Computer Arts
Illustration Special - Issue 29 / 2002
101 Tips for Pro Illustrators
Want to be a pro illustrator? Or already are, but fancy picking
up on some tips that may just have passed you by. Well, here they
are. In bite-sized nuggets, the 101 top tips that could just put
you ahead of the field!
So, you think that you are an illustrator! You can use your application
of choice and a fair few others to boot. You can create the kind
of images that would fit well on any magazine page, book jacket
or CD sleeve but have yet to really get out there and show the
world what you are capable of. Or, you already work in illustration
but would like advice on putting together that killer portfolio
or some pearls of wisdom on how to get in to see that top art
director or how to impress that illusive agent. Well, you're in
the right place - sit up straight, get your pencil and paper at
the ready (illustrators don't use PDAs) and get focused on advice
from illustrator, educator and ex-agent, Lawrence Zeegen, as he
imparts the kind of industry-insider tips that will help smooth
the roughest of journeys!
1. That Killer Portfolio
What makes that killer portfolio? Why will one type of presentation
always win over another? How can the way you present your work
affect the fees clients will be prepared to spend on your work?
Should you show every piece of work that you have ever produced?
Which format of portfolio will work best for your needs? Do illustrators
still need old-fashioned binders or will a CD or on-line presence
deliver the goods?
In this first section we investigate the dos and don'ts of your
portfolio presentation. We look at how to present your work to
its best advantage and which format is best for you and your potential
clients. Important advice about selecting and pacing the work
you show as well as tips on what to spend your money on...
1. Format. Depending on whom you plan to work for, you are likely
to still need that old-fashioned leather portfolio with plastic
sleeves. Clients like something printed in front of them. It works
in meetings and does not suffer from compatibility problems! Buy
the best you can afford.
2. Spend wisely. Buy a leather portfolio. It will save you money
in the long run. Leather will wear so much better that plastic.
It says that you take pride in your work and may help you command
higher fees as it shows that you mean business!
3. You live and die by the quality of your portfolio. Your work
may be up against work by other illustrators. Win the job. Make
sure that your portfolio is well presented. Clean or change the
plastic sleeves in your folder on a regular basis. Good presentation
is a must!
4. Be clear about what your portfolio says. You may not be with
your work every time it's viewed. Keep it clear, concise and precise.
Present a positive image. Choose your strongest work; work that
you feel positive about. Don't include anything that you may have
to apologise for!
5. Who is it for? You need to show potential clients what you
can do. Your clients, usually a designer or art director, may
need to show it to their clients to get approval. Your portfolio
must be able to speak to a whole range of different audiences.
Remember this when you put it together.
6. Other tips for smart professional portfolios - get into the
habit of regularly adding new printed work as you produce it,
keeping your folio fresh and up-to-date. Make sure that the running
order makes sense - group work together depending on the type
of clients it was produced for.
7. Kick off your portfolio with your strongest image and end on
an equally high note. These are the most important images in your
book. Keep a list of exactly what is in your portfolio and the
order it was in - a real headache to put back together without.
Clients will rearrange it!
8. Create at least two, maybe three portfolios, if you are planning
on being busy. Many designers and art directors simply don't have
time to meet all illustrators and want you to 'drop off'. Keeping
more than one portfolio circulating around means no dead time.
9. With more than one portfolio, you never run the risk of being
called in for that lucrative advertising commission at very short
notice and not having a folio to hand. It happens, be prepared
and have one that sits next to the phone.
10. Web sites. Important, useful and a great compliment to that
leather bound folio. A web site will greatly add to your client
base. Directing clients to your site means that they can view
your work whenever, where ever. Cut your courier bill by not having
to ship your portfolio all over town and the globe!
11. Be creative with your site. Use it to showcase commissioned
work, non-commissioned work and even work-in-progress. Remember
to update your site on a regular basis and let folks know that
you have too.
12. The interactive CD-ROM - another extra to your leather folio
but not to be overlooked. Being able to leave this portfolio with
clients is cool, so long as it works with their kit and is bug-free!
Think about your audience, will they appreciate your extra costs
in time, energy and materials?
13. Think carefully about the work you show. Don't think that
clients will want to see a couple of drawings from that iffy evening
class you did over ten years ago! Make sure that the work all
sits together well and does not cover to many 'styles'. Be excellent
at one way of working, not average at lots!
