Process of working as an illustrator
Working as an illustrator is exciting! Here is this week’s podcast question I received:
My name is Lucy, I am from London, England and I am graduating from an illustration college this May, I really want to start working as an illustrator. Can you describe your process of working as an illustrator, your, when you work on an illustration commission from start to finish?
The process of working as an illustrator is almost the same for every illustration job. It starts with a client contacting me (or my agent) and briefly describing the illustration project. Then my illustration rep usually starts negotiating the budget for the project and deadlines. I sometimes negotiate these details myself if I feel like working directly with the client, but often I prefer my agent to take care of all the paper work so that I don’t have to worry about the client not paying at the end. When all details are negotiated, I sign the contract with the client or if I’m working with the agent, then I don’t have to sign.
Working as an illustrator is very exciting as every illustration job is different.
Then, I start working on the roughs for the illustration project, these sketches are done in pencil and don’t have to be super detailed. You need to show your idea and how the overall illustration will look like. Once the sketch is done, I scan it and send the jpeg to the client in low res. The process of working as an illustrator always includes this step, you cannot start your final illustration in colour unless the client approves your sketch.
It’s very important to keep the deadlines that you agree with the client at the beginning. If you know that the client isn’t giving you enough time, negotiate at the beginning of the project.
So then, the process of working as an illustrator follows with receiving feedback from the client after you send your sketch. The client can tell his/her additional comments or could require you to make big changes. Sometimes the client even asks me to create a completely new sketch. That’s why I prefer to always to provide 2-3 sketches at the beginning so that there could be a choice for the client.
Once you do all the changes required to the sketch and the client approves, you are ready to start your final illustration! It is such an exciting part of the illustration job. I love taking out my paints and watercolour paper, and start creating. There is something so divine and heavenly in this process.
Once my final illustration is completed, I send it to the client in a low resolution. Almost always, the client approves right away and I just have to send my final illustration in a 300 dpi resolution. Then for the rest of the process of working as an illustrator includes sending your invoice to the client if you are working without an agent! I will teach you how to send your invoice and what has to be included on it. When I’m working with my rep, I don’t have to send any invoice as my agent takes care of it all.
I usually get paid 30-90 days after the project is done. Sometimes, my clients pay right away though paypal but often if it’s a big client, the project has to go through the accountant. It takes time and it’s absolutely normal to get your payment not right away.
I would love to hear from you. What’s your process of working as an illustrator and what are your struggles?
Thank you, as always for reading, watching and contributing your genius to the conversation.
P. P.S. Don’t be discouraged when you start, know that you will succeed, it just takes time… YOUR ART IS SPECIAL. Don’t you forget it.
See Daria’s illustration portfolio.
Don’t forget to watch the video on Process of working as an illustrator.