Career Opportunities for Illustration Students

Hi there!

I wanted to write a post explaining the different career paths that my course (Illustration) can lead to.

Illustration is a very broad subject that can open you up to so many different opportunities. The majority of courses allow you to dabble in fine art, editorial illustration, graphic design & typography, printmaking, surface pattern, and so many more areas!

I feel like it's the right course for those who aren't entirely sure what path they want do go down with their art but are set on being a part of the creative industry.

If you're willing to learn the fundamentals and master a few different areas (Printmaking, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc), it definitely gives you a bigger chance of being an all-rounder across plenty of areas.

Personally, I want to go into freelancing and self-employment, as difficult as it may be, purely as I don't see myself working for a company or being limited with what I create. This means besides running my own online art business, I am also open to taking on commission work for others - whether it be for commercial or personal use.

Here is a list of a (small) selection of jobs you may want to consider:

•

Freelancing

•

Publishing

•

Advertising

•

Fashion Design

•

Concept/Background/Character Artist

•

Animation

•

Web/UI Design

•

Graphic Design

•

Merchandise

•

Printmaking

•

Surface Pattern Designer

And the list goes on...

I hope this gives a better preview of what possibilities this course offers!

Take care,
-Tee :smile:

(3rd Year Illustration Student & Content Creator)

Reply 1

global_astro

Thanks so much for this useful post! It can be quite difficult to find information on exactly what careers people who have done illustration courses end up in, so this is a really helpful jumping off point for us students considering going into illustration ☺️

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 2

aspalax

Universities Forum Helper

I think it's really important for people in creative subjects to have some financial literacy and freelancing knowledge - it's so prevalent in these fields and even when directly employed by companies, as a freelance contractor it's really important to be able to manage things like reporting sources of multiple income, conflict of interest, copyright law, among lots of other concerns for creatives.

I hope more university courses include information like this within their courses, especially for people in subjects like illustration and concept art.

Reply 3

StaffsRep Tee

Official Rep

Original post by global_astro

Of course! There's so many different fields you can go into 🙂 If you have any other questions about it, you're more than welcome to drop me a message here or dm me on insta (teebugart), it's worth looking at what others are doing too - your style may be suitable for a specific area such as book illustration or tattooing! It's incredibly versatile 🙂

-Tee💫

Reply 4

StaffsRep Tee

Official Rep

Original post by aspalax

I think it's really important for people in creative subjects to have some financial literacy and freelancing knowledge - it's so prevalent in these fields and even when directly employed by companies, as a freelance contractor it's really important to be able to manage things like reporting sources of multiple income, conflict of interest, copyright law, among lots of other concerns for creatives.
I hope more university courses include information like this within their courses, especially for people in subjects like illustration and concept art.

100%! I completely agree, it's incredibly important.

My course at the Uni of Staffs offers workshops with the AOI (Association of Illustrators) where we cover many topics from working with an agency, taxes, invoicing clientele, and much more! We're very lucky to have this available to us as it gives a good insight into the industry and ways of working. It'd be great if everyone had access to this support too!

-Tee💫

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 5

aspalax

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by StaffsRep Tee

100%! I completely agree, it's incredibly important.
My course at the Uni of Staffs offers workshops with the AOI (Association of Illustrators) where we cover many topics from working with an agency, taxes, invoicing clientele, and much more! We're very lucky to have this available to us as it gives a good insight into the industry and ways of working. It'd be great if everyone had access to this support too!
-Tee💫

That's really good to hear, I'm glad Staffs is providing that kind of support.