Illustrated Merchandise Making & Selling for Illustrators returns this June as an extended 8-week course. Whether it’s prints, original art, apparel, pin badges, stationary, merchandise or all of the above – if you’re passionate about mastering the skills of making and selling your own products, this course is for you!

Course runs June 15th – July 31st 2022. Attend live or catch up on replay. Sessions are recorded for lifetime access!

Looking for our May 2023 course? Head here!

Brought to you by Inkygoodness, out third edition of Illustrated Merchandise returns as an 8-week intensive course to guide you through the design process of applying your designs onto products.

Each week we will teach you the essential skills you need to turn your side hustle into a money making revenue stream; identifying affordable ways to make your own products and effective ways to sell online for maximum profit.

Course fee includes x10 live sessions & workshops, with each class focused on a different aspect of making and selling your own products, there are just FORTY SPACES available for our 8-week course scheduled for June 2022.

Each class will be divided into quick fire presentations, group breakout rooms, workshop challenges and live Q&A. Sessions are delivered by Inkygoodness founder Lisa Hassell and supported by our new membership platform Inkygoodness Collective.

Secure your space now »

What to expect:

• 8-week making and selling course for artists, designers & illustrators
• Live sessions every week, covering branding, product development, product ladders, designing your online store, plotting your customer journey, pitching to buyers, creating your wholesale catalogue & much more!
• Creative challenges, weekly discussion, Q+As & breakout rooms
• Join a community of likeminded creatives to support you on your maker-seller journey.
• Exclusive Industry Zooms + Q&A’s with artists & makers
• Inclusive access to our Inkygoodness Collective for the duration of the course
• Downloadable resources & interactive workshops
• Feedback, advice & tailored action plan for your creative business!
• Lifetime access to course content
• Mentoring sessions* to support your next steps

Illustrated Merchandise: Making & Selling for Illustrators

Course content & schedule

Modules consist of video lessons, creative challenges and written guides.

WK.1 – Finding Your Niche – 15th & 16th June

• Intro to the course and what we will be covering
• Understanding the market
• Finding your niche
• Building your illustration brand
• Research and planning

WK.2 – Product Design – 22nd & 23rd June

• Design & development
• Making your products
• Testing the market
• Finding good suppliers
• Packaging basics

WK.3- Pricing & Profit – 29th & 30th June

• Understanding product ladders and why you need them
• Master the art of pricing
• Diversify your income
• Wholesale vs. selling independently (online and markets)

PLUS: Aga Giecko Industry Q&A: ‘Finding your niche as an illustrator’
Wednesday 29th June @ 6pm BST

WK.4 – Advice + Q&A Session – 6th & 7th July

• Reflect on your progress so far
• Share & present creative ideas & development
• Discuss challenges & problem solving
• Get support, feedback and your questions answered!

PLUS: Tess Smith-Roberts Industry Q&A: ’Building your brand & diversifying your income with illustrated products’  – Wednesday 6th July @ 6pm BST

Secure your space for just £69 with our Payment plan » | Sign up with Paypal »

WK.5  – Selling & Marketing – 13th & 14th July

• Online marketplaces and POD
• Selling strategies
• Social media tips & tricks
• Instagram shopping vs. Etsy
• Building a customer base
• How to stand out in the market
• Marketing toolkit

PLUS: RISOTTO Studio Industry Q&A: ‘Risography, the secret to building a successful paper goods business + Studio tour ’ – Thursday 7th July @ 10.30am BST

WK.6  – Licensing & Wholesale – 20th & 21st July

• Licensing your designs
• Working with agencies
• Designing your wholesale catalogue *NEW*
• How to get your products into retailers *NEW*
• Perfect your pitch *NEW*

PLUS: Industry Q&A with Elizabeth Olwen ‘How to design surface pattern & print design for licensing‘- Wednesday 20th July @ 6pm BST

WK.7 – Product Photography *NEW* – 27th & 28th July

• DIY Photography basics
• How to prep & plan your photo shoot
• Equipment & lighting basics
• Smart phone tips & tricks
• Inspiration, ideas & check list!

WK.8 – Online Store Logistics *NEW* -3rd & 4th August

• Design & build your online store
• eCommerce Basics
• Order fulfilment & shipping
• Payment options guide
• Best apps to save you time!

Enrol now for June 2022 »

WK. 9 – BONUS Session: Instagram Reels  – 10th August

• Master the art of Instagram reels with our mini workshop + creative prompts to attract more customers!

WK.. 10 – BONUS Session: Presentation Week – 17th & 18th August

• Present your final prodcuts and plan your online product launch with our easy step by step guide plus gain access to our online membership community Inkygoodness Collective to meet and connect with other artists, illustrators and makers.

PLUS:

+ Access 8 hours of Q&A recordings from previous sessions and our archive of industry talks with the likes of Louise Lockhart, Pansy, Jacqueline Colley, Kim Sielbeck, YUKFUN & Claire Ritchie!

+ Inclusive access to our Inkygoodness Collective membership community* + private group for course members!

Course fee is £249* and includes x10 workshops delivered on zoom; digital resources, worksheets & more! Sessions are recorded for lifetime access.

