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Thoughts on Illustration: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Tom Froese
Thoughts on Illustration is a bi-weekly podcast about Showing Up and Growing Up as a commercial artist. Join award-winning illustrator and top teacher, Mr. Tom Froese, as he shares valuable tips, insights, and reflections from his own experience as an illustrator. Tom wants to encourage his fellow creatives and help them get further on by sharing in a transparent, accessible way. If you are passionate about unlocking professional and personal creative fulfillment, you are invited to follow along as Tom does the same!
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- 2 days ago11 min
How to Go Deeper in Your Work | Free Preview
What's the difference between images that move people and those that are just pretty pictures? In this episode, I dig into what it means to bring substance to your work — it's one of the hardest qualities to describe but perhaps the one that might matter most. This isn't something you can manufacture or build up through practice alone. It already exists in you. The question is where you can find it, and whether you're trying to tap more deeply into it.I also share an important announcement about the future of this podcast — if you're a paid supporter on Patreon or Spotify, please listen up.In this EpisodeAn Important Announcement: The future of Thoughts on Illustration after this summer — and what comes next for me and my work.What Is Substance? Why substance is the sense of personal meaning that runs through your body of work as a whole — the feeling that someone is behind the work, working something out.Substance vs. Point of View: How these two qualities relate to each other, and why you can have a strong, original visual voice and still have work that doesn't go very deep.Range and Versatility: Why having both light and serious work in your portfolio makes you more versatile — with a nod to Paul Rand's ability to do this.Striking Oil: Why substance isn't something you build — it already exists in you. How to notice where your wells are and what you're actually drawing from.My Own Wells: What a collection of plastic bread clips, a 1970s merchandise catalog, and a Saskatchewan hotel bottle opener have to do with my illustration work.Today's Action Exercise: The one question that starts the journey toward more substantial work — and why writing it down honestly might change everything.Today's Action on Illustration Why Does Illustration Really Really Matter to You? Write down — in your journal or sketchbook, as though nobody's reading — why becoming an illustrator really, really matters to you. As few or as many words as you need. This is where substance begins.(Become a paid supporter on Patreon or Spotify to access today's full "Action on Illustration" prompt.)Tag me on Instagram @mrtomfroese or email me your results!Show LinksKnow Your Art — Cohort Course Mailing List: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSNaT1XNb6jXS5qjW0ybiryBH70MC1ycGhHj-yDEuQKXdszQ/viewform?usp=headerDrawing Is Important — The Book: https://www.tomfroese.com/bookSupport on Patreon: patreon.com/tomfroeseFind Me ElsewhereWork and Classes — tomfroese.comInstagram — instagram.com/mrtomfroeseDaily Drawings — instagram.com/drawingisimportant
- 2 weeks ago56 min
Heather Pollington (Part 2) | Episode 76
This is Part 2 of my conversation with Heather Pollington — ex-Hollywood artist, iconographer, and illustrator for Symbolic World Press. If you haven't listened to Episode 75 yet, start there first.In this second half, Heather and I go deeper into her world as an icon painter — her illustration influences, the iconographic concept of simultaneous narrative, what it felt like to first encounter Orthodox art, and the bigger question of what a living iconographic tradition looks like for Western audiences today. We close with something I found genuinely moving: Heather's candid account of leaving Hollywood behind, and what she's learned about following work you can do with love.Illustration Influences: From the Palekh lacquer-box tradition of Russia to British illustrator Errol Le Cain and Scandinavian master Kay Nielsen — the visual DNA behind Heather's fairy tale work.The Memory Box: Why Heather's illustrations use framed vignettes instead of full-bleed spreads — and how her doll's-house fascination connects to a centuries-old iconographic principle called simultaneous narrative.The Primacy of Meaning: How iconography taught Heather to colour by emotion rather than observation — and why the best icons hold a permanent tension between the knowable and the unknowable.The Pivot Point: How researching medieval art for Maleficent 