Pencil Kings | Inspiring Artist Interviews with Today's Best Artists

Dan Piche is the creator of Champions of Akathena a board game launching on 15 June.  He has advice for anyone who has a passion to make a board game, but no experience actually making it a reality.  In this episode: In this week’s episode we get the final chapter on designing and launching your own board game.  We had Dan on the podcast in the past to talk about the process so far in Episode 230 (https://www.pencilkings.com/daniel-piche/) and now that he’s just about to launch again here’s the update of the story as he's just about to release his new board game to the world.  There's lots of insight into the care it takes to bring your project to the finish line, but mostly I hope while listening you can get a sense of how you can look at your own projects with fresh eyes and see how you can use feedback to make your work as good as it possibly can be.

Diego Jourdan Pereira is an author of puzzle and activity books, including the Giant Book of Games and Puzzles for Smart Kids, The Big Book of Brain-Boosting Puzzles, Bible Power Puzzles, and the Astonishing Bathroom Reader. With a background in illustration, comic books, and graphic design, his clientele has ranged from Dover Publications to The Topps Company.   In this episode: In this week’s episode, Diego Jourdan Pereira walks us through how he went from a career as an illustrator working in licensing and completely reinvented himself as an author and book designer.   Diego’s story is a fantastic model showing how clear goals and hard work pay off to break into a completely new market and create new opportunities.  If you have been sitting on the fence, not knowing what to do or how to do it, just listen up because the clues are all right here and if you are willing to put in the work, it’s just a matter of continued effort and time before you’re well on your way towards your dream career where you get paid to be creative.  In the last part of the episode we talk about the difference between dreams and goals, and Diego has a great way of looking at how to set and make your goals a reality.

Mitch Bowler is the Founder of Pencil Kings and the Co-founder of Evolve Artist. He has worked with countless companies, including Pixar, Marvel, Dungeons & Dragons, Activision, and more. As a former 3D technical artist, Mitch has gone through the ups and downs of honing his craft, which is why he decided to revolutionize the way that art is taught. Both of his companies offer professional instruction and hands-on support from real artists in order to help creatives around the world take their work to the next level. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: How to ground your ideas of what a character designer does by looking at reference books Why not loving the character design process can be a huge red flag, and what to do if this is you. How to look for jobs and make your dream career more realistic. How and why to participate in online communities Putting together a portfolio based on your earlier research How to have an awesome creative career even if you realize that character design isn’t as fun as you thought it might be In this episode: In this week’s episode, Mitch Bowler from Pencil Kings breaks down a simple five-step process that he would use to break into having a career as a character designer.  This talk skips right over technical skill development and gets right to the heart of the key steps any artist will need to take to land their dream job, even if they have no idea how to get started.  The cool thing about this plan is that you can get started right now, and when you put your mind to it and just follow the steps you could be landing your dream career as a character designer in the next 12 months. 

Michael Cawood is a multi-award winning British Animated Filmmaker based in Los Angeles who develops original animated projects in his free time. Having worked in animation since 1994, he's created Films, Series, Commercials, VR and Games.  His work in short films has won him numerous 'Best Short Film' and 'Best Animation' awards plus the Orson Welles Award.    In this episode: In this week’s episode, we’re speaking with Michael Cawood who had been on the podcast previously to speak about his independently animated film, ‘The Wrong Rock’ which has since been completed and published and is generating a lot of views on YouTube and which was also made the shortlist for consideration to be included in the Oscar Awards.  Creating and finishing your animated short film is amazing in itself and Michael talks about the choices he made to ensure that the project would be completed before the birth of his son.   For anyone who has dreamed of making an independent animation this is a fantastic interview that will give you a glimpse of what it’s like, and how long it takes to make it to the finish line.  In this interview right at we discuss how indie projects are the perfect way to break into the creative industry of your dreams.  Nothing beats hands-on experience and Michael even gives a call out to anyone interested in collaborating on projects to get in touch.  If you’ve always wanted to work in the entertainment industry.

Mitch Bowler, founder of Pencil Kings and co-founder of Evolve Artist, shares insights on mentorship and education for creative careers. Topics covered include setting clear goals, utilizing resources such as free courses and paid mentorship, understanding the pros and cons of different education options, and the importance of foundational knowledge in artistic development.

Mitch Bowler, founder of Pencil Kings and co-founder of Evolve Artist, shares strategies for testing creative career ideas and discovering in-demand skills. Explore different job titles, creative career paths, and the importance of mentorship and self-education. Debunk the belief in innate talent and focus on passion and dedication in skill development.

Mitch Bowler is the Founder of Pencil Kings and the Co-founder of Evolve Artist. He has worked with countless companies, including Pixar, Marvel, Dungeons & Dragons, Activision, and more. As a former 3D technical artist, Mitch has gone through the ups and downs of honing his craft, which is why he decided to revolutionize the way that art is taught. Both of his companies offer professional instruction and hands-on support from real artists in order to help creatives around the world take their work to the next level. In this episode… If you’re ready to transform your dream of having an art career into a reality, then you’re going to need a plan. And, what better way to start planning your art career path than by determining exactly what skills will benefit your level up?  For artists looking to jumpstart their careers, job descriptions are a goldmine of valuable information. That’s because they are essentially a wish list compiled by the companies you want to work for. As Mitch Bowler says, by analyzing a job description in the creative field you want to join, you can effectively gauge the skills that are in demand and devise a plan of action for how to obtain those skills—and land your dream job.  In this week's episode of Pencil Kings, host Mitch Bowler reveals how to ground your art career path in reality using job descriptions. Listen in as Mitch talks about how to discern what creative skills are in demand for a specific field, why experience isn’t the only metric for determining if you are qualified for a job, and the importance of breaking out of your comfort zone as you make your dreams a reality. Stay tuned.

Learn how to transform your creative dreams into a reality in the next 12 months. Mitch Bowler shares expert strategies for setting concrete goals, determining the right path, and making real progress with your next project. Discover the importance of passion, consistent practice, and aligning natural strengths with your creative pursuits.

Mitch Bowler, founder of Pencil Kings and co-founder of Evolve Artist, discusses the four phases of a creative career. He shares his journey from dreamer to doer, emphasizes setting goals and leveraging previous experience, and highlights the importance of passive income and creative freedom. Learn how to achieve your artistic and career goals in 2021!

Mitch Bowler is the Founder of Pencil Kings and the Co-founder of Evolve Artist. He has worked with countless companies, including Pixar, Marvel, Dungeons & Dragons, Activision, and more. As a former 3D technical artist, Mitch has gone through the ups and downs of honing his craft, which is why he decided to revolutionize the way that art is taught. Both of his companies offer professional instruction and hands-on support from real artists in order to help creatives around the world take their work to the next level. In this episode… You are an architect of your own time, and only you can choose how you spend it. However, many artists struggle to find time and create space in their days to pursue their creative work. So, how can you start making time for your art in 2021, without the typical distractions of day-to-day life? Mitch Bowler, the Founder of Pencil Kings and Co-founder of Evolve Artist, has often struggled with the challenge of carving out time for his artistic goals. Then, in the chaos of 2020, he stumbled on a silver lining: the opportunity to slow down and be more intentional with his time. Now, Mitch is starting off 2021 with a goal to stop wasting time and start treating his creative endeavors as a marathon, not a sprint.  In this week's episode of Pencil Kings, host Mitch Bowler reflects on how 2020 allowed him to take stock of his creative pursuits—and the time he spent working on them. He discusses the common challenges artists face with making time to pursue their creative endeavors, the importance of saying “no” when carving out time for your art, and his strategies for sticking to your artistic goals in 2021. Stay tuned.