Secrets from the Talent Scouts

Weerawan Boonweera

24 September 2026

The ITSme Illustrator Mentorship Program has helped me understand the importance of creating a suitable portfolio and how to do it effectively. It has opened up new perspectives, with mentors providing crucial advice and guidance on portfolio building. I believe it has greatly increased my chances of getting new jobs and opportunities as a freelance artist.

Aneliya Yankova

8 June 2026

Thank you a lot! The most important thing for me was that it was written in a way that I could understand. I mean what you're talking about. This inspires me to finally apply it, and not to keep despairing that no one wants to notice me as an illustrator because I just don't do anything real. Thank you very much for the advice! You are great!

Erika Ruggio

19 December 2025

My experience with the mentorship program was very positive. It helped me identify my strengths and the areas I need to improve in my portfolio. I am very satisfied and grateful, and I completed the program with a clear sense of the path I need to follow from now on.

Felipe Leoni

17 December 2025

Amazing experience! Very experienced professionals.

Aleksandra Krzanowska

25 November 2025

Thank you for the Withholding Tax - Thinking CAP - November 2025!

Megan Liljenquist

13 November 2025

I have completed both the mentorship and the portfolio course from ItsMe and now have a strong idea for the direction of my portfolio. The mentors are kind and encouraging, but also push you to take your work even further. I think both programs offer excellent value, especially if you are pursuing illustration professionally.

Ameena Siddique

11 November 2025

I participated in the Summer 2025 ITSme Illustration Mentorship, and it was an incredibly eye-opening experience. I was paired up with Christine Hong, who has an amazing creative eye, and her mentorship was very insightful. The feedback focused on principles and practices, which helped me improve my fundamental skills. In my opinion, this is what sets them apart from other mentorship programs, where the feedback is mainly focused on the pieces you're creating. The weekly videos offered insider knowledge of the industry, and the closing call with Ed Burns was both motivating and enriching. I highly recommend this program to any artist looking to break into the publishing industry as an illustrator.

Micsy Vargas

6 November 2025

I recently took part in a mentorship programme with ItsME Learning, and it was a truly encouraging and motivating experience. The mentors guided me to create more detailed sketches, to add more storytelling elements to them, and to keep improving and refining their final look. I’m very grateful for the experience and for how much it helped me grow as a professional.

Ane Schutz

5 November 2025

Highly recommended for junior artists or illustrators in a career transition. So many great insights during the calls, and it really opened my mind to new possibilities in my career.

Mariana Ostanik

5 November 2025

The It’s Me mentorship program was truly wonderful for my professional journey. My mentor, Bhavi, with great care and attention, helped me find the direction I’d been searching for regarding my style and market positioning. In addition, the lessons and insights shared by Bhavi and the team were incredibly valuable in broadening my horizons even further. Today, I feel much more confident that my work can continue to evolve and reach more and more people. I highly recommend the mentorship program!

Yana

10 September 2025

Very interesting video about Do’s and Don’ts. I picked up several valuable tips for myself. Thank you for such useful content for illustrators—it’s really important!

Vanessa Hahn

7 August 2025

I took the Character Intensive course with ITSme and it helped me a lot to enhance my character designs in terms of consistency. I can only recommend this course for those who struggle to keep their characters cohesive throughout multiple illustrations.

Addy Rivera Sonda

4 August 2025

I loved the video Be Your Own Art Director - from Tina Doffing. Tina guides and inspires artists to experiment while following a very clear, engaging and creative "step by step" process that allows each artist to grow and direct their efforts towards a clear goal, weather it is working with a specific client, improving our portfolio, or learning through observation and practice to be better illustrators.

Soumesh Choudhury (Soumesh)

1 August 2025

Its a brilliant feeling to have a mentorship from its me,I was kind of lost getting rejection from agencies,these course gave me a much light ,what is the issue how should I approach.my mentor was vicky she is absolutely amazing helps alott to improve my portfolio.really thankful to its me