2 in 2017 became the unlikely doorway into both iconography and a return to meaning.Old World, New World: A rich exchange on the difference between encountering Christian art in historic England versus new and cosmopolitan Canada — and why North America's "blank slate" might actually be an advantage for building a new vernacular tradition.Reading the Room: Heather's approach to making iconography relevant for modern Western audiences — not by inventing, but by selecting from history what already resonates, the same way she once designed for "Michigan Joe" on a Hollywood set.Doing the Work with Love: Heather's honest account of leaving the film industry — not with a plan, but by moving toward the thing she loved. And finding that the world realigned around her when she did.Heather Pollington: Check out Heather's website and Instagram to see her illustration, iconography, and production design work.https://www.heatherpollington.com/https://www.instagram.com/heatherpollingtonSymbolic World Press: The fairy tale books Heather has illustrated for Jonathan Pageau, including The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen and The Tale of Rapunzel and the Evil Witch.https://www.symbolicworld.org/Errol Le Cain: British illustrator and one of Heather's key influences — look for his versions of Aladdin and The Magician's Daughter.Kay Nielsen: Scandinavian Golden Age illustrator; his book East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a must-see.Aidan Hart: Icon painter and Heather's teacher in the Orthodox iconographic tradition.https://www.aidanharticons.com/Creative Mornings Vancouver — June 5th: Tom will be speaking at Creative Mornings Vancouver around the theme of "Curate."https://creativemornings.com/talks/tom-froeseICON13 — Baltimore, July 16th Workshop: Tom's workshop at the illustration conference is now sold out, but come say hi if you're there.https://icon13.theillustrationconference.org/scheduleKnow Your Art — Cohort Class Mailing List: Interested in future offerings of Tom's six-week illustration course? Add yourself to the list.https://forms.gle/NiRwyLkvCbA24Zn19Drawing Is Important — The Book: Now available for purchase wherever books are sold!https://www.tomfroese.com/bookWork: <a href="https://tomfroese.com/" target="
- May 5, 20261h 3m
“Ex-Hollywood Artist, Now Painting Icons” with Heather Pollington (Part 1)
What happens when a designer working in movies like Disney's Maleficent, Mary Poppins Returns, and Skyfall walks away from Hollywood to paint icons and illustrate fairy tales? In this episode, I sit down with Heather Pollington — ex-Hollywood artist, iconographer, and illustrator for Symbolic World Press — for Part One of a wide-ranging conversation about limits, identity, story, and what it really means to find your artistic home.In this EpisodeComing Home to Painting: How Heather's journey from fine arts school in northeast England, through 20 years of working as a designer for Hollywood films, led her full circle back to painting — and why iconography felt like "the coming together of everything."Designer vs. Artist Type: The tension between being a versatile, problem-solving artist and having a singular, recognizable voice — and why both have real advantages and real costs.Meaning Over Accuracy: Why Heather's film work taught her that emotion and meaning always win over historical accuracy — and how that mindset now shapes her illustration.The Power of Limits: Why constraints are where beauty lives — from a limited palette of natural dyes in medieval tapestries to five pigments in iconography."Just Do the Rubbish Version": Heather's practical antidote to creative paralysis: start with the loosest, worst version possible, and let the problems reveal themselves.Story as the Master: How focusing on the text and the story — rather than style — frees Heather from intimidation and imitation, and lets her personal voice emerge without forcing it.Physical Reference Boards: Why Heather prints her references and pins them to the wall instead of collecting them on Pinterest — and what gets lost when inspiration stays on a screen.Links and ResourcesHeather Pollington: Check out Heather's website to see her illustration, iconography, and design work for the film industry.https://www.heatherpollington.com/Symbolic World Press: The fairy tale books Heather has illustrated for Jonathan Pageau, including The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen and The Tale of Rapunzel and the Evil Witch.https://www.symbolicworld.org/Creative Mornings Vancouver — June 5th: Tom will be speaking at Creative Mornings Vancouver around the theme of "Curate."https://creativemornings.com/talks/tom-froeseICON13 — Baltimore, July 16th Workshop: Tom will be hosting a workshop at the illustration conference. 🥺 Note: workshop tickets are now sold out. https://icon13.theillustrationconference.org/scheduleKnow Your Art — Cohort Class Mailing List: Interested in future offerings of Tom's six-week illustration course? Add yourself to the list.https://forms.gle/NiRwyLkvCbA24Zn19Drawing Is Important — Book Launch Replay: Patreon supporters can watch the replay of the April 7th online book launch.https://www.patreon.com/tomfroeseDrawing Is Important — The Book:https://www.tomfroese.com/bookTom's LinksWork: tomfroese.comClasses: tomfroese.com/teachingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
