What types of illustration work is available and where can you find it? What is the cost?

Answering some questions from recent readers questions is the focus of this post. I've had these questions asked several times in different ways so I thought I would answer them here in the blog so others could share in this information.

What are the various types of "illustrative artwork" available. Where can you find them, and what do they cost?


There is a large variety of illustrative artwork. In fact the question can lead to several different answers the way it is posed. If we look at the markets that employ illustration in their processes, we will see one group with variety of illustration needs or qualities being defined. Or if we look at the physical types of illustration defined by the way they were created, we get an entirely different selection of facts governing the outcome of the question. So I will look at both. Along the way I will discuss the issues of cost as well.

First lets look at the markets that would purchase illustrations and then use them in different ways as well as in various locations. At the top of the food chain we have advertising. It will rank at the top in the market place for the fees it will pay for its illustration needs. The illustrator will find he has to be involved with many more limitations, directions and revisions along the way. His work may appear in the form of print, web, television, packaging, billboards, signage, direct mail, POP (point of purchase), transit advertising ie. The sides of automobiles, planes, buses, etc. Usually all rights are purchased and the work can be reproduced over and over in many various forms without the consent of the original illustrator. You might find Corporate and Institutional uses like annual reports, in-house publications or marketing materials and manuals. Also brand identities, logos, corporate image and other needs may be met in this market. Prices for these services are varied dependent on the project type and budgets of its clients. The illustrations may be in this case as well as the others I will be discussing, paid via project rates or by an hourly rate. It is virtually impossible to accurately discuss project rates because they vary by assignment. But an hourly rate will be utilized here and further in our discussion. Keeping in mind that black and white versus color is a determining factor in rates being charged and color is always the premium item. Costs also generally run higher because of all of the rights being purchased from the creators ie. illustrators and designers.

After we discuss the next few types we will establish the average rate by the hour for illustrative services.

Editorial is another illustration market, one that generally pays on the lower end of the illustrators fee scale. The rates will vary as in advertising but the budgets will usually be on average much smaller. The plus side is the creative freedom is much freer in this market and the illustrator will be able to use more of his own vision and ideas in the final project. In fact he may retain certain rights negotiated with the editorial team. For instance an illustration may appear in Southern Living magazine and the editorial team may only purchase 1st North American Serial Rights. Which means they have the right to publish the piece first anywhere in the North American region of the world. The artist cannot resell the work until their rights have been honored with that publication. But if they decide to reprint the image, they will have to negotiate new rates for the second usage of the same image with the illustrator. Likewise the illustrator could then sell his work to Texas Highways magazine at a later date if they desired the use of the image and the original user could not dispute the usage. Editorial illustrations may be in the form of a small spot illustration, a cover piece, an article illustration or in some form of editorial/advertising hybrid. It may be in the form of an original illustration, cartoon or photograph, some of the variety of physical creation we discussed at the opening of this topic. And could also include things like computer generated digital art, fine art, collage, clip art, stock art or royalty free art.

Some of the areas we find illustration work is in: books, magazine, comic books, comic strips, animation, storyboards, children’s books, journals, educational publications, medical illustrations, courtroom and police work, CDs, DVDs, and Cassette covers, posters, postcards, greeting cards, collateral for promotions like subscription cards that fall out of a magazine when opened. Billboards, movie posters, political campaigns, religious publications, licensed products, package art, t-shirts, marketing material, etc.

Illustrators may employ many different techniques which will effect the final cost dependent on the skills required vs the number of competing illustrators that can start and finish the work with-in thier schedules. The skills, experience and reputation of the illustrator can cause a rise in the pricing as well. Recently graduated students entering the market will not command the prices of a seasoned pro. The pay scales will change as we have discussed but market research on the web and in the Graphic Artist Guild pricing and ethical guidelines we can get market averages which will also vary according to regional locations and economies. Some new artist and cartoonist may start out in the near the bottom of the pay scale making a hourly wage. While the most in demand illustrators may charge hundreds of dollars or more an hour.

Averaging in the various fields and experience range, we will find the average editorial illustrator will get about thirty-five dollars an hour to about fifty-five dollars an hour while the advertising illustrator will pull in a higher average but an equally varied price range from about forty dollars an hour to about seventy-five dollars an hour. The Graphic Artist Guild Ethical Pricing Guide and also sites like hotgigs.com can provide valuable statistics in helping establish a market price for the desired work. Keeping in mind each project is unique and has variables that can change the way each assignment is priced. Remembering also that licensing image rights or purchasing them outright from the illustrator plays a large role in the way pricing is established. There is no template or hard and fast rules to establish fees. But the most common element in pricing is the skill and work of the illustrator's own unique style.