Q: Lilla, how do you know what kinds of assignments to create for your ecourse, Assignment Bootcamp?
Lilla: As an art agent, we assign jobs to our artists every single day. I know what clients want to see. What they assign. What they are looking for. Which imagery is hot, which color palettes are exciting, which products are selling like gangbusters. So I build my assignments around those considerations.
Here are few of the thousands of products our artists have been commissioned to create:
Q: Assignment Bootcamp is in its fourth year. What initially made you interested in creating this course?
Lilla: My inbox was regularly filled with artists wishing to be represented. While I frequently liked the style of the work, I knew that their art would NOT attract jobs. It kinda broke my heart. Here were artists with great talent—some even with four-year art degrees—submitting work to me, and yet the work was not real-world based! It would not pull jobs.
So I created an assignment course based on professional briefs. Assignment Bootcamp—a five-month long course—was was born. It has run every year since, because it works! Students have gotten work directly from their class assignments.
Here are a few more products my artists have done. Note that giant Godiva campaign (middle row).
Q: What markets are your assignments geared toward?
Lilla: Great question. They are geared toward the top markets that commission lots of art. Each year it varies. It might be Home Décor, Bolt Fabric, Children’s Books, Wall Décor, Gift, Magazine, Baby Products, Journals—to name a few.
Q: Who should take this course? Is this for pro’s or for people just starting out?
Lilla: Both. The course is for anyone who wants to have a great time making their work better and market-ready in a supportive environment. All levels, all styles are welcome. I secretly design the assignments so that everyone benefits. We have top artists in the class as well as newbies. There’s a lot of energy in the course, and friendships develop that last for years.
Q: Can you give us a hint of what this year’s assignments will be?
Lilla: Part of the way I motivate artists is to build a level of suspense over the weeks. It’s the way I teach—to break everything down into bite-sized bits so students don’t get overwhelmed, and then to build up to the final piece. All I can tell you is I absolutely love writing the assignments, and coming up with fresh and unexpected themes! And then I get to marvel at the vast array of fantastic work that comes out of the class!