Chloe Vazquez

12 July 2025

I recently participated in the Spring mentorship Program with ITSME, and it's been a great help for better understanding the publishing industry and tailoring my portfolio after I decided to pivot my work from animation production towards book illustration. I was partnered with mentor Kate Powell, who was incredibly kind and provided helpful feedback and critique, and took the time to provide me with clear answers to my questions. Based on my style and strengths, she helped me gain clarity on which sphere of publishing to pursue (YA Book Cover illustration). Ed Burns, the head of the ITSME society, is incredibly supportive and kind and provided great feedback about my portfolio. I really got the sense that he was genuinely invested in helping artists such as myself succeed. His words gave me the confidence to pursue submitting to agencies now that the program has concluded. The AI seminar from ITSME was very insightful and I appreciated it's inclusion given the current landscape of art industries being heavily affected by generative AI's use. My main critique is that I didn't find most of the other supplemental videos that are included in the program to be particularly helpful, but I think that was because they were usually very short, and the age demographic of what work I am making is for YA and not younger children. It would be nice if the program expanded it's content to include more advice specific to YA illustration for anyone like myself whose style might not be editorial or children's oriented. This didn't negatively impact my experience with the mentorship at all, but I felt it was worth mentioning. It would also be nice if there was more of a community aspect to the mentorship that allowed us to connect directly with other mentees after the program rather than coming across the pages by chance on social media platforms like Instagram or Linkedin. Overall I am pleased with my experience and would recommend anyone who wants to get into illustration in the publishing industry to consider the program. It is particularly helpful if you're unsure how to tailor your portfolio to the industry and want more insight as to what publishers look for when you're submitting real work projects. The feedback I received and the connections I've made with industry professionals through the program is truly invaluable. Thank you ITSME for your help and guidance!

Bianca Nithack

1 July 2025

I participated in the Itsme mentorship, which provided me with excellent guidance for improving my portfolio and navigating the illustration market. The people who supported me throughout the process were very attentive and showed great patience with my language barrier.

Linda Giulia Carluschi

23 June 2025

Signing up for the illustrator mentorship has been one of the best decisions I've made for my career. The feedback I received was not only positive and encouraging but also incredibly insightful and constructive. My mentor guided me in discovering my own illustrative style, understanding my potential place in the market, and refining my portfolio to a more professional standard. I highly recommend this mentorship to any illustrator looking to grow and advance their career!

Alissa Staples

21 June 2025

I just completed the Spring 2025 ITSme Illustration Mentorship, and it was an incredibly eye-opening and uplifting experience! My mentor, Bhavisha Patel, accurately identified my artistic strengths and weaknesses, and she gave me plenty of insightful guidance to create my best work while also allowing for creative freedom. The program's videos and webinar were also very informative, covering currently relevant topics for our industry. I learned about the different markets for freelance illustration, and where my work might be best suited. Meeting with ITSme CEO Edward Burns virtually was a particular highlight in the program – I received invaluable advice and encouragement from him to level-up my artwork and illustration career! Developing a freelance illustration portfolio can feel isolating and unfocused at times, so receiving precise, insightful, and constructive feedback from professional agents through this mentorship has made a world of difference for me. I highly recommend this mentorship!

Josh Mauser

18 June 2025

Completed the ItsMe Illustration Spring Mentorship and had an incredibly positive experience. I was assigned Aurora as my mentor; her demeanor was pleasant and she was very easy to talk to. I feel like she understood immediately what markets my work would fit into best and assigned appropriate, focused prompts tailored to bolster my portfolio in that direction. She was very receptive to my own observations and was able to answer every question I had about content, style, industry, etc. I think it was because of this connection and feedback on the prompts that followed that I feel I produced some of my best work so far during the program. Ed was also very pointed and direct in suggesting a successful direction for my work, what markets it suited best, what markets were actually in need, etc. It was the kind of observations and advice that could only come from somebody with massive amounts of experience in the industry. Overall there was just this fantastic feeling of sincerity and investment throughout the program. A lot of online "classes" can just feel like a collection of generic videos that's capped off with a mass zoom call Q&A with 50 others where it's impossible for the instructors to focus on the students themselves. The ItsMe Illustration Spring Mentorship values personal connection and development with its mentees and it really does set them apart from so many other online programs.

Valeria Volodkó

5 June 2025

I really enjoyed the Navigating the World of AI – Thinking CAP webinar. I feel more confident and more at ease about the future of being an artist. I find all of Thinking CAP’s videos full of valuable information, and I’m happy to have the support of It’s Me to keep learning from professionals in the industry.

