Tips for becoming an illustrator

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As we know Illustration careers are currently both exciting and highly sought-after. If you love drawing and visual arts, consider a career in illustration. It offers both commercial and creative opportunities and can lead to global recognition for your work. As an illustrator, you have various career paths to choose from. To excel in this profession, you must refine your style and improve your work.

If you don’t have any idea how to start a career as an illustrator, I'm here to give you insights on how to become an illustrator.

1. Make drawing a regular habit.

To start and advance your career in illustration, begin by expressing yourself visually through manual sketching on a sketchbook. As a beginner, you can start by using images as references and copying others' work to learn how to draw.

But remember, you have to practice daily. The goal is to improve your drawing skills and feel confident expressing your creativity. To become an illustrator, you don’t need to draw realistically, rather, focus on developing a unique style.

2. Learn how to illustrate using a tool.

To enhance your skills and productivity in illustration, conduct research on the prevalent tools and software used in that field. AI(adobe illustrator) is the best tool for learning vector-based illustration, and you can easily acquire the necessary skills through free courses or youtube videos. However, mastering the tools requires patience and practice.

Whenever you come across images or things in your daily life, try to draw them using the tool you are learning, as a way to practice and improve your skills.

3. Learn about colors

When it comes to coloring the illustration, you should be aware of the 12 main colors on the color wheel including red, yellow, chartreuse green, green, spring green, cyan, azure, blue, violet, magenta, and rose. 

The color wheel is divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, from which you can choose any color you like.

If you’re new to creating color palettes, you can gather inspiration from professional designers or search on the internet for palette images. However, it’s important to keep in mind the emotions you want to convey in your illustration.

For instance, when designing for children, we incorporate bright, playful colors such as orange and yellow to convey a sense of cuteness and fun.

4. Explore your creativity with a sketchbook.

“Drawing involves carefully observing and analyzing something before creating a reproduction of it.”

Keep the sketchbook with you as a reminder to draw by opening it up and filling it with your artwork. Sketching or drawing is fundamental to illustration.

If you want to become a professional illustrator, you must master the skill of drawing anything with beauty and precision because an illustrator creates a visual representation of the subject matter to enhance a piece of writing.

5. Create a portfolio

Creating a portfolio is crucial, so take your time. Be creative and display your best illustration works or any other early gigs. Cultivate your artistic abilities, curate your top pieces, and gain confidence in | your skills as an artist.

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A digital portfolio can help you gain recognition as an authentic artist by showcasing your work online and making it visible to a wider audience.

6. Follow the other illustrators for motivation and ideas

If you lack confidence in your art or struggle to generate new ideas, looking at other artists’ work can be a helpful solution. Although it’s normal to be influenced by illustrations, it’s important to avoid copying their work. Use their drawing process as a tool to explore and develop your unique style.

Stay inspired by artists and incorporate new and unique elements into your personal style.

Drawing brings me pure enjoyment and serves as the foundation for illustration design.

Developing a unique style for your illustrations is crucial because it sets your artwork apart from others and serves as your artistic identity. Trying out various drawing styles and techniques can help you discover the ones that suit you best and enhance the beauty of your work.

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“keep exploring your unique style until you discover it.”