- Apr 21, 20269 min
Stop Trying to Find Your Style. Do This Instead. | FREE PREVIEW
📗 Drawing Is Important — Now Available: tomfroese.com/bookEvery illustrator wants a recognizable style — but what if chasing style is actually the thing getting in your way? In this episode, I reframe the whole idea of style as something you work out, not something you find. The real source of a compelling, consistent style isn't a look you copy or discover — it's your attractions: the things you love, the things you keep returning to, and the choices you've already been making all along. If you've been frustrated by not having a clear style yet, this episode will redirect that energy somewhere much more useful.In this EpisodeChasing the Scent vs. Baking the Cookies: Why trying to have a style is like trying to replicate a smell — and what to focus on instead.Your Attractions as Raw Material: How the things you love, notice, and keep returning to are already the seeds of your style.Style is Hindsight: Why style is a pattern you see looking back at your work — not a destination you arrive at.Style is Selection: How artist Heather Hollington's insight reframes the whole creative process as a series of choices that add up over time.The Creative Self Inventory: A practical exercise for reflecting on your best work to discover what makes it distinctly yours — and how to do more of it intentionally.Links and ResourcesThe Style Class on Skillshare: Go deeper on working out your style — and get 30 days of free Skillshare membership through this link.https://skl.sh/4cFnIejDrawing Is Important: My new book is out now! Your guide to making drawing a meaningful daily habit.https://www.tomfroese.com/bookToday's Action Exercise: The Creative Self Inventory Ready to reflect on your work and discover what makes it uniquely yours? (Become a paid listener on Patreon to access today's "Action on Illustration" prompt.)https://www.patreon.com/tomfroeseTag me on Instagram @mrtomfroese or email me your results!Tom's LinksWork: tomfroese.comClasses: tomfroese.com/teachingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
- Apr 6, 202628 min
Taking Big Risks in Your Creativity and Life
📗 Order Drawing Is Important: tomfroese.com/book ✨ Register for the Online Launch/DWM on April 7 at Luma: luma.com/67uhuhmrA recent portfolio critique turned into a deeper conversation about creative risk — and how to know when it's time to stop dreaming and do something about it. I share the personal story behind my own decision to quit my job and go to art school, and the question that helped me know that risk was worth it. Whether you're facing a big shift in your career (or even your life) or deciding whether to publish your portfolio or not, this one's for you.IN THIS EPISODE • Can a Portfolio be Too Niche? How a coaching conversation about purpose, niche, and commercial appeal set the stage for a much bigger question about creative direction. • Can We Sell Ourselves Without Selling Out? Why early-career illustrators with a strong subcultural niche may need to broaden their commercial appeal before they can narrow back in. • Fear of Failure vs. Fear of Regret: Why asking "how would I feel if I never tried?" can be more clarifying than asking "what if I fail?" • The $50,000 Decision: How I left a stable career to pursue illustration, and the moment of clarity that made the risk feel worth taking. • Are You Addicted to Education? How accumulating degrees, certificates, and online courses can become a way of avoiding the real risk — actually doing the thing. • The Bird Who Won't Leave the Nest: Why creative careers require putting yourself out there, and the importance of failure and rejection as teachers.LINKS & RESOURCESDrawing Is Important — Now Available: My book is officially out! Order it wherever books are sold, or start at the link below. • tomfroese.com/bookBook Launch Event: April 7 — check the link to register. • luma.com/67uhuhmr • Catch the replay later at tomfroese.com/patreon (membership required).Local Book Launch Events: I'll be hosting events in Chilliwack/Fraser