Do you want to get exclusive assignments written especially for you by top art agent Lilla Rogers so you can supercharge your portfolio with fab market-savvy art? That’s exactly what you get in Assignment Bootcamp: four amazing assignments over four months to fill your portfolio with gorgeous art aimed at four of the hottest art markets right now.
Fortune teller salt and pepper mill by student Petra Braun for Assignment Bootcamp 2019.
Sometimes it’s hard to make art by yourself, isn’t it? You’re not sure what’s popular right now, what clients are looking for, what’s going to catch someone’s eye and land you great work. Art agent Lilla Rogers is here to help!
Over four months you’ll make four brilliant bang-up-to-date portfolio pieces geared toward the hottest markets such as gift, children’s books, editorial (magazine illustration) or wall art, to name a few. The subject matter is fun and marketable, and is drawn from the trend reports that Lilla creates for her own highly-successful artists. Now you can get a sneak peek at that inside information!
How does Lilla create the assignments? What markets will they be for this year? Why Assignment Bootcamp anyway? We caught up with Lilla to find out.
Lilla, how do you know what kinds of assignments to create for Assignment Bootcamp?
Lilla says: As an art agent, I assign jobs to my artists every single day. I know what clients want to see, what they assign, what they’re looking for, which imagery is hot, which color palettes are exciting, and which products are selling like gangbusters. Then I use all of that incredible information plus a healthy dose of whimsy to come up with brand new assignments for my Bootcamp students, just like the ones I give to my artists. It’s hugely important to me that my Bootcamp students are surprised and delighted by all of the assignments, so I also put a lot of time into thinking of something playful and fun that will help you create great art whatever level you’re at. It’s a challenge that I throw myself into year after year!
By the way, if you love color then you definitely want to take Bootcamp this year. Forget Pantone Color of the Year – 2020 is all about Lilla’s Color Combo of the Year. More coming up on that soon … !
Janie Secker’s notebook cover design for Assignment Bootcamp 2019.
This will be the seventh consecutive year for Bootcamp. Why did you create it in the first place anyway, and why is it so popular?
Lilla says: My students told me that they really loved the assignments that they got in other Make Art That Sells courses, so they wanted a course that was just assignments!
And at the same time, my inbox was regularly filled with artists wishing to be represented. While I frequently liked the style of the work, I knew that their current images 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 was born. It has run every year since because it really works! Students have gotten work directly from their class assignments. Plus it’s incredibly fun and super affordable – averaged out over the four months, it costs about the same as having a latte once a week, and for that you get something from me every single week. And every year we get students emailing in to ask if we can please run it all year round!
Cynthia Jacquette’s graphic novel for Assignment Bootcamp 2019.
Who is Bootcamp for – is it just for professionals or for people just starting out?
Lilla says: Anybody! It’s for anyone who wants to have a great time making their work better and market-ready in a supportive environment. Even if you’re just looking for a rich, rewarding art experience every week over four months. 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.
Paula Castleberry’s notebook cover design for Assignment Bootcamp 2019.
What markets will the assignments be for this year?
Lilla says: Great question. It’s always a surprise each month! They’re all geared toward the top markets that commission lots of art. Each year it varies: it might be home décor, bolt fabric, children’s book illustration, wall décor, gift, magazine, baby products, journals … The only way to find out is to sign up (or wait until we start sharing student art on our Instagram feed and wish you’d signed up!).
As always, I’m super excited about the 2020 Bootcamp assignments. Every year that we run this course, I have to up my game – I can’t do same thing twice – and I love the challenge of thinking up something that I can surprise you with that will look great in a portfolio, will be easy enough for beginners and challenging for experienced artists to shine.
Famous artist salt and pepper mill by Anke Rega for Assignment Bootcamp 2019.
So, can you tell us what this year’s assignments will be?
Lilla says: Ha ha – nope! 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. 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!
Jade Orlando’s graphic novel for Assignment Bootcamp 2019.
Go on, just a hint …
Lilla says: Ha ha! Okay, here’s what I can tell you. Part of your homework one month will be going out and getting new art supplies, which I think is probably a reason to sign up right now. We’ll have Lilla’s Color Combo of the Year, which is going to be fabulous – I’ve always loved color and, as an agent, it’s such a dealbreaker for me, and I find the combination of two colors and how they work together incredibly powerful.
Big reveal! Some months you’ll get two weeks of mini assignments, and I’ve got some exciting ideas up my sleeve for bonus material too, including another Blobby Color PDF! But the only way to find out for sure is to sign up – join me, book your spot here!
Lots of love
The MATS team xxx
