PSHCE illustrator By Amber Hunt

Qualifications You do not need any particular qualifications to be an illustrator, although it may be helpful to gain employment. To be an illustrator you should have an interest in art, reading and in other illustrators' work. If you find that you are constantly drawing, then maybe a career in illustration is for you! Taking a course, such as a diploma or degree, in illustration will help you to discover the variety of projects illustrators can undertake. These courses will also teach you how to organise and present your portfolio of work to potential clients. Taking a degree in illustration will be beneficial, as you will hear lectures from established illustrators and portfolio consultants that will talk you through the processes of illustration.

What would I expect? Illustrators in employment usually work from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. The working hours of freelance illustrators vary depending on deadlines and quantity of work. Most illustrators work at home or in a studio. They usually work at a drawing board and computer workstation. A newly qualified illustrator working full time may earn between £14,000 and £19,000 a year.

What qualities are needed? Firstly to become an illustrator you will need to be very intrested in books and enjoy reading. You will need to interact well with the author of the book that you are going to illustrate for. So you must be willing to listen to their ideas and provide illustrations that the author is satisfied with. A creative imagination and good visualisation will enable you to interpret the story well. It is a very competative job, so artistic ability will be important. Versatility will enable you to adapt to different texts accordingly.

What work is involved? Discussing client needs and identifying the target audience for the work. Agreeing the brief and contract, including payment and deadlines, with the client. Developing visual ideas that suit the brief. Seeking client approval for ideas with rough visuals - this stage may involve going back to the drawing board several times to rework sketches. Using drawing, sketching, painting and photographic skills to produce illustrations. Increasingly, using computer packages to scan in their own visual images, and then refine and develop the ideas on screen. Continuing to work with the client, seeking approval at all stages of development and making any changes as required, right up to completion of the job.

Promotion prospects Self-employed illustrators need to be proactive in finding work. This includes promoting themselves to potential clients and keeping their portfolio up to date. Some illustrators use agents to do this work for them. Once you have become established with a client others will become aware of your work and hopefully put more work your way. Promotion in illustration is very much down to yourself. Constantly enlarging your portfolio and spending a lot of time marketing yourself to potential clients. This process can be very labourious, but persistance is the key. If you are good enough your career will take off suddenly!

Why am I suited to this career and why does it interest me? I think I would be suited to this career because I am a very creative person and I feel I could provide a style of drawing to suite a variety of authors. I have drawn my own pictures and produced many sketches from books that I have read since I was young. I love to draw and would like nothing more than to have a career in something that I really enjoy. I believe that I still have a long way to go and a lot more to learn in order to be good enough for this career, but it is definately something I would like to persue. What could be better than to draw all the time? I am prepared to put in the hours and develope a large portfolio of my work and sell it to the world!

Am I more or less interested now? Having carried out this research on a career in illustration I am even more convinced that it could be the career for me. I have discovered much more about what is involved and come to a realisation that it would definately be a good idea to enter further education in this subject. This will enable me to build my portfolio and learn how to market myself to clients. None of what I have read or learned about has put me off this career path. I have found it very interesting, especially reading about other illustrators like Nick Sharratt (illustrator for Jaqueline Wilson and Julia Donaldson books, among others). I do not necessarily want to illustrate childrens books, like him, but what he has to say about his long career is very interesting.

Some websites I found informative illustrator.html work.chron.com/qualifications-illustrator-3718.html nicksharratt.com

Some organisations I may contact when the time comes Kingston University, London Careers & Employment Service Careers ServiceBeehive Illustration Manor House42a Crichlade Street University of BrightonCirencester Moulescombe PlaceGloucester Lewes RoadGL7 1AH Brighton BN2 4GA