Valley and Vancouver. Follow along to stay in the loop. • Instagram: instagram.com/mrtomfroese • Patreon: patreon.com/tomfroese • Substack: mrtomfroese.substack.comOne-on-One Coaching: Want to work through your own portfolio or career decisions with me? • tomfroese.com/coachingPrevious Episode — 4 Portfolio Mistakes: I reference the four blind spots of early-career illustrators: purpose, point of view, substance, and craft. • Episode 72: https://www.patreon.com/posts/153866247Today's Action on Illustration: What do you really want? Sit with that question. Pay attention to the moments — a story, a song, someone's work — that spark something deeper than "I like that." Write them down. Collect them. Those are the clues to the bigger decisions you'll face in your creative life. And if you're sitting on a risk you've been too afraid to take, ask yourself: • In 5/10/50 years, what would you regret more: risking and failing, or never even trying? • If now's not the right time, when will be?Just a word of caution: Please take into account timing! You can say yes to that big risky decision (if you really want it), but you can also say not yet. Sometimes we have to let one chapter end cleanly before moving onto the next one. Other times, we have bigger priorities than our dreams to take care of. Tag me on Instagram @mrtomfroese or email me your reflections at hello@tomfroese.com!TOM'S LINKS • Work: tomfroese.com • Classes: tomfroese.com/teaching • Instagram: instagram.com/mrtomfroeseJOIN THE LIVE LAUNCHDrawing is Important Launch Day: April 7, 2026In case you missed it, I'm hosting a live book
- Mar 24, 202612 min
The 4 Biggest Portfolio Mistakes of Struggling Illustrators | FREE PREVIEW
📗 Pre-order Drawing Is Important: tomfroese.com/bookAre you on the cusp of a breakthrough but feeling stuck in creating a stand-out portfolio? In this episode, I break down four mistakes I see struggling artists make when sharing their body of work. This is not about quick “hacks” but a deep dive into the four pillars of illustration excellence: purpose, point of view, substance, and craft. Whether you’re struggling to make work that looks professional, or trying let your humanity shine through, these four focus areas are the tools that will make the biggest difference in your career.IN THIS EPISODELow Purpose vs. Clear Function: Why every project you share on your homepage needs to signal its functional role at a single glance.The "Operating System" of Style: How to treat your personal values as the underlying system that informs every project, no matter what the subject.Building Substance without Complexity: Why you should push to make some of your illustrations more complex, but also why even the simplest of illustrations can show a depth of character.Achieving Media Transcendence: The secret to professional craft where the viewer sees the image before they see the "Procreate brushes" or the software used to make it.Physical Media Paradigms: Why choosing a physical constraint—like letterpress or collage—is the best way to limit the overwhelming options of digital tools.EPISODE LINKSPortfolio References: Check out the work of Klas Fahlen and Olympia Zagnoli to see mastery of craft and media paradigms in action.https://www.klasfahlen.se/https://www.olimpiazagnoli.comPre-order Bonuses: Pre-order Drawing Is Important to help boost the Amazon rankings and secure a commemorative poster (first 50) or a signed bookplate (first 500).https://www.tomfroese.com/bookOne-on-One Coaching: If you want to pick my brain on these four pillars, book a session.https://www.tomfroese.com/coachingThe Illustration Department: Mentioning Giuseppe Castellano’s insights on being headed in the right direction.https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-illustration-department-podcast/id1467711251?i=1000755695311https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-illustration-department-podcast/id1467711251?i=1000754396715Today's Action Exercise: The Operating System Paradox Ready to test your point of view? (Become a paid listener on Spotify or Patreon to access today’s “Action on Illustration” prompt).Tag me on Instagram @mrtomfroese or email me your results!TOM'S LINKSWork: tomfroese.comClasses: tomfroese.com/teachingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
- Mar 10, 20261h 27m
Just Add Line with Brandon Campbell
