I’ve been keeping a secret up my sleeve! The Cuddlefish Gang, a collective of Colorado children’s book illustrators, has launched an online school called The Cuddlefish Academy!

I have launched a Character and Costume Design class and an Illustration, A Career lecture on our website: thecuddlefishacademy.com.

What makes our school different? We are offering Cuddle Coaching! This means there are a select few spots in my character and costume design class where I will give you personalized feedback on your homework for the four-week duration of the course.

Pretty cool right?

This is a soft launch, of sorts. We aren’t fully up and running yet, but we will be soon. Because of that, I’m offering 40% off my lecture and character design class with the code SHARKBITE while codes last.

This is the perfect opportunity if you are a new grad, wanting to spruce up your portfolio, or know you need to enhance your career or designs. My classes and lectures are taught for a wide variety of illustration levels from novices to experienced artists looking to improve.

The Character and Costume Design class covers the fundamentals of Character and Costume Design for Children’s Publishing (with some discussion about Animation). The course is split into four weeks that includes over two and a half hours of video lectures and demonstrations, and weekly homework assignments. In this course we cover an overview of character design, cartooning body and anatomy, shape language, historical and contemporary character design in children’s book illustration, costume design, and career preferences. This four week intensive course is designed to work with your busy schedule in mind!

The Illustration, A Career lecture is a one-hour intensive prerecorded lecture that will walk you through how to take your Illustration practice and make it a career. From the basics of solidifying your online presence to communicating effectively with potential clients and colleagues, to how to understand fair industry pricing (and why that matters), to a large overview of different types of Illustration jobs. For instance, did you know that illustration pricing hasn’t changed since the 1980s? Let’s talk about why that matters and what we can do about it! This lecture is a primer for anyone wondering about what to do with their Illustration degree or in the middle of a career transition.

Jump in! Join me! And let’s swim towards a healthy and sustainable illustration future!

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Hope to see you in the virtual classroom!