 he illustrator is a
fine artist who illustrates for books,
magazines, newsletters, websites, brochures, stamps, and any commercial
item. An illustrator may work on a salary, freelance, or as a side job.
 I once knew a young high school
graduate who wanted to break into the business as an illustrator. He
dropped by my agency and showed me his portfolio. I was very impressed
and his price was right. (At the time, he only charged $20 an hour for
his services) I used his illustrations for a client. Many saw his work
and
began to ask him to illustrate for their clients. Soon he was in
demand. To make a long story short, this young man is now making over
$100,000 a year. Because he is self-employed, he takes vacation time
whenever he feels like it. I'm not saying that anyone who enters this
profession will have a fairy tale story ending like this one, but it
should illustrate that the old saying, "starving artist" is no longer
valid. Parents can no longer say to their kids, "Don't you want to get
a real job?" If they say this, tell them, "Why should I when I can get
$100,000 a year in salary and do what I enjoy?"
While working in a medium size
ad
agency in Chicago, I worked with an illustrator who was kept on
salary there. He did quick illustrations that were included on
instructions, packaging, and ads. He was making a fairly paltry $25,000
a year. On his first interview at another agency, he got a job as an
illustrator for $60,000 salary. This was back in 1986, so I'm sure it's more now. I don't believe that an artist should focus on money- but with there being so much criticism of art careers lately, I have to
point out a few falsehoods. There is money to be made in illustration.
Job titles in Illustration
-
Medical Illustrator
(Salary range: $40,000 - $150,000)
This person usually goes through a pre-med
program in addition to art studies in college. Some art
schools offer medical illustration as a major. A strong knowledge
of anatomy and science is a prerequisite for this profession. Graduates
from this profession may expect quick job placement. Artists may
illustrate in medical journals such as JAMA, or for drug
companies such as Eli
Lilly, Merck,
or Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Below you will find more resources for medical illustration.
Medical Illustration
Medical Illustration Schools
There are hundreds of
reputable medical illustration
schools in the world. Do a search on the web for one near you or look
at our art school links.
Medical Illustrators
Misc. Illustration Links
Children's Books Illustrators
Marine Illustration
Illustration Resources
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