Illustrator Tips From WIA2024 Shortlisted Illustrators
Advice from illustrators selected for the WIA2024 Shortlist.
Image Credits Left to Right: Yi-Ting Wang, Annette Saugestad, Giacomo Agnello.
As the judging process for WIA2025 gets underway, we thought it would be fun to reflect on advice shared by our WIA2024 Shortlisted Illustrators who were selected last year. If you’re selected as a Shortlisted Illustrator you will be asked to share your insight into your experience of being selected for the Shortlist, along with advice for other illustrators.
You can check out all the Illustrator Interviews for WIA2024 here.
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
I’d say to develop a good work ethic and rely on discipline rather than waiting for inspiration. Show up, put the time in and keep making work that you’re passionate about.
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
Sketch from life. People, places and things. They don’t need to be perfect drawings for anyone else but all the observing and drawing from life will feed into and improve your commissioned art.
Coleen Larmour – Shortlisted in the WIA2024 Children’s Publishing Category.
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
Do your thing. Discover your qualities and your uniqueness – find out what makes you special. Be innovative, be bold, be persistent. Edison made 1000 unsuccessful attempts to invent the light bulb.
Peter Machat – Shortlisted in the WIA2024 Site Specific Category
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
Believe in yourself and just keep working. When you have a slow period create passion projects, don’t doubt yourself because there is someone out there who loves what you do.
Alyah Holmes – Shortlisted in the WIA2024 Advertising Category
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
Stay true to yourself. It’s refreshing to see the unique vocabulary of an illustrator who really understands their own visual language. Find what makes YOU quirky and honour that in your work.
Imogen Joy – Shortlisted in the WIA2024 Children’s Publishing Category
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
Don’t wait for a client to come to you, go to them! Spec projects! Take headlines, covers, articles, campaigns and reinvent them. Context is key for commissioners to understand where your work sings
Ollie Hirst – Shortlisted in the WIA2024 Science and Technology Category
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
Don’t give up! Starting can be hard and you might not feel good enough, but you have to put this feeling aside and just draw what you love to draw. Keep on doing what you’re doing, you’re great!
Sarah Lang-Rybicka – Shortlisted in the WIA2024 Book Covers Category
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
Just keep drawing and putting yourself out there, get a mentor if possible (the AOI do a great mentoring scheme), take feedback on board, and aim straight for your dream clients!
Tim Easley – Shortlisted in the WIA2024 Site Specific Category
Back to News Page