Leslie Mechanic

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Leslie Mechanic, art director at Simon & Schuster, about what catches her eye in an illustrator’s portfolio; why saying “it’s a competitive market” isn’t the most accurate take on the illustration industry; what all illustrators should know about the art director/illustrator relationship; and more. To learn more about Leslie, visit lesliemechanic.com (http://www.lesliemechanic.com) . If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack (https://mgcp03.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=678f7b2cd3461a2a275dbe28&u=https%3A%2F%2Fillustrationdept.substack.com&w=56af8980cf80a1474b576bdc&c=b_678f79c3620b233bc0da903c&l=en-US&s=DdP2g161f7DPO4EbDRuASHjLnMw%3D) , or a supporter on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/illustrationdept) . On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com (http://illustrationdept.com) for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. (https://open.spotify.com/artist/0YAkOkbeAPiS35qyouiM4O?si=G1FZW55cSNuGQFf90HutjA) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com (https://pcm.adswizz.com) for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.