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How to Be an Illustrator
At last! Here is true practical help for budding freelance illustrators. This book helps you avoid the pitfalls that can ruin a career, with advice on crucial first impressions, how to create a portfolio and approach clients, how to negotiate contracts, and how to handle, deliver, and bill the first job. It discusses how to set up a studio, maintain a steady flow of work, and manage time and money. In addition, it provides information on successful self-promotion, self-publishing, and the pros and cons of agents.
Packed with useful tips gleaned from the author's own career and his work as an agent handling major artists in the US and UK, the book includes interviews with nine big-name illustrators. The reader benefits from their experience of starting out; what they learned during the metamorphosis from student to professional; what their expectations and experiences have been. In addition, art directors and commissioners describe the ways they like to be approached—and the ways they really dislike.
Packed with useful tips gleaned from the author's own career and his work as an agent handling major artists in the US and UK, the book includes interviews with nine big-name illustrators. The reader benefits from their experience of starting out; what they learned during the metamorphosis from student to professional; what their expectations and experiences have been. In addition, art directors and commissioners describe the ways they like to be approached—and the ways they really dislike.
160 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2008
82 people are currently reading
904 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 19, 2019
Когато попадна на книга, в която се спирам на някой израз да му се възхитя колко красиво е изказан, значи съм нацелила добра книга. :Р
Книгата не очаквах всъщност да ми хареса толкова много. Изключително много ми допадна не само стилът на изразяване и писане на автора, но и съдържанието се оказа много на ниво. Книжката е фокусирана основно върху бизнес страната на това да си илюстратор. Нямаше никакво захаросване, а директно към въпроса, че чак на моменти малко си плаши цялата информация, която ти се стоварва. Въпреки това, се чувстваш надъхан, дори когато нямаш никакви планове да си илюстратор, като мен. XD Наистина разкошна книга за всяка креативна душа, която мисли в посока творчеството да не й е само хоби, но и нещо, което да й носи средства.
За мен лично, прочетеното от книгата се наслои върху вече други неща, които съм чела и научила преди, и идеално пасна и се намести отгоре, така че да достигна до отговори на въпроси, които ме преследват от известно време. Наистина разкошна книга за всяка креативна душа, а за илюстраторите си е направо must. :)
Книгата не очаквах всъщност да ми хареса толкова много. Изключително много ми допадна не само стилът на изразяване и писане на автора, но и съдържанието се оказа много на ниво. Книжката е фокусирана основно върху бизнес страната на това да си илюстратор. Нямаше никакво захаросване, а директно към въпроса, че чак на моменти малко си плаши цялата информация, която ти се стоварва. Въпреки това, се чувстваш надъхан, дори когато нямаш никакви планове да си илюстратор, като мен. XD Наистина разкошна книга за всяка креативна душа, която мисли в посока творчеството да не й е само хоби, но и нещо, което да й носи средства.
За мен лично, прочетеното от книгата се наслои върху вече други неща, които съм чела и научила преди, и идеално пасна и се намести отгоре, така че да достигна до отговори на въпроси, които ме преследват от известно време. Наистина разкошна книга за всяка креативна душа, а за илюстраторите си е направо must. :)
November 14, 2019
This is a good, informative read for anyone interested in a career in illustration. The author was an illustrator and is now an agent, so he has fantastic insights into both sides of the industry. The book goes through all the aspects of being an illustrator including self-promotion, portfolios, websites, and finding an agent.
I found the information in this book helpful, if somewhat dated. The edition I read was published 5 years ago, and some of the things he talked about are no longer relevant, but the vast majority of the advice he gives is beneficial and timeless.
This book is intended for young artists who are graduating from college or have recently graduated. It gives a lot of advice with them in mind, but it's a good read even if you are coming into illustration later in life.
Good, solid advice from an industry rock star!
Source: I bought this book.
I found the information in this book helpful, if somewhat dated. The edition I read was published 5 years ago, and some of the things he talked about are no longer relevant, but the vast majority of the advice he gives is beneficial and timeless.
This book is intended for young artists who are graduating from college or have recently graduated. It gives a lot of advice with them in mind, but it's a good read even if you are coming into illustration later in life.
Good, solid advice from an industry rock star!
Source: I bought this book.
February 23, 2019
This wonderful how-to book by Darrel Rees is a must read for any illustrator, be it a complete newbie or someone more experienced in the craft. I love reading on my Kindle (and, oh thank goodness, e-readers exist) but I got this book in paper and I am really happy to see it on my art bookshelf.
