<p>What is the secret to making cohesive illustrations? Also known as unity and harmony, this is the elusive quality that makes your illustration feel &quot;whole&quot;. In this episode, I look at why that sense of unity is harder to achieve in digital work, and how thinking in terms of <strong>physical media</strong> and <strong>physical</strong> <strong>reproduction methods </strong>can bring your images together. </p><p>I introduce what I call <strong>The</strong> <strong>Five Stars of Cohesiveness</strong>—Purpose, Drawing Style, Medium, Reproduction Method, and Application—and show how, when these align, your work gains that solid, self-contained presence we all chase. Using Ben Shahn’s <em>The Shape of Content</em> as a case study (read on for visual examples), I unpack how medium and black-only printing worked hand-in-hand to create unusually cohesive results—and how we can borrow that logic in our digital workflows. </p><p>If you’ve struggled to make your digital illustrations feel unified—and want a concrete framework to diagnose why—this episode is for you.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>IN THIS EPISODE</strong></p><ul><li>“<strong>Truth to materials</strong>” — keyword <em>materials</em></li><li>The <strong>Five Stars of Cohesiveness</strong></li><li>How physical constraints shape shape your style—and why limitless tools can derail it</li><li>Case study: <strong>Ben Shahn’s</strong> expressive linework printed black-only in <strong>The Shape of Content</strong></li><li>Why your chosen <strong>medium</strong> is the central star, influencing both idea and outcome</li><li><strong>Illustrating for print</strong> (even when your art never gets printed)</li><li><strong>Try This:</strong> would your piece hold up in black-only? as a 2–3 colour Riso print?</li><li>Classes and resource recommendations</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>SHOW LINKS</strong></p><ul><li>Ben Shahn — The Shape of Content (book) — <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674302426" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674302426</a></li><li>“Illustration” (definition/context) — general reference — <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illustration" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illustration</a></li><li>My Skillshare: Illustrating for Letterpress (technical limits → clearer decisions) — <a href="https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/impress-me" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/impress-me</a></li><li>Slo-Fi Illustrations (analogue paradigms in a digital flow) — <a href="https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/slofiillustrations" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.tomfroese.com/teaching/slofiillustrations</a></li><li><strong>Di Ujdi</strong> — Introduction to Risograph Printing (layered colour thinking) — <a href="https://skl.sh/47BXNm5" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://skl.sh/47BXNm5</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>HOW TO SUPPORT / LISTEN </strong></p><p>If you’d like to support this podcast and hear the full version of monologue episodes like this one:</p><ul><li><p><a href="http://patreon.com/tomfroese" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Join on Patreon</a> for as low as $3/month</p></li><li><p>Become a <a href="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/thoughtsonillustration/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">paid subscriber on Spotif</a>y ($2.99/month)</p></li><li><p>I also post monologues as full articles on <a href="http://tomfroese.medium.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Medium</a>.</p></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>FIND ME ELSEWHERE</strong></p><ul><li>My New Book! Drawing is Important! — <a href="https://tomfroese.com/links" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">tomfroese.com/links</a> — look for the green book cover</li><li>Work and Classes — <a href="https://tomfroese.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">tomfroese.com</a></li><li>Instagram — <a href="https://instagram.com/mrtomfroese" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">instagram.com/mrtomfroese</a></li><li>Daily Drawings — <a href="https://instagram.com/drawingisimportant" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">instagram.com/drawingisimportant</a></li><li><br></li></ul><p><strong>CREDITS</strong></p><ul><li>Music and Cues by Mark Allan Falk — semiathletic on Linktree</li><li><br></li></ul><p>——————</p><p><strong>DRAWING IS IMPORTANT — NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER</strong></p><p><strong>My new book,</strong> <em>Drawing Is Important</em>, is your guide to making drawing a meaningful daily habit. Through stories, insights, and exercises, it helps you draw more often—with less pressure and more joy. Available Spring 2026 — <a href="https://geni.us/DrawingisImportant" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Pre-order now</a>! <strong>The first 500 orders get a free hand-signed book plate</strong>! Look for &quot;get pre-order prizes&quot; after <a href="https://geni.us/DrawingisImportant" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">clicking the lin</a></p>