There are numerous paths to success as an illustrator. From publishing companies to marketing firms, many organizations are eager to work with today’s most creative and talented professionals. Often, however, illustrators crave more autonomy than conventional jobs can provide. They want to choose projects based on their own abilities and passion — and along the way, they aim to achieve maximum work-life balance.
This is not too big of an ask, but such independence is not always found through traditional employment. Instead, many illustrators prefer the comparative freedom of running their own businesses. As self-employed illustrators, they choose their clients, hours and schedules, only taking on projects that spark joy or intrigue.
This route is compelling but by no means easy. Running a freelance design business carries an elevated level of uncertainty, not to mention the need to handle various tasks beyond artistic expression: Illustrators must constantly network and market themselves through online portfolios.
Other essentials include creating business plans and negotiating contracts. It can be a lot to juggle, but many self-employed illustrators would argue it’s well worth the added work.
Ready to embark on a rewarding journey of self-employment? To reveal the potential (and potential challenges) of this path, we provide an overview of this unique lifestyle below, along with targeted freelance illustrator tips to help you navigate the road to becoming a freelance illustrator.
Setting Up Your Freelance Business
In some ways, getting started in freelancing looks much like scoring a dream job: It takes work to find work.
Traditional employees focus on drafting resumes and researching potential employers, but freelancers will ideally add the extra step of business formation. This describes the many legal and financial elements that must be in place to ensure adequate protection. After all, freelancers can be vulnerable to everything from deadbeat clients to lawsuits.
Legal Foundations
While it can be tempting to jump in and launch projects as a sole proprietor or an independent contractor, this approach can be risky. Should you suffer a lawsuit or go into debt, your personal finances will be at risk.
When in doubt, it’s safest to form a limited liability company (LLC). This business structure removes some of the personal risks of opening a business and instead legally separates your business from you, the illustrator.
Although some setup costs are to be expected, it can be surprisingly straightforward and affordable to create an LLC. You will need to select a name for your business and choose a registered agent — someone who can act as a point of contact and reliably receive legal documents and other communications on behalf of your business.
Official documents need to be filed with your state, but online services can guide you through this process. Be prepared to file annual reports as well.
Creating a Business Plan
Depending on what you hope to accomplish as a self-employed illustrator, it may be worth your while to create a business plan. This outlines your intentions for your freelance design business and could play an instrumental role in helping you secure funding, if needed.
Critical elements of a freelance illustrator business plan include:
- Executive summary – Offering an easy-to-understand overview of your business goals, the executive summary reveals your “why” for working as a self-employed illustrator. This should be simple, succinct, and meaningful.
- Market analysis – Detailing the outlook within your specialty and within the industry at large, this section should outline your target clients. Which types of clients do you prefer to work with, and what sets these preferred clients apart? This section could also reference the broader audience that your work will eventually reach.
- Financial projections – Though it can be difficult to predict operating expenses when your freelance journey is just getting started, it’s still important to make research-backed estimates. These may relate to the cost of equipment: computers, software, printers, and so on. If you plan to set up a studio, you can also highlight the potential cost of rent or other operational expenses.
Building a Strong Portfolio
Portfolios are key for all types of illustrators, but they are especially essential for new freelancers. While clients may take a cursory glance at credentials or experience, they are most interested in what freelancers can accomplish now — and this is best conveyed by recent examples. This is your chance to showcase what makes you special and why you’re the best illustrator for the job.
Portfolio Essentials
Prior to creating your portfolio, identify your target audience. If you already created a business plan, you may have accomplished this. Otherwise, consider which types of clients you hope to attract and craft a focused, thoughtful portfolio around that industry or niche.
From there, select samples that align with your potential clients’ preferred styles or approaches. Select several pieces that feel cohesive but also highlight different talents or aspects of your work. In addition, make sure the design, layout, navigation and user experience of your digital portfolio are solid while showcasing your creativity.
Online Portfolio Platforms
Online portfolio platforms provide an accessible snapshot of your work and are imperative in this digital age. For years, many freelancers have relied on Squarespace, which offers step-by-step instructions and helpful templates. Other favorites include Carrd, Wix, and Adobe Portfolio. Experiment with multiple platforms to find one that best conveys your talent.
Marketing Your Services
As an illustrator, you may enhance your clients’ branding efforts — but you, yourself, also function as a brand. This branding mindset can be useful as you build your network and engage in client outreach; your website, portfolio, and social media presence should reinforce your core brand and what exactly sets you apart from other illustrators.
Leveraging Social Media
Many illustrators depend on social media to create a strong pipeline of potential clients. Instagram, in particular, is appealing due to its inherently visual nature, although some illustrators have also found success acting as influencers on TikTok. LinkedIn is a must for all types of professionals, functioning as a powerful networking tool.
