past six years, on my site Make Art That Sells. I’m at the stage in my career where I want to help our community. I believe that growing the quality of work in our industry energizes everyone and creates prosperity for all–artists, agents, art directors, manufacturers…

Anke Rega

Animation by Natasha Dewitz

Katie Vernon

Sarah Papworth

Jennifer M Potter

Julia Christians

Get some of this goodness for yourself and sign up now!

Here’s what happens when my artists (many of whom are my e-course grads) take my course Assignment Bootcamp. This work was from the January assignment where I asked the students to draw what they imagine might be in the bag of one of 12 badass women. Then they were to turn it into a book cover. Just for fun, students got assigned their person to illustrate based on the student’s birthday month. (By the way, you can still get into this lively class for the next 4 months of assignments and other goodness, but registration closes tonight, so hurry!)

This is a very exciting new look for my artist Zoe Ingram. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Zoe do portraits quite like this so I was delighted to see her thoughtful rendering of Maira Kalman, the iconic illustrator.

Zoe Ingram

Katie Vernon

Follow us on Instagram for more fun.
Hope you enjoyed the show!
 
Don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to hear from you for any of your art needs.

xo
Lilla

The wait is over. It’s time to reveal the 2016 Global Talent Search Finalists, chosen from the 50 Semi-Finalists (who were selected from nearly 1,000 artists’ work).

We are thrilled to unveil the SIX Finalists, knowing that one of these artists’ careers is about to change forever.

Five were chosen by our panel of industry experts, and one chosen via public vote (our peoples choice winner). The overall competition winner will be represented by Lilla Rogers Studio for two years, and win a host of licensing deals from prestigious companies (see here for the awesome prize details). The second assignment Lilla created was full of possibilities! The Semi-Finalists were asked to design a cover of a dessert recipe book from Sunny’s Cafe.

So without further ado, here we go…

Over 10,000 votes were cast by the public, and we can now reveal that the 2016 Global Talent Search People’s Choice Finalist is:

Mara Penny

Not only was Mara’s piece chosen through the public vote, she is also the top choice from our judges!

Comments from the judges:

“Mara Penny has full comprehension of the assignment. The feeling is delicate and feminine…like dessert! Nice contrast of color…inviting! Beautiful technique…love the lace doilies.”

“Mara Penny: Her composition, use of both arms and objects, and her palette all appealed to me. She created a bold book cover with quite a bit of detail as well. I’d pick this book up and hold it in my hands in a bookstore. Pretty work!”

“Mara Penny’s piece is eye grabbing! It is a complex illustration with lots of elements and the detail is wonderful — look at the tray of orange slices! Yet she lays the piece out in such a way that the piece feels clean and not too crowded.”

***

Our stellar panel of judges – with more than a century of industry experience between them in the Gift, Home Décor, Editorial and children’s book illustration, Fabric and Stationery, markets – took days deliberating over the Semi-Final gallery. It was incredibly hard to choose, but in the end the following five were selected as the other Finalists (in no particular order).  Below each submission is a comment from the Judges on what stood out in the piece.

TERRI FRY KASUBA

Comment from the judges:

• Combines desserts with elements of nature and gardening.
• This is a magical place where the cake grows in plants and I love that sense of whimsy.
• Love the painterly style. Her work seems to have great editorial potential.

***

SHARON MONTGOMERY

Comments from the judges:

• Her hand-painted, textural work stands out from the crowd and screams, I AM PREMIUM.
• This is a beautiful cover and a gorgeous work of art as a standalone.
• Her daring black background. Her animals and flowers are nicely worked into the cake’s base and border.

***

MARENTHE OTTEN

Comments from the judges:

• This entire design is “pretty” and very sweet!
• Nice composition and central focal point
• Varied cake designs

***

COLEE WILKINSON

Comments from the judges:

• Highly detailed with so much happening in the piece yet it feels clean not too busy
• Has a bit of “Marie Antoinette” flavor….the marketplace can’t get enough of Paris!
• Nice technique and color – playful and sophisticated.

***

ANNE BENTLEY

Comments from the judges:

• Really stood out as being different from the rest.
• Her color choice was bold and her style of illustration is very interesting.
• Her style is editorial but could be adapted for products as well.

