Get paid to draw while people watchĀ
(Yes, really) āļøĀ
Learn how to become a confident, booked-up live event illustrator...even if the thought of people watching you draw makes your palms sweat a bit.
Jump aboard here
Live Illustration might just be your most exciting career move yet. AndĀ Good Ship Katie'sĀ here to show you exactly how to do it.
Want to add live illustration and graphic recording to your skillset withoutĀ freaking yourself out?
Yaaas, let's go!
This is your Good Ship style no-nonsense, step-by-step guide to figuring out this live illustration thing, once and for all.
DOORS ARE OPENNNN
Live illustration is one of the most exciting, creative, funĀ (and well-paid) secret corners of the illustration industryā¦
ButĀ hardly anybody teachesĀ you how to do it.
Wait, what IS ālive illustration,ā exactly?
This course is all aboutĀ drawing what people are saying, as they say it.Ā
Live Illustration is also known as:
āļø Graphic recording
āļøĀ Sketchnoting
āļøĀ Live scribing
āļøĀ Visual note-taking
āØ But what if you could do live illustration?
**wibbly wobbly dream sequence**
Look! There you are, sketching live at an event, a meeting, a workshop. People are clapping and asking for your business card. Yer doin' it!!
You definitely donāt need to be fearless.
Live event illustrators aren't the magical CHOSEN FEW, they've just figured out a few things along the way.
...and you don't need to spend decades figuring thisĀ thing out - just give us 4 weeks.
Katie's Story
"I used to cry before most events"
Picture me, 2016-ish, standing at the back of a university conference room, makeshift drawing board in hand, fistful of pencils and pens, absolutely poopin' maself. I'd been illustrating for years. I'd spent 5 years in formal art education. I drew pretty much every single day. I had the skills. But drawing in front of important people, with no undo button? My brain wasĀ yellingĀ NOOO THERE HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE MISTAKE. I HAVE TRICKED THESE PEOPLE.
I did that first live gig anyway. It wasĀ very wonky, I was making it up as I went, andĀ some bits were genuinely shite. BUT, people clapped. Someone asked for my business card! And I realised that maybe this was a doable thing for me.
Since then I've drawn live at conferences, workshops, board meetings, festivals, you name it. I've worked with incredible companies and it's become one of the most fun and best-paid corners of my whole illustration career.
Here's the bit that matters for you: I was very scared and very shy at the beginning. I wasn't the fastest. I definitely wasn't some special magical unicorn chosen one. I just figured out a handful of thingsĀ (the hard way),Ā and now I can't shut up about it.
This courseĀ = me handing you that handful of things, so youĀ don't have to spend 10 years hitting your head against a brick wall trying to figure it out yourself.
P.s. That photo is me at my first gig in 2016.
I'm hiding the fear very well š
Since then my work has changed a lotttt. (But hopefully this shows you that the barrier to entry = lower than you think.)
Brace yourself for:
- Templates, printables and knowledge for your brain - up-level your illustration work so you can confidently charge more š° (and make more useful visual notes, even if theyāre just for yourself!)Ā
- ā
Checklists - donāt get caught out on event day or make any of the daft mistakes our Katie has made over the years
Ā - Live job practice šŖĀ Ā - build your live illustration portfolio in a safe space before youāre in front of a real clientĀ Ā
No faffing about.
Hope youāre as excited as us! Itās going to be so gooood to learn how to DO live illustration (or improve your existing live illustration skills!)Ā
This liveĀ round starts on Monday 1st June at 10 am UK time.Ā
Weekly modules are dropped 1 week at a time, for 4 weeks, so you can go through them at your own pace.Ā
The live bits of the course = 3 Q&A calls happening on: 11th June, 25th June and 9th July at 8pm UK time.
(Live calls areĀ recorded.Ā You can submit questions ahead of time and watch the replay so being there live is nice, but it isn't mandatory.)
By the end of our 4 weeks,
here's where you'll be:
- You'll have drawn live in our safe practice space, more than once, so the first time isn't the first time
- You'll have the start of a live illustration portfolio to show potential clients (you can't get booked without something to show, so we sort this early)
Ā - You'll have Katie's pre-event checklist in your hands, the same one she runs before every single gig, so you walk in nice and prepared instead of panicking Ā
- You'll know how to listen and draw at the same time without your brain melting, the skill everyone assumes is impossible until they see that it IS a learnable skill
- You'll have a toolkit for the wobbles, so when the nerves show up (they will, that's normal) you know exactly what to do
- And you'll have figured out your own way of doing this, not a copy of Katie's or anyone else's, the version that actually fits how your hand and brain work
A 4 Week Online Course
4Ā week intensive e-course, with live teaching fromĀ Katie ChappellĀ (and background cheering from Tania Willis and Helen Stephens)
Specially Designed Tasks
Carefully crafted to fast-track your live illustration up-skilling. Save yourself years of fumbling about figuring things out the hard way.
Printables
WE LOVE PRINTABLES. Don't worry if you can't get access to a printer though - you can still do this course without a printer.
Live Q&A Sessions
Get your burning questions answered! During the course, we'll chat to youĀ live and share our 60 years of illustration experience.
Guidance and Tools
We'll arm you with a handy toolkit so that you can create your very best live illustration work. Skills to last you well into the future!
The Good ShipĀ Community
The opportunity to be a member ofĀ our 24/7 private online communityĀ of fellow live illustrators!Ā Be part of our supportive network of friendly creatives.
