Shaun Tan

Artist and writer, Shaun Tan, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how dinosaurs helped him become an artist (and combat bullies); why 95% of the art he makes never sees the light of day; how simplicity and complexity can be synonymous; why a crisis of confidence can be a good thing; and more.

To learn more about Shaun, visit shauntan.net.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Michael Youens, Ann Baum, Thomas Crosby-Smith, Yōichi Kotabe, Don Freeman, and Maurice Sendak

Shaun and Giuseppe spoke at length about this image from Shaun’s book, The Red Tree.

Shaun credits A Natural History of Dinosaurs for his early artist training. You can learn more about that 1970’s book on chasmosaurs.com.

If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello.

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If you find value in this podcast, consider supporting it via Substack or Patreon. / This podcast is produced by IllustrationDept.com—a global leader in online education for illustrators. / The music for this podcast was created by Oatmello.

If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, you can email Giuseppe.