What Should You Learn First as an Illustrator? (Part 2) | Thoughts on Illustration Episode 4

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This is the second part of our exploration of what skills you need to learn in order to become an illustrator. If you missed EP3, be sure to check that out first to get the full list. What are the things you need to learn, and in what order? This is one of the biggest and most confounding questions for beginners. While there is no one-size-fits-all path, there are definitely some basics everyone needs as their foundation. I will tell you what I I think the most important things to learn are at first, and give you a sense of what learning these might look like. By the end of this episode, you will have a clearer picture of where to focus your efforts in the first year or so of your illustration education.

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You can also support me by taking my Skillshare classes. Visit tomfroese.com/teaching to find links to all my classes. Use these links and get 30 days of free membership on Skillshare!

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SHOW LINKS AND REFERENCES

Some of these links are affiliate links. Please use them to support the show.

Links from My Story

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
https://nscad.ca

Ray Fenwick (Illustration)
https://rfstudio.ca

Kate O’Connor
https://www.kateoconnor.ca

Co. & Co.
https://www.coandco.ca

Fuzzco
https://fuzzco.com

Mattson Creative
https://mattsoncreative.com

8 Hour Day
https://eighthourday.com

Springfree Trampline
https://www.springfreetrampoline.ca

Making Pictureshttps://making-pictures.com/illustrat...

06 Colour Theory
===============
The One Palette Illustrator (Skillshare Class by Tom Froese)https://skl.sh/3LI7x2P

07 GRAPHIC DESIGN

15 Extremely Helpful Free Graphic Design Courses (format.com)https://www.format.com/magazine/resou...

Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design (Skillshare Class by Ellen Lupton)
https://skl.sh/3IKPmdC

08 Digital Media
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ADOBE PHOTOSHOP — Inky Illustrations: Combining Analogue and Digital Media (Skillshare Class by Tom Froese)
https://skl.sh/3T84T9K

PROCREATE — Digital Illustration: Learn How to Use Procreate (Skillshare Class by Jarom Vogel)
https://skl.sh/3khvS5S

ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR — Analog to Digital: An Introduction to Creating Digital Art (Skillshare Class by Brand Woodard)
https://skl.sh/3WZo3QZ

ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR — Learn Adobe Illustrator: Fundamentals for Beginners (Skillshare Class by Anne Larkina)
https://skl.sh/3GC55Jd

ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR — Illustrator Basics: The Pen & Pencil Tools (Skillshare Class by Dylan Mierzwinski)
https://skl.sh/3X8MT0G

FRESCO — Creative Digital Illustration: Learn to Use Adobe Fresco (Skillshare Class by Lisk Feng)
https://skl.sh/3Zwhp6t

09 Illustration History
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Pete Beard’s YouTube Channel (Check Out His Unsung Heroes of Illustration Series)
   / @petebeard  

History of Illustration (Susan Doyal et. al.)
https://amzn.to/3X8LUO2

Meggs' History of Graphic Design
https://amzn.to/3ZziPwO

10 Writing
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The Artist's Way (Julia Cameron)
https://amzn.to/3CMoh62

Writing for Self-Discovery: 6 Journaling Prompts for Gratitude and Growth (Skillshare Class by Yasmine Cheyenne)
https://skl.sh/3H0g9kB

Creative Writing for All: A 10-Day Journaling Challenge (Skillshare Class by Emily Gould)
https://skl.sh/3W1R65f

Bullet Journaling: Life Management for Creatives (Skillshare Class by Dylan Mierzwinski)
https://skl.sh/3ZuP1S9

FIND ME ELSEWHERE
http://linktr.ee/mrtomfroese