In all dimensions of the creative world, tremendous
changes have been brought by technology. These
innovations have affected the way we communicate,
the way we work and the way we market ourselves.
Illustration is no exception.
At one time the illustrator’s world was indeed
akin to that of the solitary fine artist—working away
in an atelier with pen and ink or paints and canvas.
While that is still true of some illustrators, increasingly
they are utilizing digital means to create their
artwork. According to Stuart Briers of the Association
of Illustrators, “Illustrators, generally,
are now broadening their skill set as disciplines
continue to overlap. Many move between animation,
photography, website building, etc., as well as
employing the new tools to create 2D illustration.”
Whatever process illustrators use to work, there is no
doubt that they are turning in large numbers to the
internet to promote themselves.
In some ways, this push to go online has been
prompted by a change in the tradition of having
illustrators represented by a talent agent. There’s
been a decline in the number of illustrators who
have formed business relationships with reps.
Certainly, large well-established artist representative
companies remain as vital as ever, having formed
deep bonds with both the talent and the buyers.
However, some representatives have closed shop
or changed their business models. Reps still maintain
their working relationships with power buyers
like advertising agencies and major magazines, but
groups servicing smaller and infrequent buyers seem
to be disappearing. The self-serve world of online
portfolio sites is making a big difference in the way
buyers select illustrators and commission work.
The web: a virtual rep
Many young illustrators don’t have the opportunity
to find and work with the country’s stronger reps.
More and more, these illustrators are creating their
own websites or turning to talent directory website
services that function, in part, as virtual reps.
Nothing beats the personal rapport and connection
of a trusted rep, a gifted illustrator and a savvy art
director—but that isn’t always possible in today’s
fast-paced creative cycles. Sometimes it just makes
sense for art directors to log on, quickly view portfolios
and make a deal directly with an illustrator.
Bryan Leister, an illustrator who is cofounder with
Randy Lyhus of Folio Planet,
one of the web’s top illustration portfolio sites, says,
“I think in many cases it’s just easier and faster to
find an illustrator online. I can’t remember the last
time I used a phone book to find something; it’s just
so fast and easy to use the web. Plus, the fact that
it’s available 24/7 really makes our site convenient.”
The art directors who make the decisions about
concept, style and creative execution of ideas by
illustrators like the simplicity and immediacy of these
sites. They’re searchable with keywords describing
illustration style or image subject matter, making it
easy to review options and be introduced to illustrators
that the art directors may otherwise never have
known existed.
Scott Anderson, a Santa Barbara, Calif., illustrator,
has made it a practice to do an annual promotional
tour of editorial art directors in New York
City with whom he’d like to work. Anderson says he
frequently noticed that when he met with art directors,
typically they already had his personal www.scottandersonstudio.com and his iSpot.com web pages open on a computer. Anderson notes, “These
art directors are very comfortable doing business this
way. They are on the computer all day, so choosing
an illustrator via the web is a natural thing for them.”
Illustrators must pay to be on iSpot.com—much
like buying an ad. Anderson decided to become a
subscriber to iSpot because of his familiarity with its
message boards. On iSpot there are forums for illustrators
to post questions and share information with
each other. So far, he’s pleased. “The site has paid for
itself each year with new clients finding me there.
The iSpot staff has been quite helpful in suggesting
keywords to describe my work that buyers will use to
search and find the right illustrator. They know their
business and pass along advice to us.”
The Directory of Illustration, The Black Book
and The Workbook offer respected directories published
annually in print and online. Elizabeth Owen,
marketing director for the Directory of Illustration,
says, “Fewer printed books are being published, but
the ones that remain are strong.” Both Owen and
the Directory’s publisher, Glen Serbin, admit that
the marketplace has changed with more illustration
advertising delivered online. “We’ve got a 23-year
track record of presenting great talent. People trust
us,” says Serbin. “Plus, with our Directory you can
see how the work reproduces in high-res printed
form.” Briers agrees: “The disadvantages [of portfolio
websites] are less obvious. Viewing images on screen
is still no substitute for viewing an original.”
Getting noticed
Illustration directories and website services are free
to clients and buyers. The cost to the illustrator
to advertise varies. Some are free to members of
an organization that provides a portfolio directory
service online like the Graphic Artists Guild, while others charge up to $500 for
a deluxe annual listing with premium placement.
The printed directory books, with their companion
websites, cost an illustrator about $2200–$3400 for
a full-color single-page ad with an approximately
20-image website and ad reprints included. Besides
the obviously tangible book, the difference in the
cost of these marketing tools has a lot to do with the
Directory’s own promotional costs. These services
often spend considerable amounts on advertising
themselves to buyers. After all, having work online
is no guarantee that art directors and designers will
actually find an illustrator; the site (or book) itself
must be marketed to draw traffic.
“As far as online portfolios go, many of the
illustrators I know have their own websites. When
they solicit business, they send me there for browsing,”
says Heather Bell, an associate creative director
at BBDO Detroit. “I haven’t used a portfolio
directory in years because I haven’t had a need to. I
would, though, if I had a job that needed something
fresh and different, or if I was looking for a style
that was way out there.” Bell laments that she isn’t
always able to try new talent or indeed even specify
illustration for her conservative automotive clients.
Many art directors find themselves limited by client
requirements, time and/or budget and are unable to
allow for the illustrator’s process. Many art directors,
though, consider illustration important to a project
and therefore make the necessary allowances.
Illustration’s future
“The illustration business is changing so much—the
availability of stock photography had a huge negative
impact on illustration that we’re still recovering
from,” says Anderson. “People have trumpeted the
death of illustration for years, but we’re not dead
yet. It seems as of late that illustration is returning
to favor among art directors. I don’t know what the
future will hold for us, but I’m optimistic that illustration’s
not going away.” Certainly the internet isn’t
going away, and it will continue to be a great tool
for finding just the right illustrator for the job.
SIDEBAR: Why Use Illustration?
Illustration aids visualization of
ideas—expressing a variety of
subjects and functions in a way
most other representational
mediums are unable to do.
Illustration can:
- Provide visual representation
of something described in a
piece of text
- Evoke emotion
- Offer a variety of styles
that can communicate
subtle themes
- Visualize, step-by-step, a set
of instructions
- Clarify complex information,
ideas or objects that are diffi
cult to describe
- Represent something that is
not actually created yet
(e.g., a prototype)
Why Use Illustration?
- Support a narrative through
the unique personal expression
of the artist
- Stress the subject matter more
than the actual form of an
image concept
- Expand on the linguistic
aspects of the information
being presented
- Give characters in a story
a face or likeness
- Link brands to ideas of
humanity, self-expression
and creativity
- Set a tone, from whimsical
to serious
- Decorate and enhance a piece
of text, a story or a poem
- Bring color and life to
any layout
Recommended resources
Illustration Societies and Organizations
Professional Illustration Portfolio Sites
Stock Illustration
Websites Of Interest to Illustrators
