Why being an Illustrator sucks (right now)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ต.ค. 2024
- Yes you read the title correctly (I know it's a tad conspicuous) but I've got your attention now! In todays video I talk about some of the external factors that are making it challenging as an illustrator and creative practitioner.
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I was a commercial illustrator for 25+ years in the advertising industry. I started with an airbrush in 1990 and by the end of the decade abandoned that for digital illustration/3d rendering and digital photography. I noticed the slowdown started for me around 2014. Ad agencies closed and art directors were being laid off. The old style ad agencies are dying off because they don't understand the technical requirements for new advertising. They were used to tv, radio and newspaper, and now it's Facebook, Instagram, etc. The new agencies that popped up to replace them don't need anyone else. They can do it all in-house, they code their own software to run their business, have an in-house photo studio, in-house animators and modelers, so they don't tend to hire outside talent on a per-project basis. I watched everything slowly fade over a period of about 8 years until I had to find another career. But this devaluing of art started long before I ever got into the industry. I read an interview with one of the Hildebrandt brothers, he said back when he started (1950's) one good illustration job would buy you a new house. Budgets continue to shrink and all the software is subscription so it's hard to make ends meet. Now they might offer you $500 to create a national billboard campaign. I think AI will be the final nail in the coffin for commercial work. I think real art will always survive, people will always want to buy handmade art that allows them to connect with the artist, I mean who would pay thousands for some AI-no-effort shlock, but work-for-hire is going to be significantly reduced.
Hello! Thanks so much for adding to the discussion! 25 years is a jolly good time to be in industry, I'd love to see some of those air brush artworks! I noticed a lot of 'social first' agency's pop up around 2015, companies like vayner media and social chain being some of the notable ones. You are completely right about the devaluing of the art happening long before social media. I remember reading that editorial budgets for the major (uk) newspapers haven't increased in decades. I do wonder if a strong union could have prevented the drop in prices?
I'm holding my breath on AI, luxury brands probably won't use it, AI atm the moment is often used to save money, and if a luxury brand is trying to project an image of wealth and excellence, I'm not too sure that AI has the right signalling.
Newspapers have been told to stay away from it for picture editing, as generative fill could lead to more conspiracy nuts.
As to other aspects of the industry it's hard to say. Fine art will not be affected at all, there's too much money in it for it to change. when you buy a piece of physical art you are investing in the picture as well as the artist and the narratives that are being told. There is no narrative with Ai.
thanks for the comment! Have a great Sunday!
This is so damn helpful because I am literally struggling at this moment. It's so hard to even get a non-creative job that is part-time even! Thanks for this reassurance that it is not entirely me!
Im so sorry to hear you have been struggling, its really quite bleak out there at the moment, I'm glad you found the video reassuring, like I said in the video there is a lot going on at the minute which is making it very hard!
Newsletters feel like the only place left to actually claw back an audience for yourself from these social media maniacs.
I couldn't agree more, I have completely avoided doing a newsletter as I'm very dyslexic and dont want to expose myself, but a newsletter makes a ton of sense! ( I should of included this in the video)
Great video Michael! Spot on! In my five years as a Freelancer I've always been fully booked from September up to Christmas but this year its been very patchy, despite all my marketing efforts. I've been finding it hard to put my finger on exactly what's causing the state of our industry, but you've done a great job on summing up all the global issues.
Hi Andrew thanks so much!I'm so sorry you've been having a bumpy time too! Pre pandemic and until 2022 I was absolutely crushing it, but the last two years have been much more precarious, I spoke to my partner recently about how I'm still working hard (if not harder) I and cant seem to get anything to happen. I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I guess my main point is that a lot of the stuff going on is sooo much bigger than your practice and the best thing you can do is just keep on making work!
I’m glad to know it’s not just me XD. I hope things start to improve for all creators soon! 🙏✨
@@ameliaroseillustrations I’m sure they will! Things can’t be rubbish forever!
Feels the same in film & tv industry. Im freelance and have been struggling to find work for the past year and a half. 😢
I have a few friends in film, and they have really felt the pinch!
Just started my first year of freelance illustration as a children’s book illustrator. Your channel makes me feel comforted especially the part about how maybe it’s not always our fault or our style or the way we draw noses lol. Do you think you’ll do a 2024 wrap up despite the insanity of this year?
congratulations on joining the industry! I hope despite the turbulence you are finding work and enjoying making it! Some good news for you, the publishing industry is doing just fine, so you should be fine! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I will indeed be doing a 2024 wrap up, there's lots of stuff to talk about, that I haven't spoken about on the channel just yet!
