As an illustrator starting out, it can seem puzzling as to why some artists are getting tons of work yet you’re struggling just to book a single assignment. Below, are the top eight reasons why art director’s aren’t beating down your door and, also, how to overcome them:
A-a-a-a-n-d we’re back! Hope you all had a nice summer! As I mentioned in my last official post, I had to take a bit of time off from the blog to fully focus on a couple of big projects. Luckily, they’re mostly done so I can now return to dishing out advice and info. And, since the school term is starting and Fall is here, this is a good time to get things back in gear with a plan of action.
As a beginning illustrator, there are a variety of things necessary to jumpstart your career—from updating your portfolio to putting out a new promo piece. The following plan can help move your career forward in just a few short months:
I’ve got a couple of major all-consuming projects I’m working on for the next few months. Because of that, I won’t have much time to update this blog until the Fall. So Business of Illustration will be going on Summer Vacation until September until I’m able to return with all new posts. In the meantime, if there are any things you’re keen on hearing more about when the blog returns, shoot me an email and I’ll put them in the queue. See you in September!
Those who follow my illustration and writing career will know that two weeks ago I announced my new book, The Secrets to Ruling School (Without Even Trying), which will be published by Abrams Amulet on September 1st, 2015. Selling a book can be a challenging experience and I thought that this would be the perfect time to talk about how an aspiring author/illustrator can make that dream a reality.
Last week, we looked at what art directors want from illustrators. Now it’s time to put the shoe on the other foot and examine what illustrators want from art directors. This should be a good primer for anyone thrust into the role of art directing or commissioning illustration, or who just wants to get better at it. Here’s a list of what art directors should know:
Illustrators sometimes complain about their working relationships with art directors. But, did you know that art directors occasionally have their own gripes about the illustrators they commission? Other than doing amazing work, there are some universal things that art directors want from illustrators engaged in a project. From my own experiences behind the table, these are the things I think most would agree on:
I’ll be doing a talk for AIGA NY’s Breakfast Club Series on March 24th at 8am! It will be about crossing and combining the disciplines of illustration and design. From the AIGA NY website:
For illustrators, taxes work a bit differently than from those working regular 9–5 jobs. You’re essentially your own small business owner and need to treat your taxes as such. Let’s take a look at some essential things illustrators should know about taxes.
As the spring semester begins, for many aspiring illustrators this will be their final set of classes before graduating. Having taught senior illustration majors for eleven years, I thought it might be useful to share my advice for those embarking on their last semester:
Late payments are the bane of every illustrator’s existence. So what should you do if you have a delinquent client? Let’s examine the scenarios and tackle the remedies.