Want a peek into what my day-to-day life looks like as a professional artist? 

 

I thought it would be fun to share a real behind-the-scenes moment from one of my recent licensing collaborations, because this is how a lot of licensing opportunities actually start.

 

Last year, I got an email from a prospective licensee who was interested in some of the cocktail artwork in my portfolio. They had a couple of specific, very on-trend cocktails in mind for an upcoming collaboration — an Aperol Spritz and an Espresso Martini — and asked if I’d be open to creating new artwork in the same illustration style as the cocktail pieces I already had.

 

Here’s the actual email request they sent me 👇🏼

Even though this involved creating new artwork, it was an immediate win for me for a couple reasons.

 

1) The artwork they were requesting is super trendy right now, so adding these cocktails to my portfolio is not only going to be beneficial for this collaboration, but for future ones as well!

 

2) They were interested in my style. They were able to recognize that my work was consistent across my portfolio and trusted that I could create new pieces that fit seamlessly with what I already had. That kind of recognition is huge, and it’s something that often leads to repeat opportunities down the line.

 

And as a bonus, I'm super comfortable creating artwork in this illustration style, so I was easily able to whip these up in the timeframe they needed.

 

Quick side note: I titled the Aperol Spritz illustration, “Orange Fizz”. Why? Avoiding trademark infringement, baby! 😎 Aperol owns the trademark to Aperol Spritz, so I want to steer clear of any potential issues there. 

 

When I sent the client the new artwork, I also included other existing work from my portfolio that aligned with the same theme. It never hurts to send coordinating artwork and full collections. After all, more artwork licensed = more sales for me!

 

I kept the new illustrations very close to the originals already in my portfolio, and the client was happy with them right away. Sometimes projects go through multiple rounds of revisions, but in this case, we wrapped it up quickly.

 

Overall, I was really pleased with how this collaboration unfolded. I genuinely love hearing what clients are looking for. It gives me incredible insight into what’s selling well and where the market is headed.

 

 

There’s a lot packed into this one interaction, so here are a few things I hope you take away:

These kinds of exchanges are incredibly normal in licensing — and the more you see examples like this, the less intimidating the process becomes.

What I just walked you through isn’t luck. It’s a skill set.

 

This is exactly the kind of thing we work through inside The Art of Collections. You learn how to confidently go back and forth with clients, respond to requests for new work, and build a portfolio that makes art directors excited to collaborate with you.

 

We focus heavily on collections because cohesive, strategic collections are the key to building trust and fostering ongoing licensing partnerships.

 

And this behind-the-scenes breakdown you just read is only a small glimpse.

 

Inside the program, I share way more detail about real collaborations:

Nothing is sugarcoated. I don’t gatekeep this stuff : )

 

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building a licensing business you genuinely love, the program is opening soon! Get more details here!

 

xo,

Cat