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

There are a lot of misconceptions around the topic of making money with your art. Today we talk with Shane Madden and start to explore some of the common ideas about getting paid to create art that aren't true and hold you back. We explore the difference between the life of a studio artist and a freelance artist and how a freelancer career gives you the opportunity to really be in control of your life and schedule. You will explore the idea if you are ready to start making money with your art now, or if you really do need to go back to school.

Youngman Brown is fast on his way to having interviewed more than 100 creatives from all walks of life, and it was great to have a chance to get him to pass on some of the wisdom he's gained from all those interviews. You will learn how to get past creative block, how to balance your day job with following your creative passion, and the single most important decision that you absolutely must make when you decide to 'go for it.'  

What's the best way to start when you're just at the beginning? Talking to hundreds of artists seems like a good place, and that's exactly what Carl Olson has been doing for the past six years with the Digital Convergence podcast. Here's the interesting thing however... while he set out to learn more about skills, what he actually found along the way were some amazing business opportunities to use the skills he was learning in unique markets.

Today we break down the path that artist and illustrator Cale took to get his freelance career off the ground. One of the things you'll learn is just how far Cale is willing to go to make sure that his work is always getting into the hands of the right people. He even tells the stories of how many times he's been rejected and why he sees those as a badge of honor instead of being disappointed.

Learn how using lesser known software can help you to stand out and create unique opportunities for yourself that will help you skyrocket your career. Conrad Allan's career hasn't been 'normal' he's spoken from the stage, and even changed countries. Learn how this digital artist is approaching his career with hustle and an entrepreneur's mindset that allows him not only to grow faster than most artists, but also create unique opportunities while he's at it.

PK 088: Should you start a YouTube channel as a visual artist? Freelance concept artist Nikolas Hagialas talks about his plans for doing this with fellow artist Derek Rodenbeck and outlines the important questions he asked himself first, such as: What kind of content should you be posting? Can you afford to spend time making YouTube videos? Is this really going to help raise your profile as an artist?  

How do you become a cinematic VFX artist at Blizzard, one of the world's top game studios? Hear how David Luong found his dream career, and why he's committed to helping emerging artists by showing their work in his personal art gallery.

Creativity and depression often go together for many artists, but overcoming them isn't always as difficult as you might think. In this interview, concept artist Jonah Lobe talks openly about how he learned to control his anxiety attacks, and how artists can learn to beat their fear of failure and follow their true creative dreams.

Ever wanted to make Manga Art and video games? In this podcast, artist Eliot Min talks abot what inspired him to create his first indie video game, Cerebrawl, and why it's still so important for artists to hustle for every opportunity that comes their way.

The Mila Film is more than an incredibly moving animation about a young girl in WWII. It's also the result of a worldwide collaboration between 250 artists from 25 countries who volunteered their time and expertise to make it. In this exclusive podcast interview, director Cinzia Angelini tells us how this incredible project took shape, and why her mother's real-life experiences of the horrors of war are as relevant and poignant today as they've ever been.