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 reports that there are approximately 94,500 art and design job openings each year. The Bureau anticipates 20,500 new art and design jobs between 2021 and 2031, making it clear that companies recognize design’s ability 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, and illustrations effectively communicate ideas in such contexts.

Finding and hiring a skilled illustrator can be challenging, despite a vast talent pool.

This difficulty stems from many illustrators being freelancers, limiting their online visibility to a portfolio site and a handful of social media platforms. Additionally, illustrators represent diverse capabilities, each with their own styles and specializations, such as lettering, 3D modeling, or mixed media—meaning not every illustrator will suit your project’s needs.

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

What attributes distinguish quality Illustrators from others?

It’s important to be able to identify talented illustrators from less-skilled ones in order to ensure that your project’s artistic vision is realized and its message is conveyed clearly to your intended audience. Depending on your project, you may need an illustrator with some or all of the following skills:

Composition and Design
Composition and design skills involve positioning graphics, achieving balance, establishing scale relationships, emphasizing essential design elements, and applying colors. Quality illustrators are highly intentional about arranging their compositions; 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 hyper-realistic. Sketching is an effective way for illustrators to explore their initial ideas and share them with stakeholders quickly. Drawing skills come into play when a concept is chosen and the composition requires more precision. An experienced illustrator usually has a distinct drawing style that makes their work stand out from their peers.

Photography
While it’s not uncommon for illustrators to draw without visual references, many of the best illustrators take photographs to inform their work. For instance, rendering lighting, perspective, and even the human form without photo references can be challenging. Some illustrators also use photos to create illustrative collages, while others draw directly on top of photographs.

Storytelling
Illustrators don’t just produce photocopies of the natural world; they create images that convey meaning. For example, think of an editorial cartoon that has no words but still makes a scathingly sarcastic statement. A skilled illustrator knows how to juxtapose characters, objects, and settings in clever ways that tell a story.

Technical
Quality illustrators should be expert in using digital design software such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, CorelDRAW, and Affinity Designer.

Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based design tool that allows illustrators to create graphics that can be adjusted and scaled without pixelation. Illustrator is a popular tool for illustrators specializing in lettering, infographics, and website illustrations.

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

The files illustrators create 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 vetting process, you’ll need to decide whether you’d like to work with a seasoned illustrator or someone newer to the field. Both options have advantages and drawbacks. An experienced illustrator is more likely to have strong project management skills and a distinct style—which will help differentiate your content from your competitors. But veteran illustrators also tend to charge higher fees. Junior illustrators are often eager to explore new illustration techniques, and they bring a fresh perspective to the illustrations 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 hiring an illustrator. The best illustrators exhibit adaptability, teamwork, consistency, and introspection. They can synthesize a project’s requirements and produce compelling visuals 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 an illustrator job description, it’s important to communicate exactly what you’re looking for in potential illustrators. And while every role will have different needs, top illustrators possess the following traits:

Command of illustration techniques
Whether you’re seeking an illustrator with a broad skill set or one who specializes in a specific medium, the illustrator you hire should demonstrate a strong understanding of their preferred illustration techniques. The best way to assess this is by examining an illustrator’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 an illustrator who can conceptualize images that delight, surprise, or challenge viewers’ assumptions about a topic. Illustrators should be able to present artifacts such as concept sketches, mood boards, and color studies that show how they explored multiple concepts before arriving at a final image.

Devotion to details
Skilled illustrators can articulate how their artistic choices communicate meaning. For instance, a subtle variation in shade or scale can be the difference between a compelling illustration and a generic stock image.

What are the most important Illustrator interview questions?

The following illustrator interview questions can help you hold productive discussions and make well-informed decisions:

How would you describe your creative process?
Knowing how an illustrator works clarifies their abilities and fit for your organization. Not all illustrators follow a regimented process like UI and UX designers, but their approach should include periods where 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.

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 talent 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. For example, if you need a library of brand-specific illustrations, you should look for a candidate with experience creating large quantities of illustrations that exhibit a cohesive theme and style.

Can you walk me through a recent project in your portfolio?
Reviewing a project provides an opportunity to assess artistic, presentation, and communication skills. The illustrator should be able to explain the project’s purpose, their role and illustrations process, and the project’s outcome.

Why do companies hire Illustrators?

Illustration is an effective way to help people understand complicated products and services, which 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’s effective and enjoyable.

Illustration 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, outrage, 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 engages consumers across various print and digital touchpoints.