Miriam Viola

5 June 2025

I really needed a professional perspective to make progress, and I found it here. I was guided and directed with kindness, diligence, and professionalism to understand my strengths and the areas I need to work on. Knowing exactly what to do and how to do it to achieve your goals is invaluable. Thank you!

daniel crespo saavedra

4 June 2025

I signed up for the illustrator mentorship and I totally recommend it, I finish the program knowing what to do and very motivated thanks to his experience and knowledge.

Patricia Edlyn Claresta

2 April 2025

Just watched Look to the Movies - Thinking C.A.P by Edward Burns video. Very helpful and insightful! Ed's explanation were well understood and fun. Thank you so much for the video!

Brianna Boyd

1 April 2025

I participated in their mentorship program. The whole team was so kind, supportive and gave great critique and advice! Definitely came out of the program a stronger and more industry-aware artist!

Olga Smith

31 March 2025

I'm so glad I found Itsme mentorship! I was trying a few different illustration styles, and didn't know which direction to move forward. Getting a mentor who is also an agent in the industry has been immensely helpful! She helped me find the illustration style that is best for the industry and that I really enjoy. I'm so thankful for this program!

Anastasiia Panchenko

26 March 2025

I had the opportunity to watch the Look to the Movies – Thinking CAP webinar, and I found it packed with valuable insights on building and enhancing a portfolio to make it more appealing to publishers. Ed offered a fun and unexpected perspective, using movies as a reference point to help us view our portfolios in a new way. This approach made the process of developing a strong portfolio feel much clearer and more achievable. Definitely a lot to reflect on and apply to my own work! Thank you for sharing such valuable insights.

Chris Perry

12 March 2025

Edward is great at what he does. I was most encouraged with his honest feedback and critiques. He gives heartwarming feedback and encouragement. He gave actionable feedback for both my work and my bio. He helped me to hone my portfolio, telling me what to keep, what to polish, and what should be removed- for maximum impact in the industry. He gives clear instructions. He showed me examples of work from artists who are successful in their careers to help my understand some terms I was unfamiliar with. He also has a sense of humor which helped me feel connected. Edward encouraged me to keep working and then generously offered to continue to coach me along with my ITSme mentor, Bhavi Patel. He encouraged me that my work was almost "good to go" and he wanted to be there when it did. I can sense that he truly cares about his artists and wants to see them succeed. Thank you, Edward, for all you do for artists. I am blessed to work with you and your team at ITSme. I can't praise, thank, or recommend you enough to other artists who want to make a living doing what they love. Chris Perry

Elmira Georgieva

12 March 2025

I have nothing but praise for their mentorship program! It has honestly been career-changing for my art. All the insights they’ve given me into how the industry works have been incredibly helpful. The team is really kind and welcoming, making all my uncertainties disappear from day one. It’s an amazing resource for illustrators who want an honest look at their work and valuable guidance on how to improve it further.

Nina Gagliardi

12 March 2025

i am looking forward to keeping in touch and i really appreciate your guidance more than you know!

Stefan Nikolić

16 November 2024

The 12-week illustration mentorship program was exactly what I needed, and I would recommend it to any artist, whether you’re just starting out or already experienced. My amazing mentor, Atlanta, showed me exactly what clients look for in an artist portfolio and she provided me with clear guidance on how to make mine stand out in this niche. She pointed out specific areas I could improve that clients paying attention to, that I didn't think about before. One of the best parts of the program was getting to talk with ITSme CEO Edward! He has an incredible way of explaining things visually, and hearing from him about my work and the industry was priceless. Thank you all for your dedication, and for giving me such a valuable experience!

Maria Teresa Palladino

15 November 2024

Consiglio ad illustratori che hanno già un portfolio e che vogliono migliorarlo per renderlo più adatto al target. Gli agenti ti aiutano ad avere una visione più realistica degli aspetti da migliorare e ti danno consigli mirati sul tuo lavoro. Senza dubbio mi è stato utile, lo consiglierei.

Marin Bagbey

14 November 2024

The ItsMe mentorship program has been an amazing experience. Its been great to work with the ItsMe staff, who truly believe in the illustrators they work with and want to help you with the next steps of your career. The connections and feedback they have given have been vital to my work so far and going into the future. Cannot recommend enough for any artist looking to get their foot in the door and/or elevate their portfolio!

Anita Bagdi

14 November 2024

Meeting with Ed Burns was a positive, clear guidance to direct me to the path of a strong portfolio. I’m so grateful and excited about every steps of progress, thank you. I totally recommend the mentorship program to any illustrators who feel stuck with their portfolio and need skyrocketing their progress in the industry.

