There’s no doubt that landing representation can make life as an illustrator much easier – they deal with all the messy business stuff so that you can focus on just making gorgeous art, plus an agent can provide exciting new opportunities for your art, a community, and more.
How do you get an agent anyway? In simple terms: by getting your art in front of them. This might be by creating a website for your art and keeping it up to date, sharing your art on social media, sending out postcards of your art to agents you admire, or contacting them directly.
Another fantastic way of getting your art directly in front of an art agent, of course, is Make Art That Sells courses – and now that Riley has joined the teaching team, several courses give you the opportunity to get your art in front of not one but TWO agents! The odds are pretty good too – since Make Art That Sells was founded in 2013, art agent Lilla has offered representation to 29 Make Art That Sells students, including a huge EIGHT in 2021 alone (and she’s still looking!).
Portrait of Amanda Gorman by Ruth Burrows, a Make Art That Sells student who is now represented by Lilla Rogers after Lilla saw her art in class.
In fact, Lilla took on so many new artists from Make Art That Sells in 2021 that we didn’t have time to introduce them all properly! Today we’re rectifying that by introducing you to the last one of Lilla’s picks from 2021. Introducing …
Ruth Burrows
Ruth and her dog, Sandy.
Ruth has taken a heap of Make Art That Sells courses over the years, including Assignment Bootcamp multiple times, Illustrating Children’s Books multiple times, My Kid Book Pitch, Editorial: Illustrating for Magazines and More, Creating Collections for Home Décor and My Toy Pitch, and it’s been incredible to see her art grow over time.
We caught up with her to ask her some questions about her Make Art That Sells experience, and what it’s like to get The Call from Lilla.
Ruth’s studio and some work in progress.
MATS: Which course was your favorite, and why?
Ruth says: I love all the courses, I’m still totally addicted but I think the course that stands out for me is Bootcamp. A wide variety of briefs and plenty of time to develop your work for each month.
MATS: What is your favorite piece of work from a Make Art That Sells course?
Ruth says: I’m still pretty happy with my poster for West Side Story. That project was a turning point for me in terms of style and confidence.
Ruth’s poster for West Side Story created in Assignment Bootcamp.
MATS: How have the classes helped you evolve/grow?
Ruth says: You know how some people are addicted to exercise and they get those good feeling things, what are they? Endorphins? Well Make Art That Sells is like the ultimate gym for training your artistic muscles and Lilla is the hardcore personal trainer!!
MATS: What was the best or most valuable thing you learned from Make Art That Sells?
Ruth says: To keep going, it puts you on the right path. All the tools are there to help you make your career a success. You just need to put in the time and effort.
Ruth’s portrait of Black American artist Elizabeth Catlett for Redrawing Black History.
MATS: How did you feel when Lilla got in touch to discuss representation?
Ruth says: It was a bit surreal actually. I once had a dream about serving tea to the Queen and she took her shoes off in my front room. It was like that dream.
MATS: What brings you joy?
Ruth says: So many things, I’m all about positivity and seeking out the good in everything. I’m also easily pleased, a mug of hot tea, the radio on, dog asleep under my desk and a full day of drawing – absolute bliss!
Ruth’s graphic novel page for Assignment Bootcamp.
MATS: What’s your dream job?
Ruth says: Tricky question, I love them all but I’d really love a home décor line.
MATS: What’s your best tip or piece of advice for Make Art That Sells students?
Ruth says: Just keep going, try not to get distracted by what everyone else is doing but enjoy and embrace the MATS community online because they are the ones that will support you and carry you through!
Ruth’s full page spread for Illustrating Children’s Books.
Thanks Ruth! Want The Call from Lilla? Want to snag representation for yourself? Browse our career-changing courses here.
Lots of love
The Make Art That Sells team xxx
