Illustrator | Habefast
The profession of illustrator, discover the world of visual creation.
Whether you are an ambitious artist, an enthusiast of visual culture or simply curious to know more about the profession of illustrator, you will find here all the information you need to understand the challenges and subtleties of this field of activity.
What is an illustrator?
An illustrator is a visual artist who creates visuals for media such as books, magazines, advertisements, media, video games or websites. Illustrations are generally used to communicate ideas, stories or concepts in a visual way.
Illustrators can create visuals in different forms such as drawings, paintings, prints or digital images. Traditional techniques allow for a more handcrafted final result while digital techniques allow them to be faster and more flexible.
Through their work, illustrators can express their creativity and bring their ideas to life while responding to clients’ needs.
The different types of illustrators
Each illustrator has specific skills that enable him or her to create content that is relevant to their field of work. There are several types of illustrators:
- Children’s book illustrators who work primarily on creating images for stories and characters
- Illustrators for advertising, who are mainly found in advertising agencies. They create images to promote products, services, or brands.
- Media illustrators who work for magazines, newspapers, or websites, for example. They create visuals to accompany articles and reports.
- Video game illustrators create images that include characters, backgrounds, and user interface elements.
- Scientific illustrators create more standardized images for textbooks, scientific books, or specialized publications. These visuals represent more specific subjects such as anatomy and fauna and flora
The process of creating an illustration
To create an illustration, the process followed by the illustrator may vary depending on the complexity of the illustration, the technique used and the expectations of the client. The typical process for creating this content is generally similar.
The first step is to understand the needs and expectations of the author or client. It is therefore essential to ask as many questions as possible in order to clarify and understand the result expected by our client.
If the illustrator is in need of inspiration, he or she can then research similar subjects to find visual references and thus inspiration. Once the project is clear and the illustrator knows in which direction, he wants to take his illustration, he can create sketches or mock-ups to see which compositions of shapes, colors or styles he wants to use. In case of doubt, he can ask his client which version is best to use.
Later, the illustrator can begin the final illustration and make adjustments to improve the overall look of the visual content, creating an image that completely meets the client’s expectations.
Once the illustrator has shared his or her visual work with the client, he or she may, if necessary, make slight modifications based on the client’s comments and suggestions.
The skills needed to be a good illustrator
To become an illustrator, it is essential to have multiple skills to succeed in this field. The ability to immerse yourself in a variety of themes, teamwork, a sense of detail and precision, autonomy, mastery of artistic techniques and the ability to understand the client’s expectations will make you an expert in illustration.
