If you’re one of those gifted people who have a talent for art and design, you should consider a career as a professional freelance illustrator.
Sure, we’re talking about something a little more professional than being that kid who still scribbles in his notebook. Anyhow, if you live and breathe as an artist, this might be the right career path for you.
After all, things have changed, and there are plenty of jobs out there that will enable you to pursue your interests while still taking home a good income.
In comparison to working in an office, becoming a freelance illustrator has a lot of advantages. Although freelancing may be a dream come true when it comes to balancing work and leisure, it still comes with its challenges. Work, accountability, and time management are all needed to be kept balanced. Oh, yeah, the rat race never stops.
In this blog post, you’ll learn more about freelance illustrators’ jobs, how much you can make as an illustrator, and more.
How Much Do Freelance Illustrators Make?
As per Glassdoor, the average base pay for a freelance Illustrator is $41,897/yr. in the United States.
According to Indeed Salaries, the typical freelance illustrator in the United States charges about $25 per hour.
Following Ziprecruiter salaries, the estimated gross salary for a Freelance Illustrator in the United States is $59,837 per year as of March 17, 2021. In case you need a quick salary calculator, it works out to $28.77 per hour, $1,151 a week, or $4,986 a month.
6 Ways to Find Work as a Freelance Illustrator
1. General Notes
As a general rule, it is better to produce a large amount of work and to be noticeable. Knowing who you are and how you want to communicate and present yourself is important. However, keep in mind that understanding where/who your client is also essential – instead of asking, "How do I get assignments?" ask, "How do clients find me?" Have your eyes open for your potential market.
2. Search Online Marketplaces
Hunting and getting work through freelance marketplaces is the simplest and most convenient way to find a job as an illustrator.
Unfortunately, renowned freelance platforms like UpWork and Freelancer.com barely get drawing or illustration jobs. To find illustration work, you'll need to enter specialized marketplaces or search career boards.
At TaskShift freelance marketplace, you can find an entire category for Illustration where you can post your services as an illustrator, showcasing your portfolio and mentioning your rates.
3. Sell Your Artwork Online
You can also sell your illustrations through art platforms to make money. A few years back, artists and Illustrators used to have a lot of restrictions on how, where, and where they could sell their work.
There were no websites where people might offer their artwork. You had to find a way to bring the work into someone's hands in person, whether it was by a fine art gallery, a creative exhibition, or an impromptu street sale.
However, due to the internet, it's never been simpler for illustrators to communicate their work with art fans all over the world,
Now, you can showcase and promote your illustrations through platforms like UGallery, Saatchi Art, Turning Art, or Zazzle.
4. Participate in Art Commissions
Making money online by commissions is a common practice for many new illustrators.
This is particularly common among DeviantArt users, an online forum for artists. Clients may compensate artists for either cash or DeviantArt points on this platform.
Other illustrators use a variety of sites to communicate with customers and do commissions. For starters, a client contacts you with a proposal, you negotiate on an amount, and the client pays you after the job is finished.
H4 How to Sell Art Commissions On Reddit?
On Reddit, there are subreddits dedicated to advertising art commissions, but most of the users who visit those subreddits are other artists searching for jobs, rather than being customers.
When you post an illustration, leave a message on each subreddit, as allowed by the guidelines, letting people know that you're available for commissions, where they can see some of your work, and how to reach you further.
5. Sell Print Versions of Your Illustrations
Selling paper copies of your illustrations is a great way to market your art. However, in order to sell your art as posters or canvas prints, you must first establish a reputation and advertise your work online in order to gain a following.
Many artists offer posters on DeviantArt while still sharing their work on the site.
Other platforms, such as Society6 and Printful, can do much of the heavy lifting for you, including printing the posters and sending them to customers. Simply submit the illustration to the platform, and you will be paid a royalty for each order.
6. Use Social Media Platforms
Maintaining an active presence on social media is essential for promoting your work as an illustrator. It's also a fantastic place to look for freelance work.
A quick search on twitter can help you find a gig easily. Another social media platform you should be using on a regular basis is Instagram. You can use it to showcase your best work as well as to promote your services.
Regular posts and interactions are critical for getting noticed and staying in touch with customers and admirers of your work.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the most effective ways of finding an Illustration job, don’t wait another minute and get started now.