***

Lilla’s comments about the Finalists

***

The judges also answered two important questions for us:

In general what stood out to you about the artists you chose?

• All focused on the desserts, instead of the author of the cookbook. I found this appealing because it actually made me hungry and want something sweet! 
• These artists also had designs that would stand out on a shelf.
• Many of them used dark backgrounds which really made their design elements stand out.
• I love bright colors and they definitely had the brightest, strongest colors of the bunch!
• All felt original and fresh–they stood out amongst the others as being inventive, thoughtful and well-rounded as illustrators.
• Each of them possess a high level of design skills that shone through in their pieces.
• Bold use of color and color contrast.
• Really liked the use of an unexpected dark background color. Sense of depth in the scene or interesting point of view.”
• Several of them have an artists approach rather than a graphic designers approach which I think is appealing in today’s market.
• They all look handmade or handpainted which is desirable. They also had a sense of humor in their work. People want to smile so this is important.
• Each of them has commercial potential in either the editorial or gift/stationery market, or both.
• Sophistication in their technique. A consistent style throughout the portfolio.
• Commercial appeal to the imagery.

What advice would you give to those who you did NOT choose, in order to make their work more commercially appealing?

“Develop a voice and look that’s your own. Stay on top of how your work stands up against others in the market. Do your research by absorbing a bit of reference each day and stretch your muscles by working on self-assigned projects that keep your work pertinent (take inspiration from all the MATS assignments!!). Most important: have fun with the art that you make so your personality shines through!! Approach every project, big or small, with a sense of adventure and conquer your creative challenges with spirit, flavor and style! “

“Book jackets need to be a clear read. There needs to be a strong focus, and clear legible lettering. Simplify it down and avoid being formulaic.”

“Human characters are really tough! Art directors and buyers tend to have a really particular point of view and it can make or break a commission or purchase. In my experience, the US commercial market is less open to funky/exaggerated illustrative perspectives on humans (compared to the European market or other international markets). Color contrast, dynamic composition, and a clear focal point are very important to make a product, book cover, etc. stand out from the crowd.”

“Make sure your style has a unique voice. It should be somewhat timeless. If you include people in your illustration make sure your audience can relate to them. Don’t make your drawing too childlike unless that is your audience. Know what demographic you are targeting. Have a sense of humor in your work. Everyone likes to smile. “

A closing note from Lilla:

Congratulations to everyone! We are thrilled that together 10,000 public votes, plus our judging panel comprising some of the top art directors and creative professionals in the industry, independently selected a set of Finalists where many are graduates of Make Art That Sells. It’s clear that the courses helped them develop commercially-viable art, choose amazing colors and present it professionally. We cannot wait to see the work that comes out of our brand new class “Illustrating Children’s Books” which begins on Monday October, 3, 2016.

Stay tuned for the third and final assignment and thanks to everyone for voting!

xo,

Lilla, Beth, and the Studio Ladies

***

Would you like to take Make Art That Sells?

We have the following courses currently open for registration HERE!

Do you dream of illustrating a children’s book? Would you love to create a magical world with characters that you’ve designed? Do you love the magic of children’s books and feel that you have something to offer?  Then this course is for you.

In five weeks, you’ll create a brilliant children’s book pitch to help you land your dream children’s book gig. You’ll get over 20 videos, weekly assignments, live weekly video reviews, interviews with publishers and illustrators and more. Co-taught by top art agent Lilla Rogers and highly-respected children’s book art director Zoe Tucker.

Spaces are limited for our first session of class this October. Don’t miss out. REGISTER HERE

***

If you want to learn exactly what to put in your artwork to make killer portfolio pieces while staying true to your style and taste, MATS A and B is for you. Graduates of these courses have gone on to win work from clients such as Hallmark, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Oopsy Daisy, Uppercase Magazine, West Elm, Midwest CBK, and more. It is industry learning that works in the real world. These comprehensive courses includes access to videos of Lilla Rogers reviewing over 500 pieces of art.

It’s Lilla here, artist agent, and I’m on the hunt for our next artist to represent.

