How to choose the right illustrator for your brand
Illustration is a powerful (and fun) way to make your brand unmistakable. But unless you’re plugging some prompts into AI willy-nilly (gaaah!), or using a set of predetermined stock vectors that anyone could download, you’re going to need an actual human with the necessary skills to take your brief and create their unique magic with it.
But with so many styles, approaches, and personalities out there, how do you know if a particular illustrator is a good fit for the job before parting with your money and finding out the hard way?
It’s not only important to find an illustrator whose work aligns with your brand and general vibe, but also one who is professional and easy to collaborate with. While there’s no definitive way of choosing your artiste, here are 3 key pointers coming from someone on the other side of the desk (and drawing tablet) to help you in your quest:
1. Search: Go do some illustrator-spotting…
The first step is to start your search in the right places. While illustrators tend to thrive alone in the stillness of their caves, erm… studios, you can bet they’ve got their own corner of the internet too. So take some time to explore the web to get a general idea of who’s out there and what you do and don’t vibe with.
Google & Instagram – A quick search on Google or Instagram can help you find an array of illustrators, as well as those in a specific niche or location, if working with someone locally is important to you. Use keywords that match your brand’s needs, like “pet brand illustrator” or “editorial food illustrator in Sydney.”
Pinterest – A great way to go down the rabbit hole. Plug in general terms to get you started, click on an image that speaks to you, and then see where it takes you. While you may not find a particular illustrator here (or maybe you do!), this is a great way to see what styles or treatments of your business’ niche appeal to you. Do you like busy, isometric cityscapes that could explain your process graphically, or do you like big bold characters to represent your services or customer diversity?
Ask around – If you know other business owners, designers, or agencies, ask if they’ve worked with an illustrator or have one they’d recommend. A good referral can save you time and effort. And sometimes it’s just helpful to know who’s trustworthy as well as being brilliant at what they do.
Compile some options – If you’re not sure exactly what style would suit your brand, or who could do it best, shortlist a few illustrators with different approaches and ask some colleagues or friends for their input. Seeing a variety of options side by side can help clarify what could work best for you before approaching the illustrators to talk specifics.
2. Look: Does what they do, fit what you do?
Once you’ve found potential illustrators, take a closer look at their work to see if it aligns with your brand’s vision. Go stalk their websites and social media pages and see what they do, and how they do it.
Remember to be mindful of the goal of your project while doing this exercise too. Your future illustrations should complement your established branding and also make sense in the context of what you do. For example a boho, surfer aesthetic may not work for your law firm if your brand persona isn’t one of being “chill” and easy-going.
Past work, projects, and industries – Comb through their portfolio to see what types of brands and industries they’ve worked with before. Have they illustrated for businesses similar to yours? Do they have an understanding of your industry and audience? Do they capture a mood in their work that aligns with what would be expected in your line of work? E.g. A children’s book illustrator may not be the best choice for website illustrations for a construction company. Unless you’re going for a very sweet, soft approach. And maybe a fluffy bunny or two.
Style matters – Illustration styles vary widely, from detailed hand-drawn realism to bold, quirky geometric visuals. Choose someone whose aesthetic and current work examples would complement your brand right now. Stick to what they’ve shown they can do already — while you can absolutely serve up a wild card and ask to push creative boundaries, there may be less guarantee of how well it’ll turn out vs your expectations if they’ve never done something like that before.
Consistency – While a lot of illustrators are adaptable in style, there’s usually a common thread in their work, if not a fairly distinct style. If this is your first time hiring an illustrator, it’s a good idea to look for an illustrator with a strong, consistent body of work. This not only gives you a strong indication of what you can expect, but also the level of finesse and professionalism with which they work. If their portfolio feels all over the place with a clash of styles, minimal past work examples, and provide no sense of process — it might be an indication of what working with them may be like.
3. Ask: It’s time to reach out!
Right! So you’ve done a general sweep of the internet and narrowed your search down to a couple of finalists (or maybe even the one!) after doing a good ol’ porti-stalk to make sure their work could work well with your brand.
Before committing and running off into the sunset just yet, it’s time to reach out and connect with the illustrator/s and have a proper conversation about the project, their process, availability, pricing etc.
Contact them – It’s time to reach out and tell them you’re keen! Pop them an email, DM or fill in their contact form to express your interest in working together and provide a brief outline of the project or your ideas. Having an initial call or a few email exchanges can also help gauge general professionalism, enthusiasm, and communication style going forward. I strongly believe in doing an initial video call before starting a project to meet ‘face-to-face’, get to know who we’ll be working with and to get a more informative, spoken explanation of the project, and answer any questions along the way.
Ask about their process – A structured process means fewer surprises down the line. If the illustrator doesn’t mention their process during initial discussions, make sure to ask about how they approach projects, what are the steps you can expect from concept to final artwork. Are there going to be progress sketches along the way? When will you get to give input? When are payments due? What final file formats will you be given at the end? What are the licencing agreements, will you own the final work?
Revisions – Make sure to get clarity on how many revisions are included within scope and what is included in a round of revisions — A total redraw, or only minor edits? What happens if you need an additional round outside of the included rounds?
Choosing the right illustrator for your brand, or upcoming project, is about more than just liking their work — it’s about finding someone whose style and process will be an asset your brand, and who is professional and easy to collaborate with. By following these steps and asking the right questions, you’ll be well on your way to finding an illustrator who ‘gets it’ and gets your brand.
