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will have a fairy tale story ending like this one, but it should illustrate that the old saying, "starving artist" is no longer valid.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.

• (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. This illustrator creates drawings, paintings, diagrams, and models of medical or biological subjects in fields such as anatomy, histology, pathology, physiology, or in surgical procedures, for use in research, publications, exhibits, consultations, and teaching activities. 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 Artists Association in the UK.
• Medical Illustrator's Home Page
• Association of Medical Illustrators

There are thousands of medical illustrators. You can find some of them by visiting Yahoo's List of Medical Illustrators.

Misc. Illustration Links

• Yahoo's list of Illustrators
• Artists, a lengthy list of illustrators across the world.
• The Australian Fantasy Art Enclave

• Gary Harbo, a children's book illustrator.
• God's Holy Trousers, a site by children's book illustrator Jon Berkeley.
• Joan Holub, a children's book illustrator.
• Theresa Brandon, a children's book and fantasy illustrator.

• The Marine Art Information Center

• ArtSupport, created to help artists by providing them with information needed for a successful career.
• How to Survive as an Illustrator