You have done an excellent job realizing that you have a passion or opportunity to become a professional illustrator. However, how do you go about improving technical and theoretical illustrator skills?
Do you need a degree to become an illustrator – certainly not? The reason is that most illustrator professionals today work as freelancers. The only challenge is in being well informed enough to build your skill and reputation as the ideal illustrator. Luckily, this guide looks at how you can become an illustrator without a degree:
Work with a Mentor
A mentor is an excellent information resource for your journey to becoming the ideal illustrator. A good mentor will help to reduce the time you need to become a master illustrator significantly. Best of all, you get high-quality insight without having to pay thousands of dollars.
A good mentor should have worked in an illustrator-related field for many years. A mentor in this context can be a professional artist, a media editor, a text artist, and any other relevant party. Ensure they give you feedback on any significant steps you want to take as an illustrator or helpful advice you can use to boost your knowledge base.
Remember the importance of documenting your lessons with the mentor. Doing this makes it easy to remember and master the concepts you have learned on the topic. You should Get the contacts of your mentor and ensure you communicate with them regularly.
Sign Up for Online Courses
Getting the basics right is one of the best ways for you to start learning illustrator skills. Nowadays, various content providers online have several illustrator courses. Platforms such as Udemy and Skillshare are excellent places for you to start.
Take an example of the Illustrator 2024 MasterClass course. While it’s available at a fee, the course contains lots of valuable data you can use to boost your skills as an illustrator. Before choosing a specific coursework program, check out what other people have to say about the course. Avoid investing in online courses based on first impressions alone.
Join a Social Community that Focuses on Illustrator Related Fields
You also have to join a social community that consists of like-minded individuals. Doing this will put you in the correct position to learn more about the challenges, industry trends, and experiences other people encounter.
An excellent place to start with would be to search on platforms such as social media. Or, you can also consult with other well-established illustrator professionals for insight into groups you can join.
Remember to get active in these groups by sharing ideas and asking questions. Also, be on the lookout for the challenges, trends, and opportunities people share on such social groups.
Get the Right Work Resources
Ever heard the age-old saying, “a poor workman quarrels with his tools.” There is more to this workman’s quarrel than you might expect. The given workman often has shoddy results because of failing to choose the right tools.
Success is often just a few steps away for any professional with the right tools and an informed approach. The same applies to your illustrator profession – you need the right work resources. A few suggestions include:
- Get the right software for working on your visual editing projects. A good example would be Adobe Illustrator.
- Invest in a professional working space with a desk, computer, and internet. You need these when working on your illustrator projects.
- Set up a working space away from traffic, such as your pets, family, or friends. That is because most illustrator projects require your full attention.
PRO TIP! Before investing in resources such as a desk or a printer, research thoroughly on flagship product features and functions
Remember the Importance of Mindset
Your mindset plays almost the same role that an engine plays for your car – it helps push you forward to finish the journey. However, the journey to becoming a master illustrator is never-ending. That is because art concepts and industry standards evolve regularly.
Cultivating a professional mindset is not a simple process. It’s one of the lessons you learn over time. The guidance of a person such as a mentor or a self-help course can be instrumental for your mindset development. While it seems like an unusual strategy, mindset is a powerful resource in any venture in life, not just professional work.
There are times when you are likely to come across several challenges. You are also likely to come across various successes, such as landing your first paid gig. However, the mindset you have during such moments will be crucial.
A few helpful mindset suggestions include:
- Realize the importance of difficulties and obstacles in your journey to becoming a professional illustrator.
- Be disciplined in addressing obligations such as client projects and your project milestones. An important of having discipline is in outlining values that will be crucial for your career development.
- Realize that improving your skill in using illustrator is a never-ending process. You will always learn something new from both novices and advanced professionals.
Set Learning and Progression Milestones
Since your journey to become a professional illustrator is likely to take time, you need to use milestones to gauge your progress. The first way to set milestones would be to use the SMART (Simple, Realistic, Attainable, Measurable, and Time Specific) acronym.
You should use this approach to setting milestones because it’s a proven industry standard that many professionals use. An essential aspect of setting goals is to ensure you find helpful ways of staying accountable for your actions.
For instance, you can incentivize actions that align with your journey to success. Or, you can set reasonable punishments for when you fail to follow through with certain aspects of your career development.
Conclusion
As you have seen, it’s possible to become an illustrator without a degree. However, what matters the most is to use an informed approach and have the correct personal values. With these two resources in hand, you can be sure of a successful career as an Illustrator.