2 answers
Christina
Student
San Luis Obispo, California
1
Question
Asked
772 views
How can I become a full time illustrator ?
I would love to have a mentor for becoming a full time illustrator
Login to comment
2 answers
Michael Kang
Designer
1
Answer
San Francisco, California
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Coming from an artist myself, becoming a full time illustrator starts with having genuine passion and a willingness to build a strong skillset over time. Illustration is one of the purest and most powerful forms of visual communication, and there is a great deal of respect for those who dedicate themselves to it and grow within the field.
If you love creating art through narrative storytelling, this career can be incredibly rewarding. It does take commitment and patience, but growth comes from consistent practice. Take classes when you can, welcome critiques, and always look for ways to improve. Asking yourself, “What more can I do to make this better?” helps you stay curious and open minded. Clarity is especially important. Creating illustrations that are easy to understand allows your ideas to connect with a wide audience. Stay curious, seek inspiration, and study the work of other illustrators not to copy them, but to learn from their approaches and use that knowledge to shape your own voice.
Like any creative career, illustration has a learning curve and offers many different paths. Understanding how the art industry works can help you feel more prepared as you move forward. Income and opportunities can look different depending on the direction you choose, so taking time to explore your options is important. Since you are in high school, this is a great moment to experiment, learn, and think about what you value most in a future career. Whether you are drawn to the stability of in house or studio work, or the flexibility of freelancing, learning about the business side of art can help you build a sustainable and fulfilling path.
You can also start thinking about what kinds of schools might support your goals. Many illustrators come from art focused colleges or universities with strong illustration, fine arts, or visual communication programs. There is no single right school. What matters most is finding a program that helps you build strong fundamentals, develop your portfolio, and grow your artistic voice. Take time to research programs, look at student work, and choose a learning environment that aligns with both your creative and personal needs.
As you think about your next steps, reaching out to alumni, teachers, or a school counselor can be very helpful in guiding you toward the kind of artist you want to become. Illustration can open many doors, from studios and media to publishing and freelance work. These are things I only came to understand recently, and I wish I had known them earlier.
I hope this helps and wish you the best on your journey as an illustrator.
If you love creating art through narrative storytelling, this career can be incredibly rewarding. It does take commitment and patience, but growth comes from consistent practice. Take classes when you can, welcome critiques, and always look for ways to improve. Asking yourself, “What more can I do to make this better?” helps you stay curious and open minded. Clarity is especially important. Creating illustrations that are easy to understand allows your ideas to connect with a wide audience. Stay curious, seek inspiration, and study the work of other illustrators not to copy them, but to learn from their approaches and use that knowledge to shape your own voice.
Like any creative career, illustration has a learning curve and offers many different paths. Understanding how the art industry works can help you feel more prepared as you move forward. Income and opportunities can look different depending on the direction you choose, so taking time to explore your options is important. Since you are in high school, this is a great moment to experiment, learn, and think about what you value most in a future career. Whether you are drawn to the stability of in house or studio work, or the flexibility of freelancing, learning about the business side of art can help you build a sustainable and fulfilling path.
You can also start thinking about what kinds of schools might support your goals. Many illustrators come from art focused colleges or universities with strong illustration, fine arts, or visual communication programs. There is no single right school. What matters most is finding a program that helps you build strong fundamentals, develop your portfolio, and grow your artistic voice. Take time to research programs, look at student work, and choose a learning environment that aligns with both your creative and personal needs.
As you think about your next steps, reaching out to alumni, teachers, or a school counselor can be very helpful in guiding you toward the kind of artist you want to become. Illustration can open many doors, from studios and media to publishing and freelance work. These are things I only came to understand recently, and I wish I had known them earlier.
I hope this helps and wish you the best on your journey as an illustrator.
Michelle M.
Actress
3276
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Christina !
If you are in high school, you can start by taking many various art classes that your high school offers. Draw and sketch every day. Being consistent with your creativity is a good place to start.
You can also connect with various art programs in San Luis Obispo. The Willow Pond SLO hosts creative workshops for artists of all levels, including teens, Cuesta College’s Community Programs offers youth and teen-focused arts classes and The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art provides free youth art activities open to the public.
Art Central in San Luis Obispo hosts a variety of workshops suitable for teens. They have a program called "Creative Kids: After School" series which you may want to find more information about. The Boys and Girls Club of South San Luis Obispo County also offers a Teen Center for grades 7–12 and they offer various activities, some with art.
Even though when you do your art you are alone, you need to explore the artist community where you live to interact with other artists and feel part of a group. It's a great learning experience.
After high school, you can attend college or an art school and Major in Illustration, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. You can start looking at colleges and art schools now to find out which institutions offer the BFA in Illustration. During the time you would be in college or art school, you would start a professional portfolio of your work. You should make both an online as well as a hard copy portfolio. Some employers may be satisfied with the screen image but some may want to see the real creation, it depends, so having both an electronic and hard copy portfolio will keep you prepared. Your academics during college or art school will teach you how to do your career.
Once you feel ready to promote your career, whether it's while you are in college or after graduation, you can register at some directories online so that when people need an illustrator, they can look at your work and decide if they'd want to contact you. Some of these directory websites are Illustrators For Hire, Illustrators, The Directory of Illustration, the Association of Medical Illustrators, Childrensillustrators, and the Workbook Creative Services Directory.
You can start exploring the employment end of this career, too. Although there is lots of opportunity for freelance work, full time Illustrators are hired for companies that have a high volume need such as publishing houses, advertising agencies, and media studios. Try not to set it in stone as far as only wanting full time work. You could also probably do a full time gig while freelancing on the side, but you'd learn more about this during college or art school.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best for a delightful path and career as an Illustrator!
If you are in high school, you can start by taking many various art classes that your high school offers. Draw and sketch every day. Being consistent with your creativity is a good place to start.
You can also connect with various art programs in San Luis Obispo. The Willow Pond SLO hosts creative workshops for artists of all levels, including teens, Cuesta College’s Community Programs offers youth and teen-focused arts classes and The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art provides free youth art activities open to the public.
Art Central in San Luis Obispo hosts a variety of workshops suitable for teens. They have a program called "Creative Kids: After School" series which you may want to find more information about. The Boys and Girls Club of South San Luis Obispo County also offers a Teen Center for grades 7–12 and they offer various activities, some with art.
Even though when you do your art you are alone, you need to explore the artist community where you live to interact with other artists and feel part of a group. It's a great learning experience.
After high school, you can attend college or an art school and Major in Illustration, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. You can start looking at colleges and art schools now to find out which institutions offer the BFA in Illustration. During the time you would be in college or art school, you would start a professional portfolio of your work. You should make both an online as well as a hard copy portfolio. Some employers may be satisfied with the screen image but some may want to see the real creation, it depends, so having both an electronic and hard copy portfolio will keep you prepared. Your academics during college or art school will teach you how to do your career.
Once you feel ready to promote your career, whether it's while you are in college or after graduation, you can register at some directories online so that when people need an illustrator, they can look at your work and decide if they'd want to contact you. Some of these directory websites are Illustrators For Hire, Illustrators, The Directory of Illustration, the Association of Medical Illustrators, Childrensillustrators, and the Workbook Creative Services Directory.
You can start exploring the employment end of this career, too. Although there is lots of opportunity for freelance work, full time Illustrators are hired for companies that have a high volume need such as publishing houses, advertising agencies, and media studios. Try not to set it in stone as far as only wanting full time work. You could also probably do a full time gig while freelancing on the side, but you'd learn more about this during college or art school.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best for a delightful path and career as an Illustrator!