50 Markets of Illustration: A Showcase of Contemporary Illustrators

By John Roman

This overview of the numerous markets that currently exist for illustrators reveals a vast and wide-ranging pool of potential freelance opportunities. This reference catalogs many lesser-known, supplementary markets beyond the traditional, more-populated avenues for illustration assignments. Features fifty specialized markets in which artists and illustrators can potentially prosper.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781440340215

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.

Book preview

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

Reviews for 50 Markets of Illustration

[stasha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good explanation and variety. I knew most of these but some I was surprised by.