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PODCAST

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think

In "You"re A Better Artist Than You Think," host Chris Oatley (Disney, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation) explores the mindset, strategies and practices of professional artists from a wide range of creative fields. Whether you"re a total beginner or seasoned pro, this podcast provides actionable insights to enhance your creative skills and advance your artistic career. Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance at MagicBoxAcademy.com

arts visual arts

All Episodes

31:34

How Building A Studio Saved Her Art Career...

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2025/12/10

How and why illustrator Amanda "Din" Duarte (Disney Lorcana, Ubisoft, Blizzard) left her solo freelance career to form a virtual studio that now employs over 40 creative professionals. PLUS: Burn out or burn it all down? -------- 00:00 Episode Start 08:52 Freelancing Vs. Running A Studio 10:26 "The Fear Of Failing Everyone" 13:25 Knowing When To Pivot 17:00 Finding The Right Artist For The Job 21:52 Best/ Worst Advice 26:41 Who Is Your Favorite Muppet And Why? 27:26 The Magic Feather -------- Claim

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33:01

Why Brushes Matter (with Procreate's Kyle Webster)

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2025/10/01

Procreate's Kyle Webster, the Internet's favorite digital art brush builder, on why brush choice matters more than many artists realize. -------- 00:00 Episode Start 02:40 Why Brushes Matter At Studios 08:45 Why Brushes Matter For Beginners 09:27 Why You Should "Audition" Your Digital Art Brushes 10:55 Why Brushes Matter for Artistic Style 13:45 Why Brushes Matter To Kyle 15:44 How Brushes Inspire New Styles 18:09 Why Brushes Matter for Workflow 21:04 Why Brushes Matter for Speed 21:55 Best/ Worst

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28:47

Writing Comics For Kids (with Shawn Pryor)

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2025/08/27

Shawn Pryor, author of over sixty published books and graphic novels (most for all ages), offers insights on outlining, working with artists and the essential role of conflict in story development. 01:55 An Expansive Bibliography 03:09 Finding Something To Say 04:37 The "Conflict List" 07:17 Developing The Outline 11:32 Placing The Act Breaks 13:56 The First Draft Transition 15:27 Working With Artists 21:00 Common Problems With Comic Scripts 22:09 When Is A Script Finished? 23:59 Best/ Worst Advice

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58:22

Solve Plot Problems with "Mirrored" Story Structure

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2025/07/16

Join The Magic Box Brush Club: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com -------- In this episode: KM Weiland, author of "Creating Character Arcs" and "Structuring Your Novel" reveals how to solve plot problems using "chiastic" or "mirrored" story structure. Plus: Understanding "The Thematic Lie" and building the most important structural "beat" in storytelling! -------- 00:00 Episode Start 02:15 Introduction To "Mirrored" Storytelling 03:04 The Hook And Resolution 03:37 The "Normal" World & The "New" World

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42:43

Can't Find Time For Art? Try This...

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2025/05/28

In this episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think: Why "time management" so rarely works for artists and four tips for a more effective solution. As creative people, we care a lot about time because our projects require so much of it. Furthermore, many, if not most of us want to spend more time working on our creative projects, not less. Even when we're successful in implementing "time management" strategies, the strategies themselves are not. That's because "time management," as it's

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49:34

12 Tips For Finishing Ambitious Creative Projects...

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2025/04/16

Join The Magic Box Brush Club: http://DigitalArtBrushes.com Subscribe to this podcast: http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley -------- Victoria Ying, animation visual development artist (Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6) and comics creator (City Of Secrets, Harvey winner Hungry Ghost) joins for today's episode of You're A Better Artist Than You Think! Learn how to avoid overwhelm, burnout and art-related injuries, set realistic deadlines and push through the boredom when attempting ambitious, creative

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40:16

Jim Henson's Creative Legacy

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2025/01/08

https://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley The Jim Henson Company Archives’ Director and Historian Karen Falk offers insights into Jim’s creative process, his collaborative style of leadership and the evolution of his characters. If you’re listening on one of the audio-only platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I do want to encourage you to check out the video version on our YouTube channel where we’ll feature images from the new edition of Karen’s book titled “Jim Henson’s: Imagination Illustrated” as well

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32:01

Interacting With Color: Insights From Josef Albers

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/12/04

http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley In this episode of "You're A Better Artist Than You Think:" How color lies to our eyes and why that matters to artists with author Fritz Horstman of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. PLUS: Changing our relationship to color from "painful" to "playful." -------- Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance at http://MagicBoxAcademy.com -------- 00:37 What Josef Albers Means To Present-Day Artists 01:24 Interaction Of Color 02:28 Science

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41:19

Did Disney Learn His Lesson? Inside The Animation...

