HeyJaredThe Art of Growth
Growing as an artist, exploring creativity. A newsletter blog about improving your art portfolio and attracting business opportunities, with a focus on surface pattern design and children's picture book illustration.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
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- Sep 20, 2026
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- Jul 7, 2026
Latest issues
Affinity V3 is finally coming to iPad this November (opens the original)
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Hello Affinity users! :)If you have been waiting for Affinity V3 to come to the iPad, there is finally something to look forward to. Affinity has teased that the iPad version is coming in November 2026, which means that after a very long wait, iPad users will finally be able to move into the new Affinity generation.<a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UdtX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws
What actually makes me money as a kidlit illustrator? Where is the €€€? (opens the original)
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When I first started working professionally as an illustrator, I think I had a rather romantic idea of what the job would look like. You make beautiful illustrations, then a publisher discovers you, next you illustrate a book, the book comes out, you make money, yaaay :)And then, of course, you discover that “illustration” is not one single product. There are board books, picture books, puzzles, games, greeting cards, clip art, repeat patterns, coloring books, search-and-find books… and each of
Texture or flat vectors? What do clients in kidlit publishing REALLY want? (opens the original)
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This is a question I get super often from illustrators who are starting to work with children’s publishers: “Should I focus on flat vector art or textured illustrations?”After 3 years working in children’s publishing, I can tell you there’s no single right answer. It depends a lot on the audience age, type of book, and the overall art direction of the publisher. But there are clear patterns, and understanding them can help you position your portfolio more strategically.Below, I will give you my
[Resources] Jungle plants assets: celebrating my newest book release (opens the original)
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This month 2 of my newest board books were published: Glow-in-the-dark Dinosaurs for DK Children, so I’m celebrating by sharing a few of my favorite jungle-inspired assets for my paid Substack members.<div
Is Germany a good country for artists? My honest experience after living here for 20 years (opens the original)
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Every now and then, someone asks me whether I would recommend Germany as a place to live if you’re an artist or illustrator. Since many of you are freelancers, dream of working remotely, or have considered moving abroad, I thought I’d finally write a proper answer :)The truth is that Germany is a country of extremes. Some aspects of living here have been so frustrating that they’ve made me question whether I want to stay. Others have been so good that they’ve made me seriously consider building
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