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Illustration Nation
The Power of Illustration
Story and Illustrations by Michael Liddy
UCDA Designer Magazine, (Vol. 28, No. 2)
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Michael Liddy is a designer and illustrator working in a mixed media, narrative painting style inspired by modernist graphics and illustrative imagery. His work can be seen at www.pushart.com, or he can be e-mailed at mikeliddy@pushart.com.

Countless books have been written about how to practice graphic design, how to use typography, how to design websites, and how to use Adobe Illustrator (the computer application, not an actual illustrator.) Seldom has a book been published about how to commission an illustrator to deliver the best possible image for your layout. Ultimately, just like most everything else in the world of graphic design, true mastery comes with the price of years of experience, many hours of reading imagery, and being constantly surrounded by excellent designers, editors, photographers, and illustrators.

As a magazine art director and freelance illustrator, I have had the opportunity to work on both sides of the coin: commissioning and being commissioned. Fortunately, most of the time things have gone relatively smoothly, except for the occasional disappearing FedEx envelope.

Even though many illustrators, artist reps, and industry journals in recent years indicate tight budgets and a weak economy are changing the business, I believe that we are currently experiencing an illustration renaissance. During the first half of this century, Illustrators like Maxfield Parish, Norman Rockwell, and Charles Dana Gibson and his Gibson Girls were household names, not unlike film stars and famous sports figures of today.The truly sad part is that illustrators' fees have risen barley a dime since the 1940s.

The proliferation of the desktop computer and electronic imaging, as well as the fax machine, FedEx, and the Internet, has made it possible for a broader range of illustration styles from an international pool of creative talent readily available for almost any designer who has the initiative and desire to enrich the printed page with the power of illustration.

What exactly do you do, again?
I was once talking with an acquaintance, who also happened to be a fine art painter, and she asked, "What kind of art do you do?" I replied, "I do illustration for newspapers and magazines." Perhaps intimidated by that concept of another visual artist earning a living by practicing their art, she said, "Oh, you mean if somebody asks you to paint a cat you paint them a pretty cat?" Illustrators are highly skilled, intelligent people with more to offer than a neatly rendered painting of a cat.

The more you look around at images being published the more you may realize the immense pool of talent out there just waiting to be hired.

The Collaborative Process
Like any successful creative endeavor, the illustration process is a collaborative one, combining the particular talents of editor, writer, art director, illustrator, and graphic designer. Whatever form the final visual communication may take, one thing is certain. Communication is key. You need to know enough about an illustrator's style and their creative process to judge what sort of image they will most likely create. Additionally, the illustrator needs enough information form the client to create work on time and to the client's satisfaction.

Comissioning An Illustration
1) The need for an image finds its way onto the desk of an editor, account executive, or marketing director, etc. The editor, for example, in turn presents this idea to the art director and they discuss the potential use of imagery. They consider which would be most appropriate, photography or illustration? When a decision has been made to go with illustration it is usually because the subject matter lends itself to some form of narrative, visual interpretation. Some questions to consider while making this choice include:

Do images already exist (otherwise known as pickup art) that are so good you just have to use them because they tell the visual story in a unique and interesting way?
Is your subject specific to a particular place or time sensitive event that you may need to send a photographer to shoot? If so, do you have the budget to actually send someone?
If you do send somebody on location, has the world already seen so many photos of the same place and perhaps you need a new and unique perspective that only an illustrator can provide?
Is the content of the story too abstract for a photograph, in which case a conceptual illustration may be more appropriate?
Do you have very particular technical information that only a clear graphic illustration can convey effectively?
Is the subject matter emotionally sensitive, such as mental illness, abortion, or rape, in which case an illustration may seam less "real" and more appropriate than photography?

2) The next step is to find a talented illustrator with an appropriate style that reflects the content of your subject matter. A few resources that showcase some of the best contemporary Illustrators are juried annuals and industry publications like the American Illustration Annual (www.ai-ap.com), The Society of Illustrators Annual, Communication Arts Illustration Annual, and Print's Regional Design Annual. Don't forget word of mouth or referrals from design colleagues. Of course you also have the option of looking through illustration directories like American Showcase, Workbook, and Alternative Pick, many of which also have websites with search engines.

Do not underestimate the importance of reviewing the illustrator's portfolio of 15-20 recent pieces to get a clear sense of his or her style-never rely on one particular piece that you may have seen five years ago. Talking to the artist a little bit about their creative process and turnaround time is also a good idea. You must to be certain that the person you commission is available and can meet your deadline.

Remember, the ideal visual solutions will convey the marriage of form and content. Don't hire an abstract expressionist to illustrate the technical workings of an internal combustion engine. Conversely, you wouldn't want to hire the latest computer illustrator with engineer-like precision to express the concept of long-term psychological effects of child abuse.
3) After you have found somebody you like, be reasonable and upfront about the time and budget. Don't expect a highly detailed oil painter to knock out a complex piece in three days. Generally, a week for the sketch and a week for the finished piece could be a reasonable time frame for a single image, though it is not always possible. Some artists regularly turn art around overnight. If you do need something very quickly, be prepared to pay a rush fee just like any other service-oriented business.
4) Decide whether you would like the illustrator to develop a concept based on his or her own personal vision, or create an image in their style using the concepts developed by the people doing the hiring. Both methods are valid and appropriate ways of solving visual communication problems. It is important to note here that whichever direction you choose, it you should again be upfront with the illustrator from the beginning. Tell the artist that you have a concept you would like executed in their style or tell them that you would like them to come up with something based on the text.

Many people, particularly editors and clients, are often overly cautious about commissioning art because they cannot envision what the final piece is going to look like. If the art director does his or her homework, such as reviewing portfolios and not trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, everything should go smoothly.
5) Make sure your selected illustrator has complete job specs, including content, final text if it is an editorial, final print size, color or black and white, due date for the sketches, due date for the final art, total fee, and a FedEx number he or she can use to send you the final art.
Personally, I have noticed that many designers, especially younger ones, are used to working in a digital world and simply expect everything to be electronic. Many illustrators do not use a computer to create their work and prefer that the original be scanned by the client.
6) The sketch stage is a time when all parties involved are able to view and discuss the direction of the artwork. The art director should be the sole contact for the illustrator. If you decide to completely change your mind on the concept of the illustration, plan on budgeting in additional sketch fees for the artist. Traditionally, a sketch can include one or two revisions-anything after that is appropriately billable by the illustrator. For more information on pricing and industry trade practices, refer to the Graphic Artist's Guild Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. We should also note that if a job is killed for no fault of the illustrator before the sketch stage, the client is responsible for 25-50 percent of the total fee. If it is killed after the sketch is approved, the client is responsible for 100 percent of the total fee.
7) If everything goes as planned, the illustrator will surprise and delight you and your client with a remarkably fine piece of art that communicates a very specific message to your audience. It is also appropriate to give the illustrator five to ten samples of the final printed piece for their portfolios and promotional material, as well as to enter into those juried competitions mentioned earlier. Also be sure to add a credit line next to the image.
8) Finally, it is important to emphasize that when you are buying illustration, you are only buying the rights to reproduce a particular image, in a particular region, for a specific period of time. The original artwork and all copyrights always remains the sole property of the illustrator, unless stated otherwise in a legally binding contract, and the original must be returned to the illustrator as soon as the image is printed.

No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the University & College Designers Association.