Hire the Top 3% of Illustrators

The Demand for Illustrators Continues to Expand

Demand for creative professionals is strong. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects approximately 95,800 art and design job openings, on average, for each year between 2022 and 2032, making it clear that companies recognize the power of visuals and the ability of illustrations to influence customers. Moreover, illustrations are widely used to improve the user experience of websites and mobile apps. It can be challenging for users to interpret detailed photographs at small sizes, so illustrations are often utilized to more effectively communicate ideas in such contexts.

Finding and hiring a talented illustration expert can be challenging, despite a vast talent pool. Many illustration pros are freelancers, which limits their online visibility to a portfolio site and a handful of social media platforms, and makes it difficult to find them. Additionally, these digital artists represent diverse capabilities, each with their own styles and specializations, such as lettering, 3D modeling, or mixed media—meaning not every candidate will suit your project’s needs.

In this guide, we clarify what an illustration professional does, how to better define your project goals, and how to assess the fit of the candidates you interview. We also cover what you need to know to hire an illustrator for your project.

What Attributes Distinguish Highly Qualified Illustrators From Others?

Digital artists and illustration specialists have different skills and abilities, and it’s important to be able to distinguish talented candidates from the less skilled. This helps ensure that your project’s artistic vision is realized and its message clearly conveyed to your intended audience. Depending on your project, you may need to hire an illustrator with some or all of the following skills:

Composition and Design

Composition and graphic design skills involve positioning graphics, achieving balance, establishing scale relationships, emphasizing essential design elements, applying colors, and proficiency in logo design. When hiring an digital artists, it’s important to look for candidates who are highly intentional about arranging their compositions because every detail contributes to a work’s overall mood and message.

Sketching and Drawing

Sketching and drawing are complementary skills, each with a broad spectrum of styles ranging from primitive to hyperrealistic. Sketching is an effective way to explore initial ideas and share them quickly with stakeholders. Drawing skills come into play when a concept is chosen and the composition requires more precision. As you review candidates, keep in mind that an experienced image creator should have a distinct drawing style that makes their work stand out from that of their peers.

Use of Photography

While it’s not uncommon for digital artists to draw without visual references, many of the best take photographs to inform their work. For instance, rendering lighting, perspective, and even the human form without photo references can be challenging. Some creatives also use photos to compose illustrative collages, while others draw directly on top of photographs. Hiring someone who references photographs can provide visual accuracy that improves the relatability of your company’s marketing content.

Storytelling

Top illustration pros don’t just produce photocopies of the natural world; they create images that convey meaning and bring concepts to life. Think of an editorial cartoon that has no words but still makes a scathingly sarcastic statement. Look for candidates who know how to cleverly juxtapose characters, objects, and settings in ways that tell a story.

Technical and Digital Tools

Any illustration specialist you hire should be an expert in using digital software, such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, CorelDRAW, and Affinity Designer.

Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based design tool that allows digital artists to create graphics that can be adjusted and scaled without pixelation. It is a popular tool for creating many types of visuals, from lettering and infographics to website and stock illustrations.

Adobe Photoshop is a raster-based program, so it’s best for graphics that don’t require significant scaling. It also allows image creators to replicate the look of traditional media such as charcoal, ink, and watercolor.

The files created in these programs should be well organized so that other creatives, such as web designers and graphic designers, can easily manipulate and export assets as needed.

How Can You Identify the Ideal Illustrator for You?

As you embark on your hiring process, you’ll need to decide whether you’d like to work with a seasoned creative or someone newer to the field. Each option has advantages and drawbacks. An experienced artist is more likely to have strong project management skills and a distinct style—which will help differentiate your content from that of your competitors. But veteran images creators also tend to charge higher fees. Junior candidates are often eager to explore new illustration techniques, and they bring a fresh perspective to the illustration process—which can lead to innovative visuals. But they might struggle to incorporate stakeholder input or communicate their ideas, and their work may lack a definite style or be heavily influenced by fleeting trends.

