16. Things I've learned working with illustration clients who aren’t art directors ✏️

Reflections and finding a balance

Hi, I’m Libby. I’m trying to find my feet in the world of illustration. I’ve done a load of research and I’m sharing it here, along with my progress on how my illustration journey’s going. I’m so glad you could join me on this bumpy ride!

---

Hi there!

I’m in Battersea this week. Just along from the famous power station on the Thames.

London has been enjoying/enduring a heat wave for I don’t know how long now, and we are doing our best not to complain about the weather.

But inevitably, us Brits do.

We’re on our LAST EVER cat-sit, with the lovely Ragnar.

We’re on the brink of becoming homeowners, but I don’t want to speak too soon.

Either way, it’ll be our last cat-sit because I’m soon heading into my last couple of months of pregnancy, so I don’t have the will to move (quite literally.)

So this newsletter is #16, which, to those who don’t know, is the 16th month of illustration for me. The last 7 have been pretty slow due to the above, but I’m plodding on.

Not all Illustration clients are art directors

I wanted to touch on this because so many workshops I’ve taken focus on working with clients who are art directors. These have been the likes of:

• Magazine art directors

• Publishing houses

• Brand creative directors

Or someone who has the responsibility for the art and design of a project that needs an illustration commissioned.

I have realised, however, that since becoming an illustrator, my projects have all been working with those who don’t bear the title or don’t have much experience of illustration or design.

And I think it’s something new illustrators need to think about and plan for.

There’s also a big difference between a client who has worked with an illustrator before and those who haven’t.

Tips for working with non-art-director clients

Here are some things that might be worth considering…

Illustration clients might not understand the illustration process

When you start out as an illustrator, you might assume the person asking you to deliver an illustration knows what it takes to do so.

I’ve found this is often not the case, and the client may look to you for guidance.

• Firstly, consider what your process is. What are the steps you will need to carry out to deliver an illustration? Including idea generation and final delivery. Doing this might also help you quote properly, once you realise the steps and time involved.

• Map out the process stages

• If necessary, provide this to the client so they know what to expect (I’d highly recommend this)

Even if the client has worked with an illustrator before, your process might be completely different.

It’s a great idea to share your process before you agree to start a project to reduce misunderstandings. I recently included mine in a pitch/quote pack.

• If you’ve received a project brief, try to go deeper to understand the different elements and communicate to the client how you’ll handle each part. If you don’t have a clear brief, write one with the client.

Illustration clients might lack the time to work with you

You start out on one of your first big projects, but it’s not flowing like the mock project you were set in your recent illustration course…

Unfortunately, not all clients have dedicated time to work with an illustrator.

This means feedback might not be forthcoming, which can lead to feelings of being lost and unsure of where a project is going.

It can also stretch out the length of a project, and if you haven’t been paid anything yet, that might be painful.

Try to:

• Set a project timeline following your process and share this with your client

• Hold your client accountable with calls or meetings, and follow up with documented actions

• If your client can’t make a call or a meeting, ensure you’re keeping up regular communication by email.

Illustration client feedback can be vague

You might have managed to arrange a meeting, but the feedback you receive isn’t very clear or actionable.

Not all clients know how to give constructive feedback.

They might not have worked with an illustrator before or understand what kind of feedback you need to be able to move forward.

Try not to feel disheartened. Your client might just need a little guidance.

• Help the client articulate what they think of sketches with open questions:

  • What about it do you like / what about it do you not like? why?

• Try to play back what you’ve heard so you’re on the same page

• If you haven’t received clear enough feedback during a meeting, set out questions, referenced to specific sketches and send them out after the meeting. The client may need more time to think.

Illustration clients might propose ideas that you don’t think make sense

You might receive an alternative design or idea that the client has created. This idea might be miles away from yours…

• Firstly, go back to the initial brief and try to consider where the client is coming from. Perhaps your understanding of the brief isn’t aligned.

• Try to put yourself in the client’s shoes. It’s easy to lead with your own views and ideas, but the client might understand their audience better.

• If you think the client’s idea doesn’t work, try to articulate why and propose solutions.

This list isn’t exhaustive, and the above points are mostly a ‘note to self’ for future projects, but they may help other illustrators who are working with illustration clients.

My experience is limited as a new illustrator, but it’s amazing what you learn from your first few projects!

---

Your experiences

What experiences with ‘non-art-director’ clients have you had that would help other illustrators?

Have you developed any strategies to help keep a project on track?

I’d love to hear about them.

---

Finding a balance

Working on illustration commissions and prioritising client needs can sometimes feel limiting, like you’re losing some of your creative spark as an illustrator.

I’ve found that having some personal work running alongside client work can keep me motivated to continue creating and developing my style.

Current personal work

Right now, I have 2 main streams of personal work.

• Making collections for licensing

• Designing a nursery wall-hanging for our soon-to-be child’s bedroom

My baby’s birth has a clear deadline, so I’ve decided to lead with the wall-hanging project and utilise parts of the design to build licensable collections.

The wall-hanging project

I’ve decided to go for an A-Z design on a nature theme with icons related to things that my husband and I have experienced over the last 11 years together.

Each icon represents something we can tell a story about, so it feels super personal.

We’ve decided to incorporate 3 languages: English, French and Polish as they have personal connections too and we’d like the baby to eventually know some words in each 3 languages.

• Initial sketch

• Refining the design

My collections for licensing

I’ve got a lot of sketches in progress for collections (my goal was to produce 1 every month), but I haven’t finalised so many yet.

In the next month, I’ll be aiming to get some over the line.

Here’s a wrapping paper I designed as part of a birthday collection.

Once we move, I’ll be looking to re-open my Etsy shop and get some of my designs up for sale.

---

Thanks for reading this month! I hope you’re keeping cool wherever you are.

Thanks for your patience as I plod through this stage of my illustration journey.

I’m looking forward to what the next few months will bring!

Libby