Advice from the Trenches: This book is much more than a collection of fifteen years of beautiful artwork by the reknowned and award winning art nouveau advertising illustrator, Echo Chernik. In this book, Echo answers the questions "What's it like to be an advertising illustrator?" She addresses the topics of portfolio creation, contract negotiation, and the process involved in becoming a successful commercial artist.As an instructor of Graphic Design and Illustration at Pratt Institute and Skidmore CCI, and one of the industry's most in-demand advertising illustrators, Echo has designed this book not only as a collection of previously uncompiled illustrations, but also as a conduit for dispensing years of accumulated knowledge and advice to fledgling and hopeful young illustrators. Through a stunning visual tour of published works, Echo divulges hints and tips on how to navigate the business. She also shares often humourous stories about working on individual projects.The Studio of Echo Chernik is the combined efforts of Echo and Lazarus Chernik, both graduates of Pratt institute in New York. Echo's clients have included over the years, Trek Bicycles, Miller, Camel, Coors, Nascar, Mattel, The Bellagio Casino, Celestial Seasonings Teas, Sears, K-Mart, Arlo Guthrie, The Dave Matthews Band, and many more. Echo has been the recipient of numerous "Best In..." awards, Gold awards, Silver awards, Cover awards and Fan Favorite awards, including HP's Best In Show. Echo has also been featured in three publications of Spectrum to date.