7 Tips for Starting a Business as an Illustrator

Sometimes I declare that I won’t do something, and then immediately after I go and do exactly that thing. Like this morning, when someone asked if I could make a video on the business part of illustration, I said:“I hope not to disappoint you, but there is no easy ‘here are the 7 steps to start a business as an illustrator’ type tips.”

But then I had to write something on this blog. So, here are 7 tips to start a business as an illustrator. Fair warning, though: I don’t believe there are shortcuts to being an artist for a living. There’s that whole tricky part of being an artist first, which is kind of a prerequisite. It’s more than a prerequisite though: it’s everything. The business part is just a logical way to justify illustrating more!

01 Study design

The creative industry, including illustration and design, is a highly sought-after job market. Of design and illustration, illustration is more specialized, and by nature, more competitive: jobs are more scarce. Design, on the other hand, is a more open field. Design is highly practical and applicable to almost every industry and market. There are far more opportunities to work and get paid as a designer. Meanwhile, illustrators must work with designers on most projects. When we know our way around the language of design, we become better…