Three Things Not to say to the Illustrator You Hired

So you have a job for an illustrator, what next? Here are some dont’s

Pen and ink self portrait sketch with friends at Scotland

We are living in a very trying age. While the world gets shorter in tempers and greedier for quality of life, we also have an increase in tech that has made things easier on small businesses. The thing with new advancements though are the don’ts that come with it.

AI, artificial intelligence is one of the many don’ts. Ethical safety, is another. Plagiarism is still the same concern too in many different ways. With new technology and new power comes responsibilities too.

While it’s easy to create images with the latest AI generated tool, you also find that it’s not creative or on point most times. I’m already at the AI generated image overwhelm limit and avoid reading posts, messages or brochures that look AI generated. My brain just does not like it and I’ve noticed many individuals do the same too.

I’m guessing you are one too since you decided your brand or your work or your party needs a human touch and not a computer generated result. So congratulations, you’ve hired an illustrator. Here are some big no-no’s when you work with one.

1. Can you create this exact image?

That would be a hard no. Pinterest is great for artists and illustrators to show their skills and earn money through commissions and such. Using the images there or anywhere else (Instagram or any other website) for inspiration is all good. Perhaps you like the style of the artist. Maybe it is the colours that have been chosen. Or it could just be the subject matter that you were looking for, like a picnic in the woods.

Whatever interested you in the image you have selected, choose them. Send them as inspiration to your illustrator. But DO NOT ask them to copy the image. That is plagiarism. That is someone’s imagination that is being stolen. That is someone’s resume or portfolio that is being stolen. Never ask that of another illustrator.

Bonus idea: Reach out to the person with the image and ask if you could buy it from them or ask for a commission from them. Pay them directly and you are happy and they earn their money for the week.

2. I need a quick design, can you give it to me by EOD

Illustration is a skill that has taken years to perfect. They have their style, they are offering their services for a fee like a regular job. Artwork in any medium or style takes hours, not minutes. Even if you believe it is just a simple thing. I assure you, it is not.

The simple illustration takes sketching, composition, checking details are correct, then adding in colour or ink. Final proofing and removing any pencil marks or such. Digital is a little faster, with sketching, composing and then filling in colour, final lines and clean up. It takes time. Sometimes it takes days. Just like you would wait on any other job to get something done, EOD or any truncated timeline is not feasible. And not fair to the person you are working with.

Some may charge a rush fee, but most would tell you they have a process that will take time. Art is just like any job, it takes time to create.

Bonus idea: Ask the illustrator if they have a pricing guide, in it you should see if they cover timelines and their process for their work. That will give you an insight into what to expect.

3. My sister’s cousin’s uncle’s mom said she didn’t like it, can you make some more changes?

Too many cooks spoil the broth, which means everyone has different ideas and opinions. When creating something, remember you were the one who hired the illustrator for your purpose. Having another person who is unrelated to the experience complicates matters.

If you are in charge, you are the one who makes the call on what goes on the illustration and it is your style choices that the illustrator is working off of. If it’s someone else, they have to be the point of contact for the illustrator, not an in between person, since the illustration will be based on their requirements and style choices.

Too many voices for the illustration can make it a confused artwork, or worse confuse the illustrator and slow down the process. If the feedback is too varied, making them have to change directions or scrap the illustration to start all over, you could end up with an illustrator quitting on you. Having to hear, my mother wants to add this to the illustration, or my brother said he wants this to be taken out can be quite frustrating for the illustrator. Especially since most artwork tends to get approved from sketch to colours to final stage, before feedback from relatives and peers at the final stage details the project.

Bonus idea: If you know you are going to be asking for someone else’s inputs for the illustration, get their ideas and style choices, narrow it down, before you tell the illustrator anything. At the sketch stage of an illustration, ask for feedback once from your circle before allowing the illustrator to finish the project.

These are the big three of working a project with an illustrator. I have found these rules tend to apply for any design project I have been on too.