Paid 2 Draw – An Illustration Podcast

• 31. Raman Djafari on Navigating the Animation Industry (Live at The Boys Club Berlin)

  Raman Djafari is a Berlin-based illustrator, animator and filmmaker who has created visuals for some of the biggest musicians and brands, including Elton John, Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Adult Swim, The New Yorker and Spotify. Their award-winning “Cold Heart” music video was beamed across the world during Elton John’s Glastonbury performance and has been viewed over 600 million times on YouTube. Currently, Raman is represented as a director by the London-based production studio BlinkInk. Animation is a labor of love. This week, Raman takes us on a deep dive into navigating the animation industry — and shares their love for the craft and the community. With a background in illustration and design, Raman ventured into animation, filmmaking and music videos, expanding his practice and toolset with each project. Transitioning fluently from 2D to 3D animation, they create surreal worlds and characters that transcend all norms and oscillate between the familiar and the fantastical. In this episode, Raman explores the role of artists in envisioning alternative realities through their work. They emphasize the need for fair compensation and the importance of collective action to overcome current labor rights issues in the animation industry. Raman also reflects on his own creative process, the significance of keeping a sketchbook, and the challenges of pursuing personal projects while navigating commercial demands. Don’t miss this intimate conversation with one of the most innovative artists and filmmakers of our time, live-recorded at The Boys Club in Berlin on June 23rd, 2025. _________MENTIONED LINKS: • HTW Berlin: BA Game Design • HAW Hamburg: MA Illustration • Annecy Animation Festival • Artists/Animators: Bobby Chiu, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Jack Zhang, TOKAY, Daniel Almagor, Haneen Koraz • Directors: Wim Wenders, Andrei Tarkovsky, Alice Rohrwacher • Painters: Cecily Brown, Dana Schutz, Jordan Kasey, Sasha Gordon • Authors: Ottessa Moshfegh, Ocean Vuong • Music videos:“feelslikeimfallinginlove” by Coldplay, “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” by Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Pamphlets” by Squid, “Worms” by Ashnikko, “Snow” by FJAAK • BlinkInk (world-class, London-based production studio) • Blender 3D • TVPaint (2D animation software) • Thanks to The Boys Club Berlin for hosting! _________FOLLOW RAMAN: Instagram: @ramandjafariFacebook: ramandjafariartworkTumblr: ramandjafari.tumblr.comWebsite: ramandjafari.comAgency site: blinkink.co.uk/directors/raman-djafari_________If you liked this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. And follow Paid 2 Draw on Instagram, Spotify and TikTok. _________Hosted by Vicky Cichoń and Dave Leutert. Music by Amanda Deff. 

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• 30. Yuko Shimizu’s Journey from PR to Illustration

  In this episode, we talk to award-winning Japanese illustrator Yuko Shimizu (清水裕子) about her journey from quitting a career in corporate PR to becoming a successful artist and educator—highlighting all the challenges and triumphs along the way. Our conversation touches on the importance of self-promotion, how to deal with imposter syndrome, and the role of art education in shaping an artist’s career. Instead of fixating on what she can’t affect, Yuko focuses on the things she can control. All we can do as illustrators at any given time is to create the best work within our capabilities—the rest is out of our hands. With over 20 years of experience, Yuko shares valuable insights on finding your unique artistic voice, the significance of mental health in creativity, and the importance of giving back to the community. Working in this field is all about learning to deal with disappointments. Rejection is a normal part of the creative journey and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. This episode is a treasure trove of advice for both aspiring illustrators and seasoned professionals alike. Yuko shares useful tips on how to navigate the creative industry. She emphasizes the need for artists to be genuine, to share knowledge, and to navigate their careers with honesty and humility. _________MENTIONED LINKS: • Artists: Christoph Niemann, James Jean, Marshall Arisman, Minh Uong, Tomer Hanuka, Shepard Fairey, Marcos Chin, SHOUT (Alessandro Gottardo), David Sandlin, Gary Panter, Chip Kidd • Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan • SVA MFA Illustration as Visual Essay • NYT email format: [email protected] • Yuko’s FAQ page • Thanks to Ari Liloan (aka @madeby_ari) for the thoughtful questions. _________FOLLOW YUKO: Instagram: @yukoartBehance: be.net/yukoFacebook: fb.com/pages/Yuko-ShimizuWebsite: yukoart.comShop: yukoart.bigcartel.comYuko’s Skillshare courses Books: “The Cat Man of Aleppo”, “Up, Up, Ever Up!”, “Barbed Wire Baseball” _________If you liked this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. And follow Paid 2 Draw on Instagram, Spotify and TikTok. _________Hosted by Vicky Cichoń and Dave Leutert. Music by Amanda Deff. 

