Illustration Podcasts

Listening to people talk about drawing while you're drawing is surprisingly enjoyable. Freelancing is an isolating job, but listening to art-related podcasts can feel a bit like sitting in a conversation with artist friends. (If you want to pretend you're hanging out together at a cafe, run Coffitivty in the background.) I've also included a few video series which I feel count as "podcasts" because they're just people talking.

To be honest, illustration podcasts are generally somewhat below-average quality. They tend to have poor sound quality and a lack of editing. However, you have to appreciate that these artists are putting their experiences and advice out there for free. Here are some of the better shows.

• Chris Oatley's Artcast - my personal favorite, this upbeat and engaging podcast covers comics, animation, concept art, children's books and freelancing.
• Chris Oatley's Paperwings - another podcast by Chris Oatley, this one with a comic book focus.
• One Fantastic Week - a Youtube show where the two hosts discuss the day-to-day life of working artists. The focus is on fantasy art, selling at conventions, Kickstarters and personal projects.
• Creative Pep Talk - this podcast feels like a heart-to-heart chat with illustrator Andy J. Miller over coffee. (He actually literally slurps coffee during the show!) Topics include finding your voice, staying motivated, and artistic growth.
• Picturebooking - A podcast with in-depth interviews from children's book illustrators.
• Jake Parker's YouTube channel - cartoonist and illustrator discusses interesting and insightful topics while drawing, such as thoughts on art schools and keeping sketchbooks.

If you're looking for more stuff to listen to, I've also created a list of my favorite non-art-related podcasts.

Do you have any art-related podcasts to recommend?