Is there enough work for illustrators? The truth about illustration jobs in 2025 - a rising tide floats all boats 🚢🚢🚢

Doors to the Business Course (for illustrators!) are open TONIGHT! We're going to be having a chat over on Instagram and you're more than welcome to bring your business of illustration questions along. Be lovely to see you there. We're @thegoodshipillustration over on Insta.

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This week, we’re diving into the live illustration industry. How much work is actually out there, how to get it, and whether it’s the right fit for you.

We grilled our Katie and found asked her...

• Is there really loads of work for illustrators, or has it been a slow year?
• What’s this new Illustrator Jobs Board all about? (Live illustration gigs, client budgets, and real-life illustration job opportunities.)
• What actually happens in a live illustration session?
• How much do clients pay for live scribing, and how can you charge more?

If you’ve wondered about going into live illustration - or just want to see what clients are paying - this episode's for you!

p.s. If you’re curious about Katie’s Live Illustration Jobs Board, you can find it over on Substack here.

Timestamps:

00:25 The big debate: good year / bad year
 01:50 Why 2024 was overwhelming
 03:15 The Jobs Board experiment
 04:40 What kinds of jobs are coming in?
 06:00 UK vs. international jobs (and why some illustrators have upped their rates after seeing the budgets).
 07:15 What actually happens at a live illustration gig? Is it really 8 hours of solid drawing?
 08:30 What do clients want from a live illustrator?
09:40 The most requested topics: AI, data, and… scrubbing data with a sponge?
11:00 How much do clients pay for live illustration?
12:15 The tech side: Do you need to be a tech whiz to do this work?
13:30 Live illustration vs. fashion illustration gigs
14:45 The Jobs Board results so far
15:30 Should you try live illustration? The skills overlap with mapping, editorial, and even school visits
16:50 Katie’s Live Illustration Course is coming soon! (If this episode got you excited, stay tuned 🤓).

If you like the sound of the live illustration course, you can register your interest here.

See you next time! 

Byeee 🚢💨

Come and say hello!

✏️ @thegoodshipillustration
🌏 www.thegoodshipillustration.com

p.s. We love answering your illustration questions. Click here to submit your question for The Good Ship Illustration Podcast 🎙