Lifetime Course Access
We're not going anywhere, so you can relaaax and complete the course at your own pace. No panicking allowed on the Good Ship!
Videos
...audios, subtitlesĀ and transcripts too! We have done our best to make the course as accessible as possible for all learning styles.
AĀ quick note on the money stuff
"ALL LIVE ILLUSTRATORS ARE LOADED" is a lie, yes. Howeverrr, live illustration as a whole is a rare talent, and the fees reflect that.Ā A lot of live illustrators undercharge for years before realising they didn't have to.
So,Ā deep breath, here goes:
Once you've got your feet under you, the absolute minimum suggested rate is around Ā£200-Ā£250 an hour, with a minimum booking of 2-3 hours.Ā Most of ourĀ Live Illustration Course studentsĀ charge more. That really is a minimum, for newbies with v little experience.
A bit of maths and you'll realise that one booked gig could cover the cost of this course, and more.Ā And then every gig after that is a skill that keeps giving, for as long as you want to keep doing it.
We're not promising you'll be booked next week (we'd never. There are zero guarantees.) What we are saying is: if you're going to invest in a skill this year, this is one that tends to pay you back, properly, and then keeps paying.
You're allowed to charge properly for your weird brilliant brain. You're allowed to be paid well for a skill that's both hard-to-do and very valuable to companies big and small. And if nobody's told you that yet, hiyaaa, we're telling you now. āļø
Pay in Full
Ā£395
- An intensiveĀ 4 weekĀ Live Illustration course
- Weekly tasks and course content - bonus interviews,Ā behind the scenes and more.
- 3Ā x live Q&A calls
- Lots of incredible printables
- Lifetime access to the course!
- A community of like-minded creatives. Studio vibes.
- Up-skill and learn how to be a live illustrator!
Split-pay
Ā£197.50
2 installments
- An intensiveĀ 4 weekĀ Live Illustration course
- Weekly tasks and course content - bonus interviews,Ā behind the scenes and more.
- 3Ā x live Q&A calls
- Lots of incredible printables
- Lifetime access to the course!
- A community of like-minded creatives. Studio vibes.
- Up-skill and learn how to be a live illustrator!
- Spread the cost overĀ 2 payments (one today, one in a month's time)
Student Story
Since we recorded this, Alina has booked ANOTHER live illustration job. Get in! **aggressive cheering**
The Live Illustration Course is definitely for you if...
-
Youāre an illustrator who wants to make money doing fun, creative, quick-turnaround work (that doesnāt involve zillions of rounds of edits)
-
Youāre curious about live illustration or graphic recording but feel a bit nervous or unsure where to start
-
You want confidenceĀ - not just in your drawing, but in showing up, being visible, and actually getting booked
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You've done a bit ofĀ graphic recording already, and want to improve your skills
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You secretly love the idea of drawing in front of peopleā¦ you just need someone to show you how not to panic while doing it š¤Ŗ
This course is probably not for you if...
-
Youāre looking for a course on how to draw. Here at The Good Ship Illustration,Ā we'reĀ all about basking in your weirdness andĀ finding your own creative voice.Ā (Not just copying what's trendy or what other illustrators are doing.)
-
You expect a magic wand to make you instantly amazin' at this.
-
Youāre not willing to make a few shiteĀ drawings along the way
- You need 1:1 help, advice and feedback -Ā there willĀ notĀ be any one-to-one teaching, as this is a groupĀ course.Ā
Live Q&A Calls
Get your burning questions answered in live calls with Katie, Helen & Tania. Ask anything, no question too weird!
If you can't make it live, don't worry. We record all of our live calls and the replays are uploaded and available to watch (with subtitles) within 48 hours of the call finishing.
You also get invites to allĀ futureĀ Live IllustrationĀ Q&A call Zooms!
Lifetime access ā¤ļø
Why Learn From The Good Ship Illustration?
3 eras of illustration industry knowledge. Three is a magic number!
The three bearsĀ of illustration
Each of us is from very different parts of this fast-changing illustration world, with individual industry & teaching know-how.
- Over 60 years of experience,Ā across the illustration industry.
- We're all full-time illustrators. Our illustration work supports us and our families - it's not a hobby. We are proof it's possible!Ā Illustration can be a lucrative and rewarding career.
- We've all taught illustration at university levelĀ (and we're all LOVELY).Ā
*PLUS* we've included blimmin' brilliant interviews with guest-experts from the live illustration world...
Lifetime Membership
Lifetime memberš¢ Ā because we understandĀ life gets busy, bestĀ laid plans and all thatā¦
You can do a module every week ORĀ if life gets ālifeyā you can take a break and join in later OR youĀ can go at your own sweet pace.Ā
The first rule of Lifetime Membership: NO PANICKING š
You get invites to allĀ futureĀ Live IllustrationĀ Q&A call Zooms forever!*
And every time we make a new film/ task/ interview/ fun thing you get access!
*When we say āforeverā and ālifetimeā we mean for as long as the course exists and we have no plans to take it down š
What's actually inside the course?
Can I get 1:1 feedback on my live illustration work?
Ach, I dunno if I have what it takes to be a live illustrator?
When are the live calls happening? And what if I can't make it to some of them?
Do you cover how to get live illustration clients in this course?
I love the idea of live illustrationā¦ but Iām not brave / fast / confident enough. Should I wait until Iām better?
I'm too busy to do the course right now
I have another question! It's not here!
Ā
We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee.Ā If you start the course and realise it's not for you,Ā just email us within 14 days and we'll refund you.
