What work can a Fashion Illustrator actually get?
Want some good news illustrators? Becoming a full time fashion illustrator is the most attainable it has ever been!
Because of social media (love it or hate it) we’re in an era where artists being able to make income from their work is at it’s most accessible, so that’s a beacon of hope!
The flip side is because there’s no entry requirements for freelance creative, all you need is a pencil and a dream, most people don’t go into it knowing exactly what work there is to get in the industry. Whether it’s because people don’t study illustration as a degree and don’t learn the history/business side of things or because people did study a degree and still left clueless because university isn’t very well geared up to help freelance creatives.
The first and foremost step is always to just create and share your work, some people can get careers solely from that, however for most of us it ain’t that simple! So the next step is to get an understanding of what work is actually out there to get.
You can’t aim for work that you don’t know exists, so researching the types of jobs people are already getting will help you hone your approach to getting work. This will hopefully let you spend less of your time with a portfolio full of work you like but that doesn’t appeal to clients.
I always used to stalk and deep dive illustrators I admire and see what work they previously got, still do! This can also help you ‘try before you buy’, if you see an illustrator you love get a particular job it’s proof that there’s demand for it, so you can give that subject matter a go in your own style and see if it works for you!
In this intro I just wanted to hammer home the importance of knowing what it is you’re actually aiming for, instead of randomly producing pretty drawings without the backing of what they could actually be used for, as that will slow down your career progression, trust me on that…
Also a lil note, I’ve put a money bags rating on these incomes, it’s not definitive but it’s just good to know what jobs are generally paid at a higher rate. So just keep them in mind, as most people will need a mix of sources to create enough income, heavy hitters like live events might pay extremely well but aren’t all year round, whereas editorial work might not pay as well but could be more consistent!
So without further ado, let’s get into the sources!
10 Income sources for Fashion Illustrators:
1. Live Events 💰💰💰
I would 100% recommend getting into live events if you’re wanting to become a fashion illustrator, they’re extremely popular and the momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The requirements for it is to just draw fast (10 minutes per illustration) and draw pretty well. Live events don’t just mean drawing for designer brands, it can also include birthday parties, weddings, dinners, conferences etc.
Live events were the first paid work I got when I was still at uni, I kinda just fell into it and my work was far from perfect. But people are just amazed at seeing people draw something before their very eyes, so don’t be concerned about waiting to be the perfect artist before putting yourself forward for this kind of work. My Live Event Illustration Masterclass reopens end of the month, so join that if you’re wanting to learn and improve your live event work!
2. Editorial 💰
Editorial basically means anything relating to publications, so think book covers, spot illustrations for magazine articles, magazine spreads, anything like that! Editorial can be quite a consistent job, at uni I worked with a magazine that needed illustrations monthly so I knew to expect a few commissions from them each month at least.
Downside to editorial is the rates being charged have been frozen for years, it’s not something I know a huge amount about at the moment but generally there’s an industry set rate for editorial work depending on the size of it being printed, but it’s not the most generous amount! However it can be consistent work and it’s an amazing feeling seeing your work in print!
3. Projects 💰💰
This is a very loose term, but ‘projects’ usually just covers any work being done from your studio that’s outcome is usually more than one illustration. Projects can be anything from creating illustrations for a brand to use on websites or socials, designing merch, creating animations for a client, illustrating for a look book, illustrating a book, helping a brand convey ideas visually, designing packaging for products, the list goes on.
Projects vary in scope and timeframe, some might only take half a day whilst others might take months. Project work is usually charged at a day rate or a set rate for the entire project, due to the guarantee of consistent work for a while, usually the longer the project the day rate you charge will be lower.
4. Commissions 💰 - 💰💰💰
Probably the most common means for illustrators to first get income, I remember charging £10 an illustration on Etsy when I first started. The more experienced you get the more you can charge but commissions are always good to have available because the pricing is adjustable, the timings are flexible and it’s good experience dipping your toe in to working with a client and dealing with expectations.
This is the easiest one to set up, even just an insta story stating your open for commissions might net you a few enquiries, I’d recommend having a story highlight detailing the commission process or a webpage if this is an avenue you want to go down.
5. Social media 💰 - 💰💰💰
The thing we all love to hate, but social media is suuuuch a useful marketing tool for us all, but it’s also an income source if used right. You don’t need to have 100k followers to make money off your instagram, quality of followers is far better than quantity if you know how to utilise them right. Things like affiliate codes can make a decent addition to your income if you have a strong following that appreciate your insight.
