Ask Me Anything - Making a Career out of Illustration
Ask Me Anything - Making a Career out of Illustration
Organiser: Hong Kong Arts Centre (Comix Home Base)
2024/25 The Arts Talents Internship Matching Programme is supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.
Date & Time:
10.01.2026 (SAT) 15:00-17:00
Venue : Eric Hotung Studio, Hong Kong Arts Centre (LB/F, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai)
Speakers:
Tania WILLIS, an accomplished illustrator & co-founder of The Good Ship Illustration, Prudence MAK, founder of Chocolate Rain
Free of charge; online registration required; first-come, first-served.
Conducted in English with brief Cantonese interpretation
The organiser reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the event at any time.
An Essential Guide to Take Your Illustration Career to the Next Level!
Join us for an inspiring talk with Tania Willis, an accomplished illustrator & co-founder of The Good Ship Illustration, and Prudence Mak, founder of Chocolate Rain.
With over 40 years of extensive experience in the industry, Tania will share her unique approach and insights on gaining international exposure, connecting with international clients, promoting illustration. She will also discuss how she has worked extensively to support artists globally, helping them enhance their creative and professional skills, navigate the industry, and build sustainable illustration practices that thrive in the markets. Together with Prudence Mak, founder of Chocolate Rain, they’ll explore their distinct creative paths to effectively connect with audiences through storytelling, exhibitions, and creating unique products.
This session is an invaluable opportunity to hear practical advice and intriguing stories from an artist who has worked with global brands and nurtured a community of illustrators worldwide. You will gain valuable lessons on promoting your work, growing audience, and gaining exposure in both Hong Kong and the UK! Register now to and take the next step in your illustration career!
Speakers:
Ms Tania WILLIS
Co-founder, The Good Ship Illustration (United Kingdom)
Ms Prudence MAK
Founder, Chocolate Rain (Hong Kong)
Speakers bio
Ms Tania WILLIS
Co-founder, The Good Ship Illustration
(United Kingdom)
Tania Willis is an award-winning designer / illustrator with 40 years of experience - 25 of them in Hong Kong.
She is also an educator, teaching at universities and colleges in the UK, the US and Hong Kong. After relocating to the UK, she co-founded The Good Ship Illustration - an online educational resource for illustrators. The Good Ship courses; ‘Find Your Creative Voice’, ‘The Picture Book Course’. ‘The Illustration Business Club’ and ‘The Live Illustration Course’ have amassed more than 6000 students across the world. Their popular podcast has been downloaded 350,000 times
Tania has an MA in Illustration from the Royal College of Art. Her illustration clients include English Heritage, Conde Nast Traveller, Cartier, BBC, Time, and Swire Group.
Her illustration experience covers advertising, murals, editorial, design, surface design, licensing, publishing, branding, event, editorial and corporate - but her biggest passion is illustrated maps.
Ms Prudence MAK
Founder, Chocolate Rain
(Hong Kong)
Prudence Mak is an artist and cultural strategist with over 20 years of experience in the creative industry. She is the Founder of Chocolate Rain, an internationally recognized art and design brand established in 2001, and currently serves as Senior Advisor at the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC).
She has led major exhibitions and collaborations across Hong Kong, the UK, Europe, and Australia, bringing Hong Kong’s IP and comix artists to the global stage. Her projects span art toys, ink painting, and cross-disciplinary installations, blending whimsical storytelling with cultural heritage.
Prudence is also an educator and mentor, sharing her expertise in art licensing, IP , and creative entrepreneurship with artists and institutions. She has developed innovative business models for sustainable revenue in the arts, and her guidance has empowered emerging artists to achieve both artistic and commercial success.
Her collaborations include international art fairs such as Art Central , The Other Art Fair by Saatchi Arts, and solo exhibitions in London, Sydney, Singapore, New York. She has also worked with global brands including The British Museum, Camper, Clinique, and Stella McCartney CARE, building bridges between Hong Kong’s creative industry and international audiences.
Recognised with numerous awards — including the Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award (2012) and the APEC Young Women Innovator Award (2013), her creative experience covers art exhibitions, licensing, and cultural exchange — but her greatest passion is empowering artists to dream boldly and connect their arts with the world.
Contact us
Facebook: hkacchb | HongKongArtsCentre
Instagram: @comixhomebase | @hongkongartscentre
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About Hong Kong Arts Centre
Art for Passion, Art for Life, Art for All
Since 1977, the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) has been a platform for nurturing and supporting artists, and infusing art into everyday life. Its unique arts and educational programmes aim to make the arts accessible for all. The HKAC believes in the transformational power of art for people from all walks of life. Established for more than four decades, the HKAC endeavours to bring arts to the people of Hong Kong by presenting programmes in diverse art disciplines, such as visual arts, performing arts, moving images, media arts, comics, animation, arts education, lecture forum, public art, art festival and community art. With the vision of inspiring creativity in the local and international art community. With a vision of inspiring creativity in the local and international art community, HKAC focuses on four strategic areas: Leading Art Programmes, Nurturing Future Generations, Fostering Exceptional Art Education, Multi-Functional Building for Art - Strategic Location in Wan Chai to create versatile exhibition spaces that accommodate a diversity of art forms and styles.
The HKAC aspires to engage everyone in the community to become an active participant in the arts - as an enthusiast, an artist or a patron. Let’s continue to embrace ‘Art for Passion, Art for Life, Art for All’, and share the inspiration.
Official website: hkac.org.hk | Facebook: Hong Kong Arts Centre | Instagram: @hongkongartscentre
Comix Home Base
Comics and animation are important local pop culture and artistic creations. Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) has been dedicated to planning and organising diverse and unique activities to promote the arts and culture of comics and animation to the local community and abroad.
Since 2006, HKAC curated Comix Home Base project (CHB), and has been working closely with comics artists, animators, industry practitioners and various government departments to promote local works. Over 800 ani-com-related events are hosted, such as exhibitions, talks, workshops, performances, publications, screenings, public arts, etc.
In recent years, Comix Home Base has continued to proactively orchestrate cross-media collaborations and look for crossovers between comics and different media like public art, movie, dance, intangible cultural heritage, martial arts etc., expanding the creative space for comix. Outside Hong Kong, China, the footprints of Comix Home Base can be found overseas in France, Belgium, Britain, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Korea, Russia, Indonesia and Portugal etc. This has facilitated the involvement of numerous Hong Kong comics artists in international collaboration projects. Also, local comics have been successfully published in different foreign versions in European countries and the United States, increasing the international recognition of local comics and animation artists.
Comix Home Base is fully committed to creating a platform for the art of Hong Kong anime and comics to flourish and keep elevating comics that are 'made in Hong Kong' to the global stage with stakeholders.
Official website: www.comixhomebase.com.hk | Facebook: hkacchb |
Instagram: @comixhomebase
