Hey, First name / friends!

Every year, there are a few big trade shows for art licensing like Licensing Expo that wrapped up a couple weeks ago. This is a big deal for art licensing since a big chunk of my collaborations come out of trade shows like this. (Shoutout to my agents, Jewel Branding, who were there representing me!)

 

With each new year comes an opportunity to update my portfolio before these big trade shows. This year, my agents noticed a gap in my portfolio in the kitchen and tabletop space, so I curated some trend-forward collections and used mockups to display them on kitchen and tabletop products. 

 

I also spent a big chunk of the beginning of this year doing a refresh of my collections deck. If you want some inspiration on how to curate your portfolio, click here to check out the collections and brand book that my agents are pitching right now! 

Curating your portfolio is a super important part of becoming a licensed artist. You want to make sure your work is designed with products in mind and that there is a market for the artwork you're creating.

This week's challenge is to create a wine, cocktail, or mocktail illustration! I chose this challenge because this is a fairly evergreen trend. And when paired with some cheeky hand-lettering, it has the potential to sell well on products in the gifting space like tea towels and cocktail napkins. 

 

These cute napkins are part of a brand new collaboration with Studio Oh!

 

And this is an example of one of those small tweaks that can help make your art more marketable. I first drew these wine glasses as a standalone illustration, but when I paired them with a punny quote, they got picked up for licensing! 

Whether it's a standalone Aperol spritz or a cheeky hand-lettered piece, I can't wait to see how you interpret the cocktail prompt! 

 

Share your cocktail illustrations on Instagram with the hashtag #CreateWithCatCoq and don't forget to tag me in your post (@catcoq) for a chance to be featured

Here are some of the incredible submissions from last week's challenge. 

 

Don't forget to tag me for a chance to be featured in this newsletter and on my Instagram stories!

Have a fabulous week!