The first thing that you have to remember is that this is not a how to draw/illustrate/collage/or another creative process kind of book. This is a business book. (I can see people turning away from the screen seeing this scary ‘b’ word that terrorizes 99% of creative population.) This is a true how to book when it comes to actually selling yourself, what to know before you even jump out onto the stage of illustration world and what to know and things to watch out for business-wise. And being a freelance professional does involve one having to know the ropes when it comes to actually dealing with clients (although, you can go the agent way and have them deal with everything money and client-wise but even when dealing with an agent you should know if he/she is acting in your best interest and not in it’s client’s).
In this book you will find how to build your portfolio, how to actually get contacts in the illustration world, an advice about contracts and what to expect and to avoid, as well as a very handy chapter about agents and pros and cons of working with one.
It’s very interesting to read this book (full of examples from the writer’s personal experience) as Mr.Rees has not only dealt with the whole illustration world from the side of the illustrator but has also a huge amount of experience as an agent. Thus you get the perspective from both sides when it comes to this creative craft.
All in all, I really think that reading this book was a time well spent and that I will be going back to it more than once.
The first thing that you have to remember is that this is not a how to draw/illustrate/collage/or another creative process kind of book. This is a business book. (I can see people turning away from the screen seeing this scary ‘b’ word that terrorizes 99% of creative population.) This is a true how to book when it comes to actually selling yourself, what to know before you even jump out onto the stage of illustration world and what to know and things to watch out for business-wise. And being a freelance professional does involve one having to know the ropes when it comes to actually dealing with clients (although, you can go the agent way and have them deal with everything money and client-wise but even when dealing with an agent you should know if he/she is acting in your best interest and not in it’s client’s).
In this book you will find how to build your portfolio, how to actually get contacts in the illustration world, an advice about contracts and what to expect and to avoid, as well as a very handy chapter about agents and pros and cons of working with one.
It’s very interesting to read this book (full of examples from the writer’s personal experience) as Mr.Rees has not only dealt with the whole illustration world from the side of the illustrator but has also a huge amount of experience as an agent. Thus you get the perspective from both sides when it comes to this creative craft.
All in all, I really think that reading this book was a time well spent and that I will be going back to it more than once.
October 21, 2016
The book is a 'how-to' guide aimed at students and people just out of art school. So it took a while before I got to information of general interest. The second half of the book is well worth the read, with plenty of useful tips and good information. I particularly liked the questions to ask yourself part related to agents and contracts.
June 17, 2015
I adored this. I've been printmaking for a few years and the term "illustrator" always intimidated + intrigued me. This really helped define things for me and opened me up to all the choices within this broad career.
March 13, 2010
The book is full of, "Practical help and advice to aspiring illustrators," and loads of inspiration. Solid gold, from cover to cover.
May 25, 2018
I guess I would never be taught such specific things of an illustrator's life without reading this book. Even though this book is mainly covered the US and the UK's markets but it is still essential for any emerging as well as aspiring illustrator to have a sense of the career's prospect inside out. The author - Darrel Rees - is an illustrator, a collage artist and a founder of Heart agency so there is no doubt that he has a multitude of experiences to talk about in this book. Each chapter includes one page interview of many renowned illustrators, which gives us more insight and inspiration to move forward in this path. My favorite piece of advice to new illustrators is Victor Ngai's: "The ones who eventually make it are not necessarily the most talented ones but the most persistent ones.". Last but not least, I posted here the content of the book so you can have an overview of what this book is all about (the funny thing is that it has the page numbers in the content page but no page is marked with numbers....):
Introduction: The broad and social church of illustration
Chapter 1: Getting started
Chapter 2: Preparing you portfolio
Chapter 3: Job-hunting and interviews
Chapter 4: Producing the first job
Chapter 5: Billing it - financial tips
Chapter 6: Promoting yourself
Chapter 7: Studios
Chapter 8: Agents
full review
Introduction: The broad and social church of illustration
Chapter 1: Getting started
Chapter 2: Preparing you portfolio
Chapter 3: Job-hunting and interviews
Chapter 4: Producing the first job
Chapter 5: Billing it - financial tips
Chapter 6: Promoting yourself
Chapter 7: Studios
Chapter 8: Agents
full review
February 25, 2021
Tuve la suerte de conseguir este libro a través de una tienda de segunda mano después de haberlo buscado durante un tiempo y en general me han gustado mucho los aspectos que trata y cómo lo hace.
