The boys and girl of Awesome Horse Studios are wrapping up Season 2 of their free livestream tutorials with a king size critique session.

If you want them to look at your online portfolio, post it here on our Facebook page. They will be looking at both work and site design.

If you want a specific piece critiqued, go to Wipnation.com, upload your work and tag it “awesomehorse” and “horse crit”

The season finale will be Saturday, March 31 from 2pm on.

For full details visit the official ICON site here!

One of the nation’s most successful illustrators, his clients have included The New Yorker, TIME, McDonald’s, Young & Rubicam, American Express, Sony, United Airlines, Nickelodeon, Sports Illustrated For Kids, Ralston Purina, Hallmark Cards, Kenner Toys, US News and World Report, Fortune, The Washington Post, AT&T, Sega, TWA, Dr.Pepper, The Chicago Tribune, Good Humor, Warner Books, Kellogg’s, Cartoon Network, Turner Broadcasting, The Wall Street Journal, AOL/Time Warner, Forbes, Simon and Schuster, The Ren and Stimpy Show, MAD, USA Today, Children’s Television Workshop, Blockbuster Video, The Walt Disney Company, Anheuser-Busch, Doubleday, Klutz Press, Hershey’s, Target Stores, Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Fleishman-Hillard, DMBB, and countless others.

He has authored and/or illustrated over 50 books, including The Donut Chef, Hello Robots, Look A Book, This Is Not A Pumpkin, Pets Go Pop, and others. The New York Times named Staake’s ‘The Red Lemon’ one of the 10 best illustrated books of 2006.

There’s still time to register for the ICON Illustration Conference at the early bird rate here.

This week on Awesome Horse Studios Aaron Miller will be doing a live demo, and Cynthia will be doing a critique of a sci-fi illustration with a paintover.

We will also have Drew Baker and will be discussing and taking questions on the business of freelance illustration. Drew is a freelance pro, and you might even know his work from Star Wars games and Legend of the Five Rings.

Tune in here on Saturday at 2pm (or now to watch old episodes and crits)

“A year ago, I started a series of posts about drawing utensils I use. The first one revolved around self-contained pens called Creation of a Line – Part 1. For this installment, I will center around the pencil. While the last post got pretty indepth with some of the pens, this one is not as much.”

Check out Scott’s interesting examination of this most universal Illustrator’s tool here.

For the 81st and final episode of the Escape from Illustration Island Podcast, Thomas James interviews Illustrator Zina Saunders. Together they discuss her experiences working in multiple styles, her passion for working on personal and political projects, and a lot more. Thomas also includes a personal message to acknowledge the ending of the show and thank its many supporters.

Here are links to some of the things mentioned on the show:

• Zina Saunders Website
• Zina’s Video Series for Mother Jones
• 15 Steps to Freelance Illustration 

Hey Illustrators and Art Directors!

Today marks the official launch of Illo Confidential, a new site run by a collective of award-winning Illustrators who have joined forces to share their latest work with the world. They’ll be posting new illustrations there on a regular basis, so bookmark them to keep up with their latest creations. And while you’re at it, follow them on Facebook and Twitter, and help spread the word!

Go check out the Illo Confidential collective here.

(By Mark Kaufman for EFII)

Long story short. Mark Kaufman is a partner at Vivitiv, an issue oriented design firm based in Seattle. His illustrations have appeared in publications nationwide including The New York Times, The Progressive, The Stranger, and The Oxford American. – drawmark.com

Looking for ways to revitalize your business this year?

Check out this article that EFII’s Editor Thomas James recently wrote for the Agency Access blog that features 3 Illustrators who have taken matters into their own hands to create their own success.

Also, be sure to check out his critically-acclaimed eBook and Audiobook, 15 Steps to Freelance Illustration for an even more focused approach to building your freelance Illustration business.

Illustration Age, the ultimate source for what’s happening in Illustration, was just named one of HOW Magazine’s Top 10 Sites for Designers! This marks the EFII Network’s second award in this category, with a previous nod to Escape from Illustration Island.

Thanks very much to HOW Magazine for recognizing our commitment to keeping you up to date with what’s happening in Illustration.

Be sure to take advantage of regular updates from Illustration Age so you don’t miss out: