Recently Iâve been asked a lot about how to make it as a freelance illustrator / cartoonist, which made me realize that Iâve been doing this âprofessionallyâ for 10 years now! Here are some tips that I hope will be helpful for anyone aspiring to take this weird life pathâŚ
*If you have doubts about becoming a professional artist⌠donât
Iâm not saying you give up on all creative activies, on the contrary I think EVERYONE should have some sort of creative outlet. But enjoying a hobby is not the same as doing something for a living. Being a âprofessionalâ artist does not guarantee you any sort of social or economic stability. There will be moments (specially at the beginning) when you will have to compromise your passion to pay the bills by drawing things that may be quite boring and uninspiring. If you are not able to do that, then maybe you should find another job to pay the bills and keep your art making on your free time.
*Talent is nothing without hard work
Be consistent! Draw every day, as much as you can! No one is born being good, every illustrator or cartoonist you admire has worked hard to get where they are.
*Having an âart blockâ is an excuse
Donât fall into this trap. If you really want to become a pro, you have to be able to make yourself to draw even when you donât feel like it. If youâre frustrated creatively, go for a walk, clean your working space, draw stuff from life (objects, nature, people), stay productive.
*Allow yourself to doodle mindlessly
Not everything you make has to be an ultimate finished masterpiece. Some of my best ideas come from just making horrible doodles in my sketchbook that no one will ever see.
*Draw for yourself and be your own best critic
Learn to accept criticisim and opinions, but remember that in the end you will never be able to please EVERYONE. And thatâs ok. Strive to make stuff that YOU like, stuff that YOU want to see in this world. Trends will come and go, stay true to yourself.
*Take inspiration from EVERYWHERE
Donât just stare at your favourite artistsâ tumblr all day. Open your mind to as many sources of inspiration as you can: old artists, new artists, nature, dreams, memories, ancient cultures, modern atrocities, outerspace, literature, movies, etc. The more you take in, the more you will allow your work to grow and the more original it will become
*Experiment with as many mediums as you can
Donât close yourself to one medium, colour scheme, format, style, etc. Try everything once, enjoy it with no expectations rather than to experiment!
*Strive for consistency rather than having a âstyleâ
Donât obssess over finding your âstyleâ. Allow it to keep evolving at its own pace, it will keep changing naturally. Focus more on just drawing, and drawing a lot!
*It doesnât matter if you go to school or not
If academia works for you, and you can afford it, go for it. If not, then as long as you keep working, you have a chance to make it. I only have a high school âdegreeâ but thanks to the internet Iâve been able to learn whatever I want for free, like how to use Photoshop or build websites. Having a degree does not guarantee you will make it as a professional illustrator. Working hard and ânetworkingâ are a better bet.
*Expensive tools arenât mandatory
I draw all my comics with just a mechanical pencil and I have a 10 year old wacom tablet. I only splurge on nice Fabriano paper. This is what Iâve found that works for me. Find whatever works best for YOU, it doesnât have to be the same as what other people use!
*Share your work anywhere you can
If you can go to fests or shows, thatâs great, but if you canât, use the internet! I grew up in Mexico City where there is no âcomics sceneâ but I was still able to make it because Iâve been consistently posting my work on the internet for years. Commit yourself to posting your work on Tumblr, Twitter or Instagram as often as you can. Try to have a separate account for your professional work that doesnât feature a million photos of your beautiful cat and the delicious breakfast you made today.
*Make merch
What a better way to share your work than making merch? If you donât know anywhere to get it made locally, you can easily get anything done through the internet (just google âcustom⌠patches/pins/stickers/etc.â) and sell it through Etsy, Storenvy or Bigcartel. Itâs a great way to distribute your work and start make some money off of it. I started selling stickers with my drawings when I was in high school to get money for beers and now I pay my rent (partly) from that!
NEVER STOP DRAWING, NEVER STOP MAKING, DONâT LET ANYTHING DISCOURAGE YOU! STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF!
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