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

Ever wondered what you need to do to attend and exhibit at your first convention? Exhibit as in setting up your own table or booth and interacting with fans and selling your work? Today we explore what it's like to go to an art convetion and what you need to do to prepare for your first one. We'll also look into the mindset issues that hold you back from actually making the leap to do your first exhibit.

There's something magical about actually going to a live event that you just can't quite capture through a screen. Of course there's the amazing heros that you'll get to meet there, but there's so much more that makes attending live events spectacular. In this episode we talk with Chris and Enrico of Artistacon - a brand new conference for creatives that focuses on learning the craft from experienced masters. You'll learn why going to a con is so important and can put your career on the fast track, as well as helpful ideas for how you can prepare yourself to make the most of attending any live event, as well as what you should do after the event to make yourself stand out.

It's pretty painful when you hop back into the seat of a full time artist after an extended time off. The good news however, is that the old skills come back pretty quick - it just takes some time. Today we look into the mindset issues that any artist will face when you decide to get serious about your art and what you're able to put down on the page doesn't quite match up with the ideas in your mind.

To celebrate reaching our 100th episode, we've taken the best bits from our most popular interviews and compiled them into one handy podcast. Hear invaluable advice from artists working in all areas of the creative industry and get the answers to all your questions, such as: How to develop your own style How to land your dream creative job How to promote your art effectively and land more clients How to stay motivated and make real progress in your art career How to make the kind of art that really inspires and excites you   Featuring interviews with: Sycra Yasin, Will Terrell, David Luong, Ahmed Aldoori, and many more.

Do you have an idea for a huge project that you'd like to bring to life? Today we talk with Oscar winner and creator and director of Pixar's Brave, Brenda Chapman, to understand what it looks like to create something on the scale of a major animated film. Brenda has worked on several films and generously shares her wealth of knowledge on what it really takes when you have a huge idea in your mind. During the interview we'll talk about what life is like working inside Disney, how to get funding for your big idea, and why you may not want to share your big idea if you're already working inside a studio.

In this episode we talk with Fine Artist and Animator Renee Chio about what her path has been like. She grew up in Mexico and when she found animation she fell in love. There was a problem though... at the time there weren't any schools in Mexico she could attend, so she made the decision to study in Vancouver, Canada for 2 years before returning home to work as a animator. During her time as an animator she started to experiment with digital painting, and while she started with fan art - eventually she found her own unique style and voice, and this is what is now making her famous.

It's funny how one single event can change your life. In this episode, you'll hear how one fateful tweet took Phil Galloway on a wild ride that has established him as a sought after digital fine artist. 

Ever wondered how to become a fantasy concept artist? A lot of artists have big dreams for that special project that's been kicking around inside their heads for years... The problem is how do you bring your creative vision to life? Sometimes the project is so big that you don't even know where to start. Sean Murray has been building worlds for a long time and he's recently released his first fantasy role-play project "The Great City of Gateway" which promises to be a huge world filled with amazing stories, characters and magic. But it didn't happen in a day, and on this call we'll dive into how Sean was able to bring his ideas to life and combine ideas from many different sources to come up with something completely creative and new. You'll also discover how his journey as an artist has led to him working with famous director Guillermo del Toro and Pacific Rim writer Travis Beacham.

Corey Pelton is a senior cinematic animator at Blizzard Entertainment, creators of the hugely popular Overwatch game. In this podcast, he talks about the importance of collaborating with other artists, and explains exactly what animation studios are looking for when they hire new people.  

Derek Rodenbeck is back with the latest update on his journey and things are certainly looking up! The last time we talked with him he was just starting to get some traction with his career. While we're exploring his story we also take time to look at the key changes he made along the way with how he was thinking that led to the success he is enjoying now. At the end of the episode there are clear instructions you can use to find out if you are holding yourself back like Derek was for so long, and what you can start doing right now to completely change your reality and start accelerating your own art career.