I'm starting out as an illustrator but I hardly have any client work to show when I'm applying for jobs. Any advice on how to make up for it
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- You only need one really good piece of art in a niche to hook a client. Just make sure to put that piece of art in as many places as possible. And I do mean it when I say make it niche. This isn't the time for your portrait of a pretty woman. Make this piece 100% of your skill at the moment and make it something fairly unusual that represents your passion to its fullest. Like, if it were a portrait, a portrait of a challenging person or expression or a portait of a cat on a royal suit of armor or an astronaut with an alligator inside is going to take you further than any single person. Fanart will take you further than an original for getting quick eyes on it. Now, a lot of commissioners will want to see a few pieces, so at this point in your career consider entering contests, doing fanart especially for someone that would POST your art to their social media, and doing art challenges that are getting popularly shared in hashtags. These may have the side effect of picking up some followers for you and bolstering your portfolio.Quality is better than quantity. Do your best. Starting is slow but if you keep the license of your demo art you can resell it in other ways than just client to artist interactions so it will make its time back if you do a good job.
- @Raafaye Ali thanks so much for your detailed response, I really appreciate it. I think you're right, when taking on a project that doesn't pay well, it's good practice to let them know how much you would normally charge for the work even if you accept the rate that they are offering.Sorry you had to take someone to court! That must have been so stressful, I hope it never happens again.I recently lost a project because they thought the quote I provided was too high, even though I told them I was open to consider a lower fee if they couldn't pay that (they were a charity but it was a paid job). The thing is what I was charging barely covered my cost of living, not to mention all the things you listed as (getting a degree isn't cheap).Well I hope you can find the confidence to charge at the higher end of the range, there is no reason you shouldn't :)
- to your question about low paid and under valued roles,first depends on what kind of organisation/company it is. if its something im passionate about i always have space for probono work/low paid work, do they have a similier goal/values as to me? i do generally notify them of what my value is normally is or people who undertsand my value so that its something they recognise and do not take advantage of. You can usually exchange in these circumstances exchange skillset for something they are able to offer/products etcI try to state what the day rate is for my desgn stuff to set the benchmark and even if i do not expect them to be able to afford it because the bench mark for design is pretty low with other designers pitching much less then myself, but its important that i hold to my bench mark otherwise its mentally exausting pouring in far more effort and time into a project where you arnt paid your fair share. (ive done this many a time and its also been for some one i had to take to emplyment tribunal and spend 9 months pursuing when they refused to pay me for what was atleast agreed upon) this atleast lets me educate/inform any one i work with so perhaps they understand thats the amount they should consider at a later date if other designers inform them of something similar.I just try to breakdown how many hours/how you are working, such as research, sketches, feedback, pursing 2-3 routes refined sketch, feedback where they select one route then focus on that. any addition feedback to make any amendments beyond that i highlight would cost more etc. this obviously depends on what kind of projects you are working on etc.there is no harm in informing them of what a day rate for a freelancer illustrator might be per day, so 150-200 is what i usually gage then break down each of the steps of the design so they can see how you would tackle their project. if they are paying significantly less then you are able to show how they are asking to pay you less then feasibly possible for you to live on. you studied your profession, you aquired the equipment to deisgn, the softwares and hours to refine your skillset, the various range of projects and so are due to be paid. even tho i have far more expeirence i still position myself at the lower end of the 150-200 because of my own self esteem but in time i will address that
- Thanks so much for all the great advice! I love the Dots community. I might post this as a separate question too, but while I have your attention (lol), what's your stance on taking badly paid jobs when you're starting out?Recently I have been seeing lots of freelance illustration jobs advertised with incredibly low pay. I found it really frustrating that illustration is still seen by some as a non-job or a hobby, and that some clients have no idea of the work that goes into an illustration and the expenses of an illustrator, including art supplies, computer software, web domain, etc. -which the salary should at least cover.So my question is, should I swallow my pride and just take what I can get, or does accepting underpaid jobs devalue the profession of illustrator?
- Yes, create your own briefings. Or ask a friend to take the client role.
- Besides what has already been said, which is very good advice, I would say if you really want to have some client work in your portfolio, just to show that you can work witha brief and deadline, seek out local small businesses or charity organisations that you believe in and could do a pro-bono for. They usually are excited for such an offer and offer more creative freedom than paid work. Good luck!
- 90-95% of my portfolio is work without ever having a client.Suggest you set yourself dream briefs on the types of clients you would like to work for and make the kind of work you are most passionate about. That’s the best way to build a portfolio that way you present what you would like to do and what you feel represents you
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