La edición que leí es de 2008 por lo que algunos contenidos siento que están algo obsoletos y de otros que ahora están muy presentes se habla de manera superficial (tema web, portfolio digital, etcétera).
El autor comenzó siendo ilustrador y luego pasó a ser agente por lo que puede aportar ambos puntos de vista. Aunque se centra especialmente en la ilustración enfocada a editorial y publicidad sin nombrar muchas otras salidas (ilustración científica, de producto, infografías...). Aun así siento que hay bastante información valiosa en este libro, lo tendré de referencia y seguramente volveré de vez en cuando para releer ciertos apartados.
En general lo recomendaría especialmente a aquellas personas que están comenzando y quieren profundizar en diferentes aspectos de la profesión (finanzas, preparación del portfolio, agentes y otros).
La edición que leí es de 2008 por lo que algunos contenidos siento que están algo obsoletos y de otros que ahora están muy presentes se habla de manera superficial (tema web, portfolio digital, etcétera).
El autor comenzó siendo ilustrador y luego pasó a ser agente por lo que puede aportar ambos puntos de vista. Aunque se centra especialmente en la ilustración enfocada a editorial y publicidad sin nombrar muchas otras salidas (ilustración científica, de producto, infografías...). Aun así siento que hay bastante información valiosa en este libro, lo tendré de referencia y seguramente volveré de vez en cuando para releer ciertos apartados.
En general lo recomendaría especialmente a aquellas personas que están comenzando y quieren profundizar en diferentes aspectos de la profesión (finanzas, preparación del portfolio, agentes y otros).
December 4, 2022
While there is some very good information in this book for beginners, it's mired in inane prose that belabors the details. If you need someone to explain to you how early of a bus to take to get to an appointment, or that having a website allows you to reach a global audience rather than just a local audience, then this book will be an excellent resource for you. I imagine enterprising tweens and teens would benefit from it, if they have the patience to read a book that has all the flow and character of a uncooked spaghetti noodle.
That being said, there were a few chapters that were specifically helpful for me, such as the "Billing It - Financial Tips" chapter and "Agents" chapter. This book is definitely the kind you have to skim to find the handful of helpful details.
That being said, there were a few chapters that were specifically helpful for me, such as the "Billing It - Financial Tips" chapter and "Agents" chapter. This book is definitely the kind you have to skim to find the handful of helpful details.
March 5, 2024
There are certainly a few parts of this book that feel just a little outdated, specifically Rees's references to social media and the internet as "new" ways of promoting oneself. However, this book is still brimming with advice and guidance for anyone interested in pursuing a career as an illustrator.
Reading this has given me lots of new ideas on how to promote myself, how to represent myself well, and some of the kinds of jobs that are out there for artists like me. I've learned some new techniques for finding jobs and advice on how to reach out to people. Now I'm just excited to put it all into practice. :)
Reading this has given me lots of new ideas on how to promote myself, how to represent myself well, and some of the kinds of jobs that are out there for artists like me. I've learned some new techniques for finding jobs and advice on how to reach out to people. Now I'm just excited to put it all into practice. :)
February 26, 2017
That book is amazing for anyone who is new in the industry/market of illustrations (in UK, US or other similar areas). It was really useful for me with a lot of advices, insights and information I didn't know about before. I also liked the interviews from different illustrators or art directors, it was interesting to know their thoughts. I felt that reading this book has saved me a lot of time and that I have a clear vision now of the illustration as a business.
March 11, 2020
Excellent in depth guide from the perspective of an editorial illustrator, nicely designed pages, informative catalogue of advice. Biased and pushy though! I felt very nervous after putting it down with the piece of advice “you need to make it within the first 2 year of graduating otherwise you will be lost in a sea of graduates”, I’m one for realism but I find this take anxiety inducing and may make people lose sleep. A must read for budding illustrators though !
January 13, 2019
I think this is a great, educational book. It must be noted though that the financial and copyright aspects, which are bonkers important, are London/UK-centric, as is the book. This means the rules may be different for US-based folks, and therefore the book is less useful (though it does lay out great tips about self-promotion)! Overall worth your time, I think
August 3, 2023
As a future creative, this was such a treat and made me feel a lot better about pursuing anything creative. Reading interviews that delved into Professionals' worries, fears, and insights, has made much of my own doubts disappear. It's a wonderful resource that helps you understand the capability and expansion of the world of illustration.
