Neil Swaab

This author has written 60 articles

What Happens When You No Longer Like the Direction of a Project

Reader Wijtze Valkema writes in with the following question:

I was wondering if you ever run into the problem of having a project going in a direction that you don’t really want creatively, and how you deal with these projects. A project that sounds fun at first and just right up your alley in terms of style, but after a couple proposals the project turns into something you’re not happy with, or even think shouldn’t be known as your work. Do you quit? Do you finish it? Do you ask having your name removed from the credits? Does it hurt your style and name when your name is credited to a project you feel isn’t ‘you’ anymore? Does it hurt your relationship with the client when you quit half-way or finish it but want no name credit?

Unfortunately, this is all too common of a problem. One of the things that separates illustrators from fine artists is that we have clients that need to be pleased. And clients, sadly, can sometimes be wrong.

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The Pros and Cons of Illustration Reps

Illustration reps can be great allies for illustrators. However, while they may seem like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for many inexperienced graphic artists, there are some positive aspects and some negative aspects about having a rep that should be considered before teaming up with one. In this post, we’ll discuss those different facets.

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What Should Go on an Illustration Invoice

Who doesn’t love getting paid? It allows you to do all the things you enjoy like eating, wearing clothes, and not dying in the streets. So it’s a huge bummer when your payment is slowed down because you forgot some vital information on your invoice. You can solve that by making sure to include the following information on every illustration invoice you send out:

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About Day Jobs

Now that the school term is winding down, graduating illustration students everywhere are freaking out about how they’re going to pay the rent. A few rockstars will be able to launch their careers right away as full-time illustrators, but for most, the process of establishing oneself takes years. Which means, if you’re an aspiring illustrator, you’ll need to find a day job to support yourself until then. But, which day job should you get?

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What Should Go into an Illustration Contract

Having a contract is essential for any illustration assignment. But what should go into that contract can oftentimes be confusing and downright scary, particularly for those of us who are more artistic-minded rather than business-minded. In this post, we’ll take a look at a great resource to help with your contracts and discuss the different things that should go into a standard one and the reasons why.

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Skillshare Class – Book Design Basics: Styling Novel Interiors

While this news isn’t really about the business of illustration, it may be relevant to those of you out there who have been struggling with interior book design (for instance, working on your own illustrated novel):

I’m psyched to announce my new Skillshare class, Book Design Basics: Styling Novel Interiors! In this class, I teach you how to design a novel interior starting from a simple Word document and turning it into a fully designed book, ready for print or e-devices. Whether you’re just starting out and want to design your own self-published book and don’t know how, or you’re a professional artist/designer who wants some guidance on best practices for creating interiors using InDesign the right way, this is the class for you. And many of the lessons also apply towards other kinds of book design like picture books or poetry books, if you’re interested in that! So, please, check it out and spread the word!

The Importance of Contracts

When doing any kind of illustration work, it’s important to have a contract. Sure, it may seem a bit daunting for a beginner to delve into legalese, but contracts don’t need to be scary. They can be as simple as a plain-language document that outlines the general business between you and the client. In the world of illustration, they’re important for the following reasons:

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