You may have heard that it’s important to follow trends in your illustration work, and it can certainly help to give your art an edge when appealing to clients. One of the many advantages of getting illustration assignments from Make Art That Sells co-founder and teacher, Lilla Rogers, is that she is also a renowned art agent, who not only keeps on top of trends via her work, but who also knows what clients, publishers and art directors are buying up to two years in advance – so the assignments she writes for you are always up to date and market-savvy.
One of Lilla’s affirmations and one of her favorite sayings: when you are truly, fiercely, yourself, you create your own style and brand. The more art you make, the easier you’ll find it to work out your own personal style and your own unique brand.
What is trend anyway? Lilla describes it as “the collective unconscious”. She says: “I am mixed about the word ‘trend’ in a way, because it implies that trend is something that someone else knows. In fact, really it’s just what people are talking about right now, what you’re feeling excited about, and what you’re vibing at the moment. In my classes, I often tell my students to find their joy, to relish their weirdness, and to be themselves with a vengeance because that’s their unique brand, and that’s what people want. If you love whatever it is that you’re drawing, that will come through in your artwork.”
So “trends” are just up to me? Lilla says: “Some things do seem to loom particularly large in the collective consciousness at the same time, and this is what you get in the assignments that I write for class.”
Add Lilla’s industry insight plus your own unique vision, and you’re well on your way to creating a show-stopping illustration portfolio!
Here are just some of the trends that our Make Art That Sells teachers have included in our previous courses ahead of time …
Greta Thunberg
Greta and the Giants. The actual text was initially written for the Illustrating Children’s Books course by brilliant children’s book art director and Make Art That Sells teacher, Zoë Tucker. There’s still time to sign up for Illustrating Children’s Books 2020!
Greta Thunberg started her protests in late August in 2018, initially striking by herself when she couldn’t find anyone interested in joining her. In early 2019, children’s book art director and Make Art That Sells teacher Zoë Tucker used Greta as inspiration for one of the texts for Lilla and Zoë’s Illustrating Children’s Books course later that year. Zoë originally wrote the story as Greta and the Wolves; in mid-2019 it was picked up by a publisher and was eventually published under the title Greta and the Giants. In autumn 2019, Greta took part in a number of protests across the world which involved millions of people and she has received two consecutive nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, in 2019 and 2020.
‘Saving the planet will be 2020’s lead story in children’s books, foreshadowed this year by Greta and the Giants.’ The Guardian ― Best Children’s Books of 2019
Llama drama
Lilla included the vicuna – a wild cousin of the llama (we all have one of those, don’t we?) – as a children’s book illustration assignment for Assignment Bootcamp way back in 2016. Just a few years later, you can find llama illustrations almost everywhere – on homewares, bedlinen, toys, cards, party paper, stationery, apparel and more!
Illustration for Assignment Bootcamp in 2016 by Make Art That Sells student Nadja Sarell. Nadja has ten picture books coming out this year, and says that she is now booked until summer 2020 and gives an easy no to projects if the money isn’t right.
Assignment Bootcamp 2016 student, Nadja Sarell, whose artwork is featured above, says: “My top focus has been children’s books and surface design. In the last couple of months, I’ve been offered great children’s book projects, and I am pretty booked until summer 2020! And I only take on jobs with proper fee now, something I learned in the MATS MBA (Money BadAss) class. Suddenly I’m struggling having to say no to clients! And I give easy “no” if the money is not enough to see me through the weeks or months of work on each project. I can provide for my family properly, finally! Never in my 14 years in freelance children’s illustration career have I had this situation and I’m SO very grateful and in awe.”
Lilla’s Color Combo of the Year
For Assignment Bootcamp 2020, Lilla revealed her hotly anticipated Color Combo of the Year:. Bootcamp students enjoyed a downloadable worksheet along with a color moodboard that included all sorts of quirky bits and pieces, such as ribbons and trims, a vintage ceramic animal, paint blobs and more, plus their own blobby color palette to complete.
Spring 2020 threw up so many instances of Lilla’s combo in home décor and apparel collections that Lilla ended up creating a bonus video for Assignment Bootcamp students just to share some of the combos she’d found!
Missed out on signing up for Assignment Bootcamp 2020? Book your spot on Creating Collections for Home Décor today for tons of Lilla’s gorgeous trend boards!
Lizzo
Lizzo was just becoming a hit when Lilla set the lyrics to her viral sleeper hit, Truth Hurts, as the text for her October 2019 Editorial LIVE course, but since then Lizzo has gone from strength to strength, making her Saturday Night Live debut in December 2019 and winning, among others, a Soul Train Music Award for Album of the Year in November 2019 and three Grammy Awards in January 2020.
Editorial illustration for Lizzo’s Truth Hurts lyrics from Editorial LIVE by Erica Root, a Make Art That Sells student who is now represented by Lilla Rogers Studio after Lilla spotted her in previous classes.
The spa chair
Students who have signed up for our big My Year of Art School and My Semester of Art School bundles also get bonus monthly assignments from art agent Lilla, designed to inspire them and to fill their portfolios with eye-catching on-trend art. In March, the assignment was to create an editorial illustration for an instant spa chair, an at-home chair station where you can relax and unwind without needing to go to a spa. Within weeks, the whole world was on shut down, and being able to relax at home while simultaneously dealing with children, home schooling, work, partners who are THERE ALL THE TIME and global panic, has never been more on the nose. Coincidence? We think not.
Editorial illustration for an at-home spa chair by Make Art That Sells student Ruth Burrows. If you find yourself needing extra support right now, check out our list of resources and watch Lilla’s recent uplifting Facebook Live event here.
The days ahead …
We’re living in unprecedented times: what do they mean for artists and illustrators? Lilla is predicting an uptake in several art markets, including toys, especially puzzles, and children’s books (if you want a children’s book illustration career, then check out our Kid Book Double Scoop bundle here).
Children’s puzzle by Carolyn Gavin, represented by Lilla Rogers. Lilla predicts that puzzles will be huge in 2020!
We caught up with creative director and Make Art That Sells student, Riley Wilkinson, to find out his thoughts on upcoming trends for 2020. He told us: “On the toy front, I think analog, family board games, puzzles, and activities are going to explode. Families are turning off the television, clearing the junk off the kitchen table, and setting up game nights. In light of our current world crisis, I’ve noticed that puzzles are flying off of store shelves. Yay! Back to the classics! I think this opens a river of opportunity for artists and inventors. Tech and digital cannot compete with a tangible activity or experience that families, kids, and adults enjoy. Motor skills, strategic thinking, and social interaction are skills we all need to develop, young and old. Artists can see this as a light shining from under the garage door—the door opens and the market opportunities pour in! Art buyers will need new talent to meet these needs.”
Lilla’s beautiful studio.
Art agent Lilla adds: “Think of a time in the future when this is all over. Think of what you want your career to look like. What will you be doing? What art what are you be making? Let me help you get there.” Check out Lilla’s raved-about online courses here.
We hope you enjoyed the show!
Lots of love
The Make Art That Sells team xxx
P.S. Like many others, we wanted to reach out and do something that would support and comfort our community during this difficult time. We are thrilled that over 12,000 people have already signed up for our business course for creative people, MATS MBA (Money BadAss), which we’re currently offering to you for FREE (usually £179/approx. $220), but we’re aiming to give away at least 20,000 free spots. If you haven’t signed up yet, be sure to check it out here, and please do share with your friends, families and communities.
