How to Become an Illustrator Without Going to Art School
Don't allow the fact that you didn't study art discourage you. If your passion is illustration and you're hoping to break into the business without a formal art education, there are a number of steps you can take to move in that direction. Art school or not, with enough talent and perseverance it is possible to become an illustrator.
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Instructions
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Define your type of art. You may love all kinds of illustrations, but narrow your passion down to one or two genres of illustration. It may be technical, nature inspired, fanciful or any other number of styles. Defining your particular type will help you narrow down a list of potential clients.
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Create a website. A website acts as a virtual showcase for your work and gives you a place to send potential clients for a better look at your portfolio. Your website will be the first impression potential employers have of you. Make sure the art you choose represents your best work and that the entire site is professional looking. If you're not a strong writer, ask a friend to help you come up with the language that will appear on the website. It should be grammatically correct and free of any spelling errors. Check it over a number of times before allowing it to go live.
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Network with other artists. For example, if you hope to illustrate children's books, contact the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators for information regarding their events. Illustrators of every kind are included in the Graphic Artists Guild. The guild is a group of staff artists and freelancers working together to grow their businesses. They can provide you with practical information regarding the business and a list of local guild chapters. The idea is to find a support system that not only gives you direction but also provides encouragement while you're breaking in. (See Resources.)
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Zero in on perspective clients. Make a list of the first 10 you find just to get started. Check
sources such as Writer's Market, the Graphic Artist's Guild, Canadian Magazine Publisher's Association and "The Business of Illustration" by Steven Heller. Go to the library or bookstore and begin looking through the kinds of illustrated books and magazines that best match your skill-set. -
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Get the word out that you're available. Talk to restaurants and businesses in your city about creating posters and advertising materials for them. Take a look at websites such as Freelance-Projects and iFreelance to find out who's hiring illustrators. Hallmark Cards generally uses in-house artists, but a good way to get your work noticed by them is to enter one of the monthly contests they offer illustrators.
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Send samples to the businesses you would like to contract with. A well-written cover letter stating your desire to illustrate for their organization and samples of your work is all most publishers need in order to know if they're interested and have a need for your services.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't get discouraged. Anyone who has ever broken into the professional world of publishing can tell you about stacks of rejections they received before signing that first contract. It may not be the most talented who are published, but it is certainly the most stubborn.
References
Resources
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