Being part of the TIG illustration community has been a great experience so far. It’s such a supportive space, full of talented illustrators who genuinely want to help each other grow. James is brilliant - his feedback is always thoughtful, constructive, and valuable. I especially love the monthly challenges, the opportunity to get detailed feedback, and the chance to ask all sorts of questions and receive insightful, industry-level advice. I’ve learned so much since joining and would highly recommend it to any illustrator looking for inspiration, guidance, and a truly supportive creative community.

I've been a full-time illustrator for two years, and did part-time illustration for many years before that. The TIG community has been an invaluable resource to connect with other illustrators and share both our successes and challenges. I've been able to share my questions and get helpful feedback from folks on the platform. There are great illustration resources & books out there but they can't always cover the specific questions that come up when you work in the field. This group bridges that gap. A big thanks to James for building this community!

Being part of the TIG Community was the best decision I've made for my career so far. It has helped to motivate and focus my (often scatter-gun) efforts on to tasks that will actually work. Having a community of like-minded creatives to lean on for advice has been something I've been missing since my early career and as there's a range of experience levels, we're all able to chip-in to provide advice when it's needed. James is always on-hand to give his honest advice too, which has been invaluable.

After working as a Graphic Designer for four years and freelancing as an illustrator for the past three years, finding this community felt like discovering a safe space where people from all over genuinely help each other. As a freelancer, it can sometimes feel isolating, and you often need a little push or some guidance. This community is a perfect place for that. My favorite part has to be the monthly creative challenge! I really enjoy taking part in them! A big thank you to James for always guiding and supporting us!

When I joined the community, I was at a point where I needed to start over from scratch. I started doing brand illustration in 2019—strong at first, with some talent, but no formal training, no community, and no direct feedback from people in the field. Soon enough, I got stuck with extremely low-paying clients who were happy with average work. I’d grown used to “winging it” and being just good enough at many things, but that mindset left me drained and unmotivated to fully commit to improving as an illustrator. This community has been a much-needed turning point. Talking with people here, from beginners to experienced pros, has been both grounding and inspiring. There’s still a long way to go, but now I get to enjoy the ride together with others—and that is priceless.

Right now, I’m in my third-ish year as a freelance illustrator (in a few months, I’ll enter my fourth year). Currently, I combine my freelance illustration work with teaching in the same field, so I can say I’m already making a living from this. However, being part of The Community has helped me realize that, even though I’ve achieved this financial stability, I shouldn’t settle for what I have. It’s pushed me to fight for better opportunities and stay motivated to grow (I didn’t know how much I needed that motivation boost!). I’d say my main takeaway has been learning to value my work even more and recognizing that there’s more potential in it that I can (and should) make the most of. My favorite thing about The Community, besides having an open space to ask rather technical questions on pricing and licensing, is the opportunity to participate in live sessions where I can talk directly with James and the rest of the members. It really helps (and makes you take things more seriously) when people give you feedback face-to-face instead of through social media.

The community is great value, I particularly enjoy the monthly challenges and the events. There's a great group of illustrators here, and I always value their feedback! It's brilliant to have access to James's expertise, too. I'd particularly recommend to anybody who wants to build their portfolio and find a sounding board of friendly people.

I’ve been working as a freelance illustrator for over 3 years, after spending 10 years in several Italian communication agencies. We are a close-knit community where responses to requests for help are quick and highly relevant. This community has given me the opportunity to grow, practice, and understand how to build my career in the illustration market, how to create and present a targeted portfolio based on the type of client I’m interested in, and has allowed me to compare my working method with those of many other illustrators from around the world. Thank you, James, for creating this community!

I’m in the early stages of my illustration career and was pleased when I found out about this community. It’s been really helpful getting tips and feedback from James as well as reading and talking to other illustrators and getting to know about them and their journey. It’s a very welcoming community with a lot of good information being shared.

Although I've been drawing all my life, I just recently (2022) found the guts to go full freelance and regard my work as a serious business. Like most creatives, I too, tend to stick to myself and figure things out on my own, viewing other illustrators rather as competitors instead of colleagues. So engaging with the community has helped me to open up to other illustrators and share my experience with them. I even found some friends. To me, the biggest asset of the community is James and the quick and easy access to his knowledge. I've been helped with pricing quite a lot by James and other members, and felt more confident in quoting since I joined the community. Like with everything else, you get as much out of the community as you put in, so it is mostly up to you wether you'll benefit from joining or not.

I'm an experienced Illustrator re-entering the field after a long hiatus. This community has been an extremely valuable resource to me while I'm trying to build my list of clients and getting work as an Illustrator. The ability to connect with other Illustrators, learn from the resources available in the group, and of course, getting feedback, critiques and ongoing professional advice from James is really worth the price of membership. I highly recommend this group to anyone working in Illustration.

I have been working as a full-time freelance illustrator in the local market and I am currently seeking international representation. The community has been great: it helped me with pricing questions and professional tools. I made new illustrator acquaintances who informed me about UK meetings, which I attended to expand my network. I value the opportunity to be part of the international Illustrator's guide community to keep up with issues and tips shared by other illustrators. I took the opportunity to have a portfolio review with James and to set goals for 2025 in a group session. I highly recommend being part of a community, it helps you feel less alone and find answers by sharing with and asking other members.

I'll have been a Freelance Illustrator for three years this March. Joining the Illustrators Guide community was probably the best decision I've made since leaving art school. The community is full of amazing people who want to help and support one another as they grow as illustrators. It is awesome to have a space where I can bounce ideas off of people again, both creative ones and business-related ones. Everyone has something to share no matter where they are in their career, and I've learned a lot from everyone. James is the heart and soul of the group. He puts his all into supporting everyone and creating content for the group. You can tell he loves what he does and is always willing to give advice and answer questions. It's a great place to be especially as being an illustrator can be lonely at times.

At the beginning of my career as an illustrator I thought I was on the right track, I had no reason to think otherwise and I am a very positive person, but I was wrong. Being linked to this community has helped me to see illustration from a broader perspective and has helped me to change my illustration style a lot. It has also helped me to connect with people with similar interests to me and it feels good to have their opinions, I also like to try to be helpful to other illustrators. I think illustrators tend to feel lonely in the face of all the uncertainties in our careers and this community can help you feel more supported.

I’m a digital illustrator with a 5 year experience as a freelancer. The community gave me a broader perspective towards illustration as a job and as a business. You can find great tips and advices at every step on the platform both from James and the members, which are very kind and helpful. I find their experience very valuable. I also took advantage of the 1 on 1 talk with James which was great and helped me further improve my portfolio and gave me great ideas for future projects 💛

This community means a lot to me. It truly feels like a place where illustrators from diverse backgrounds can come together to share experiences and ideas. This sense of connection has made the challenging aspects of being an illustrator feel much more manageable.

Whether you're new to art or have been doing it for a while, this place is perfect for meeting others and growing as an artist. It's fun, friendly, and full of creativity.

This community is a safe space where we support each other in the kindest and most honest way possible. Definitely helpful. I recommend it!!