What should I draw? (part 2)
And how do I get paid to draw what I like?
A while ago, I wrote a post titled “What should I draw?” I wrote it before I had any paid work in children’s books. I reread it today, and it still holds up. But now that I’ve grown as an illustrator, I want to add even more to my initial post.
We all know that it’s important to decide what to draw based on our own experiences and interests, because when it comes time to show that work to potential clients, we’ll get hired for what we show.
So.. 1) Draw what you want, and 2) Show the work you want to get.
Although I know those are the steps, sometimes it’s hard to stick to them. I might get hired for a project that doesn’t exactly align with my dream project (more on this below). Or I might be taking a class, and although the assignments are fun, they also might not align with my dream project. So even when I spend a lot of time on a piece, I don’t always show it when looking for new work.
Showing the work I want to get
For example, I’m prepping some promotional postcards for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and even though I finished 3 books since the fair last year, I’m only printing 3 postcards with art from those books. I have 20+ other designs as well. Why?
Because if I show the illustration below, clients will think to hire me for golf or sports related illustrations.
But if they see the dog illustration below, someone is much more likely to pay me to draw dogs! And that’s a subject I’d love to be commissioned for.
I thoroughly enjoyed working on the golf book, but if that’s the only work I show, I’ll likely get more of the same.
So, earlier this year, I reflected on some things I’d love to draw. Some items on the list were… dogs, animals, anything in Italy, patterns, lemons, and something set in the Bridgerton time period. Here’s a sample of some work I’ve drawn as a result of that list:
If a client asked me to draw something like any of the above illustrations, it’d be a dream job. By drawing these things, I built a portfolio that is much more likely to get me hired for work on these subjects rather than a book about golf. Sure, I could tell clients that I love drawing dogs, but if I don’t show it, how will they really know?
Collecting ideas for new work
Picking something to draw can sometimes feel like a daunting task, especially when it’s a piece for the portfolio that will end up being shared with potential clients. After all, I want my new art to get me work that interests me.
Other times, I feel really inspired and want to start drawing right away. So how do I give myself more opportunities to feel inspired while minimizing the moments I’m stuck? Over the past few years, I’ve gathered a few strategies of my own and learned strategies from other illustrators.
Here are some ways I’ve learned to do it:
I save instagram posts into a folder called “Want to Draw.” When I have some free time, I open up the folder to find lots of cute animals that I can draw. For example, one post I saved is of a dog carrying a baguette across a street in Paris. I mean, c’mon, how can I not draw that?! Dogs + Paris? Yes please!
I also save instagram challenges, because the prompts are often specific which helps me to think of a concept that I can then draw. I don’t worry if the challenge has passed or not. The goal is to spark ideas.
I flip through my sketchbook and see if any old work feels inspiring. It’s often easier continue a sketch rather than start from scratch. I ask myself if I can make the sketch into a new character, and what can that character do so that I am drawing work that I want to get. For example, dress the character in clothing from the Bridgerton era, as I did above.
And here are some tips I’ve picked up from others:
- suggests keeping a Pinterest folder of things you want to draw. She wisely said something along the lines of, “Sometimes we’re too tired to sketch, but we’re never too tired to scroll. Might as well use that time to scroll Pinterest to find inspiration for future sketches.” I love that idea! That way, tons of ideas for future drawings have been curated and are ready to go.
- suggests making a list of 100 things you want to draw. That way you’re able to refer back to the list for both personal and professional projects. If you’re joining an instagram challenge, how make it include one of the 100 things? If you have a paid project, can you sneak in something from your list? If you’re opening your sketchbook for a quick warm up sessions, you already have a list of prompts.
Mike Lowry shared the idea to write briefs for yourself. If you see that someone illustrated a really cool board game, or maybe a deck of oracle cards, write yourself a brief to draw oracle cards or a board game. Include the market/audience, maybe some colors, and any other relevant information. It will simulate working on a paid project, and the final work will show that you can produce the art for projects that you would love to be hired for.
- created a challenge for herself called “Purposeful Practice.” She decided on a topic (birds), set a daily timer (40 min), and created some really cool art. The twist is her style exploration — she has a Pinterest board of different styles, and she tested out a new style each day.
So what will you draw next? Or how will you collect ideas for your next piece? What inspires you?
I hope you take this newsletter as a friendly reminder of what you already know… draw what you like, so you can show that art to potential clients. You will have enjoyed making the art you showed, so when you get hired for something similar, you can do a happy dance since you’re getting paid to draw the things you love!
Happy drawing, everyone!
See you next week for a newsletter and Art Gym,
Katie
Upcoming Live Events
Art Gym: Faces Workshop | Tuesday March 26 at 10 AM EST
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Join Adam Ming and me in our third Art Gym workout! We have tons of good stuff to share with you about drawing faces. We’ve already thought of some fun games to make drawing faces very approachable! If you’re a paid subscriber, use the button below to sign up:
Illoguild Live | April 22 at 8 AM EST / 1 PM GMT / 8PM MYT / 12 AM AEST.
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Join the guild as we recap our experiences from this year’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair. We’ll share all about what we learned and how the fair went.
Really cool drawings in this text! I did for example love the one with the dogs out walking and also the small note book! 🍀💕
Illustrations are looks so lush Katie