For many illustrators just starting out, making the
decisions about how to direct their careers can be a daunting and even
confusing task, but a necessary one. Most illustrators believe that the type of
work they produce, it’s style, subject matter, genre, etc. will automatically take
them to wherever it is they wish to go in their career, and they a partially
right. In some cases illustrators are fortunate enough to be discovered or to
fall into a focused career path, but many new illustrators don’t know where
they want to go, or even the kinds of directions an illustration career can
take for it takes a fair amount of research and some contemplation to determine
career aspirations. One problem is that new illustrators quite often don’t even
know where to begin, and career path guidance and information has had its
shortcomings in illustration education and the field at large.
Articles titled “How to be an Illustrator” simply don’t cut
it any more than they would if the title was “How to be an Industrial Designer”
for illustration is much more than simply being able to draw or paint well it
is a distinct and technical career in the visual communications field that
involves a number of business and non-visual communications skills. Despite
what some may think, in addition to providing an artistic education, colleges and
universities do provide education in these other areas.
How To Identify An Illustration Career
To begin, let’s assume that they have artistic training and
possess the formal body of artistic knowledge
and the ability to professionally execute illustrations. To compliment this,
they must also have been educated in methodology used solve illustration
problems. For these most basic skills are the foundation on which an illustration
career is built. Without the exposure to dynamic methods and resources that impart
and encourage these qualifications, a career in illustration will be very
difficult to achieve.
Self-awareness of the qualities and skills that it will take
to support a career in illustration is a necessity. This is then combined with knowledge
of the illustration field, the scope of media and styles it supports, the markets
it encompasses, the clients it serves, the audiences it benefits, the types of
assignments it contains, etc. This is essential for an illustrator to determine
his or her place in the illustration business, and having that understanding is
necessary to formulate a career strategy.
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| © 2013 Don Arday. |
How To Use This Checklist
Place a checkmark in the squares to identify all the traits
that pertain to your work at the present time. Then place a checkmark in the
circles next to all the traits that represent career aspirations. If you wish
to continue a certain trait that applies now also in the future then check both.
By comparing what you have achieved in the present to what you may wish to achieve
in the future, you can get an idea about which directions to pursue with your
work.
Media
Style
Demographics
Assignments
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