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/11/13

http://linktr.ee/chrisoatley/ In this episode: "The Disney Revolt" author Jake Friedman surveys the infamous animation strike of 1941, and explains why it matters to present-day artists. We consider the cost of Walt Disney's perfectionism, the painful, personal consequences of his decisions, and whether he ever learned from them. PLUS: The most influential Disney animator you've never heard of... -------- Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance at

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40:41

The ImagineFX "Rising Stars" of 2D & 3D Art [Part 2]

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/10/17

http://Linktr.ee/ChrisOatley Nine of my current mentees were named “Rising Stars” of 2d & 3d art by ImagineFX magazine. In this two-part interview series, they’re here to share stories of artistic development and how being selected for the article affected their mindsets. Illustrator Andrea Ivetic Vicai begins the episode with a positive spin on the more frustrating aspects of illustration. Next, animation artist Lucy Ledsam talks about finding an art career that matches your personality. VR

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57:02

ImagineFX Magazine's "Rising Stars" Of 2D & 3D Art

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/10/02

http://linktr.ee/chrisoatley/ What would you do if you learned that your artwork would be featured in an industry-leading magazine for creative professionals all over the world? …and you only had a few days to select and submit your samples, write a professional bio and a short blurb about each submission, update your website and prepare a series of social media posts to coincide with the publication date? Would you find that inspiring? …motivating? …terrifying? Nine of my students

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27:29

Is Your Art Vulnerable Enough? [Part 2] [Graphic...

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/09/18

http://linktr.ee/chrisoatley In part one of this series, graphic novelist and literary agent Tori Sharp shared tips on pitching to publishers, how story guides design, and the challenge of creating honest art. Now, in part two, Tori talks about stories as "sense-making" devices, urges the importance of celebration breaks during long projects, and shares her experience as an autistic artist. Once again, our production coordinator, Mari Gonzalez Curia, who is currently seeking representation for her

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41:31

Is Your Art Vulnerable Enough? [Graphic Novelist/...

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/09/04

https://howtobecomeaprofessionalartist.com In this episode: Graphic novelist and literary agent Tori Sharp shares tips on pitching to publishers, how story guides design and the challenge of creating honest art. Our Production Coordinator, Mari Gonzalez Curia, who is currently seeking representation for her first original graphic novel, joins me as co-host. This is the first of a two-part series. Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance in our mentorship: The

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27:25

Rejection Is Never The End: Animation Artist Amy...

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/08/21

https://howtobecomeaprofessionalartist.com/ Animation visual development artist and background painter Amy Lewis shares insights about the vitality of professional networking, balancing perfectionism with self-acceptance and the attitude she expects from her students and crew. This is the second in a two-part series. Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance in our mentorship: The Clockwork Heart: https://howtobecomeaprofessionalartist.com/clockwork-heart/ Subscribe

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33:27

Rejection Is Never The End: Animation Artist Amy Lewis

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/08/07

https://howtobecomeaprofessionalartist.com/ Animation visual development artist and background painter Amy Lewis (SpongeBob, Moominvalley) talks about establishing a freelance animation career from Europe, the most devastating rejection of her career and the amazing opportunity that followed. This is the first of a two-part series. Get clear, relevant feedback on your work and personalized career guidance in our mentorship: The Clockwork Heart:

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17:10

What Artists Should Look For In A Mentor

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/04/10

http://HowToBecomeAProfessionalArtist.com *At the time of this recording, Chris' mentorship The Clockwork Heart is accepting applications. Email Support@ChrisOatley.com to schedule an interest meeting and apply. *IN THIS EPISODE:* In this episode of “You’re A Better Artist Than You Think,” Chris Oatley, founder of The Magic Box Academy and Visual Development Artist for Disney, DreamWorks, and Sony Pictures Animation, helps artists identify what to look for in a creative mentor. ...and he shares a

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23:09

De-Stress Your Creative Process (With This Classical...

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2024/01/24

In this episode of “You’re A Better Artist Than You Think,” Chris Oatley, founder of The Magic Box Academy and Visual Development Artist for Disney, DreamWorks, and Sony Pictures Animation, helps digital artists and visual storytellers de-stress their creative process through the revival of classical workflows. You’ll find guidance in the timeless methods of legendary illustrator J.C. Leyendecker and modern examples like The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, Aliens, Up, and Cuphead that will

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31:13

Is Drawing Or Painting From Reference "Cheating"?

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2023/10/18

Pixar Animation Studios was always known for quality storytelling, but in the early years of CG feature animation, they also set the standard for design. CG feature animation was considered by many (even mainstream audiences) inherently inferior until the turn of the 21st century. The fur and lighting effects in Monsters, Inc. were remarkable in 2001 (and they still hold up) but in 2003, Finding Nemo’s visual art finally and fully transcended the technological limitations of the new medium. When

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27:17

Why Artists Need To Slow The Hell Down [YAB 2.1]

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2023/03/16

One of the most important mindset shifts in the career of any professional artist is a shift in focus from performance to practice. Our culture has a very bad habit of promoting performance while obfuscating the practice behind it. This habit skews expectations, scatters attention and stifles patience. So this is the first of a three-part lesson for artists who are ready to develop effective professional practices upon which they can depend for efficiency, consistency and quality in their work

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31:20

The Crucial Question That Could Save Your Art Career...

You"re A Better Artist Than You Think ·

2022/09/27

In parts one and two of this series, I emphasized that most artists will never find a financially sustainable career until they develop a complete, professionally viable skill set. …but why invest the time and energy necessary to develop a financially sustainable art career if you don’t love the work? …or at least like it? We saw how Mary Blair struggled to pay the bills with her passion for fine art, then settled for a steady paycheck in animation. …but got bored with the work just a few years

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101 results

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