Professional Illustration 101

Being a professional illustrator is a collaborative process: you must consider the needs of your client, know how to communicate your thoughts and ideas, and be prepared for many changes, all while maintaining your own artistic style. Mariko Jesse has been an illustrator and printmaker for over 25 years. In this class, she takes you through a sample project with an imaginary client from sketch to final product so that you can see the process step by step. She shows you what a client brief can look like as well as the ideation process, receiving client feedback, and completing the art. Whether you work with analog mediums or digital, the communication and business aspects remain the same. There’s isn’t one correct way to be an illustrator, but once you understand the basics, you can work out for yourself how to develop your practice. Learn how to:

• Work with an art director or client on an illustration project
• Understand a client brief
• Create initial sketches and progress to final, painted artwork
• Work with pen, ink, and watercolor
• Maintain your own style while fulfilling the needs of the client