50 Markets of Illustration

A Showcase of Contemporary Illustrators

John Roman

• Publisher: HOW Books
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781440340215
• Topic: Design
• Subtopic: Design General

This overview of the numerous markets that currently exist for illustrators reveals a vast and wide-ranging pool of potential freelance opportunities. This reference catalogs many lesser-known, supplementary markets beyond the traditional, more-populated avenues for illustration assignments. Features fifty specialized markets in which artists and illustrators can potentially prosper.

1. Editorial Illustration

The editorial illustration market has changed dramatically since the “golden days” of Norman Rockwell, the most famous editorial illustrator. While some contemporary magazines and newspapers continue to print illustrations in a representational style, most, but not all, editorial illustrations being commissioned today are “conceptual” and “decorative” images that capture the soul of a written text as opposed to depicting realistic scenes from an article or story. There are a handful of high-visibility newspapers and commercial magazines in the country where the competition for entry is fierce, but where one’s work can reach a wide audience.

Editorial illustrators may also find work from hundreds of smaller trade magazines that exist (“trade” referring to publishers that focus on particular industries, topics, or professions as opposed to targeting their publications toward a general readership). With so many artists available to editorial art buyers in this particular pool, it’s not surprising that the prices for commissioned illustrations in this field can be on the moderate to low end.

Stripped © 2014 Peter Kuper

Migros Social Media © 2014 Christian Lindeman

An English Drive © 2014 Robert Saunders

2. Book Illustration

The market of book illustration covers a lot of ground, and it is for this reason I have separated the field of “Children’s Illustration” into its own category, though the markets certainly overlap. In this market I am referring to book illustration as art that is produced for book publishers in the commercial, trade, and education markets. The types of art created for such publishers are quite varied, and are most often representational in style as opposed to being strictly conceptual. Book art can be informational or decorative, but can also involve illustrations that are technical, whimsical, cartoony, or realistic. Such art may tell a specific story or convey facts or instructions about a particular subject.

Similarly to editorial art, the prices for book art illustrations can be moderate to low, but the volume of illustrations needed for an entire textbook can add up to a nice sum. Book publishers tend to specialize in the genres of books they publish and the types of art they seek, so it is best to research this market and compare the works of various publishers to find the best fit for your own style, technique, and interests.

Eye Spy, A Book of AlphabetPuzzles © 1991 Chronicle Books Linda Bourke

Don’t Crunch Your Chips While I’m Putting! (Cover) © 2014 Nick Edlund

Between Heaven & Earth: An Illuminated Torah Commentary (Cover Illustration)

© 2014 Imaginarius Editions / Ilene Winn-Lederer

3. Children’s Illustration

Children’s illustration is one of the most popular fields and many young artists often dream of some day illustrating a children’s book, or writing and illustrating a book of their own. It is important to be advised that the odds of landing a contract to illustrate a children’s book with a major publisher are somewhat low. This is not intended to discourage you from attempting to crack into this market, but rather to clarify the realities of achieving success in a very competitive field; publishers often look at dozens of artists for a children’s book before making their choice.

The good news is that the children’s illustration market is not restricted to children’s books. It also includes children’s magazines as well as educational publishing and c...

Table of contents

• Contents
• Dedication
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• 1. Editorial Illustration
• 2. Book Illustration
• 3. Children’s Illustration
• 4. Advertising Illustration
• 5. Comic Book Illustration
• 6. Comic Strip Illustration
• 7. Humorous Illustration
• 8. Political Cartoonist
• 9. Science Fiction/Fantasy Illustration
• 10. Medical Illustration
• 11. Archaeological Illustration
• 12. Botanical Illustration
• 13. Biological Illustration
• 14. Marine Biology Artist
• 15. Ornithological Illustration
• 16. Scientific Illustration
• 17. Technical Illustration
• 18. Animal Illustration
• 19. Info-Graphic Illustration
• 20. Courtroom Presentation Art
• 21. Documentary Illustration
• 22. Postage Stamp Illustration
• 23. Map Illustration
• 24. Architectural Illustration
• 25. Exhibition Design
• 26. Automobile Illustration
• 27. Customized Vehicle Graphics
• 28. Tattoo Artist
• 29. Historical Illustration
• 30. Military Art
• 31. Nautical Illustration
• 32. Aviation Art
• 33. Portrait Illustration
• 34. Sports Illustration
• 35. Product Illustration
• 36. Food Illustration
• 37. Fashion Illustration
• 38. Licensing Illustration
• 39. Surface Pattern Artist
• 40. Illustrated Lettering
• 41. Greeting Card & Gift Illustration
• 42. Gallery Artist
• 43. Poster and Limited-Edition Print Art
• 44. Sidewalk/Street Art
• 45. Anamorphic Sidewalk Art
• 46. Mural Art
• 47. Animation
• 48. Storyboard Illustration
• 49. Concept Artist
• 50. Stock Illustration
• Institutional Illustration
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Copyright