I’m super excited to announce that it’s prep time for our annual Global Talent Search (GTS), one of the most closely-watched events in our industry. To help you get prepared, we will be sharing 5 free mini-assignments, known as the GTS Prep (#myGTSprep) all this week on the Make Art That Sells blog here. And if you have not yet registered for the Global Talent Search, book your place here and then dive into these ‘minis’ to help you get ready for the main competition.

Have you entered the 2016 Global Talent Search yet? Join us! This is an incredible opportunity not to be missed. Someone has to win, and it might just be you! Go on and take that leap. Registration closes next Wednesday, July 27th. Don’t miss out! Enter now!

Be sure to check the Make Art That Sells blog everyday this week for your free mini assignment and get those creative juices flowing.

Also, join us on Periscope today. It’s always fun.

xo,

Lilla

Here’s a sneak peek of the trend boards you’ll get when you sign up for  CREATING COLLECTIONS FOR HOME DECOR. (There are over 50 images per board!)

Read all about how these cutting edge trend boards here.

WIN A FREE PLACE IN OUR UPCOMING GLOBAL TALENT SEARCH.
Share this Trend Board photo (above) on Instagram and Twitter with the #LillasTrends and tag @MakeArtThatSells on Instagram or @ArtThatSells on Twitter by May 2nd and we will pick one lucky winner! Learn more about this life changing contest here. Share away because it could be you!

ART by Zoe Ingram for Make Art That Sells Part C: Creating Collections For Home Decor

Class starts May 16th and runs daily for 5 weeks with weekly live reviews. This will be the last time we will be offering this course this year! Don’t miss out, sign up here.

xo,

Lilla

And the winner is…
KATE MASON!

Giant congratulations to Kate Mason for her extraordinary work! Her lush, ripe, saturated color infuses her patterns and product designs. It’s the opposite of a limited palette; it’s about subtle nuances of color. I love how she can have happy palettes and very sophisticated ones, too.

We believe in the broad appeal of her work, yet at the same time she’s able to convey a sophisticated, charming individuality. We feel that her style is irresistible.

We are delighted to now be the exclusive agency representing Kate. We can’t wait to fill her docket with commissions, licenses, and consultations with VIPs. Art directors, contact us to get dibs on Kate for your projects! Read more about the prizes Kate’s won here.

We’re thrilled to announce that we are taking on two more of the finalists!

Katie Vernon

Can you find the gnome in the piece above? Katie Vernon is a trend leader and a master watercolorist. She’s got a gorgeous color palette going on (I love her use of grey), charming hand-lettering, and an eye for quirk. You should see the florals and maps on her website. We’ve loved her work since she did the poster for our Global Art Gathering in Brighton, England. We are out-of-our-mind thrilled to now be representing her.

Clairice Gifford

I loved Clairice’s final assignments that she delivered in the Make Art That Sells classes. Each assignment she turned in was a jaw-dropper of gorgeousness. Her design sense is impeccable and her lettering knocks our socks off. Even her logo is a gem. We’re excited about bringing this new look to our group. We’re thinking packaging, home decor, fabric, and tons more. See her work here.

Congratulations, winners! And a big congratulations to all the Finalists: Akiko da Silva, Katie Wilson, Nikki Upsher and Susan Evenson! You each did gorgeous work and we know your careers will thrive.

Read how we picked the winners here.

xoxo
Lilla and the Studio Ladies

1. Here’s the equation. It’s where a recognizable, masterful style with a strong point of view meets a highly marketable look for a range of markets. The larger the overlap, the better. Here are my notes written during our team meeting.

Here’s Kate Mason’s work for the final assignment. It’s got it all.

Can we envision getting loads of work for the artist in a number of categories such as home décor, bolt fabric, children’s books, magazines, wall décor, gift, paper, apparel, advertising? Yes.

2. We look at the body of work on the artists’ websites. Is it consistently strong? Are there plenty of images? Does it excite us?

Here’s Katie Vernon’s map from her site done for the Make Art That Sells ecourse. This stunning piece can get map work in editorial, and there are loads of icons here that can be repurposed for other markets, from bolt fabric to home décor.

3. Is the winner a good fit for the prizes, such as a home décor line with Margo Tantau, VP of Creative at Midwest CBK, a Dot&Bo product, etc?

