Quick quick quick – even though our 3 Day Flash Sale technically ended yesterday, we’re still celebrating – so if you want to save a whopping 30% on all of our courses for the rest of 2023, including our career-changing LIVE Illustrating Children’s Books course or our brand new bargain Best of Bootcamp Bundle, then get in quick!
Everyone loves a bit of nostalgia, and with it being our 10th anniversary this year, we’ve been looking back through some old bits and bobs and remembering the days when Donald Trump was just a TV presenter, we hung out in space leggings and peplum shirts and we let it go with Disney’s emo princess in Frozen.
The way we were – where it all started, all the way back in 2013.
We unearthed this historic review from Make Art That Sells student Reg Silva from all the way back in 2014 – but what really struck us was how much of it was still relevant today!
Reg wrote a review of Hot Markets for Your Art Part B, which covers stationery, baby/children’s products, scrapbooking, editorial and party paper – all of which are still huge art markets now, ten years on – and summarised her top seven reasons for recommending the course. Read on to find out what she said – and whether you agree with her conclusions!
(Did you know: the very first Make Art That Sells courses were Part A and Part B, now known as Hot Markets for Your Art Part A and Part B. They were followed by Creating Collections for Home Décor, which was originally Part C, and Illustrating Children’s Books, which started off as Part D!
Another fun fact is that Hot Markets for Your Art is one of the few things that costs LESS than it did in 2013! Reg notes that when she signed up, Part B cost £399 (approx. $600) when it was run as a live course – now it’s just £259 (approx. $329).)
Art by Reg Silva for Hot Markets for Your Art Part B back in 2014. Reg told us: “Make Art That Sells has continued to bear fruit in my work [since taking the course].”
Here is Reg’s list of things she liked the most about the class – we’ve picked the highlights, but you can read her full post on Medium here:
1. Lilla Rogers
Reg says: “There are a lot of people offering paid online courses these days. Just about anyone can offer paid classes/courses/workshops … If anyone has the unquestionable right and clout to teach a course like this though, it’s Lilla Rogers. With over three decades of experience as a commercial illustrator (her client list includes Levi’s and The New York Times, among others) and a highly successful agent who’s currently still active and working in the industry, it’s hard to think of anyone else better suited to teach this class.”
Learn from art agent and former illustrator Lilla, plus a host of brilliant co-teachers.
2. Insights from industry professionals
Reg says: “Most online courses offer you the knowledge and insights of just one person — the teacher teaching the course.
Lilla gives you several other relevant industry professionals to offer their insights, apart from her own. We’re talking about decision-makers from sought-after companies that put a value on design and illustration, like Land of Nod, Chronicle Books, Anthropologie, Paperchase — companies Lilla Rogers Studio has worked with.
As someone whose list of dream clients includes these companies, I appreciate the peek behind the scenes about how they work, what they’re looking for when they seek out art, and how I can approach them with my work.”
Greeting cards illustrated by artists represented by Lilla Rogers. Lilla has decades of experience – let her show you how you can get gigs like these!
3. A wildly talented, diverse group of artists
Reg says: “Lilla gives us all the same assignment. A few days later you see the work pouring in and everyone’s diverse background comes into play, showing how they tackled the given theme in their own different styles (whether it’s painterly, collage, graphic, etc), with ideas added in, concepts you never thought of, and clever executions and perspectives. We get one brief each week, and people turn in 100+ different interpretations of the same brief. Amazing. And the talent! You can either be discouraged and intimidated (very much so) by the amount of talent, or take it as inspiration to do better. Personally, I was both intimidated and inspired :P”
Art for Hot Markets for Your Art by Make Art That Sells student Tiffany Heiger.
4. The community
Reg says: “Being part of a community of artists that was so supportive and helpful was something I didn’t expect to be part of the package when I signed up for the course. All registered course participants have access to a private Facebook group and this group has been extremely helpful for work critiques, industry questions, support, and encouragement. This, for me, is a very valuable bonus that makes signing up for the course a hundred times more worth it. Illustration is mostly a solitary career and it helps when you have people with you who understand how the industry works to offer support, advice, and a sounding board.”
Art for Hot Markets for Your Art by Make Art That Sells student Erica Root. Erica is now represented by Lilla Rogers Studio after Lilla spotted her art in class.
5. The intense, fast-paced, professional-level assignments
Reg says: “Illustration is different from fine art. Illustration is problem-solving/storytelling, and making commercial artwork for manufacturers to put on their products to sell. And these all come with deadlines. The assignments in the course go live on Wednesdays, and you have until Sunday to turn them in. That’s FOUR days to get your work done, and with your regular day job / household commitments / needy children thrown in into the chaotic mix. If you can learn to turn in your (professional level) assignment within four days, then you’d have no problem making deadlines in the industry.”
Art for Hot Markets for Your Art by Make Art That Sells student Eulalia Mejia.
6. Trend insight and market analysis
Reg says: “Lilla teaches you to keep an eye on the market and spot emerging trends before they hit mainstream (big box stores like Target/Walmart). That way you analyze what’s out there, decide which emerging trend speaks to you, and apply it to your work, ahead of everyone else. And personally, because of Lilla’s insight on trends, weeks after the course I started noticing trends in the real world while I was out shopping. Scandinavian art is big, and geometric shapes, too. You see them on posters, store displays, shirts, brochures. Whether here in Manila or in Hong Kong where I was a few weeks ago, the trends were all the same.”
7. Conquer that art licensing learning curve
Reg says: “Art licensing is granting a client the right to use your artwork on a specific product for a specified amount of time, in exchange for royalties. I’ve learned a lot in the past year, and I’m still learning. But if I had taken this course earlier in the year, I would have conquered that learning curve faster and cut down on months of research as some pertinent art licensing insight is presented in this course, on a silver platter.”
Art by Reg Silva for Hot Markets for Your Art Part B back in 2014.
See more of Reg’s art on her Instagram and website. What do you think – do you agree with her review? Is there anything she missed?
- Our FREE competition to design us a birthday card ends TODAY at midnight (PST)! You could win a FREE place on Illustrating Children’s Books. Get the details here.
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P.S. If you missed the Live with Lilla this week, watch the replay below.
