Starting Illustration Later In Life | Eric Castleman FULL INTERVIEW

Eric Castleman joins Will Terry and Jake Parker to discuss his late (but very successful) start in illustration, the benefits of critique groups, the opportunities around AI, and much more in this engaging interview.
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Show notes and links- www.svslearn.c...
Illustration by Analise Black: / ajugabee
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Jake Parker- www.mrjakepark...
Will Terry- www.willterry....
Lee White- www.leewhiteil...
Produced by Daniel Tu at Clover Studio: cloverstud.io
Shownotes by Lily Howell: lilycamille.com

[@SpottedJournal]

I'm 36, have a 2 year old and on my 2nd year documenting my art journey towards becoming an established picture book author illustrator on youtube. It's true, I quit the 9-5 to give this art career a go and I'm determined more than ever. It's something i never had confidence to do until I heard the top regrets from the terminally ill 'I wish I had the courage to live life true to myself and not the life other's expected of me' - founded by Bronnie Ware. Though there's no guarantee I'm still going to give it my damn best. I cannot wait to join SVS Learn soon. It's all about figuring out what make me happy and excited artistically using my hands, do you think I should join the children's book pro first or the svs annual subscription first? I'm a year in and just only figured out the themes/subject matter I enjoy, would you say eric castleman is a unicorn for getting an agent after a year? I went to Bologna as a beginner and I can report I learnt so much, just got to resave.. Again thank for another wonderful video.💛 Jenny

[@SVSLearn]

If you want to become a children's book illustrator I would sign up for that course. You keep the access to it even after the 10 weeks is over so you can return to it and learn from it. If you're just starting on your journey, I would sign up for the foundations track: www.svslearn.com/foundations-curriculum

[@SpottedJournal]

@@SVSLearn ooo thank you for pointing me in the right direction 🤗

[@JavBand]

Super cool interview. Very inspiring for those who are seeking for a career change. 🎉

[@judyelizabethart]

Eric is going places. I am looking forward to watch his career develop. Loved this so much! Thanks.

[@EricCastleman]

Very nice of you to say!

[@lauriedemott2069]

This was a great interview and I 0:13 loved hearing all of those names from the early days of SVS forum. Eric deserves this success - I have always loved his work.

[@EricCastleman]

Thank you so much!

[@jennybethjonescreative5535]

Eric sounds just like John C Riley! Great interview.

[@EricCastleman]

Haha, that's a new one. I usually hear Seth Rogan.

[@kellylane73]

Great interview! Eric’s story is very similar to mine. He is a bit further along, but I’m catching up! 😄 I took lower paying jobs too to learn the ropes. Plus svs is awesome. I need a critique group.

[@EricCastleman]

Thanks dude! The best thing about a critique group is that all you need to do is announce one with one other person, and after that others will want to join. It seriously helps.

[@JavBand]

Guys! I love your interviews and the svslearn classes. I wanted to join the next children’s book pro which starts May 30. but I’m not going to be able. I would love to know how often do you do this course, and if you are going to do another one next year or when do you plan to do the next one. Thank you guys

[@gabrielsalazar1416]

I think it would be fair if AI for commercial purposes (I'm speaking only in illustration here) could only use content authorized for that. That way artists could sell permits or subscriptions for their art/style to be used for a specific project or purpose. Other artists could donate pieces or art if they want also, just like we have royalty free images. I don't know if this is possible on the tech side though, as there would have to be a way to check how an image was created, and what that AI was fed to make it. Software piracy or the use licensed images without paying for them is something controled and regulated nowadays, so why not go the same road with AI and make it fair for everybody? Anyway sorry for the rant, it's just an idea that came from answering Jake's question. Great episode as always and great interview, I like listen to you guys while I work!

[@SVSLearn]

That's a cool idea.

[@mf--]

1:46:02 "Retrospective" is the word

[@xvslnx]

Please interview Joe Todd-Stanton and Aurelie Lise-Anne ❤

[@EricCastleman]

This guy is super good looking!