2. The Art of Self-Promotion
You are doing some great work- you know that you are. Your portfolio
is starting to look real hot. You think that you have this caper
all worked out - just sit tight and wait for the phone to ring.
Alas, nobody yet knows who you are and what you do and, even,
how to contact you. So how do you attract them, how do you lead
them to your on-line presence and presents? Get yourself some
self-promotional items and quick!
Should your promo take the form of printed matter or does matter
if you email your intended audience a selection of low-res images?
For illustrators the art of self-promotion is never over, start
as you mean to go on by following this set of guiding lights...
14. The original format for illustrators promoting their work
is the postcard. Full colour image on one size and one colour
on reverse for contact details. Cheap, cheerful and quick to produce,
they fit in the sleeve inside your portfolio too. Beat that!
15. The unit cost of a postcard goes down the more you have printed.
Before you order 1000, though, think about whether you will use
them all before you are sick and tired of the image. Look at costs
of shorter runs using a digital press rather than off-set litho.
16. You could get together with other illustrators and take a
whole sheet; postcards are either printed 16 or 32 up. It will
work out cheaper but could be a hassle! If not, play the card
printers off against each other to get the best price!
17. Postcards make sense but may seem boring. Think about other
formats that you could adopt. Calendars have a one-year shelf
life, if they are liked and used. Desk tidies are naff and should
be left to Blue Peter!
18. Your final choice of self-promo should show an image, your
name; contact details such as web address, email address and phone
number. Sounds straightforward but many illustrators concentrate
on the image and forget the details!
19. Get your work in annuals. Art Buyers in advertising agencies
swear by them. The pay-per-page illustration annuals like Contact
and The Art Book are not cheap at between £600 - £1000 per page,
but many illustrators claim they work better than anything else
does.
20. Send out a press release to all design magazines and journals
when you create high profile work. Send good large-format transparencies
as well as a concise 'story' about the job. The design press have
pages to fill and you can provide the content - hey Presto - free
publicity!
21. Enter your work into national and international competitions.
Many of the big organisations produce thick glossy annuals of
the best work and some run touring exhibitions too as well as
web sites that feature the work. Check the design press for details.
22. From your web site sell limited edition, signed digital prints.
Not all publicity material has to be given away. Encourage users
to download free screen-savers you have created. Imagine your
work on the screen of a computer in a busy design studio.
23. Don't spam! Nobody wants mail that they did not ask for. Once
you have started to work for a client they may be happy to receive
a regular email newsletter or set of low-res images but wait until
they are clients!
24. Contact galleries. Have an exhibition of your work and invite
clients and potential clients to a Private View. Once again, let
the design and local press know well in advance. On the night,
stay off the white wine and use the event to make contacts and
meet new faces.
25. Avoid the tacky. Spending money on getting pens printed with
your name on, sticks of rock with your email address running through
or cheap diaries with your contact details across the front are
not big or clever.
26.Don't waste money on getting mouse mats made up with your work
on, most designers (not all) use Macs and the Apple Pro Mouse
killed off the mouse mat!
27. Keep folk up to date with what you are doing. Spend time and
cash to create new publicity, showing how your work is evolving.
Have a long-term plan for maintaining contact with your clients
and creating new ones.
3. Identifying Clients and Making Contacts (and how to keep them)
You now have a portfolio itching to be seen and some publicity
to die for. What you need now are some clients or at least some
potential ones! No good going to see children's book publishers
with material more suited to the mags on the top shelves of your
favourite newsagent. Very little point in showing work that features
fantasy sci-fi space scenes to that design company specialising
in annual reports for city clients! Get wise, don't waste your
time or others; target your work precisely. Be clear about what
it is you do and whom you wish to work for. Follow this set of
tips and get right on track...
28. Think about buying lists of 'creatives' from companies like
File FX in London. For a reasonable fee you could have the name
of all the art buyers and creative directors in the top two hundred
advertising agencies in London- just think about how much time
that could save you on the phone.
29. Spend time conducting some research. If you want to create
illustrations for magazines, browse them over coffee in places
like Borders. Target the right folks; try art editors and art
directors rather than editors and writers.
