Illustration Jobs

Illustration jobs involve conceptualizing and creating illustrations to represent information visually. This group of jobs includes (among other titles) technical illustrator jobs, medical illustrators and multimedia illustrators.

Illustrator Job Description

• Illustrators are responsible for creating illustrations for magazines, books, advertising etc. Their illustrations may be used for aesthetic value, to communicate a mood or tone, or to clarify ideas (such as diagrams in textbooks).
• They may specialize in a specific field such as one of the job titles listed below.
• Illustrators may work with different materials and techniques to produce their images, including pencils, pen and ink, pastels, paint, charcoal and computer software.
• Illustrators work frequently in digital (computer) formats now.
• Illustrators may work as a part of a team, and confer with clients, writers, art directors and others to complete each project.

Sample Job Titles

• illustrator
  
• medical illustrator
  
• multimedia illustrator
  
• scientific illustrator
  
• technical illustrator
  
• advertising illustrator
  
• animator, graphic design and illustration
  
• artistic illustrator
  
• biological illustrator
  
• commercial artist
  
• fashion illustrator
  
• forms designer

Technical illustrator jobs involve creating detailed drawings to show parts of machines and equipment, such as a cross-section of an engine for a mechanics textbook. Technical illustrators study blueprints to produce their illustrations and may use computer-aided design (CAD) software programs.

Product illustrators typically work with advertising agencies (often as freelancers) to create appealing drawings products.

Medical illustrators and scientific illustrators create precise illustrations of surgical procedures, plants, animals and anatomy. Their illustrations are used in textbooks and scientific and medical journals. Medical illustrators and scientific illustrators require special additional training in science. There are a small number of medical illustration jobs, but demand is expected to grow as medical research grows.

Illustrators may work within an art department for a large company, at advertising agencies, or out of home offices as freelancers.

Personality Traits

Personality traits for illustrators vary slightly depending upon the type of illustration job.

Editorial illustrators and fine artists are typically artistic, enterprising and realistic, while medical illustrators are typically artistic, investigative and enterprising, and technical illustrators are artistic, realistic and investigative.

Artistic people value creative expression of ideas and emotions. They are open to experience and innovation and like to avoid routine and conformity. Enterprising individuals enjoy work that involves persuading directing others. They see themselves as being persuasive and others view them as energetic and gregarious. People who are realistic enjoy hands on, practical work, and people who are investigative are analytical and enjoy acquiring knowledge.

Job Opportunities and Earning Potential

Average growth is expected for illustration jobs in the United States through to 2018. Competition for these jobs will likely be strong as the number of people seeking animation jobs will exceed the number of jobs available. ^{Source: United States Bureau of Labor}

The growth in the field will be driven by an increasing need for artists to create artwork for digital and multimedia projects, but declining demand for illustrators in print projects may limit growth. Skill in working on digital projects is crucial for success in this field.

There is opportunity for self employment in this field, and some animators enjoy the flexibility of working as freelancers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, annual wages for illustrators ranges from approximately $20,000 to $86,000, with the median wage being $44,000. ^{Source: United States Bureau of Labor}

Education for Illustrator Jobs

While there are no mandatory educational requirements to become a professional illustrator, in order to be hired for most illustration jobs, you will require formal training in illustration, fine arts, graphic design or a related field in order to be competitive in the job market.

Training in computer graphics software and other visual display software is critical as computers are used widely in this field and digital projects account for a large amount of predicted growth in illustration jobs.

In addition, medical illustrators require training in visual art as well as biology, and master's degree programs in medical illustration are available. Technical illustrators and scientific illustrators also require additional training in scientific or technical areas of study.

For tips on how to complete your own research on art jobs not featured here, or for tips on how to find information on illustration jobs for countries not included here, please see the article Art Career - How to Research Art Careers