Helen Stephens chats to Prof. Martin Salisbury - Is your illustration style really yours? When influence turns into imitation 👀✏️

Ever worried your work looks a bit too much like somebody else’s? 😬 This one’s for youuuu.In this episode, our Helen chats with the brilliant Martin Salisbury about plagiarism. The temptation to borrow a bit too heavily when you’re surrounded by endless beautiful work online is real. Hopefully this conversation helps you fly your own freak flag :)Timestamps:00:00 Hello Martin Salisbury01:00 Instagram has changed creative influence03:00 Art school before the internet04:00 Drawing from life and finding your voice06:00 Start with drawing07:00 Materials, experimentation and “botching it”09:00 How publishers and agents fuel sameness10:00 Confidence, privilege and access12:00 Competitions rewarding over-influenced work14:00 Imitation and lack of awareness16:00 Copycat styles18:00 Learning from artists without copying19:00 Taste, culture and creative voice20:00 Everyday life and visual language21:00 Sketchbooks and what’s behind polished work23:00 School art and loss of originality26:00 Finding your voice matters29:00 Awkward work feels more alive30:00 Writing and drawing from your own ideas31:00 Trends and short-lived careers33:00 What publishers want35:00 Ambition38:00 Helen’s journey and taking time out43:00 Place and lived experience in your work44:00 Moving on from imitation45:00 Martin’s upcoming bookMartin Salisbury is Professor of Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art, where he leads the renowned MA Children's Book Illustration Programme. He has previously chaired the International Jury at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, and been a member of the jury at the Global Illustration Awards in China. Mr Salisbury is the author of a number of books on the practice and theory of illustration, which have been published in numerous languages around the world.Links mentioned in this episode:Martin Salisbury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profmartinsalisbury/ Cambridge School of Art MA in Children’s Book Illustration: https://www.aru.ac.uk/arts-humanities-education-and-social-sciences/cambridge-school-of-artMartin’s book Illustrator Sketchbooks - https://www.thamesandhudson.com/products/illustrators-sketchbooks?srsltid=AfmBOorX15ljDyYAhbjtRgg0jWBuOL5Gpg0GWh2lMPDwQ5WvkvcGsITjMartin’s books Children’s Picturebooks and Play Pen - https://www.laurenceking.com/products/childrens-picturebooks-second-edition?srsltid=AfmBOopfucbQXUzJtWZA1WTMWxKntifcuVquG8WpR7vk5GmmSECaHtn0Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag with The Good Ship Illustration - https://www.thegoodshipillustration.com/freakflagByeeee for now!x The Good Ship Illustration (Helen, Katie & Tania)Come and say hello! ✏️ @thegoodshipillustration🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.comp.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