In addition to evaluating experience, styles, and techniques, you should look for key soft skills when you hire an illustrator. The best digital artists exhibit adaptability, teamwork, consistency, and introspection. They can synthesize a project’s requirements and produce custom illustrations that meet their client’s needs. They hit deadlines, implement feedback, and guide the project toward a favorable outcome—even when that means pushing back against stakeholder requests that don’t align with the project’s stated purpose.

How to Write an Illustrator Job Description for Your Project

When writing a job description, it’s important to communicate exactly what you’re looking for in potential candidates. While every role will have different needs, reliable freelancers possess the following traits:

Command of Illustration Techniques

Whether you’re seeking someone with a broad skill set or a designer who specializes in a specific medium, the person you hire should demonstrate a strong understanding of their preferred illustration techniques. The best way to assess this is by examining the candidate’s portfolio. Look for someone whose work showcases not only quality, but also a consistent level of skill and style.

Sense of Creativity and Inventiveness

In addition to solid illustration skills, you should look for someone who can conceptualize images that delight, surprise, or challenge viewers’ assumptions about a topic. Candidates should be able to present artifacts, such as concept sketches, mood boards, color studies, and diverse illustration styles, that show how they explored multiple concepts before arriving at a final image.

Devotion to Details

Skilled artists can articulate how their artistic choices, including color and typography, communicate meaning. For instance, a subtle variation in shade, scale, or font can be the difference between a compelling illustration and a generic stock image.

When writing the job description, be sure to mention these traits, as well as the kind of work you are offering, full time or freelance. You should also discuss your project and the types of illustrations you are looking for, and if possible a timeframe for when they would be due.

What Are the Most Important Illustrator Interview Questions?

The following questions can help you hold productive interviews and make well-informed decisions:

How would you describe your creative process?

Knowing how a candidates works clarifies their abilities and fit for your organization. No matter the type of illustrations they are creating, their approach should include periods in which they conduct research, generate concepts, create comprehensive layouts, and incorporate stakeholder feedback. Look for talent with exceptional communication skills, as you’ll be relying on their ability to convey ideas and information throughout the project. Additionally, consider their years of experience to gauge their level of expertise and proficiency in the field.

What illustration software or tools do you use?

This question can help you gain valuable insight into a candidate’s technical skills. For instance, you might find that a candidate is most comfortable working in traditional media, such as colored pencils or acrylics, for print illustrations—which could be good or bad, depending on your illustration job.

Have you worked on similar projects?

This information can help you evaluate the candidate’s ability to handle your illustration project and anticipate potential obstacles. If you need a library of brand-specific illustrations, you should look for a candidate with experience creating a large number of illustrations that exhibit a cohesive theme and style.

Can you walk me through a recent project in your portfolio?

Reviewing a creative project together provides an opportunity to assess artistic, presentation, and communication skills. The candidate should be able to explain the project’s purpose, their role, their illustration process, and the project’s outcome.

Why Do Companies Hire Illustrators?

Whether you need a full-time, in-house hire or a freelancer for occasional design projects, illustration is an effective way to help people understand complicated products and services. This is why leading SaaS companies like Slack, Dropbox, and Gusto use illustrations to clarify their product features. For instance, Gusto, a human resources platform, promotes its full-service payroll suite with an illustration of its user interface adorned with whimsical characters and graphics. This technique signals a user experience that is both effective and enjoyable.

Designers who offer illustration services can also inspire optimism and help people envision seemingly mundane scenarios in a positive light. For example, the note-taking app Notion makes workplace collaboration seem fun with its illustrations of cheerful people working together on creative, even adventurous, tasks.

Ultimately, illustration conveys ideas with an immediacy and clarity that words can’t. It’s capable of evoking emotions like empathy, curiosity, and joy, and it’s a valuable way to draw comparisons, accentuate irony, and simplify complex concepts and processes. These qualities make illustration a potent marketing tool that can engage consumers across various print and digital touch points.