Brandi Kim

13 November 2024

I had a great feedback on my work and meeting was delightful. I appreciate the insights on the business side of the industry.

Mauro Renard

5 November 2024

Great company, full of talented and committed people. It is a pleasure to work with them.

Ana Aguiar

4 September 2024

It's been amazing to work through the summer mentorship with ITSme learning. I've learned so much and in such a short amount of time. Also feel more and more confident about the direction to take and the steps that need to be done after the mentorship ends. I'm very grateful to each and everyone I've been in contact with in this journey, especially to Ed and Harry who have been guiding me in such a supportive way. Thank you so much and I look forward to continuing this journey with you.

Mui Guma

4 September 2024

I took the illustration mentorship and overall the whole journey was wonderful. The portofolio reviews are compact yet thorough and the mentors, who are all experts on the field, are very helpful in guiding through the illustration pieces creation. Furthermore, the mentorship also comes with a number of video learning materials and a webinar.

Vaishnavi Dukhande

3 September 2024

Taking this mentorship course has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I can clearly see how much I’ve improved throughout the course, both in my skills and confidence. With Bhavisha’s guidance I’ve created some amazing artworks that I’m truly proud of. This mentorship has given me the confidence to take the next step in my career, and I now feel ready to apply to illustration agencies. Thank you for all the support and valuable insights!

Malory

2 September 2024

I'm glad I found their program. When I started as a freelance illustrator, I was confused and overwhelmed about which industry my style belonged to. The ItsMe program pointed me in the right direction with the help of an experienced agent. Everything fell into place, and I was able to identify the specific market I could work for and how to build my portfolio for that market. It has been a great investment! I was supported by their professionals in every aspect that needed fixing or reworking to properly market myself and my work.

Victoria smith

2 September 2024

Great program and feedback. Truly helpful for elevating your career

Alina Slyshik

2 September 2024

Wonderful learning experience! I appreciate the personal approach and a great opportunity to update my portfolio. Highly recommend to all illustrators!

Susanna Lovisolo

12 August 2024

The ITSME Learning Mentorship program is professionally structured. I am extremely satisfied with my experience. I have found some excellent mentors. They encouraged me to experiment, helping me to improve my portfolio. Special thanks to Aurora, for the beautiful journey together and to Ed for everything he was able to convey and teach me during our meeting.

Zoe Hansen

5 August 2024

My meeting with Edward Burns was very informative and helpful. As an illustrator looking to learn more about my own strengths and areas I should focus on in my work, I found the whole program very useful.

Catherine Worsley

22 July 2024

I recently took the Character Study Intensive course with ITSme Learning, it's such a fantastic course and has taken my portfolio to another level! The briefs and inspiration are really well put together and helped me focus on what I needed to do to enhance this area of my portfolio. I've been looking to improve my character design skills for a while, I've now been able to add some pieces which I'm really proud of, and I've already had some interest from publishing clients so I'm over the moon! I would highly recommend taking this course if this is an area you want to get into.

Clarice Diamantino

9 May 2024

The It's Me mentorship program has been an amazing experience! I am about to finish the program next week, and I'm so impressed with how much I've learned in such a short time. The mentors are fantastic – their guidance and support have been invaluable to my artistic growth. The assignments, videos, and especially the one-on-one meetings were all incredibly helpful. The feedback from the It's Me team was honest, insightful, and always delivered with a positive and encouraging tone. I can't recommend this program enough! If you're an artist looking for guidance on your career path, It's Me is absolutely the way to go.

Olga U

7 May 2024

The mentorship program has been a wonderful experience. I received valuable feedback on my portfolio and great advice on how to align my illustrations towards the work I would like to do. Working with my mentor gave me clarity and a sense of direction. The briefs for my assignments took into account my interests and strengths, and I felt motivated to push my skills much further to create great illustrations for my portfolio. The team is composed of very knowledgeable and experienced agents. Through webinars, online videos and working directly with my mentor, I feel better prepared to work with illustration clients.

Joey R

1 May 2024

Mr. Burns was very personable and open. He listened actively to what I had to say and shared openly his thoughts and feelings. His demeanor put me at ease and gave me great insight, encouragement and perspective all while being refreshingly sincere.