4. How are the drawing and painting chops? Masterful use of color?

As our artist Flora Waycott says “That Kate knows how to work her paintbrush”.

5. Is there work which embodies non-commercial exploration? This bodes well for career longevity. What’s too edgy now will be marketable in the future. Another way to say it is ahead of trend.

6. Is the design of the piece impeccable? We are talking design elements like balance, unity, movement, contrast, conflict as evidenced in Clairice Gifford’s work. Not to mention color.

7. We love lettering. Lettering gets work from greeting cards to ad campaigns. We loved the very polished and exciting typography we saw from Clairice Gifford in her final assignment.

8. Is it a look that we don’t currently have, and that we’ve been looking for? We don’t want to cannibalize a style we already represent. It’s great to broaden our reach with new looks.

9. We pride ourselves on representing artists that maintain the utmost in professionalism. That means they meet deadlines, are pleasant to deal with, and so forth. This was evidenced in our communications with them in email and skypes, and how they delivered work of a consistently high standard in my courses and for the Global Talent Search.

So that’s the thinking behind making our selections. It’s an art, however, not a science, and it has to do with which artist is a good fit for our brand.

We truly loved all seven Finalists. We wish we could have taken them all on, and hope they’ll try again next year. (Both of our artists Flora and Kate entered the Global Talent Search two years in a row!)

Thanks to all of our judges!

Lilla and the Studio Ladies

The waiting is over. It’s time to reveal the 2015 Global Talent Search Finalists, chosen from the 49 Semi-Finalists (who were selected from nearly 1,000 artists’ work).

For the first time ever, we had a TIE this year for the People’s Choice! We are thrilled to unveil the SEVEN Finalists, knowing that one of these artists’ careers is about to change forever.

Five were chosen by our panel of industry experts, and two were chosen via public vote. The overall competition winner will be represented by Lilla Rogers Studio for two years, and win a host of licensing deals from prestigious companies (see here for the awesome prize details). The second assignment Lilla created was full of possibilities!  The Semi-Finalists were asked to design a set of storage tins for Antionette, our fictitious character, to sell in her shop in Brooklyn.  Read more about the assignment here.

So without further ado, here we go…

Over 10,000 votes were cast by the public, and we can now reveal that the 2015 Global Talent Search People’s Choice Finalists are:

KATIE VERNON

KATE MASON

Judges Choice:

Our stellar panel of judges – with more than a century of industry experience between them in the Gift, Home Décor, Editorial and children’s book illustration, Fabric and Stationery, markets – took days deliberating over the Semi-Final gallery. It was incredibly hard to choose, but in the end the following five were selected as the other Finalists (in no particular order).  Our People’s Choice Finalist Katie Vernon was also #1 in the judges pick. Below each submission are three points of feedback from the Judges on what stood out in the piece.

SUSAN EVENSON

• A lovely play of pattern and illustration that unite but still have an eclectic whimsical spirit.
• Nice mix of watercolor and line work.  The collections of quirky objects work well for the cabinets and curiosities concept.
• Nice mix of line and paint work. Quirky and attractive.

KATIE WILSON

• Katie has a very hip vibe with her work, it’s edgy and right on trend.
• It’s nice to see the hand painted work.
• The simplicity of her work is enchanting and the watercolor shading and deal is perfect for the piece. These designs would be a nice addition to any decor without becoming too much of a focal point.

CLAIRICE GIFFORD

• Great mix of graphics and typography with a nice subtle retro look.
• A good balance of decorative details and bold, eye catching graphics. The subtle texture and palette adds the right bit of softness.
• Her attention to detail and typographic skill is great. She has the talent to master many trends in pattern design and lettering.

NIKKI UPSHER

• The pieces she did read clean and clear, fun, easy to fit in many homes and would sell well.
• It pops off the background and the use of words and images is subtle but strong.
• Nice stylized motifs and delicate typography in a good commercial style.

AKIKO da SILVA

• Clever application of the illustrations onto the packaging. Interesting blending of the foreground and background.
• Her graphic approach that is fun and whimsical yet very finished and confident.
• It is nice to see other cultures and Akiko’s style would be a great addition to North American-based projects.