📗 Pre-order Drawing Is Important: tomfroese.com/bookBrandon Campbell (known online as @brandcamp) is a professional illustrator and former designer for Comedy Central and CNN. Brandon joins me to talk about his transition from digital motion graphics back to traditional media, his family legacy in the arts, and his unique "reverse colouring book" concept in his new book, Just Add Line.In this EpisodeThe Thrill of the Hunt: We start off discussing our love of thrifting and what we consider the "holy grails" of vintage finds.A Family Tradition: What it was like growing up with an illustrator dad who drew for Time magazine and Star Wars.Reversing the Creative Process: The ideas behind Brandon’s new book, Just Add Line, which flips the traditional coloring book on its head.The Impact of AI: Brandon’s candid non-sugar-coated take on how AI and the current economy are shifting the landscape for professional illustrators.Mindset Hacks for Better Work: How to trick your brain into having more fun by treating client assignments like personal projects.Links and ResourcesBrandon Campbell’s Website: https://www.brandoncampbell.tv/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandcamp/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brandcampPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/brandcampWork MentionedJust Add Line (Rizzoli) - https://www.brandoncampbell.tv/Birds Eat and Eat and Eat by Ed EmberleyEvelyn Ness (Illustrator) B. Dylan Hollis (Illustrations by Brandon) - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/742467/baking-across-america-by-b-dylan-hollis/9780744097603 Help Shape my Future Signature Course!My big goal this year is to create my first self-hosted course for illustrators. But I can't do it without your help! Please take my 5-minute survey at the following link. As a thank-you, you'll get 20% off the full price of the course when it launches.Signature Course Survey — Google Form Linkhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHIixGnxIA9gLl4WLXtxb4JsTfj5FjU6l1T9Sm0Cv2DjnDWQ/viewform?usp=headerTom’s LinksWork: tomfroese.comClasses: tomfroese.com/teachingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese
- Mar 2, 202614 min
Why Making Your Work Look Easy is So Hard | FREE PREVIEW
Pre-order Drawing is Important — http://tomfroese.com/bookIn this episode, I take on the "myth of artistic looseness." We often envy the "spontaneous" energy of artists like Quentin Blake, but the truth is that looking effortless requires a tone of effort. I dive into why your final illustrations feel "stiff" compared to your sketches and how to bridge that gap through what I call supervised spontaneity and confidence from competence. IN THIS EPISODE • Three observations about artistic looseness • How to build "chaos" into a repeatable process. • The Take-Two-ness of Glenn Gould: Why the best work happens in the studio, not live. • Why even pros like Sir Quentin Blake struggle with achieving looseness. • The Exercise: A three-stage drawing challenge to help you unlock creative freedom in your drawings.EPISODE LINKS • Quentin Blake shares about his artistic neurosis in "How I draw" — https://quentinblake.com/about-drawing/how-i-draw • Glenn Gould Poster (Tom Froese, for Polaris Prize) — https://www.tomfroese.com/work/polaris-music-prize-glenn-gould • Glenn Gould's "Take-Two-Ness" — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BachTheGoldberg_Variations_(Glenn_Gould_album)HOW TO SUPPORTYou can support Thoughts on Illustration by: • Sharing this episode with a friend • Leaving a comment • Leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts • Following the show / subscribing to this channel • Becoming a paid supporter here or on Patreon — https://patreon.com/tomfroeseFIND ME ELSEWHERE • Website — https://www.tomfroese.com • Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese • Daily Drawings — https://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportantCREDITSMusic and cues by Mark Allan Falk — https://linktr.ee/semiathleticDRAWING IS IMPORTANT — NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDERMy new book, Drawing Is Important, is your guide to making drawing a meaningful daily habit. Through stories, insights, and exercises, it helps you draw more often—with less pressure and more joy. Available 7 April 2026 — Pre-order now! The first 500 orders get a free hand-signed book plate! Look for "get pre-order prizes" after clicking the link.Pre-order Drawing is Important — http://tomfroese.com/book
About Thoughts on Illustration
Thoughts on Illustration is a bi-weekly podcast about Showing Up and Growing Up as a commercial artist. Join award-winning illustrator and top teacher, Mr. Tom Froese, as he shares valuable tips, insights, and reflections from his own experience as an illustrator. Tom wants to encourage his fellow creatives and help them get further on by sharing in a transparent, accessible way. If you are passionate about unlocking professional and personal creative fulfillment, you are invited to follow along as Tom does the same!
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