Illustrators' Home Offices

Setting up a home office is a challenge for many freelance illustrators. That's because it takes more than a laptop and a fax machine to do their job effectively. They also need a drafting table and countless illustration supplies that include paper, pens, pencils and straightedges.

Ideally, a private office inside one's home is the preferred work space for a freelancer. However, if this is not possible, just section off a portion of a larger room in the home. Be sure that a clear separation of household space and work space is apparent.

Illustration: Where the Work Is & How to Get It

Freelance illustrator jobs are everywhere. Every drawing you see has an illustrator's hard work behind it.

From diagrams in technical manuals to political cartoons in daily newspapers, there are plenty of jobs for those with artistic talent. It helps to get a foot in the door with companies that need artwork. Therefore, it would be beneficial to find a good agent or placement agency that will assist you as you get started.

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

If you are serious about successfully promoting your product or service, consider hiring a graphic illustrator to handle your advertisements.

The average consumer spends little time studying advertisements. They will, however, respond instantly to a good graphic. Sometimes it is the visual pull alone that will entice an audience to your product. Don't underestimate the power of pictures!

Opimizing Your Web Illustrations

If you are an illustrator, you know how crucial Web page illustrations are. Visitors to your Web site will either stay at your site longer and click through other pages of your site because of them, or they will click to another Web site because your illustrations take too long to appear or don't appear properly. The following are ways to optimize your Web page illustrations:

- Use appropriate colors
- Keep your lines thick in your illustration
- Your illustration should download quickly
- Your illustration should attract attention
- Your illustration should complement, not control
- Make your illustrations relevant to the Web page content
- Save your illustrations in the proper file format
- Protect all of your illustrations

Getting Work as a Freelance Illustrator

As a freelance illustrator, you have the potential to make a lot of money. However, it is a struggle to secure regular work. A great way for an illustrator to decrease the pressure of finding the next job is by working with a placement agency.

House your resume and portfolio with a placement agency that will spend time searching for jobs that suit you. That way, you can spend more time developing your craft and making yourself a better hire.

Keeping Your Online Portfolio Safe

An Online portfolio of your work is an excellent idea and is becoming standard practice. However, in order to protect your work, take these precautions:

• Copyright all material and post the copyright notice on each piece.
• Keep resolution of your illustrations high enough to look good onscreen.
• Keep resolution low enough so illustrations cannot be reproduced in print-outs.
• Make sure your name is visible on each piece.
• Include contact information should anyone want a reproduction of your work.

Opimizing Your Web Illustrations

If you are an illustrator, you know how crucial Web page illustrations are. Visitors to your Web site will either stay at your site longer and click through other pages of your site because of them, or they will click to another Web site because your illustrations take too long to appear or don't appear properly. The following are ways to optimize your Web page illustrations:

- Use appropriate colors
- Keep your lines thick in your illustration
- Your illustration should download quickly
- Your illustration should attract attention
- Your illustration should complement, not control
- Make your illustrations relevant to the Web page content
- Save your illustrations in the proper file format
- Protect all of your illustrations

The Science of Illustration

Medical and scientific illustrators combine artistic skills with knowledge of the biological sciences. Medical illustrators draw illustrations of human anatomy and surgical procedures while scientific illustrators draw illustrations of animals and plants.

Medical and scientific illustrations are used in medical and scientific publications and in audiovisual presentations for teaching purposes. Medical illustrators also work for lawyers, producing exhibits for court cases and doctors.

Making a Commercial? Hire a Storyboard Illustrator

Some illustrators specialize in drawing storyboards for television commercials, movies and animated features. Storyboards present television commercials in a series of scenes.

Often storyboards look similar to a comic strip. This allows an advertising agency to easily evaluate proposed commercials with the company that has created the ad. Storyboards also serve as guides for placement of actors, cameras and other details during commercial production.

Opimizing Your Web Illustrations

If you are an illustrator, you know how crucial Web page illustrations are. Visitors to your Web site will either stay at your site longer and click through other pages of your site because of them, or they will click to another Web site because your illustrations take too long to appear or don't appear properly. The following are ways to optimize your Web page illustrations:

- Use appropriate colors
- Keep your lines thick in your illustration
- Your illustration should download quickly
- Your illustration should attract attention
- Your illustration should complement, not control
- Make your illustrations relevant to the Web page content
- Save your illustrations in the proper file format
- Protect all of your illustrations