50 Markets of Illustration: A Showcase of Contemporary Illustrators
By John Roman
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
John Roman
John Roman, johnromanillustration.com, Boston-based map illustrator and professor of illustration for over twenty years, is also the author of the F+W eBook, 50 Markets of Illustration.
Related to 50 Markets of Illustration
Related ebooks
Inside the Business of Illustration Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Marketing Illustration: New Venues, New Styles, New Methods Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDrawing for Art Students and Illustrators Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Artist's Guide to Public Art: How to Find and Win Commissions (Second Edition) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPen Drawing: "An Illustrated Treatise" Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Design School Reader: A Course Companion for Students of Graphic Design Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArt-Write: The Writing Guide for Visual Artists Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Selling Art without Galleries: Toward Making a Living from Your Art Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Pen & Ink Drawing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Breaking Into Freelance Illustration: A Guide for Artists, Designers and Illustrators Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Starting Your Career as an Illustrator Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5ART/WORK: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Designer's Guide to Color Combinations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Grow as an Illustrator Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPicture This: How Pictures Work Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Graphic Idea Notebook: A Treasury of Solutions to Visual Problems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Creative Pep Talk: Inspiration from 50 Artists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Milton Glaser: Graphic Design Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Visual Guide to Classical Art Theory for Drawing and Painting Students Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5D30 - Exercises for Designers: Thirty Days of Creative Design Exercises & Career-Enhancing Ideas Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Composition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Typography for the People: Hand-Painted Signs from Around the World Plus 15 Free Fonts Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5In Pursuit of Inspiration: Trust Your Instincts and Make More Art Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Designer's Dictionary of Type Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Freelance Illustrator: Freelance Jobs and Their Profiles, #6 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cultivating Creativity: Daily Rituals for Visual Inspiration Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Line: An Art Study Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Composition and Perspective Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Design For You
Elements of Style: Designing a Home & a Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Victorian Lady's Guide to Fashion and Beauty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Designer's Dictionary of Color Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The New Bohemians Handbook: Come Home to Good Vibes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lettering Alphabets & Artwork: Inspiring Ideas & Techniques for 60 Hand-Lettering Styles Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ogilvy on Advertising in the Digital Age Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Expressive Digital Painting in Procreate Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Picture This: How Pictures Work Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Graphic Design Rules: 365 Essential Design Dos and Don'ts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lolita - The Story of a Cover Girl: Vladimir Nabokov's Novel in Art and Design Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Architecture 101: From Frank Gehry to Ziggurats, an Essential Guide to Building Styles and Materials Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Feck Perfuction: Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5101 Midjourney Prompt Secrets Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Crochet: Fun & Easy Patterns For Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Become An Exceptional Designer: Effective Colour Selection For You And Your Client Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Logo Brainstorm Book: A Comprehensive Guide for Exploring Design Directions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hand Lettering on the iPad with Procreate: Ideas and Lessons for Modern and Vintage Lettering Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Digital Product Success Plan: Building Passive Income on Etsy (and Beyond!) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fantasy Map Making: Writer Resources, #2 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Draw Like a Fashion Illustrator: Skills and techniques to develop your visual style Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Live Beautiful Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Creative Polymer Clay: Over 30 Techniques and Projects for Contemporary Wearable Art Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Bohemians: Cool & Collected Homes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Milton Glaser: Graphic Design Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for 50 Markets of Illustration
7 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Good explanation and variety. I knew most of these but some I was surprised by.
Book preview
50 Markets of Illustration - John Roman
Preface
CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATION
There is a bit of irony in the fact that this book, about the different fields of illustration, was conceived inside the Norman Rockwell Museum—a shrine not only to the world’s most famous illustrator but also to the illustration industry as a whole. However, the concept for the 50 Markets of Illustration was prompted more by an assumed need to explain my own work as an illustrator than it was by sheer creative inspiration.
Each year the Norman Rockwell Museum sponsors the annual Berkshire County High School Art Show where students from Western Massachusetts display a variety of artwork. The opening reception always includes a presentation by a guest artist, and in February 2010, I was honored to speak about my career as a freelance illustrator.
My initial pride turned to a slight concern during the days leading up to the event. Rockwell’s classic paintings and illustrations are a fixture in the public mind, but my illustrations are in no way similar to the art of Norman Rockwell. I specialize mainly in technical drawings, architectural art, and illustrated maps, and was apprehensive that the audience might not relate to the specific nature of my art.
On the day of the talk, instead of immediately showing my work, I began with an off-the-cuff explanation of the illustration field as a whole, first describing the markets Rockwell focused on—editorial, book, and advertising illustration—then surprising myself by spontaneously listing ten or so other areas or markets where illustrators specialize. This unplanned opening enabled a smooth transition into the technical
art in my PowerPoint, and I sensed that the audience had a genuine interest in this bit of insight. Their response sparked a curiosity in me as to just how many markets actually exist for illustrators and—throughout the remainder of 2010 and all of 2011—the exploration of illustration markets turned into a personal project. The initial list continued to broaden as I discussed the topic with colleagues, friends, illustrators, professors, as well as with my students at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Many branches of the industry, of which I was unfamiliar, were brought to light, and my own gaps of knowledge embarrassed me—until I discovered most illustration professionals shared my limited view of the business.
In 2012, I summarized my findings in 45 Markets of Illustration,
a column appearing in that year’s edition of the Communication Arts Illustration Annual. The following year Suffolk University’s New England School of Art & Design in Boston held a group exhibition inspired by the article. The exhibition, Contemporary Illustration: At Your Service,
featured the works of illustrators from around the world each representing a different illustration market.
The prologue in the show’s catalogue hints at a possible reason for the boundaries that exist in contemporary illustration and foretells of a more all-encompassing future. Look at the illustrations in any recent juried competition or annual and you will see art that rivals or surpasses the caliber of work produced in any other historic period. Yet, that work may not even reflect the full picture of illustration as practiced today,
it states. One need not look far to see clear signs that the illustration field is approaching a new threshold, one that is redefining the parameters of what constitutes ‘contemporary’ illustration.
It is the intention of this book to widen the spotlight on our profession to a full 360-degrees and illuminate the full spectrum of current illustration.
The innumerable ways artists seek to create art and forge their careers is impressive. An internal quest seems evident in all illustrators—a pursuit for the career that best reverberates with their personal enthusiasm. Robert Bly, in his notable poetic fashion, aptly illuminates this truth:
Like musical instruments, the human brain strikes chords that may or may not vibrate or resonate. The brain seeks that which it