Secure your space now »

Industry Zoom Q&A’s

To compliment the programme we are also hosting three industry zoom sessions with leading industry designers and illustrators, each specialising in a different area of the market – from surface pattern design to licensing and collaborating with brands. Each week we will hear their stories of buidling a successful creative business, alongside some of their closely guarded secrets to thriving in this competitive industry.

Introducing our mentors

Confirmed Speaker & Mentor: Gabriella Marcella, Founder of RISOTTO Studio

We’re super excited to confirm our second speaker for Illustrated Merchandise this week – Glasgow-based designer Gabriella Marcella!

In 2012, Marcella founded RISOTTO Studio; one of the UK’s leading risograph print services, catering for a range of clients; from leading art organisations to bands and brands; quickly and sustainably.

Since it’s beginnings, the studio has grown to deliver workshops and events, as well as producing it’s own line of stationery and limited edition products; where the notoriously colourful house style can be seen at it’s fullest. Best-known for their vibrant calendars and graphic t-shirts, RISOTTO’s products can now be found worldwide with stockists that include Liberty London, Selfridges, and Paperchase.

Outside the studio, Marcella’s work as a designer spans public art commissions, fashion collaborations, exhibition design and installation. Translating her processes from being exclusively 2D, to immersive 3-Dimensional projects, the bold and playful nature of Marcella’s work continues to play a dominant role over all her outputs. She has exhibited internationally, and collaborated with brands such as Puma, Swatch, and Dr Martens.

Marcella’s self directed practice takes inspiration from Friedrich Froebel; inventor of thekindergarten, exploring the principles of learning through play and how creativity can be supported by defining constraints of material, colour and form.

https://risottostudio.com/

Confirmed Speaker & Mentor: Tess Smith-Roberts

London-based illustrator Tess Smith-Roberts graduated from Kingston University in 2018, swiftly acquired an illustration agent, moved to London and now has her own studio space. With an ever-present optimism and positivity, her personality translates directly into her practice.

Her work mainly consists of big fat bold colours, funky shapes, and happy people, producing playful and characterful work. Fun is crucial to both her visual style and creative mindset, telling It’s Nice That in an interview last year: “if I’m not having fun, then I’m not doing it right.”

Taking inspiration from food, particuarly an obsession with fruits due to their simple shapes but bright, fun colours, Tess has created many fruit themed products including a fruit scarf, a fruit vase, a fruit rug, fruit badges, fruit plates, a fruit tote bag, fruit prints, and a fruit T-shirt. A

Her growing list of clients include Bon Appetit, The New Yorker, Medium, Vogue, Pinterest and Soho House, plus collabs with Casetify and Chilly’s Bottles.

Tess has gained fans for her Dating Comic series, illustrating fun and tragic stories sent in by her followers – the more outrageous the better!

https://tesssmithroberts.co.uk

Confirmed Speaker & Mentor: Aga Giecko

South London-based illustrator Aga Giecko turns mundane objects and creatures into wonky-lined, larger-than-life characters. Mostly using illustration and ceramics, Aga has given personalities to everything from veggies to sunflowers to mischievous doggies. Her growing list of clients include Nike, Pull & Bear, Everpress and Lazy Oaf.

Follow her on Instagram @agagiecko

Gabriella Marcella, Tess Smith-Roberts and Aga Giecko will be joining us speakers & mentor for our upcoming Illustrated Merchandise course in Making & Selling for Illustrators which returns in June 2022. 

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Illustrated Merchandise runs June 8th – August 18th. Course includes x 10 zoom classes of 1.5 hrs, delivered over 8 weeks + industry Q&A sessions and weekly challenges. Participants will have the option of joining a class on a Wednesday morning at 10.30am BST or Thursday evening at 6pm BST. More details to be provided on booking.

*Split payment and instalment options available to spread the cost.

**Course fee includes 60 days membership to Inkygoodness Collective, worth $29.98. Requires subscription. Choose between monthly or annual membership when you sign up. First payment will be taken 1st August 2022. Full terms & conditions.

***15 artists will be shortlisted from the programme for mentoring in September 2022. Our three mentors will choose ONE artist each for a 1:1 session. Mentors to be announced soon!

Lisa Hassell is a creative consultant, public speaker, design writer and founder of Inkygoodness, a global community focused on connecting, inspiring and developing artists and creative businesses.

Founded by Lisa Hassell in 2010, Inkygoodness curate events and exhibitions, host regular design talks, run courses, workshops and coaching programmes for emerging and professional creatives. With a focus on personal and professional development for artists and illustrators, Inkygoodness is committed to engaging with emerging talent, sharing knowledge, offering support and cultivating a creative community for artists and illustrators to connect and thrive.

Previously she ran WE ARE GOODNESS, a creative consultancy and illustration agency representing a diverse roster of international artists.

As an artist agent she has worked with art buyers, advertising agencies and design studios to deliver illustration to clients like Google UX, Google Play, Facebook, The Guardian and New York Magazine.

Inkygoodness offer regular portfolio crits, pricing workshops, masterclasses and 1:1 coaching for artists and illustrators. Join our newsletter or get in touch to find out more.

Image creds: Hollie Fuller / Kim Sielbeck / Jacqueline Colley