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• 29. Carina Lindmeier: Community Over Competition

  Carina Lindmeier is an award-winning illustrator from Austria with a unique style blending playful and figurative elements, rich with textures, colors and patterns. Drawing inspiration from everyday life, pop culture and the culinary world, her goal is to uplift and evoke emotions through her art. Her passion for drawing food and still lives has enabled her to work with the likes of Adobe, Bombay Sapphire, The Wall Street Journal or Penguin Random House. On the episode, we talk to Carina about her journey into illustration, the evolution of her artistic style, and the importance of community and collaboration in the creative field. By leading workshops and sharing knowledge, Carina strives to empower the next generation of creatives. Running your own art studio can be quite challenging, so sometimes it’s good to know you’re not in it all by yourself. Support and encouragement are the corner stones of every successful art business. Sometimes it just takes one person to guide you in the right direction when you’re feeling stuck. Carina shares her passion for mentoring emerging artists and the significance of giving back to the creative community. We also discuss the challenges of rejection, the future of illustration in the face of gen-AI, and the best way to ignore pesty song requests during your DJ set. _________MENTIONED LINKS: • ⁠Kyle’s Brushes⁠ • ⁠Still Here Still Life⁠ • AOI (Association of Illustrators) ⁠Mentorships 2025⁠ • ⁠OFFF⁠ in Barcelona & ⁠Pictoplasma⁠ in Berlin • ⁠Adobe Firefly⁠ _________FOLLOW CARINA: Instagram: ⁠@carinalindmeier⁠Website: ⁠carinalindmeier.com⁠Behance: ⁠be.net/carinalindmeier⁠LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/carina-lindmeier-70966763⁠⁠Subscribe⁠ to Carina’s newsletter (via PencilBooth) Carina’s Domestika Course: ⁠Illustrated Portraits: Adobe Fresco for Beginners⁠ _________If you liked this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. And follow Paid 2 Draw on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠. _________Hosted by ⁠Vicky Cichoń⁠ and ⁠Dave Leutert⁠. Music by ⁠Amanda Deff⁠. 

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• 28. Lisa Tegtmeier on the Evolution of Style

  Lisa Tegtmeier is a Hamburg-based illustrator who’s known for bold characters, vibrant colors and energetic compositions. Inspired by nostalgic color palettes from the 60s to the 90s, Lisa creates worlds filled with optimism and empowerment. What her characters are lacking in eyes and noses, they wholly make up for in personality. “Emotion comes through movement,” she says “You can express so much through gestures.” On this week’s episode, Lisa talks to us about how her style has evolved over the years and why it’s important for illustrators to find their niche. She explains how to develop your own voice through experimentation and self-expression, encourages artists to dodge perfectionism and share their work, and—most importantly—to just keep creating. Lisa also shares openly about burnout, mental health and the pressure of keeping up. Freelance life can be quite hectic, so it’s nice to touch grass every now and then. Other topics include: embracing imperfection, developing healthy habits, the human touch in art, and the joy of doing nothing. We hope you enjoy this conversation like a sparrow in a puddle! _________MENTIONED LINKS: • Cowgirl boot-shaped mug • HAW Hamburg: B.A. Illustration / M.A. Illustration • Abstract – The Art of Design: “Paula Scher: Graphic Design” (S01E06) on Netflix _________FOLLOW LISA: Website: lisategtmeier.comShop: lisategtmeier.com/shopInstagram: @lisategtmeierThreads: @lisategtmeierLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisa-tegtmeierBehance: be.net/lisategtmeierTikTok: @lisategtmeier_________If you liked this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. And follow @Paid2DrawPodcast on Instagram, Spotify and TikTok. _________Hosted by Vicky Cichoń and Dave Leutert. Music by Amanda Deff. 

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• 27. Ximena Jiménez Creates Striking Murals with Spray Paint

  For the season 4 premiere we talk to lettering legend and muralist Ximena Jiménez. Born in Cali, Colombia, she moved to Argentina in 2014 to study graphic design in Buenos Aires where she fell in love with hand-lettering. Today she creates lettering for brands, paints murals for cafés and restaurants, gives workshops across the globe, and live-paints on jackets at festivals. Her lettering work is raw, dynamic, expressive and immediate while effortlessly conveying important messages about equality, self-care and mental health. After moving to Bogotá—one of the graffiti capitals of the world—she discovered street art and started experimenting with spray cans. Ximena explains how the city has influenced her work as a muralist and gives us a detailed description of her process of creating her signature large-scale, hand-lettered murals using spray paint. Hint: “caps” and “cutting” are a thing, apparently. Throughout the conversation Ximena reflects on the importance of political and personal messages in her art and how she has gained more confidence through therapy and self-reflection. She describes the balance between personal and political art and the value of giving herself permission to take risks. Lastly, Ximena generously shares her social media strategy of focusing on her community rather than viral content to maintain her artistic integrity. Go check out this engaging conversation with one of the best letterers of our time and make sure to tell all your type-obsessed friends about it! _________MENTIONED LINKS: • Berlin Letters Festival • University of Buenos Aires: Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism • Fileteado Porteño (Argentinian sign-painting style) • Bogotá Graffiti Tour • LetterWest 2026 • Circus Network (Gallery from Porto, Portugal) _________FOLLOW XIMENA: Instagram: @jimenezletteringTikTok: @jimenezletteringWebsite: jimenezlettering.comOnline Shop: jimenezlettering.com/tienda_________If you liked this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. And follow Paid 2 Draw on Instagram and TikTok. _________Hosted by Vicky Cichoń and Dave Leutert. Music by Amanda Deff. 

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