The Illustration Department Podcast

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator and writer, Shawn Harris about the difference between detail and specificity in an illustration; what a picture book can be about (hint: literally everything); how illustrators can color correct traditional art; and more.

To learn more about Shawn, visit shawnharris.info.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Júlia Sardà, Quentin Blake, The Fan Brothers, William Steig, James Marshall, Jan Brett, Maurice Sendak, Chris Van Allsburg, Sandra Boynton, Alexander Utkin, Helen Stephens, Dr. Seuss

Shawn and Giuseppe talked about playing cassette tapes in one’s car. If you’re interested, here’s how.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.
If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, educator, and creative investigator, Sterling Hundley about why it’s challenging for artists to find a “voice”; why it’s important to stay present—especially for creative and depressive types; why illustrators should embrace the word, “interesting”; and more.

To learn more about Sterling, visit sterlinghundley.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Mark English, John English, Brad Holland, Bob Peak, Bernie Fuchs, Diego Velázquez, John Singer Sargent, Robert Heindel

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.
If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to writer, producer, and co-creator of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra, Michael Dante DiMartino, about the challenges he faced in self-publishing his young adult novel, Both Here and Gone; how he weaves emotions like grief, depression, and anger into appealing stories for a young audience; how artists can bring balance to their creative lives; and more.

To learn more about Michael, and his novel, visit michaeldantedimartino.com.

Originally published on February 11, 2025.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.
If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator, author, and educator, Catarina Sobral about how she uses color to keep her illustrations in balance; what people misunderstand about the picture book as an art form; why moments of tangible happiness are so important for illustrators; and more.

To learn more about Catarina, visit catarinasobral.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Christian Robinson, Oliver Jeffers, Benjamin Chaud

Giuseppe mentioned his Substack article, Brown Deserves Better. You can read it here.

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.
If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to visual artist, Emiliano Ponzi about how he uses chaos and ping-pong to come up with creative ideas; how an artist is like a broken glass of water; how illustrators, or any artist, can follow their own nature; and more.

To learn more about Emiliano, visit emilianoponzi.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Lorenzo Mattoti, Anita Kunz, Guido Crepax, Mike Mignola, Luis Mendo

Headshot by Emanuele Zamponi.

Emiliano mentioned The Philippe Labaune Gallery. You can learn more about it here.

 

If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.
If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.