The judges also answered two important questions for us:

In general what stood out to you about the five artists you chose?

What advice would you give to those who you did NOT choose, in order to make their work more commercially appealing?

Congratulations to everyone! We are thrilled that together 10,000 public votes, plus our judging panel comprising some of the top art directors and creative professionals in the industry, independently selected a set of Finalists where many are graduates of Make Art That Sells. It’s clear that the courses helped them develop commercially-viable art, choose amazing colors and present it professionally. We cannot wait to see the work that comes out of the next class (beginning October 19 2015!)

Stay tuned for the third and final assignment as we follow Antoinette along in this adventure and thanks to everyone for voting!

xo,

Lilla, Beth, and the Studio Ladies

Save

We’re incredibly excited to unveil the online gallery of the submissions for the second assignment of the 2015 Global Talent Search! We’d love you to vote for your top five favorites.

The 50 Semi-Finalists were announced two weeks ago and then were given Assignment #2 to challenge them further. They’ve just finished the assignment, and now you get to vote on your choices. At the same time, our esteemed panel of VIP judges will also go in and privately select their top favorites. VOTE NOW

What is Assignment #2? In the second assignment, we continue the adventure of our fictional character Antoinette who owns a charming shop in Brooklyn. She is wanting some kind of new product to carry in her store, but doesn’t know what it might be. On a wacky whim she flies to London in search of something special.

Poking around a vintage shop, she discovers tins. Perfect! Tins, but not vintage tins. Updated and hip organizational units. She feels her customer will love a beautiful yet practical product.

Why did I create this particular assignment for the second round? Because it’s open enough to allow each artist to show off their work. There’s a lot of latitude here. The shape of the tin itself, the decoration of the tin, and the concept–what the tin will contain–all of this is open for exploration
by the 50 semi-finalists. I want their styles to shine. Read the tips that I gave the Semi-Finalists here.

The artists are encouraged to be themselves with a vengeance and create art with personality.

Check out the fabulousness they created in our online gallery which is open here! Now is the chance for you to cast your vote.

I just previewed the gallery and I will tell you that all 50 entrants are top notch and worthy of a robust career. I promise you, it will not be easy to choose only 5.

Five finalists will be chosen by our esteemed panel of judges, and one finalist will be chosen by the public! YOUR VOTE COUNTS. The person with the most votes when the gallery closes at 9am PST / 12 noon EST / 5pm GMT on Monday, September 21st will go through to the Final as The People’s Choice.

The winner of this competition will sign with Lilla Rogers Studio for two years representation and win a host of licensing deals and professional development opportunities, so this is your chance to contribute to a LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITY for one artist. Their career will be set. See the prizes here.

You can vote for up to 5 people. VOTE NOW!

Want to see how the competition works? See all the stages here.

Giant congratulations to all of you who made it through to the second round! Only a very small percentage of entrants have made it this far and this is due to the excellent piece you created for Assignment #1.

Thank you for being a part of this truly unprecedented competition.

We also wanted to say a huge congratulations to Semi-finalist Meghann Rader who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on 4th September. Meghann was unable to submit her round #2 assignment so we wish her all the best in her new adventure and look forward to seeing Meghann’s beautiful work in the 2016 Global Talent Search.

Warm regards,
Lilla, Beth, and the Studio Ladies

Lilla gives us a peak inside some of the advice and tips she shares with the Semi-Finalists for the Global Talent Search.

• Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Show off what you do best. That’s what we want to see.
• Ask yourself if this is a tin that you would love to give to a friend. Have fun with this! We’d love to see what you do in your style. Trust your taste level. Don’t “dumb down”.
• Have fun! People buy your joy.
• Rather than trying to guess what I’m looking for, do what makes you shine. You definitely do NOT need to do a style that you see on our site. We are looking for fresh talent.
• Of course you’re nervous! That’s because you care. But remember that you got this far, and so you’ve got what it takes to do this assignment. It’s an easy one, with room for you to do what you love. Look over your existing work and see what you do best.

For more advice, head over to www.makeartthatsells.com and check out the Free Resources section!  Also, sign up for the next class to further your career.

Thanks Lilla for sharing!

xo,
Reine