Things like ads and sponsorships are obviously easier to net the more followers you have, as well as the more followers the more you can charge usually. However over the past few years ad agencies have been paying more attention of engagement rates over follower numbers, so if you only have a few thousand followers but they’re extremely engaged then that’s definitely something you can monetise!
6. Murals/Window Displays 💰💰
This is a bit similar to live events however there’s usually a bit more studio work to sort beforehand and you’re paid to get the job done as opposed to how long you spend doing it so that’s why it only get’s two bags o’ cash. So murals and window displays are usually designed and decided upon via a bit of back and forth and a few rounds of edits, once it’s agreed on you either go to the location and paint the design live or you work on the artwork and the brand gets it printed and installed. But the scale of it can be incredible, not a job you’ll get everyday but a real showstopper when you do! To open yourself up to this kind of work on a more consistent scale learn lettering, as a lot of brands like sales/festive messages on their windows which have a quicker turnaround.
7. Content 💰 - 💰💰💰
Separated this one from social media as just because you create the content doesn’t mean you have to be the one to post it! I’ve worked for numerous art supply brands that get me to create pieces of content for the channels or blogs for them to push particular products, and depending on the usage of the content, these can be great earners.
Film yourself creating an illustration using the decided upon products and the brand can use that content and try shift some pens and pencils, brands always try and show the products being used for as many different things as possible so the same products will be used for content showing architecture, nature, portraits, graphics, lettering and fashion!
Passive Incomes:
Technical term alert, we’re delving into passive incomes. All it means is ways of making money that tick over without your input necessarily, things you can upload and leave to do their own thing. It’s always good to have a few of these in your repertoire because sometimes you’ll take your foot off the gas in your career for whatever reasons. Whether that’s having a day off, going on holiday or something more, so it’s nice to have something that continues to work even when you’re taking some time off!
8. Prints / Originals / Online Shop
After commissions this is the second most common way for artists to make an income, the difference being the work is already done. You’ve made the work, you’ve popped it online, all you have to do is package it up once someone purchases it, or you can sign up to a print on demand service so you don’t even have to do that.
I do recommend every illustrator have an online store, you never know who might stumble upon it and purchase something, my bit of advice is don’t just advertise something once and think that’s enough, the income might be passive but the marketing isn’t.
9. Courses
Courses are extremely popular and the industry is only growing bigger, but you don’t need to be at the height of your career and craft to teach people something! I started my own little classes on Skillshare in 2018 before I was a full time illustrator, I just did some courses that were about instagram tips, fabric rendering and freelance advice. So don’t be intimidated by it, sometimes people prefer to learn from someone that’s only a step or two in front of their own abilities rather than by someone who’s leagues ahead.
Skillshare never bought in enough for me to live off but it can be a nice addition to your income. Then if you get more confident you can do larger more considered online courses like the ones I started in 2021, they’re a lot more in-depth and bring in a much larger part of my income.
10. Licensing
This is the area I have least knowledge in, but basically there are tonnes of stock websites where you can upload illustrations and print designs for people to use for a licensing fee. The way it works is for example if a gardening company needs a drawing of a rose for their logo, instead of the hassle of finding an artist and commissioning them, most companies would go to a stock website and type rose, then pick the one they like and pay the licensing fee.
Stock and licensing works more for commercial / generic pieces of work as you have to think they need to be easily searchable and found. So if you have some illustrations for popular things like food, drink, florals etc then there could be some money to be found doing this!
Other income sources:
Collabs - Collaborate with a brand by them licensing some of your work or you designing new pieces for a collection.
Campaigns - This is the big guns, the big dogs, the dream for any of us, to illustrate an advertising campaign. That’s where the casharoo is, providing illustrations for a worldwide visual marketing campaign, not a common job but definitely one to cross your fingers for.
Merch - If you build enough of a fan base/following you can make money from printing your artwork onto t-shirts, jumpers, phone cases that your fans will purchase. Conversion rates are usually pretty low so only profitable if you do print on demand or have a large following.
The thing about a creative career, it might not be as straight forward as other careers, turn up to desk, work, get guaranteed pay. But the opportunities are near limitless!
If you have people that will buy your work and a platform to advertise it on you can make income from painting on a bag, selling doodled on napkins, creating your own fabrics.
It’s a role where no one’s gonna sit there and tell you what to do and profit isn’t always guaranteed, but if you delve into your entrepreneurial side a lil bit then the potential really is limitless!
