So I thought I’d put together a quick list of my favourite art-related podcasts and streams to listen to while I draw, paint, and get messy in my studio. They are focused on illustration and the entertainment arts industries so if that’s your jam, them maybe you’d like to give these a listen too.
- Schoolism interviews/Chiu Stream. My absolute best. Bobby Chiu’s interviews need to be on your list if you are into art for movies, video games, and animation etc. There are well over a hundred hours of quality listening on his channel, and the stories of these artists and how they got to where they are is both inspiring and insightful.
- The Draftsmen. Stan Prokopenko and Marshall Vandruff are skilled draftsmen and experienced teachers, and they cover a range of things in their regular podcast from reinventing yourself and portfolio advice, to how to study the masters and how to approach art school if you do decide to go.
- Adam Duff LUCIDPIXEL. Adam’s videos are more focused on existing as an artist and a lot of the mental struggles we go through in terms of achieving goals or getting into the industry or coming to terms with our own ability when we just aren’t at the level we want to be at yet. It’s often calming and reassuring to listen to, and when I came across one of his videos that struck a cord with my own internal struggle at the time, I really started to pay attention to his content.
- Lightbox expo panels. Ah Lightbox Expo, the beacon for all those interested and working in the entertainment arts. There are a whole bunch of demos, presentations and panel discussions from a range of professionals to inspire and guide you in the industry. The channel has videos from both the 2019 and 2020 events, and one of my favorites is THIS ONE from Nathan Fowkes on the Bulletproof art career. I kid you not, I’ve listened to it three times already.
- Artstation Podcast. This is a relatively new one, and the most recent I’ve started listening to. They’ve got 5 episodes up so far that include an interview with the popular Ross Tran (or Ross Draws as you’d know him on Youtube), and another with the studio behind Star Wars, Industrial Light Magic
- Three-point perspective. Authors and illustrators Will Terry, Lee White, and Jake Parker host this regular podcast that, like the Draftsmen, covers a range of topics focused on illustration “…how to do it, how to make a living at it, and how to make an impact in the world with it.”
Also: Aaron Blaise and Ahmed Aldoori live streams. These I enjoy to kind of have someone else drawing in the studio with me. As much as I enjoy watching both of their processes (which are quite different from one another), just having their work progressing off to the side and looking up to see what they are doing from time to time, can give me ideas for things to throw into my pieces, and motivate me not get too distracted by musings about what snacks are in the fridge or whether to go grab myself ANOTHER coffee.
That about sums it up. I did mention some of these channels along with other things in my Digital Art For Beginners post, so if you are new to digital art and wondering what hardware, software and learning options there are, you might want to give that a read.
What are your favourite things to listen to while pushing pixels around or flinging paint at your canvas?
Eyekoo Draws Stuff 