Read
December 13, 2024This is more like "how to market yourself as an artist" and providing backdrops into various artists and how they got started professionally, rather than teaching you how to draw but like there's some really good, zero BS tips contained within this. Also useful if you want to like see how to sell yourself in any sort of creative endeavour.
January 26, 2019
A practical resource for the business side of illustration (fees, contracts, negotiating, agency representation, etc). It mostly focuses on editorial illustration, which is not a particular interest of mine. I would have liked a bit more insight into picture book illustration.
January 21, 2022
As the title suggests, this eBook gave a thorough explanation on how to be an illustrator, with a good balance between drawing tips, interviews of artists, and beautiful illustrations. The book was dated in some places, as it was published in 2014.
June 10, 2017
Didn't really tell me what i was hoping. Informative though.
January 31, 2019
Lots and lots of useful information.
June 4, 2019
This is a good book on how to be an Illustrator with all the beautiful illustrations.
May 9, 2015
Wow... This book was amazing.
I'm currently on my second year at University studying illustration, next year will be my last, and I'm constantly worried I will be unprepared when the time comes for me to try seeking out agents, art directors and clients. My uni hasn't taught us much about finance or making contacts, so I figured I'd look up different articles and books that might help me prepare myself.
This book covers almost everything I wanted to know about illustration (what it doesn't cover I have a different book for that hopefully will fill in the gaps), I'd go so far to call this an essential guide for any freelance illustrator. It explains different ways of promoting yourself, how to get an agent, what kind of portfolio you should have, fees and rights and lots more. This book also draws distinction between US and UK when it's appropriate, it makes sense since the Heart agency ,the agent agency Darrel Rees represents, has headquarters in both New York and London.
I think in every chapter there's one or two interviews with agents and illustrators where they'd be asked questions like: "Do you have an agent?", "Have you had any bad experiences with clients?" and lastly they're asked to offer on piece of advice to new illustrators.
I've found this book to be so helpful it's turned into one of my top 5 favourite books of all time.
I'd recommend it to new illustrators, graphic artists and anyone wanting to do art freelance + students.
I'm currently on my second year at University studying illustration, next year will be my last, and I'm constantly worried I will be unprepared when the time comes for me to try seeking out agents, art directors and clients. My uni hasn't taught us much about finance or making contacts, so I figured I'd look up different articles and books that might help me prepare myself.
This book covers almost everything I wanted to know about illustration (what it doesn't cover I have a different book for that hopefully will fill in the gaps), I'd go so far to call this an essential guide for any freelance illustrator. It explains different ways of promoting yourself, how to get an agent, what kind of portfolio you should have, fees and rights and lots more. This book also draws distinction between US and UK when it's appropriate, it makes sense since the Heart agency ,the agent agency Darrel Rees represents, has headquarters in both New York and London.
I think in every chapter there's one or two interviews with agents and illustrators where they'd be asked questions like: "Do you have an agent?", "Have you had any bad experiences with clients?" and lastly they're asked to offer on piece of advice to new illustrators.
I've found this book to be so helpful it's turned into one of my top 5 favourite books of all time.
I'd recommend it to new illustrators, graphic artists and anyone wanting to do art freelance + students.
March 25, 2014
It takes more than talent (http://thinkblink.ca/blog/?p=726)
Nowadays in order to be successful at anything, it takes more than just talent.
Understanding the market, having a mentor, and studying what the masters did, is just a start. We just came across a new book specifically targeted towards Illustrators; although the principles can probably be transferred towards any creative discipline.
How To Be An Illustrator by Darrel Rees offers practical advice to aspiring illustrators. You’ll learn all about the aspects of the job including:
How to create a portfolio
The most effective ways to approach would-be clients
How to prepare for meetings and negotiate contracts
How to bill
As artists, we sometimes just want to sit behind the curtains and hone our craft. But, that’s not going to pay the bills. You need to understand that it’s not just about creating. It’s also about the art of being a successful creator. And the art of gaining clients, is an art in itself.
How do you survive the publishing jungle?
Be prepared.
Have a hunter’s instinct.
Learn from the best.
Lure your prey with exquisite work.
Find out the variety of options open to you.
Continue to be inspired. Be passionate. Show your talent.
@ShilpaRaikar
Nowadays in order to be successful at anything, it takes more than just talent.
Understanding the market, having a mentor, and studying what the masters did, is just a start. We just came across a new book specifically targeted towards Illustrators; although the principles can probably be transferred towards any creative discipline.
