Cubebrush seller, Ilya Tulyakov has been killing it with his brush packs. So much so that he got the attention of some influencers (one being Loish) who utilized our Affiliate Partnership feature and shared it, benefiting both she and Ilya!

We got a chance to talk to Ilya about what goes on behind the scenes, his brush packs and how he became a top seller.

I'm Ilya Tulyakov and was born in Russia. For a long time engaged in traditional painting, I studied at the art school. There was a turning point when I almost abandoned creativity - but fortunately, I found the strength to not give up my favorite activity. After buying the first tablet - Genius began to draw in Photoshop-e. Then ipad appeared - the second series and I had a unique opportunity to draw in it. Since then, I have been painting only on the iPad. And I recommend everyone to try it! 

Can you describe your brush packs? What makes them so special?

 When I first picked up an iPad and launched Procreate, my world turned upside down. I studied and experimented with the program for a long time and at some point, I became interested in creating my brushes. 

My main task was to create truly interesting and non-standard brushes and judging by the numerous reviews and feedback - I was able to complete the task. Studying the demand in the forums, I tried to cover all the artists' requests because many people switched to Procreate from Photoshop and they lacked standard sets. For me, a very important aspect is the feedback, as it helps to make your products better and for specific requests.

What was your thinking behind developing them?

 Brushes are an important tool that makes creating illustrations or concepts faster and easier. And also find your style!

This is vital for every artist. Therefore, when creating my packs, I tested each brush again and again. In each pack, I put a certain meaning and idea. For example, the PRO series is suitable not only for concept art but also for traditional drawing. The versatility of this series has become very popular and was highly appreciated by the creative community.

In the OIL Series - I tried to transfer the traditional work with oil paints to the digital environment. I have to say that it was quite a challenge due to certain limitations in the Procreate engine. But despite all the limitations - I managed to create a powerful set, which I also use in my work and get pleasure from this process.

In the Shape series, I created a product unique for Procreate. Something similar was only for Photoshop - but for Procreate at that time there was nothing like that.

Therefore, I decided to correct this situation. This series allows you to very quickly create forms and work with composition, to create quick sketches and concepts.

This pack is compatible not only with Procreate but also with Photoshop, which makes it even more popular.

So that you understand the scope of my work - I would say that tens of thousands of brushes were created, but 15-20% fell into the final packs, the rest did not undergo strict quality control. 

As part of our Affiliate Program, Loish started sharing your products. Do you think that’s helped your overall sales?

 Yes, it was a very good advertisement when a world-class artist tried my pack of brushes and moreover began to use them in her work. This firstly inspired me. I felt the main thing - the desire to create more and more. Moreover, I am now focused on creating packs to attract even more artists to mobile painting. 

After all, what is convenient about an iPad - the fact that you can take it anywhere, with it the creative process turns into a real pleasure. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Loish for the support and the creators of Cubebrush for the excellent resource. 

As one of our most successful sellers, what would be your advice for someone opening a store with Cubebrush?

 Do not be afraid to share their work. Make the product not just good, but the best! Spend a lot of time looking for the best result. Receive feedback. Make updates to your product and help solve technical problems.

Do you have any tricks to build up your following that you’d like to share?

 Make a quality product and to invest your soul in your work.

Can you tell us some of your favorite features on the site?

I look at sales statistics. I also use internal messages. And read your blog! Also, sellers should try the discount function.

Here is a great resource of sale boosting tools! -Cubebrush

Do you have any new products you’re working on?

I made free updates of already derived products so that people feel supported and get the best experience.

Find more information on how you can start earning money by being an Affiliate Partner here. 

Check out Ilya's awesome brush packs: