Many congratulations to Shirley Hottier from one of our agencies Illo. She has been awarded a Creating Inclusion Grant from Creative Scotland.
This is a grant for “Improving access to career progression, promoting diversity, and increasing visibility and representation (in Scotland). Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery.
It is a grant for “Improving access to career progression, promoting diversity, and increasing visibility and representation (in Scotland). Shirley initially trained as an architect in Paris and is now based in Edinburgh. She is a self-taught illustrator, with a passion for using her work to promote diversity as a way to celebrate her multiple cultures, through the warm, lively scenes and joyful characters she crafts. With a dash of humour, she designs her illustrations as captures of the small moments that make life beautiful. She specialises in digital art, incorporating a rich palette of vivid and bold colours, soft sketches and textures.
Shirley is the winner of the 2021 Illustration FAB Prize If you’d like to read more about it here, including the range of very clever creatives they are supporting, here is the link of the announcement.
Are you an illustrator looking for open calls and opportunities? The work is out there, and you are not invisible, although sometimes in such a competitive environment, we understand it is natural to worry that you are going unseen. The fact is, you just need to know where to look and how to show up…
Graphic novels are having a moment and it’s no passing trend. From classrooms to bestseller lists, graphic novels are dominating shelves and reading time across all ages. What was once seen as a niche format with a distinct, heavy-lined “comic book” aesthetic has exploded into a dynamic, expressive medium that spans every style and genre…
“I don’t have any client work, what do I even put in my portfolio?” This is one of the more common worries we hear from illustrators who are new to developing their portfolios, but we want to encourage you to reframe this question: Having no client work isn’t a weakness, try to view this as…
How do you connect with clients and agents? It’s a question that comes up again and again, and often you will hear people focus on visibility, being seen at the right events, posting your work constantly and having a strong presence on social media. But connection isn’t just about being visible. It’s about being remembered,…
Learn how to write a powerful professional illustrator biography that attracts the right clients. Discover structure tips, examples, and how to create a compelling artist bio in 150–250 words.
Imagine having a guide who not only understands the creative path an individual wants to walk, but also has the knowledge and tools to help them get there – successfully. That’s the core of the ITSme Learning Mentorship. Whether someone is a student, a young professional at the beginning of their career, or an artist…
Learn how to spot AI art in this comprehensive guide.