@@MichaelWDriver oooo looking forward to it! And yes first year has gone extremely well, now to figure out how I can replicate these 2024 results into 2025…I don’t know 😅 just going to throw things at the wall and see what sticks and if nothing does I can sleep well knowing I worked my ass off lol
it'll be a video worth sticking around for I can assure you of that! im glad it has gone well! Im very pleased for you! I had this conversation with my partner, in the past I've said 'I can work harder' but I cant work any harder than I am now, and that is actually quite nice, I'm giving it my all!
I was offered online 100 euros for a regular task easy to do job and the next day 5 euros for a complex, emotional and very time consuming illustration. I love art and took the first one and hard pass the second one
@@Érinn-o2g one day you can be asked to draw a cat for £10, the next day you can be asked to draw a cat and be paid £10000, there is sometimes no ryhme or reason to pricing and clients that think that is acceptable to offer such a low fee need to be educated on the amount of labour hours it takes to make an artwork (also labour hours are not the only driver of monetary compensation for your art)
All really great points :) would love to hear your thoughts more in depth in another video someday! I’m in the US and there is definitely tension around money ( amongst other things lol) during election season, but it never clicked to me that that translates to freelance work as well. Hoping and working towards a more vibrant future 🤞🏻
thanks so much fr the comment! Let me know if there is something specific you'd like me to cover! everything is so interconnected it's quite crazy! looking forward to brighter days, it cant stay terrible forever!
You are the perfect guardian reader
I don't read the Guardian? I exclusively read the daily star!
A very thoughtful and considered video. Excellent work Michael 🏆👌’It is not 2012 anymore’ - yes indeed
@@davidcallow thanks David! Glad you enjoyed it! Working on my next video now!
@@MichaelWDriver mate, well done for getting through it whilst recovering from the flu too. That’s tough- kudos to you. And we look forward to the next one. You have an excellent way of bringing the big picture to a subject.
You and I are both on the grind huh, I’m editing a video for Sunday, but then realised I need to finish another older video for next Sunday - and start filming a third video from tomorrow morning, documenting the next two weeks 🤯🤣 who knew this TH-cam life requires so many memory cards 🪦 not quite sure how we stay in top of it all
Everything you said is so spot on
Thanks Steve! its a big soup of lots of stuff which is all interconnected!
Didn't know you were making videos on YT. Nice to see you here ✌
Thanks so much! I've been playing with it for a while! Hope you enjoyed the video!
@@MichaelWDriver Yes I did. Now I have to watch all your older videos 👀
Bro, everthing sucks right now.
thats kind of my point! Thanks so much for commenting! :)
Im disappointed you didnt touch more on the effects AI has had on the art community...but right on!!
maybe this is because Im working on a whole god damn video about it! :)
your style is easy to learn, imitate and mass produce. there are a million people who draw the exact same thing. ofc you struggle, you relied on a bubble economy and inflation just popped it. especially the UK, that is so done economically, there is no fix for that one
@@solarydays you could well be right about all that, have a nice day sir x
great video!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate you taking the time out to watch the video and leave a comment! Have a lovely weekend!
I think the internet made it to easy to produce art, now there ara more artists than clients, too much offer too little demand, and its going to get worse
The barrier to industry has certainly got lower, You can buy an iPad and procreate for a few hundred pounds.you dont have to go to university, having said this it does still take a lot of willingness and talent to get on the radar of most clients.
I'm pretty sure people will get sick of the look of AI art. I could be wrong.
Photography didn't kill painting, it changed it. AI will change it further.
@@seanfaherty it’s a good point, I think with Ai, it’s definitely taken a small portion of the market (those sorts of jobs where a local business needs a logo etc).
AI will never work in news media (I have friends who work at big newspapers) their concern is that using AI, in image production could help fuel conspiracy theories.
There are a lot of brands that deal in the luxury market that will probably never use it because Ai isn’t a good fit, Ai is often seen as a cheap alternative to the real thing and I think it’s hard to sell products under the label of luxury whilst using art that feels cheap or is the same as everyone else’s
Those are my thought! Thanks for the comment, I appreciate you taking the time out of your day! :)
@@MichaelWDriver I did see an art magazine with an AI image in an advertisement.
