TODAY'S FEATURED POST

Making Books is a Team Sport – On Becoming a Author

Kirbi Fagan

The submission process for writing illustrators isn’t a linear path. Today, I thought I’d outline the process on becoming an author-illustrator while sharing a bit of my own experience of emerging from the slush pile. Submitting Solo Most illustrators will relate to pitching their artwork to an art director. I walked that path standing in line or paying for portfolio reviews to get my work seen for many years. Mailing or emailing an art director…

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EVERYDAY ORIGINAL

Canto

YESTERDAY’S POST

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Studio Safety, Part 1 : Ventilation

Justin Gerard

October 28, 2025 - In this article we are going to cover proper studio ventilation for the artist, with a focus on dealing with solvents. We will cover the various options for setting up a studio, and a few options you can use if no ventilation is possible. Almost all illustrators working in oil use solvents. They are used for a wide variety of tasks: mixing, thinning, dissolving and cleaning paint as well as for making mediums, varnishes and so on. If you work in oil, you will likely be using them at some point. Painters have been getting debilitating illnesses from solvents ever since they came into widespread use in the 1700's. What are the hazards of inhaling solvent fumes? Initially, exposure to high concentrations of fumes result in forms of temporary narcosis, (dizziness, fatigue, loss of coordination,…

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