Make a living as a
surface designer
Surface design business courses to help artists get art licensing deals + price their work for profit.
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The best advocate for your art...
Believe me, if you haven’t earned a lot as a surface designer yet, it’s not because your designs aren’t good.
In a perfect world, our art would speak for itself. But in the world we live in, we need to be able to consistently advocate for our work — without burning out.
That’s why Sketch Design Repeat is all about organized, energy-saving systems for getting your designs in front of art directors + negotiating competitive pay.
These are the foundations for a surface design business that pays the bills.
a left-handed, left-brained surface designer & educator
Hiya, I’m Shannon McNab
Over the past decade, I slowly transitioned to my dream job as a full-time surface designer working for myself. Before that, I had a career as a graphic designer in email marketing (which was as boring as it sounds). When I say “slowly transitioned”, I mean it! It was definitely not an overnight success.
One thing that did help? Though I’m an artist, the other part of me is a total numbers nerd, so I thrived on testing different approaches, documenting my results, and creating streamlined systems for myself.
Ultimately I arrived at the methods that led me to collaborations with brands like Papyrus, Cloud9 Fabrics, Pyrex, and Trader Joe’s — and seeing my designs on products in stores I shop at!
Now, I teach these methods to other surface designers who would prefer to just borrow my analytical brain instead of figuring it out on their own (like I had to).
organized, confident, and licensed surface designer
Surface design business courses to help you become an
Get the art licensing ball rolling: Pitch Your Portfolio shows you step-by-step how to find, connect with, and pitch your work to companies.
Start here if you want to get consistent (or your first) art licensing deals
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Confidently price your art, read contracts, and negotiate deals: Artful Pricing teaches you my tried-and-tested method for pricing your work (with real-life examples).
Start here if you’re already having conversations with companies
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"Since taking Shannon’s courses, I've been busy, but it's fantastic. I feel like I'm making headway now in what I'm doing. It feels like a fire was lit and now I'm off the starting line! With her systems, you just get into this rhythm of pitching your work. As a result, I've gotten two licensing deals and there are a few companies that I'm in touch with that encourage me to send down work all the time because they love my work.
The best thing about Shannon’s courses is the organization. I just love it. When I was approaching companies on my own before the courses, it was very haphazard. It was sending one email after I'd spend forever trying to get contact details and then never hearing back. Obviously, nothing was happening because my efforts were so sporadic. But if you have your organization down to a tee, then the job of contacting the companies and making deals is just so much easier. And you can spend more time creating your art then!
I also loved that Shannon offers advice and is very hands-on. If you directly contact her in the group, she'll get back to you. And other people in the group will also offer advice, so the community element of the courses feels intimate.
Learning from Shannon has really propelled me forward. Definitely. I would totally recommend the courses to other surface designers, gladly."
I've gotten two licensing deals and there are a few companies that I'm in touch with that encourage me to send down work all the time because they love my work…
- Tina Devins
Join this month’s
Portfolio Power Ups Challenge!
Build a stronger surface design portfolio with artwork buyers will want season after season:
Create one new design for your portfolio each month following this month’s timeless theme
Add your design to your portfolio + share your design on Instagram using our hashtags
Engage with other Portfolio Power Ups Challenge designers by commenting & sharing your support (and receive support back!)
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