I’m not against it in principle but in this application it was jarring - beautiful art throughout the whole book and then a jizzless bag of crap on the back cover.
@@seanfaherty oh I can totally see why thats jarring!
photography was a new medium. Generative AI is just a regurgitation tool that anyone has access too.
I've seen people here on YT comments when discussing art pricing, "why pay an artist when you can generate it?" I don't think that was the case for photography vs illustration.
@@saramations great point! This is why I talk about the NYT VS Open Ai court battle that’s happening about copywrite infringement
Not many can claim they've worked for Apple.
I should probably not disclaim I have worked for them, they have tight NDA's, nobody has seen the work nor will I show anyone!
More artists making more 'corporate Memphis' art... is not a good thing.
If corporate Memphis is all there is... then good riddance to it.
@@commonwunder I suggested more artists were good because society needs new ideas and artists often sit on the periphery of society allowing them to make astute observations about society itself.
This is not about styles, styles go in and out of fashion and corporate Memphis is truly on the way out, the market is moving towards more tangible less digital art.
Whether you like an artist/style or not there will be people that do like it, that’s life, get on with it.
@@MichaelWDriver Corporate Memphis sucked all of the life out of illustration as an art form.
It emulated, or became emblematic of what is always was.. wallpaper for the Capitalists. So they could hide behind it.
Its job was to be innocuous. Conformity, made illustrators became inoffensive decorators.
Purely decorative, ornamental practitioners. Art where you brain has to be switched off, in order to enjoy it.
If you lived in the states, you'd be swallowed in-house by a design, animation studio or computer game company.
Where the need for 'talent' never diminishes. It's only in the tiny pond of the UK, that was always small.
The pinch can be so drastically felt.
Good luck with adapting your corporate Memphis stylings... you were for a period,
one of its key members. Funnily enough, you actually look like a corporate Memphis character yourself.
I is said, we pick a breed of dog because it mirrors ourselves. Perhaps illustrators pick art styles that mirror their own soul?
@@MichaelWDriver Corporate Memphis sucked all of the life out of illustration as an art form.
It emulated, or became emblematic of what is always was.. wallpaper for the Capitalists. So they could hide behind it.
Its job was to be innocuous. Conformity, made illustrators became inoffensive decorators.
Purely decorative, ornamental practitioners. Art where you brain has to be switched off, in order to enjoy it.
If you lived in the states, you'd be swallowed in-house by a design, animation studio or computer game company.
Where the need for 'talent' never diminishes. It's only in the tiny pond of the UK, that was always small.
The pinch can be so drastically felt.
Good luck with adapting your corporate Memphis stylings... you were for a period,
one of its key members. Funnily enough, you actually look like a corporate Memphis character yourself.
It is said, we pick a breed of dog because it mirrors ourselves. Perhaps illustrators pick art styles that mirror their own soul?
@@commonwunder thats your opinion and you are welcome to it but it doesn't mean its right or true.
whilst I agree with the style largely being appropriated by Silicon Valley, I think the reason it largely exists is due to its appreciation of 50-60's illustration and the need to make vector work for ux and Ui design.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Illustration is an applied art form part of its application as a commodity is to be decorative, this is a an issue generally with illustrations perspective from those operating in the fine art space.
My style is not Memphis, I do agree I look a bit like some of my work, I think im proving pretty credibly that my thoughts are not as flat as my work,
I bid you good day x
You're just yapping because you're lacking of skills necessary for your career.
@@mattheuslukas4258 I knew somebody would make this lazy and uninformed comment.
I prove in the first minute that I’m a skilled worker that has a decade of experience. I’m also proving by moving into video production and print making that I understand that the industry is pivoting towards social media and physical art practices, you engaging with this video is proof that I am in some way doing a successful job
Im sorry I have to disagree with the art school part, people don't need to go to art school and pay to learn art so I don't really care if many schools struggle maybe it is better if they scale down their operation. If anything it might positively affect the public by being more efficient. So I don't see why it will affect current illustrators negatively.
Thanks so much for your comment! I appreciate you taking time out of your day to write something!
I think out of the 12 points I made, for you to disagree with one is pretty good. out of all the points, it's the one I considered not including In the video.
you are correct that people do not need to go to art School, but a lot still do. I think maybe a better point is ( and I should of included in the video) access to industry has become much easier since the internet and the barrier for entry is now the price of a laptop or iPad and a subscription to photoshop or procreate!
have a great Sunday! :)