Tips on starting out

[rhymeswithpuck]

Can anyone offer any advice to someone who would like to get into technical illustration?

• What basic skill sets do clients or employers generally seek?
• Are there any certification or educational requirements, or is one judged mainly on portfolio strength?
• What sort of drawings should be included in a portfolio?
• Is software compatibility generally an issue, ie "submit work in .xxx format, version y.x or later," or are standard image/graphic files used?

I'm trying to get a handle on what areas I need to look into in order to get my feet wet in the illustration field, so any help any of you could provide would be very appreciated.

[JamesProvost]

Some answers, based on my experience:

• Accurate depiction of the subject matter, regardless of your methods/materials/technique.
• Based on strength & consistency of your portfolio (though education/certification can certainly help strengthen your portfolio).
• Include in your portfolio the types of things you want to work on, then pursue clients in that industry.
• I usually work in the latest versions of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, but typically provide .PDFs for proofing and printing.

The most important thing is to do portfolio pieces that you would like from clients. Develop a unique and consistent style and try to stick to it. Clients don't like surprises - they want to see work in your portfolio that is similar to their project. If you do work you enjoy for your portfolio, you'll attract work from clients in a similar vein.

[rhymeswithpuck]

thanks for the advice, James.

I'll definitely consider your points in the coming weeks/months/years as I prepare a portfolio and sharpen my skills.

The third item jumped out in particular; I hadn't thought of that, but it makes much more sense to create a body of work I enjoy, and then find people who want me to do that, instead of trying to do too many things haphazardly.

[clint]

Can anyone offer any advice to someone who would like to get into technical illustration?

• What basic skill sets do clients or employers generally seek?
• Are there any certification or educational requirements, or is one judged mainly on portfolio strength?
• What sort of drawings should be included in a portfolio?
• Is software compatibility generally an issue, ie "submit work in .xxx format, version y.x or later," or are standard image/graphic files used?

I'm trying to get a handle on what areas I need to look into in order to get my feet wet in the illustration field, so any help any of you could provide would be very appreciated.

In my experience, I have never known of anyone else in my previous jobs that had an education in Technical Illustration. They were all mostly tracers and made about 12 bucks an hour. I have a 2 year degree in illustration which put me far above that.
It's hard to answer some of your questions as I imagine many employers are different. some just want someone to work for cheap and trace stuff, others need highly skilled illustrators and will pay for it. If you want to make any money at it now and be competitive you better show some skills.

Portfolio is big, put images in that pertain to the job your trying to get. Don't put in some crappy caricatures or murals that you painted for your friends bedroom. Keep it organized. I just used a plain black 3 ring binder with transparent insert sheets to show off my best work, simple but it worked.

What kind of work are you looking to get? What field do you want to be in?

[jhatch]

Clint,

You are a bit harsh but I like it! How do I know if I am a "tracer"? I am a bit worried.

To the guy writing in, Read the interviews man. That is a very valuable resource from a lifetime of experience.

[clint]

Clint,

You are a bit harsh but I like it! How do I know if I am a "tracer"? I am a bit worried.

To the guy writing in, Read the interviews man. That is a very valuable resource form a lifetime of experience from the pros.

Yea I bet you're worried, ha.
Unfortunately most of the people i've ever worked with could ONLY trace, if you gave them a job that required any sort of drawing skills they froze up like a deer in the headlights. I'm not saying tracing is bad, I do it all the time, to make up for my lack of drawing skills.

[bwal]

I don't trace personally.....but there is a market out there for people that do. I'm sure this guy (http://www.arthurmount.com/) is making good money based on his client list. ...I would bet everything he does is traced. It's not hard to spot a trace.

[JamesProvost]

It was taboo in school, but when working professionally, sometimes it doesn't make sense not to trace. Like when budgets are too tight, when deadlines are too short, or when a photo just doesn't fit in with the art direction. The important thing is to understand what you're drawing and when to deviate from the photograph to better show it.

(I think this is going to end up as an article)

Anyways, I gotta say that I like Arthur Mount's work. It's consistent, stylish and goes well beyond tracing.

[bwal]

Well said James.... After all, it is all about the final product. I do think though, that any illustrator using tracing as a crutch on a regular basis, is doing themselves a disservice. "Practice makes perfect" The more you see that anything can be built through shapes, the less you need that "crutch". And the more you do it, the faster you get. It seems that getting the right photo, at the right angle, etc. would be time consuming in itself. But I guess that I do agree that it is a means to an end, and how you get to the finish product is irrelevant... as long as the both the illustrator and the client are happy.

I do agree that Arthur Mount's work is stylized (something I feel my work lacks)...It could be my bias speaking, but I think he could push it to look a little less traced. But hey...I can't talk...he is doing way more work than I'll ever get.

[Stevenwhoward]

Very encouraging things to here guys! I posted a similar question on one of Clint's latest posts on the main page, but am curious... how many clients are hard pressed on 3d verses 2d. I am not the best with 3d software like CAD (especially considering I've never had training in the software), but I do like Illustrator and Photoshop and a lot of the work I see on this site seems more vector based- and I really like the look as well. Would I be hurting myself a whole lot if I stray away from the 3d softwares and put more focus towards programs like Illustrator? Are there many companies using Illustrator and Photoshop files?