Why Should I Hire an Illustrator For My Project?

Visuals are a key component in your ability to be successfully advertised. How often do you look at a book’s pages or design on something and are drawn to it? That work was most likely done by a professional in the field. Working with a professional who understands the design process and important elements in design is an important aspect of any successful business.

Working closely with an illustrator allows for full customization of your project, and preliminary work is done to allow for long term success. The entire process when working with one starts with initial designs presented as thumbnails. Once a thumbnail is selected from the initial batch, from there it moves into the next phases of rendering, to then the final polish. Giving you a one of a kind, fully customized piece where you have full communication with a professional throughout it all. For a single illustration, you can receive up to 4 thumbnails. Whereas if this is for a children’s book, we’ll start with a storyboard, or design board so you as well can visualize the pacing, and feel of your book when done by a professional.

What Projects Does an Illustrator Work On?

This may vary from illustrator to illustrator. But illustrators are extremely helpful for Children’s Books, Trading Card illustration, Splash Art, Character Key Art, Cover Art, Medical Illustration, Editorial Illustration, Scientific Illustration, Content Illustration, Commercial Illustration, or even Courtroom Illustration! The list goes on and on. If it needs a “painting” or in other words, hand drawn custom image, you’ll need an illustrator.

In my case, I can work with you on a Children’s book (whether that is via self publish or through a publisher), 2D Game Art, Trading Card Art & Design, Scientific Illustration, Merchandise illustration, and Design illustration.

How Does Someone Become a Professional Illustrator?

To become an illustrator, at least a professional, requires a great deal of effort, time, and skill built over a period of years. Most artist’s you meet have been drawing since they were very young. However, this more than often than not, does not matter. Without proper training they will not meet the standards required of industry professionals. Drawing from a young age allows for fine tuning of observational skills when done right at best and most often enforces poor practice at worst. The latter is often attempted to be corrected in art school by instructors. Or an artist may decide to become a professional and has to relearn everything they have been doing “wrong” through other resources if they opt out of art school. Often YouTube tutorials from leading industry professionals who offer free learning such as Tyler Edlin, Proko, or Marco Bucci.

To become an illustrator requires knowledge of art fundamentals such as line, form, texture, shapes, composition, perspective, anatomy, color theory, etc. The list goes on. To be a successful illustrator requires a great deal of mental effort and knowledge into being able to create not just one image, but multiple, successfully replicate them on paper for a client based on their guidelines both accurately and efficiently showing proper understanding of fundamentals and also be able to complete the selected image as a successful, standalone product.

However, with all of that said, not every illustrator wishes to choose that path! It is also not for everyone. Which is normal. The definition as well of what is considered a “professional” illustrator from artist to artist depends on who you ask. However, this description is based upon industry standard expectations when working within or with a high performing studio space.