How To Be An Illustrator by Darrel Rees offers practical advice to aspiring illustrators. You’ll learn all about the aspects of the job including:
How to create a portfolio
The most effective ways to approach would-be clients
How to prepare for meetings and negotiate contracts
How to bill
As artists, we sometimes just want to sit behind the curtains and hone our craft. But, that’s not going to pay the bills. You need to understand that it’s not just about creating. It’s also about the art of being a successful creator. And the art of gaining clients, is an art in itself.
How do you survive the publishing jungle?
Be prepared.
Have a hunter’s instinct.
Learn from the best.
Lure your prey with exquisite work.
Find out the variety of options open to you.
Continue to be inspired. Be passionate. Show your talent.
@ShilpaRaikar
July 4, 2013
When I got this book, I couldn't wait to read it. I really wanted to know all the details of how to be an illustrator, including how to run a successful illustration/graphic design business. This was my top pick of three. I also saw one called "Fundamentals of illustration," which I quickly dismissed as sounding boring.
Having gone on quite a binge of this subject, though, I'm finding that I already know a decent amount about running this type of business, and what I actually want to know is the fundamentals of illustration. Huh.
Anyway, this was still a very personable book. If I was about to graduate from art school and start my career as an illustrator, this is the book I'd want by my side. It does a really good job of explaining in detail the realities of this life, without being discouraging.
It also opened my eyes to some possibilities I hadn't considered before, like working in a studio or getting an agent. I doubt I'll do either of those things, but it's interesting to know they're out there.
Having gone on quite a binge of this subject, though, I'm finding that I already know a decent amount about running this type of business, and what I actually want to know is the fundamentals of illustration. Huh.
Anyway, this was still a very personable book. If I was about to graduate from art school and start my career as an illustrator, this is the book I'd want by my side. It does a really good job of explaining in detail the realities of this life, without being discouraging.
It also opened my eyes to some possibilities I hadn't considered before, like working in a studio or getting an agent. I doubt I'll do either of those things, but it's interesting to know they're out there.
February 24, 2015
As someone currently outside the world of freelance illustration this book provides a good insight to many of the basic aspects to doing business that are not covered at art school. It is interspersed with many interviews with illustrators and art directors about their experiences, who all add a bit of personality, wit and humanity to what could be quite a daunting industry to try and break into. Could have left out asking each person whether websites are important in self promotion these days when the answer is a resounding yes, and instead dedicate that space to information on how to actually set one up... A great introduction. Now to do the work!
July 17, 2015
The list of movies to watch at the back of this book is probably the most surprising and best I have seen. I am looking for it online somewhere. I would never ever ever think I would love Martin Scorcese. I love him. And the Third Man? Terrific.
This is a reference book and I still haven't really read it cover to cover. But what I've read is good. He's British so the list of like "hey check out the onion--it's a great satirical newspaper" will confuse an American. But the interviews are great and I am not sure if it was this book or another one that was like "guys, this is a solitary endeavor so make sure you have someone to hang around with or you will get lonely." Good advice.
This is a reference book and I still haven't really read it cover to cover. But what I've read is good. He's British so the list of like "hey check out the onion--it's a great satirical newspaper" will confuse an American. But the interviews are great and I am not sure if it was this book or another one that was like "guys, this is a solitary endeavor so make sure you have someone to hang around with or you will get lonely." Good advice.
May 16, 2016
Difficult book to review in terms of the emotive language goodreads suggests, but over all this book was really useful in setting out some key considerations and advice for becoming an illustrator in a commercial world.
An author more geared towards navigating the increasingly digital nature of promotion might have been useful in addition - but generally sound advice as an excellent start point... which I think is perfect given the title.
An author more geared towards navigating the increasingly digital nature of promotion might have been useful in addition - but generally sound advice as an excellent start point... which I think is perfect given the title.
March 5, 2015
Very useful for people hoping to make a career out of illustrating. As I am only just about to start at an arts university it isn't as relevant, but even things like presenting your portfolio advice in this book is useful food for thought. Would 100% recommended it to illustration graduates New and old.
July 30, 2012
This is one of the best books on the business of illustration. Very practical and direct. There's obviously no one way to succeed, but if you read this you can avoid many pitfalls and just generally be much better informed about how the industry operates.
Read
April 14, 2016This book is geared towards grads or recent grads of illustrators. Since I don't have a background in illustration, it didn't really help me. I skimmed through it and there seemed to be solid advice still.
August 19, 2011
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. It really offers a lot of practical advice and a great overview for the illustrator who's starting out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews