The Artmother's Student Success Stories In Digital Illustration - Galina Giorgadze

After publishing over 64 classes and reaching over 100 000 students worldwide, I decided to share some extraordinary stories of my students, who broke through that threshold and made the decision to incorporate art into their lives.

They all started small, with a creative calling and accidentally bumped into my own artist/art teacher self discovery journey that manifested in the form of online art classes - mostly about digital illustration in Procreate.

It is not easy to find your tribe and people who resonate with your perspective, but I can say, these people tuned into my excitement and I will be forever grateful for having an impact on their journey.

Anyways, meet Galina Giorgadze and her beautiful illustrations - I am super proud of her! (Check out her Instagram!)

Hello there Galina! Please, introduce yourself! Also, could you give us an extra fun fact about yourself?

Hi! My name is Galina Giorgadze. I’m an author-illustrator based in Prague, and I create whimsical, story-driven children’s illustrations, because storytelling has always been at the heart of what I do.

A fun fact about me: my very first book, about a mouse daring to fly, received the Talent of

the Year literary award here, in Czechia, which still feels a bit surreal!

Congrats on your success! Can you tell us more about your relationship to art? Did you love it as a kid? Did you stop? Why?

I’ve loved drawing since childhood, but I was excluded from art school as a child for being too rebellious, and I stopped for a while. Well... for three decades. Coming back to it as an adult felt both exciting and intimidating. In a way, it also felt like returning to childhood (since I work in children’s illustration).

Oh, wow, that's a big stop. When did you start doing art again and how did you find my classes?

I returned to art during one of the lowest moments in my life, I needed it as a way to heal. And... I found your classes on Skillshare at exactly the right time. I wasn’t just looking for techniques, but for guidance and a sense of direction, and your teaching style immediately resonated with me.

I am so glad you found what you needed! What were you struggling with the most and what did my classes help you with?

One of my biggest struggles was shadow. Your classes helped me understand the nature of shadows, their variety, but at the same time simplify things. And textures! You opened up a whole new world through your brushes. That shift changed everything for me. I spent about a year learning through your classes, and I guess I took almost all of them (for that moment). It was truly one of the best time investments I’ve ever made.

Galina's student project for the class - Character Design For Beginners In Procreate

What was a breakthrough moment for you in this process?

A real breakthrough moment was realizing that I’m allowed to draw in my own way, not in the “right” way. Because there is no single right way. I started leaning into what felt natural to me, and suddenly my work became more alive, more personal.

Can you describe a project or artwork you're especially proud of?

I’m especially proud of my children’s book about a flying mouse. It was the first project where I fully trusted my storytelling instincts. And of course, I’m deeply proud of my fox in “see-through pants,” which was shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards. Seeing my work recognized internationally was incredibly meaningful, it felt like confirmation that I was on the right path.

Galina Giorgadze - Fox - shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards

Wow, that's just incredible! I am so proud of you! How has your creative process changed since?

I’ve learned to be more patient and more intentional with the process and to see revisions as

part of creating something stronger, not as failure.

Where have your new skills taken you?

Your classes didn’t just teach me skills, they helped me unlock a professional path. Now I create books, work with clients, and grow as an illustrator in ways I hadn’t imagined before. I’ve been lucky to find a literary agent and a wonderful publisher, and to have my work recognized in international competitions. Illustration is no longer just something I love, but a real career path.

What are you working on right now? What are your art-plans?

I’ve just finished illustrating another author’s picture book showing how milk becomes yogurt, which was quite a challenging project! Now I’m focusing on my own story, both as an illustrator and an author, about a moose for whom life feels too loud, where I explore what noise looks like.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about taking their art more seriously but feels unsure?

I would say: you don’t need to feel ready and completely sure. Just start. These classes won’t just teach you techniques, they inspire you. And that makes a huge difference.

Thank you so much Galina for answering my questions! I am really proud of you! You really did the hard work - it always is an internal battle with oneself. The hardest thing is giving yourself permission to succeed and actually showing up in the process. I am really glad my classes were useful tools for you and I love how your illustration style turned out:) I wish you lots of creative projects and joy in your life!

Dear Reader! If you feel the calling to do art, join us on Skillshare - it is the platform of creative classes created by people who are passionate about their art and are sharing their skills from their heart. You can take all of my classes - I mostly teach digital art and art fundamentals translated into digital art - but there are many incredible artists sharing their magic in other media too, like watercolors, acrylics and more. With your membership you can watch any classes which resonate with you! I promise, it will be the best investment into yourself! I hope to see you there! Happy Creating!

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