[@jakeparker44]

I know! He definitely raised the bar for the type of guest we need to be having on the show. No beard? No interview!

[@EricCastleman]

@@jakeparker44 I like this idea! 🥸

[@jimgleeson1695]

And modest.

[@artloveranimation]

To answer Jake's question near the end, using AI for a mood board is fine. Using it and calling it a finished illustration to then make money off of, big no no in my opinion.

[@jakeparker44]

I agree!

[@jimgleeson1695]

I agree with you in principle, and yet there will be those that see nothing wrong with doing just that. In 2019 we had this guy in my writing critique group that was "illustrating" children's books by using public domain illustrations and adding Photoshop filters to them and calling himself an "illustrator." He also did another thing where he paid each illustrator 20.00 a piece to form a 32 page book. Every page was a different style, the character looked different on each page, similar to the way AI handles recurring characters. I do think passing illustration work off as your own where all you did is type a text prompt into a computer is ridiculous. It would be like me being able to download a cake recipe and create the cake via a 3D bakery oven. Or having Chat GBT write a novel and claim I penned it.

[@mf--]

​@@jimgleeson1695 The latest version of Midjourney has character reference / training. Not out of the woods yet.

[@jimgleeson1695]

@@mf-- Yes, it's going to get better and after a time I think they will perfect it. I do want to "yeah, but still" you though and add that meanwhile people are still getting bad plastic surgery. You would think by now...a couple decades in, they would have perfected something like plastic surgery...and yet wow. AI can do it, I've had the open ai version of it and used the prompt "character sheet" and it will give reliable character sheets of characters, but it still doesn't quite understand what it is doing..or "why" it is doing it. But ultimately I agree with you, not out of the woods yet. But you know in freelance platforms when you have requests for illustrators they will say things like "they have the backgrounds, they just need character creation. But that's still not going to work...because there might be stylistic differences between the character and background. Final answer, we are never quite "out of the woods." But I believe part of the fun of a children's book is the process. I have to think of ways to make it more fun for the author or team involved. I shouldn't be the one allowed to have all the fun.

[@jimgleeson1695]

Retrospective?

[@kellylane73]

Wow he was your guitar teacher? Nice

[@EricCastleman]

Yeah. It was one of the positives of living in Los Angeles County. Brian (Buckethead) really left a strong impression on me in both good and bad ways. He showed how important it was to be creative in how I brand myself, and the bad side was how lonely he was because he traveled so much. In fact, I think seeing the consequences of his success caused me to stop pursuing music seriously at around the age of 18.

[@rgb]

​@EricCastleman that's crazy I watched at least 2 hours of KZbin videos speculating about who Buckethead might be, and you're just like "oh yeah Brian" haha. I could listen to Soothsayer on repeat for about a month.

[@EricCastleman]

@rgb for a long time nobody knew his name and anyone who knew him wouldn't tell, but it got out at some point. He's definitely an interesting character.

[@rgb]

@@EricCastleman That's awesome. What a crazy opportunity to learn from him. And yeah now instead of working I'm over here making a Buckethead playlist to get me through the day.

[@jas_094]

49:30 HAHAHAAHAHAHA

[@justinbooth-aspinall836]

So 30s is considered “late”!?😢

[@EricCastleman]

No, just not early.

[@mimi_simon]

I wish Lee had been here to but the kibosh on some of the libertarian "hopeium" about generative AI. The reality is that generative AI was created with the singular purpose of getting computers to do work for free so you don't have to hire an expensive human. It was not created as a tool for creatives and any artist who cares about future generations of artist being able to feed their family from their craft should be fighting against this tech with all their might.

[@EricCastleman]

I get where you are coming from, and I share the same disgust for what it could potentially mean for artists - but you have to remember that artists always respond in a creative way. Art movements such as punk music came about as a reaction to over produced pop music in the 70's, which led to DIY music, art etc. Art isn't purely the tools. In my opinion, the artist is just as important as the art, and there is no way AI will be able to replace the individual.

[@nanwilder2853]

Sorry, but I will NOT look at that scary “beard” ; no way, no how!