Second in our series of SnapVillage profile highlights: LittleLion.

LittleLion is Leonardo Côrtes, a Montreal based designer specializing in unique vector illustrations. LittleLion's work includes vintage-inspired abstracts and patterns, whimsical backgrounds, as well as imaginative characters and scenes. Check out to see the entire collection.

We recently caught up with Leo to find out more about his experience in microstock so far, and to get a glimpse inside his unique creative vision:

Q: LittleLion is a relatively recent success and a true testament to the power of microstock. Can you tell us more about your experience: from starting out to becoming successful top earners in under a year?
A: Well, I am not sure about the "top earners" part but I'll take that as compliment. ;) It all started out in August last year, when after bumping into microstock on a regular basis, I finally decided to take a peek at the illustration side of things. Even if indirectly working with stock image material (clients and associates of my regular business would buy from stock websites and hand me over the content for several projects), I was another uneducated head who thought stock image was all about photography. Finally, somehow I saw the light and very unpretentiously submitted my first vector based illustrations, 10 of them. I only had 15 days of sales exposure that month but to my surprise I managed to cash in US$48,00. I remember thinking to myself 'well, if people are willing to pay me so that I can fight stress and relax while expressing myself and being creative… that is fine with me!!'.

In all honesty, it took me a while before I would look at microstock as a potential second source of income. I was fully aware of the success of this relatively new business model but I just couldn't see my bills being paid by it. Fortunately, even with a ridiculously small portfolio (if one could call it that!) I was getting a consistent amount of sales but it wasn't until November, 2007 that I actually decided to take the plunge investigating the market, evaluating the players, digging out success stories and references as to what could be considered decent, good, excellent and super duper earnings and how frequent these occurrences took place. Following this research I put some effort into expanding and improving on my portfolio.

It is important to say that all this was being done on the side while still catering for my job and family. Also, pillar to this effort was the fact that everything had to be accomplished with great pleasure and that was (and still is) non-negotiable. Coming from an International Business Administration background, it was relatively easy for me to get things organized so that I could have fun while still hoping to cashing in a few dollars by the end of each month. As a result of a little research and organizing, I received my first 4-figure microstock pay check by the end of December. From then on, it has been a matter of staying true to my principles, expanding and improving on my portfolio but most importantly, remembering all the time that this is supposed to be fun!

Q: Were you working as a designer before you launched LittleLion?
A: As I mentioned, my formal education and the field in which I spent several of my professional years was International Business Administration, more specifically the IT segment. I am originally from Brazil but I've been around in South and North America before immigrating to Canada, where I live in beautiful Montreal. Happily, the more I delved into IT the more interested I became in the design side of things and without even realizing it I made the transition into digital design. So, answering your question, yes, I have been working with digital design for a few years now and stock image turned into a chance to express myself without being overly concerned about creating heavily commercial art.

Q: Do you have any tips for those just starting out in the industry?
A: Do your homework! Research is the word of order. Nowadays there are several micro and macro stock websites, some of them like Snap Village are pretty solid while others are still trying to get there. Each has its own set of rules for submissions, licenses, uploading, keywording, paying, so on and so forth. Not only that but if you do a proper research you will find out each has a certain style and tends to cater for a certain type of audience. It is up to you to analyze and decide which ones are the best for you or even if going for an "exclusivity" deal is something attractive or not.

Once the more pragmatic decisions have been made, the next step is to decide whether you will approach microstock in a professional way or with a more laid back attitude. In both cases though, you should start considering branding. To some, it comes naturally but others can get pretty lost if their art deviates a lot among pieces. Just make sure to weight pros and cons of branding so that you find the best balance for you.

Last but definitely not least, think about regularity. Different microstock websites have different image longevity, so in order to maintain a good exposure you must submit new work as often as possible. Again, it all depends on how many hours you are willing or actually can put into microstock (there is life out there, you know that, right?! :)) and don't forget about the always time consuming uploading and keywording...

Q: Your illustrations often have a whimsical or fantastical feel - often relating to fables and fairy tales more than traditional stock subjects and concepts. Can you tell us more about what inspires you?
A: In one word: children. I am always amazed at how children realize the world around them. By no means am I one of those people whom go crazy every time they see a little baby or kids! But I'm always observing them, and in all truthfulness, envying them for they live in a world of endless possibilities, their imagination is not bound by the rules of the world they will one day live in, the adulthood world. As a consequence, I get an almost natural sort of branding going on when I couple my observations of children's perception with my motto of not falling slave to commercial approaches.

Q: LittleLion illustrations range from abstracts and textural patterns to cute 'characters' and 'cartoons' filled with story and connections to childhood imagination. How do you manage to keep your design aesthetic consistent?
A: The answer above is intimately connected to this one. This sort of consistency comes naturally to me. Maybe it is due to my very limited artistic skills… nevertheless it helps creating a notion of branding. Again, most of the time I simply try to rid my mind of our rules of logic. Even better, I try to understand the unconventional logic behind children's line of thought. That's why I like to create conceptual stories in my patterns. For instance you can find a pattern in which a whale takes the train to visit the mountains, she (yes, a whale has got to be a "she"!) always lived in the sea and was very curious about what a mountain would look like, so the train has this huge open tank where she stays in during the journey. But you know… the tank may leak so there is always an helicopter pulling a cloud with a rope in case the tank needs to be refilled, just for good measure! After the ride through the mountains, a happy and knowledgeable whale is returned to the sea. :)

Q: Do you have any design tips to pass on to aspiring vector illustration artists out there?
A: As a creative professional or as an amateur you must feel good about doing your thing! It's art after all! There are some generic concepts and theories but don't let them constraint your imagination. On a more practical, vector based design note I'd say you must own the tool you work with! And I mean it! Don't just know it, pwn it! ;)

Q: Do you have any suggestions for designers or web artists looking for illustrations for their next project?
A: Sure!! My suggestion is: use my work!!! :) Seriously now, search in a smart way, abstract a little bit, keywording is not a precise "science". Also, keep an eye on what the competition is doing but don't follow them in your projects or you will end up being just "another" one.

Q: What's next for littlelion?
A: Well, that is a very good question indeed! One which I have been debating upon for a little while. Sometimes I think about taking microstock to the next level but again I don't want to miss the fun part of it. Everything regarding stock image has happened in an organic, natural way to me, so I guess I'll just let it go with the flow. To those curious about where the flow will take me, please, make sure to stop by at www.littlelionstudio.com from time to time.

Q: Any final thoughts for the SnapVillage community?
A: Snap Village is a great source for any illustrator who wants to start their microstock endeavor. Their customer service is second to none and you don't find a place where you can just upload your submissions without spending countless hours on keywording just anywhere around the virtual corner… trust me! Ultimately, do your homework (no one is going to do that for you!!) and have fun making your choices a reality. God speed!

Thanks LittleLion for all the great insights. We're looking forward to seeing your SnapVillage portfolio continue to grow! Be sure to check out .