Find a platform that aligns with your target audience or clientele, and use it to share samples or demonstrate your authority as a knowledgeable and experienced illustrator.
Pricing and Negotiating Contracts
Contracts form the basis for all relationships between freelancers and their clients. Offering much-needed peace of mind, these documents outline obligations on both ends: deliverables and timelines that the freelancer must follow, plus details about compensation and scope to prevent clients from taking advantage of illustrators.
Setting Your Rates
This begins with market research, which, again, you may already have completed while developing your business plan. Examine online freelance marketplaces and short-term contract listings from potential clients to determine precisely what target clients are willing to pay for certain types of work. Don’t be afraid to discuss compensation with fellow freelancers, who may provide a wealth of insight.
Factors that may influence rates include:
- Timelines, with higher rates typically provided for rush projects. Ongoing work, however, may encourage freelancers to charge a bit less over time.
- Complexity of the project, especially if extra research is required — or if the freelancer needs to bring specialty knowledge to the table.
- Illustration techniques and how much work they involve (hand-drawn will nearly always command higher prices, for instance).
Negotiation Techniques
Many clients will happily pay well-researched rates without much questioning or attempting to strike a bargain. However, negotiation is commonly needed to ensure that illustrators are paid fairly — and, just as importantly, to help avoid scope creep.
When in doubt, use these contract negotiation tips to gain an edge:
- Seek clear definitions of the project scope and deliverables. This should be as specific as possible, addressing everything from deadlines to the potential for revisions.
- Leverage portfolios and market research. The most effective negotiators come armed with information and examples. The goal: to provide concrete proof of the freelancer’s value and reveal how the client will benefit from paying accordingly.
- Be willing to walk away. Freelancers hold the upper hand in negotiations when they are willing to bypass projects with unfavorable terms or compensation. This becomes easier upon cultivating several strong client relationships. At this point, there is no need to feel overly dependent on any one client.
Managing Projects and Client Relationships
Scoring a new client can be exciting, but this is only the first step in what (ideally) will be a productive relationship for the long haul. While some clients may seek out freelancers for one-off projects, many need to continually work with freelancers to handle ongoing illustration needs.
Long-term relationships can bring stability to the freelance lifestyle, but freelancers should still plan to build relationships with many clients while juggling a variety of projects.
Project Management Best Practices
Project management principles can help freelancers make the most of their limited time and avoid falling into boom-or-bust cycles of work, in which they sometimes feel overwhelmed and, at other times, lack compelling projects. Common strategies include:
- Use calendar tools and scheduling apps to track various deadlines.
- Prioritize, addressing the most urgent and critical clients, projects, or tasks first before following up with other essentials.
- Break major projects down into smaller pieces to limit the potential for procrastination.
- Allocate blocks of time for specific tasks, but take plenty of breaks.
- Set office hours or boundaries surrounding your schedule to limit the likelihood of burnout.
- Create an inspiring and organized space, especially for tackling remote illustration work.
Maintaining Professional Relationships
Strategic networking is crucial for building client relationships as well as uncovering new opportunities. Networking should go beyond the simple effort to score clients or to nurture existing client relationships; this is also how freelancers discover industry trends. Beyond this, networking can be enjoyable and even inspiring. Chats with fellow illustrators, for example, can give way to amazing ideas or a powerful sense of camaraderie.
Expanding Your Skills and Services
Freelancing offers a distinct opportunity for self-improvement, as you are constantly exposed to new opportunities and ideas. Through this exposure, you may become aware of skill gaps that you might otherwise never notice or address.
Continuous Learning
There are a number of ways to expand your skill set and discover new artistic possibilities. Many illustrators accomplish this through classes, workshops, or conventions. These provide easy exposure to the field’s most talented and innovative professionals. Some freelancers require more in-depth guidance and may benefit from the added accountability and breadth of study achieved through a targeted degree program.
Diversifying Your Offerings
In freelancing, a diverse skill set is highly desirable. While there is great value in developing a niche and highlighting it through social media or portfolios, you may eventually need to explore a diverse array of styles and projects as you gain experience and expand your client base. Be willing to occasionally adapt your artistic styles and techniques to meet the needs of various clients.
Beyond this, many clients prefer to work with multi-talented illustrators who exhibit not only artistic proficiency but also marketing knowledge, technological proficiency, and strong writing skills. These competencies can be verified with credentials such as college degrees or even referenced in your portfolio.
Prepare for a Successful Freelance Career With RMCAD
No matter how you envision working as an illustrator, you will need to develop a comprehensive skill set and a solid professional network. Both are within reach when you pursue your Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. You can find excellent online and on-campus degree programs with Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. Both promise a deep dive into the artistic and business components of working as an illustrator. Request more information today to learn about this opportunity.