30. Every time you see an interesting book jacket or CD sleeve,
make it your mission to discover who created it and who commissioned
it. Send the commissioning designer a copy of your publicity if
you think that your work fits. Follow it up with a phone call
to make an appointment to show your portfolio.
31. Be polite on the telephone and keep a pen to hand to write
notes. Make sure that you have sent samples/publicity in advance.
Trying to explain what your work looks like over the telephone
is not easy!
32. Invest in a good database application and get used to updating
it with new info on a regular basis. Enter a broad range of fields
that include the obvious like names, addresses, and contact details
as well as the type of company and the last time that you mailed
publicity or made contact.
33. Whenever you visit a potential client with your portfolio
arrive a few minutes early. This gives you a little time to sit
in the reception area browsing their bound copies of recent publicity
or current magazines they publish. A little knowledge can go a
long way...
34. Be patient, explain your work carefully but do not outstay
your welcome. Most designers, art buyers and art directors will
be able to give you just 10-15 minutes. Make this time count,
keep focussed on the work you want them to see and be ready to
exit!
35. Take a notebook to every meeting with a client. Take notes
if you need to and if they like your work ask them to recommend
commissioning designers that you could visit at other companies.
Word of mouth can be a real benefit.
36. Be prepared to 'drop-off' your portfolio rather than always
meet person to person. If you would like them to leave comments,
provide a piece of paper taped to the inside of your portfolio
and remember to put fresh promo cards in too.
37. Keeping clients is a huge part of the job. If you are a pleasure
to deal with, you are likely to get repeat business and recommendations.
Nobody likes to work with a pain in the backside however talented
you are!
4. The Commission, The Job, The Low-down
It is all paying off; clients at your beck and call and the phone
hasn't stopped ringing since you sent your mailer out! The work
is starting to flood in and then you are asked to quote a fee.
Find out how much to charge and how to ask for it. How to manage
your time, meet deadlines and still have a life. What does bleed
mean? What are first visuals? What does an Art Buyer do and why?
You are now an illustrator and need to know the full spec on terms
and conditions, need to know how long a job should take, what
format the artwork should take and how to get it to your client
on time. This section gives you the low-down, the full break-down
on how to handle that first commission or how to start handling
those jobs if you are a hardened pro with bad habits!
38. It makes sense to join an organisation that can give you advice
when you need it. The Association of Illustrators help members
with issues regarding fees, payment problems and legal matters.
Check them out at www.aoi.co.uk.
39. Quoting fees on jobs is never easy. Try to get a budget from
the art director commissioning you. Ask what they have paid for
previous work of the same scale, duration and usage. They normally
know what they want to pay!
40. If you need time to think about a fee say that you will get
back to them. Use the time to call fellow illustrators or the
AOI for some advice. Put your quote in writing and date it. Get
the client to formally agree in writing to your quote or amended
quote if you agree to adjust.
41. Remember, rates depend on a number of issues and it is always
makes sense to clarify exactly where your work will be used, at
what size, the print run (if applicable) and the length of time
the image is to be used for.
42. A general 'rule of thumb' is that advertising work sits at
the top of the pile, fee-wise, followed by work for design companies.
Book publishers run next followed by magazines. You could create
a small image for an advertising campaign that pays £1000 and
the same size image for a mag that brings in £100!
43. With large jobs it is worth getting a contract sorted before
you even start the work. Outline the fee breakdown - with agreed
amounts for visuals as well as delivery of final artwork. Put
in delivery dates that are realistic. If the client wants it all
tomorrow, charge more!
44. Know your rights! If the client rejects your work at visual
stage you can charge 25% of the full fee, if they reject on completion,
through no fault of yours, go for the full fee. Be prepared to
negotiate, though, you may only get 50%!
45. Educate your client. The visuals stage is just that. It gives
you the chance to show the client what you are planning on doing
for the final artwork. It could show the general layout of the
image as well as your ideas for how the work communicates. It
is not the finished thing!
46. Learn some technical terms. Make sure that you understand
the terminology used by your client. If you are not sure what
'bleed' is - ask! Don't try and wing it. It will end in tears.
47. Make sure that you leave the briefing session with all of
your questions answered. If not, call the client up when you get
back to your studio. It is vital that you understand what you
are being asked to do. Leave nothing vague!
48. Check what format they would like to receive the work in.
EPS, JPEG; be sure they can open it! Check the resolution it is
expected in too. Understand why newspapers are different from
glossy publications. If in doubt, check it out!
49. Don't trust the colours on your monitor, check chosen colours
against print spec charts! Check how the job is being printed.
Will all your chosen colours be easily achieved from the four-colour
set? Avoid some oranges- they can go mucky.
50. If the job requires 'specials', colours printed using specially
mixed colours, check the client has authorised this. Using silvers
and metallic colours in your artwork will add to the print cost.
51. RGB or CMYK? Be sure that you format the artwork correctly.
Is the image for screen or print? Set your application up properly
before you start your job. It is very simple to forget and submit
in the wrong format.
52. When you are commissioned to create an illustration, you sell
the rights for its reproduction, unless otherwise agreed. The
illustrator retains the ownership of the artwork itself as well
as, more importantly with digital work, the copyright. Remember
this!
53. You can charge 100% of the original fee for the sale of the
copyright but then lose any rights to the work. Make sure you
consider the pros and cons.
5. Studio/Office Tips
It all seems so easy being a professional artist, what could
possibly go wrong? Get yourself organised early on and make sure
that nothing does. Setting up a studio or office is not just about
browsing the IKEA catalogue for trestle legs, you know. Keeping
the Software Police and the Font Bureau happy as well as being
street legal and paying tax on your earnings takes organisation.
Keeping track of your invoices and making sure that your studio
is insured, so visitors can't sue when they trip on your portfolio
are just basics. Being an artist and a business man/woman has
to go hand in hand if you are going to avoid pitfalls. Many, often
over-looked, issues and tips and are covered in this vital section...
54. Get legal; register your business with your local tax office.
You are likely to be classified as a 'Sole Trader' and will have
to start paying tax on your profits. Get organised right away!
55. Employ an accountant. Best practice is to be recommended one
that understands the job of the illustrator. They can then advise
on tax deductible items to keep your tax liabilities down.
56. Invoice work as soon as it is completed. Make sure that your
invoice includes all of the details of the work carried out and
to whom you would like the cheque made out to. And where you would
like it sent too, of course.
57. Legally your invoice must carry an invoice number. You can
start the running order at any number. You may wish to start at
00100 so that you look to your clients, like you've been trading
longer!
58. It is likely that your invoice will sit on a couple of desks
before it is finally paid. State your payment terms on your invoice
and start chasing, on the phone, as soon as that period is up.
Start with the accounts department and work your way up the food
chain, if you get no luck.
59. Software should be street legal and legit and you should use
only fonts that you own. The software police are watching you!
60. The life of the illustrator can be lonely. Are you the kind
of person that enjoys working from your own in the back bedroom
at home? If not consider a shared studio. Scan local newspapers
for studio space. Shared facilities mean less financial outlay.
61. Get your studio equipped. You will need the following; phone,
answer-phone, mobile phone, email (with ADSL or ISDN if you are
sending artwork down the line), fax (if you produce visuals on
paper), CD Burner (archive your work as you go), good lighting
and a very comfortable chair.
62. Get into a routine. Arrive at your studio, at home or elsewhere,
at a regular time. Forget the world of day-time TV and get tuned
into the reality of checking your email, reading your post, chasing
unpaid invoices and all other associated tasks before you start
actually illustrating.
63. Get insured. Get your studio insured. Get your portfolio insured.
Insure yourself against injury, unlikely but may happen. Studio
insurance covers you if a visitor falls and breaks a leg and having
your portfolio insured means that if it goes missing (quite frequent
an occurrence) you get some financial remuneration.
64. Think about the kind of computer you are going to be using.
A desk top machine tied to your desk in your studio five miles
from home may not be ideal if you like to work late into the evening.
You may wish to go portable and have the flexibility of working
anywhere.
65. Read the design press on a regular basis for news about projects
that design companies are involved in and news of new companies
starting up. You don't have to buy them all, get back to Borders
or your local library.
66. If you move studio, make sure that people know. A change of
address card is a good excuse to send out more promotional material.
Obviously, if people don't know how to get hold of you, they won't.
6. Inspiration V Perspiration
You have followed the tips so far; you are a lean mean illustrating
machine. You can hunt down clients, track down new business, quote
to within a quid of the client's true budget. You know shortcuts
across Soho to get you to a briefing in less than five minutes
and can call the art director of the latest top style mag by his
christian name and yet still something is missing! Remember you
are an artist. You must feed your habit too. Stay inspired, stay
motivated and stay busy even when the phone goes dead! Some top
tips on how to stay an illustrator even when the chips are down...
67. Keep creative. Push your work by adding to your portfolio,
with work that you want to do rather than just work you are paid
to do! You can lead the type of work that you are offered by showing
similar examples.
68. Visit exhibitions for inspiration. Look at the work of other
illustrators as well as artists and photographers. Examine methods
and techniques as well as the ideas in their work. It is a good
idea to buy exhibition catalogues, or postcards if your budget
is limited.
69. Read more fiction. As an illustrator you are expected to bring
text/copy to life. If you read more and create thumbnail sketches
of ideas in response to these texts, you'll keep in practice.
70. Read more factual and non-fiction work. Illustrators need
to get under the skin of a subject and understand the issues raised
in a writer's text. If you get to grips with the copy you stand
a far greater chance of illustrating it well.
71. Go the theatre and the cinema. Engage with dance or opera.
Above all else, enjoy other art forms. You can take inspiration
from all sorts of sources. It may be as simple as new combinations
of colour that you see in a theatre costume or the framing of
particular images in film. Be inspired!
72. Draw, draw and then draw some more. Take your sketchbook everywhere
and use it in cafes, bars, on the bus and in the park. If your
work does not rely on drawing but more on photographic imagery,
keep your camera with you at all times.
73. Get yourself invited to exhibition private views and meet
other artists and illustrators informally. Normally getting onto
a mailing list for a gallery is as simple as phoning and asking!
74. Check out local groups run by the Association of Illustrators
that meet on a regular basis. Many groups invite busy professional
illustrators to give slide lectures about their work and experiences;
learn from others.
75. If you are really short of work, offer to work as an assistant
to a busy illustrator or illustration studio free of charge, for
the experience and to pick up more tips. You'll make coffee, mix
paints, book couriers and hunt for reference materials.
76. Use dead time to produce work for competitions. Real dividends
can be had from winning or being a finalist in illustration competitions.
You can get your work recognised and seen by others and often
an unknown illustrator will come to prominence through this route.
77. Meet other illustrators on a regular basis. Swap stories,
contacts and advice. It is vital that you keep in touch with developments
in the illustration world. It is good to have a shoulder to cry
on and an audience for your positive stories too.
7. Agents - to have or to have not
Tired of schlepping around town trying to meet and greet the
young guns of the design, publishing and advertising worlds? Want
some other bod to do it for you? For an average of 25-30% of each
job that they get for you, some other bod will. Meet the illustration
agent! The dos and don'ts, the good, the bad and the ugly of the
agent are revealed in this section. Lots of pros and cons to help
assist you in making that choice and some tips that will help
you stand out from the crowd if you decide that an agent is top
of your must-have list. What should you expect, what should they
expect and how will the relationship be as fruitful as possible?
78. Illustration agencies are businesses. To operate they have
to make a profit. This means that they must represent busy illustrators
and plenty of them. If you are not happy being part of this business
go straight to the next section...
79. Still here? Want an agent? Investigate the agencies that are
out there. They all have different areas of expertise. Hunt out
the one you and your work are most suitable for. Be sure that
they operate in the areas of illustration that you do.
80. Be prepared to give up 25-30% of you income in commission
but recognise that agents can command higher fees. This may well
make up for the commission. If you are lucky enough to be taken
on by an agent check what percentage they take first. Feel free
to negotiate.
81. Just like clients, agents are very busy too. Don't hassle
but be polite. Offer to send samples and wait to hear back when
they get the chance to call you. Offer to visit- they will want
to meet you if they like your work.
82. Ask the agents that you meet about their techniques for getting
artists work. Do they rely on just printed publicity? Do they
have a web site? Do they go out and tread the streets with portfolios?
Are they pro-active? You need to know this kind of information.
83. Agents charge (on top of commission) a percentage of the costs
of advertising an artist. Make sure you understand how much this
may cost you in your first year? Can you afford it? Do they want
the cash up front or will they take it from fees owed to you?
Check the details.
84. Ask about organised meetings for the illustrators represented
by the agency. If they happen regularly, it means that they have
happy artists and is a good sign. It is useful to have a meeting
point to discuss issues with other illustrators.
85. Agents may expect to have sole representation of your work.
They may want to handle your own clients too. Are you prepared
to hand them over? Another point to discuss before making a final
decision.
86. Think carefully about how you present your portfolio at any
meeting. Agents will be interested in who you have worked for
as well as how your work has developed. They will be thinking
long term investment. Think the same thoughts!
87. Agents do not tolerate artists working for the agency's clients
without declaring it. Some clients are slippery. Don't make the
mistake of losing your agent because you have working behind their
back!
8. Getting That Full-time Job
The life of the freelance, self-employed individual appeared
so care free, didn't it? Start work when you pleased, take as
long for lunch as you wished or even a long weekend - never did
like Mondays! That was before the parents/landlord/building society
(delete as necessary) started to demand the rent/mortgage payments
(delete as necessary) and the bicycle/motorbike/car (delete as
necessary) needed a new tyre/MOT (delete as necessary). Suddenly
the safety net of the world of PAYE seems far too enticing. You
need a job in illustration and you need it fast. Get cracking
before the few out there are snapped up! Follow these tips on
securing that position and wait for your first monthly pay cheque
to roll in...
88. More and more design companies are starting to employ illustrators
or designers that can illustrate on permanent contracts. Check
the design press for ads and be prepared to send samples and CV
at short notice.
89. Approach publishing companies and greetings card companies
if seeking full-time positions, they are still the most likely.
Write a covering letter, introducing yourself and your experience
and expertise and be prepared to follow it up with a phone call.
90. If given an appointment or interview, be on time, be presentable
and know as much as you can about the company. Ask intelligent
questions and be keen- all fairly obvious tips but easily overlooked
by some.
91. Offer to work on a temporary placement basis to gain experience.
This is a must if you are a recent college graduate. In return
for poor payment you will get good experience and hopefully a
project or two you can add to your portfolio.
92. Once on a placement, demonstrate yourself to be so good they
have to ask you to stay! Don't complain about working long hours
- it is the done thing in design and advertising. Get yourself
noticed, ask questions and offer to help others out with presentations.
93. If you want to go into freelance illustration but would like
to understand the business in more detail first, try seeking a
job at an illustration agency. You'll meet lots of illustrators
and clients and see projects through from conception to completion.
94. Other areas to try your luck at include studio management.
Be the person responsible for keeping a design studio running.
You could be involved in all aspects of the design process- one
moment discussing projects with designers, illustrators and photographers
and the next checking proofs on press at the printers.
95. Keep a record of all contacts whilst looking for work and
after you get the job. These will start to prove invaluable. All
designers and illustrators have favourite printers, repro houses,
places to source reference and the list will start to grow. Use
your contacts and keep them in an organised fashion.
9. Good Habits
Some tips do not fall into neat little boxes so here are the
best of the rest, the ones that nearly got away. Creating top
illustrations, maintaining great promotional material, building
a hot portfolio, running a studio and a business takes a lot of
skills - make sure that you get into good habits early on. Take
time to read this section and follow the instructions carefully.
Some may sound obvious, some may appear plain dumb but, rest assured,
they all work. Take daily and complete the whole course. Does
exactly what it says on the can!
96. Make sure that your client is pleased with the work that you
have produced. Many designers are simply too busy to call to let
you know that they have received your artwork. Phone them to check
that the work was ok- they'll appreciate it.
97. Don't 'lift', 'copy', 'borrow' or be too 'influenced' by the
style of another illustrator. Forge your own look- it is the only
way to create real lasting interest in your work. Be original.
98. Make sure that, where possible, you are given a credit for
the illustration you have created. If you have a web address,
ask the designer to use it in the credit. It will add to the traffic
to your site and may easily lead to further commissions.
99. Produce work to the deadline given, unless you have an agreed
extension. If the deadline appears unworkable ask for more time
before you take on the job. If you spot problems, resolve them
early on.
100. Chase up copies of the work when it is in print. Do this
as soon as the publication is out. The art director or designer
should be happy to send you three or four copies free of charge.
These 'tear sheets' are what will make up your portfolio.
101. Have fun, work hard, play hard and good luck!
© Lawrence Zeegen