Rekha Krishnamurthi

30 April 2024

The ItsMe Mentorship Program has truly enriched my development as both an illustrator and an artist. The opportunity to receive feedback from seasoned industry agents who possess current market insights has been invaluable. Their guidance has steered me towards refining my portfolio, aligning my creations with my skills, artistic style, and passions. Thanks to this program, I've honed my artwork, cultivating a distinct visual identity and moving away from the scattered approach I once had.

Yulia Zolotova

29 April 2024

I'm thrilled to share my experience with the ITSme International Talent Search mentorship. Happy doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about finding this program. The mentorship has been transformative for my career, offering invaluable guidance, industry insights, and support from a skilled professional who truly cared about my progress. The matching process was spot. Highly recommend it for anyone serious about taking their career to the next level!

helen lanzrein

4 April 2024

Such a brilliant experience throughout the Itsme mentorship. My mentor Bhavi and chatting to Ed has been an amazingly positive experience. Thank you 😊❤️The direction my work has gone in and the overall quality has really helped boost my portfolio, a fabulous experience.

Monika Kucharska

4 April 2024

I had the opportunity to be a part of the 3-month ITSme Mentorship Program, and I must say it was truly enriching and life-changing! My Mentor, Alice, played a pivotal role in my professional growth, guiding me with expertise and patience. The video materials provided were insightful and complemented the Mentorship perfectly. The whole Learning Team was really supportive, encouraging, and created a welcoming environment. I felt really motivated throughout the program. If you are considering joining, I wholeheartedly recommend it for a transformative learning journey :)!

Gabriela Grave

1 April 2024

I attended the very fisrt Illustration Mentorship and it was one of the best things i've done for my career! It was really important for me to learn more about the industry and worked on my portfolio.

Monitos Bonitos (Jimena S.)

29 February 2024

Great program! I was struggling to get signed at an agency even when people told me the quality of my work wasn't the issue. This program was great at telling me how to change my portfolio and social media for the type of client I'm looking for. The also gave me great advice on how to continue regarding my style and the work it's best suited for.

Mauricio salmon

29 February 2024

Great experience with wonderful feed back and insights into building a successful portfolio .

Hamnah .Rizwan

29 February 2024

I had a wonderful experience attending the mentorship program where I gained incredibly valuable knowledge and insight into the illustration field! I feel so much more confident as an illustrator with the new pieces I've developed for the program and looking forward to utilizing all the skills I've gained for future projects.

Kaynat Zehra

29 February 2024

I had a lovely experience through this mentorship! It definitely gave me an idea of what it feels like working with industry professionals and responding to a brief! I would recommend it to anyone who feels confused about how to enter the illustration agency and wants help with understanding what to add to your portfolio!

Josseline Tanus

6 February 2024

Edward was amazing. He gave me really great advice and was super helpful.

John Knell

26 January 2024

I've been a part of the ITSme mentorship program and have found the content and feedback from not only the course materials but art directors and mentors highly valuable and insightful. Highest possible recommendation If you are an aspiring creative.

josep mª juli

18 December 2023

ITSme has helped me very warmly in entering the Astound agency, Vicky has been very professional and very kind all the time, I am very grateful to her :)

Sol Salinas

11 December 2023

ITSme is a vital resource to artists, agents, and agencies. They have a wealth of resources and knowledge! They have helped us so much in the recruitment of excellent illustrators as well as consulting.

Imogen Holmes

11 December 2023

ITSme has been such a wonderful resource for helping us find new talent! Thanks for your help!!

Atlanta Japp

6 December 2023

ITSme is a great resource for artists as they provide wonderful opportunities for artists to flourish and grow their careers and networks.

Koustubha Jagadeesh

29 November 2023

I had an amazing opportunity to develop my portfolio with my mentor, Bhavi, through the ITSme Illustrator Mentorship program. It helped me improve and expand my body of work. Extremely helpful resources were included in the program, along with insights about industry. I recommend this program to any Illustrator who is looking for professional guidance.

Miklós Eszter

28 November 2023

The Illustration Mentorship was a fantastic opportunity to develop my portfolio with the help of my lovely mentor, Bhavi. I truly recommend this program for illustrators who are ready to take the next big step in their career.

Gabriela Grave

27 November 2023

This Mentorship gave me the right insights to work on my portfolio and improve my art style! Developed work more aligned with myself and the illustration market. I would recommend this Mentorship to anyone looking for some professional reviews and guidance.

Secrets from the Talent Scouts

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