The unplanned licensing deal: When art from the heart finds a home
How one spontaneous artwork led to a puzzle licensing deal
Sometimes the projects that come straight from your heart, without a brief, without a client, without a real plan, are the ones that open unexpected doors.
That’s exactly what happened when I illustrated a group of curious, whimsical bugs in my sketchbook. The idea wasn’t meant for a product. I was simply testing out a new, detailed and lineart vector style, letting myself play, explore, and get lost in the intricacy of nature. At the time, I didn’t imagine that these little insects would one day live on the surface of a puzzle sold across the US and Canada :D
But they will, hopefully this year!
In this article I would like to shed more light on how to strategically spend some time for your portfolio, designing with possible end-products in mind that can be noticed by potential clients. We will also explore:
what file formats can work for potential clients
plus whether you need Adobe to get licensing deals :)
we will speak a bit about royalties and other forms of compensation from licensed work