10 Things Every Illustrator Should Know About Getting Paid Work

If you have the skills, you can make a living as an illustrator. It isn’t going to all be sunshine and daisies, but you can more than scratch out a living. Know that in today’s global society, there are a lot of other illustrators out there. Some are going to have master’s degrees and others are still going to be in high school, but they are all going to give you a run for your money. Decide early on if you really want to do the freelance thing with an illustration portfolio or if you want to be employed by a company as an illustrator. If you choose the former and not the latter, you are always going to have more choices in your career, but you will also have less stability. Before pondering your choices any longer, read these 10 things about the art industry before beginning your foray into the world of illustration.

1. You Are Going to Have a Lot of Competition

So, you think you know what you’re doing, but you don’t. No seriously, you don’t have a clue yet. You might be very unique and have your own individual style, but there are illustrators who can literally duplicate any style they see. With that said, don’t assume that you won’t be able to stand out and get paid work again and again. Just apply to every advertisement realising that you aren’t automatically going to be the only applicant.

2. Someone Is Always Going to Do It Cheaper

Here is another good point. Art is totally subjective, so what you think is a fair rate might be totally out of the question for a potential buyer or customer. There are going to be people who come to you for unique logos who believe that your work is only worth a few dollars. You are going to interview for jobs where your competition is going to severely undercut you, time and time again. So, what can you do to ensure that you get work? What you don’t want to do is lower your rate. Believe in your work, your ability, and value yourself accordingly.

3. It’s Alright to Hate Your Work

There may be a point where you start looking at your works past and present, and you suddenly begin to hate everything you do. Don’t worry about it. This is totally natural for illustrators as well as other artists. In fact, if you love everything you do all the time it might be an indication that you aren’t growing as a professional. At the same time, when you are going through one of these mood swings, you don’t want to chuck everything in the garbage. Put it away, hide it under your bed, and come back after you have had time to re-centre your mind.

4. Repeat Business Is Good Business

If someone likes your work, they will probably ask you to do more in the future. All clients aren’t going to be the easiest to work with, but repeat business is critical to your survival as an illustrator. Remember that a small commissioned drawing can eventually turn into huge jobs in the future. So sometimes you are just going to have to grin and bear it if you want to do your own thing.

5. You Have to Pay Taxes

As a freelance artist, you are going to be paid directly by customers. It may feel nice to deposit a big fat check in your bank account, but the entire amount isn’t yours to spend freely. Every year, the tax man comes knocking on doors asking for his cut. As a self-employed artist, you are probably going to have to part with around 30% of your total earnings. If you deduct expenses, you may just pay a little less. So, don’t spend everything that you make or else you will get a bill from the tax man.

6. You Don’t Have to Be a Starving Artist

The starving artist cliché is still very much alive today, but it isn’t as relevant or accurate as it was in years past. In other words, if you want to work as an illustrator, you can stay busy 24/7. You may end up doing jobs that aren’t your favourite, but it beats a blank, especially if you are still early in your career. All you have to do is have an online portfolio and some business cards. Someone out there is going to like your work enough to pay you for it. You can sell what you create in your own time or you can be paid to make art; it is really your choice.

7. There is No Such Thing As Selling Out in the Art World

Speaking of clichés, there is this idea that doing art on a commercial scale can make you a “sell-out.” This concept has been repeated again and again, from the writing world to the music industry. If you are an artistic person you are going to be inspired to paint, and draw, and illustrate certain things. Maybe you particularly enjoy drawing nothing but faeries. If someone pays you to draw a surfboard instead, you have not committed some great sin. Instead, doing something outside of your comfort zone is going to make you learn and grow. So, in short, what some consider to be selling out is actually a really good thing.

8. You Are Going to Want to Give Up

Every artist gets totally discouraged and thinks that it would be best to go into a different field at least once in their lives. It happens every day, but the important part is that you realise that feelings change. Most people don’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning, but they don’t just lay there and wither away. If you are working as a professional illustrator, you have already boasted numerous major accomplishments. Consider the fact that you are living someone else’s dream – someone who is working in a cubicle, only wishing for the opportunity to do what you are doing right now.

9. You Need a Mentor

Artists need mentors, even if they are 70-years-old. You need someone who is going to give you guidance in the professional world. Mentors also make great friends who can help with making connections. If you don’t have a mentor, start going to events and asking around.

10. You Have to Have a Purpose

You may know that creating art makes you happy, but there needs to be another more clear purpose to your life and work. Some illustrators were told that they would never make it, so working professionally is their way of proving the naysayers wrong. Others have overcome illness or even great hardships in their lives to prove that they can be disciplined enough to succeed. Decide why art completes you to define what your purpose is.

Some months you will have more offers coming in than you can complete. Coincidentally, you might go awhile between jobs and really start to worry. Such is the life of the illustrator. See your life in full colour by going after your dreams and never giving up. Remember that your name, as well as your creations, are going to live on forever.