Testimonials
Curious about what illustrators have to say about the ii?
You can check out some reviews here! And also hop on over to google to see more and from other artists too! The best part of this job is working with illustrators, and the 1-1 aspect of everything I offer. From my online courses to my coaching and folio reviews, the truly talented people I meet and work with make it all worth it.
“Emily from The Illustration Initiative did such a great job in helping me understand what was working in my portfolio and what wasn't, and most importantly the reason behind it. She also helped me develop two illustrations that are some of the strongest pieces in my portfolio which were great starting points for my most recent illustrations which I also LOVE.
She was really organized and made everything super clear. It was a joy working with her. Thank you Emily!!!”
~ Juanita Londono
“Emily is amazing to work with. She helped point out my strengths and weaknesses in my portfolio and what to do to improve on it. She then helped me create an art piece for my portfolio and she was extremely helpful giving pointers and suggestions to it. I love how the final piece turned out and I know it turned out amazing because Emily was there guiding me along with creating it!”
— Jennifer Beam
“A great course that I could do in my own time (vital for a busy illustrator, I knew I couldn't commit to a course with lots of deadlines) that gave me new ways of looking at my illustrations, lots of points to think about and some portfolio pieces that I'm really proud of. Emily was lovely to work with, I enjoyed our 1-to-1 critiques for the final two projects.”
~ Alison Mutton
“I've had the portfolio review with Emily, and that is a very good experience. Emily is brilliant and very well experienced in illustration areas. She helped me to re-discover more about my strength and the area I need improvement. She knows what art directors or the market are looking for. And provides feedback to help me match my artwork to the market as well as respecting my art styles. Emily has very good knowledge about each type of illustration area (e.g., picture book, chapter book, etc.). Based on the area I am interested in, she provided very detailed guidelines to improve my portfolio. I found this is very helpful and would recommend Emily to anyone that is looking for some guidance or improvement in their portfolio.”
— Pino Cao
“Ever since our first contact I had a good feeling for Emily and she proved to be committed, engaged and professional all through our process.
Emily also gave insights on where my work could fit in the business of illustration…..As a person Emily is a thrill to work with. Her engagement and professional eye is inspiring. She is both supportive and generous in sharing her knowledge and I can truly recommend The Illustration Initiative LLC for illustrators at all stages.”
— Camilla Laghammar
“My experience with Emily at the Illustration Initiative was nothing short of awesome. She was a tremendous guide for me in creating a portfolio of work that both highlighted my best attributes as an illustrator, and also showed how and where the work could be used in the business of illustration, specifically Kidlit. We worked very closely on each piece, and fleshed each of them out to be the best they could be. Every bit of her feedback was helpful and made me want to push myself even harder.
It was a wonderful, extremely fulfilling experience that I can confidently say made me a better artist. Emily was very encouraging and professional throughout the entirety of the process and I believe her courses could greatly benefit folks like me who want to jump into the Kidlit/Illustration world, but don't know where to start. Because of this course, I feel confidant in the work we made to actually submit to agencies and I feel like an illustration career can actually be possible!”
— Ryan Barr
“Emily is wonderful to work with. Her 1-1 reviews were spot on. She immediately recognized my strengths and weaknesses and she offered great tips to make my illustrations better. Even though the communication were purely through emails, she’s very prompt and clear. Her online class is super helpful too. She gave insider view of what makes a portfolio great. All the assignments are geared to achieve that and are broken down into manageable chunks. And of course, there’s that 1-1 review at the end of the class that’s invaluable. Love it. Thank you Emily.”
— Rita Tan
“It has been a joy to receive portfolio consultation with Emily and learn from her through her picture book course! She really knows the children's books industry and has been very generous in sharing her time and knowledge. Despite her being in Brooklyn and and me being in Indonesia, she is always quick to reply emails and has been very communicative throughout.
When Emily reviews my works, I am always amazed at how she is able to notice details I overlook.
I'm also so glad that I decided to take her picture book course. At first, I wasn't sure because I thought it would be too hard for me. It is a challenge for sure, but I'm super thankful to learn from her again after our consultation. She is able to help out professionals but also newbies like me with no illustration work experience. Overall, Emily's knowledge and help has really motivated me to keep learning after such a long time of being stagnant in my art, and I would highly recommend anyone who is interested in the children's books industry or in need of portfolio help to talk to her. Thank you, Emily!”
— Carla Sinowata
"I had the great pleasure of knowing and working with Emily for the past few years. She represented me as my agent and during that time always provided wonderful, supportive and kind feedback. As my agent, she helped me develop by illustration style as well as navigate working with publishers and clients. Within a span of 5 years I had illustrated dozens of books. I owe a lot of my success as an illustrator to her guidance."
— Kat Uno
“Emily was one of my first agents and she's helped me grow a lot as an artist. She taught me how to create artworks that I've always dreamed of, with an eye to the market.
We worked together on my portfolio, adjusting it for my goal clients, who I actually ended up working with!”
— Sumi Collina
“Emily has given a lot of precious information. Her professional perspective has shown me what my work is most suited for and given me some direction! I'm happy to know my style is appropriate for the public she mentioned and also for graphic novels!!”
— Bia Donato