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Illustration
Illustration can mean commissioned images for clients, or artwork licensed for particular uses. Start with a small portfolio, agree the brief and usage before quoting, and treat rate guides as references rather than promises.
Open the interactive guide (checklist, video, read-aloud) →In plain words
- You make pictures for clients.
- Agree what they need and where your picture can appear.
- Show a small group of your best work.
- Write down the price, deadline, changes, and permission to use it.
- Keep copies of messages and finished files.
- Income can change, and is never guaranteed.
Who it suits
Suits people who enjoy drawing or making images, can develop a recognisable approach, and are willing to take feedback, manage deadlines and discuss how their work will be used. A parent or guardian can help younger beginners with client communication and payment arrangements.
Clients pay illustrators to make images that communicate an idea, suit a particular audience, or support a book, product, brand or publication. They may pay for the artwork itself and for permission to use it in agreed places and for an agreed period.
Step by step
- Choose one illustration focus to start. Pick a subject or format, such as editorial images, book illustration, packaging or character work. Look at example briefs and note the kinds of clients who might need that work. About 1-2 hours.
- Make a small, focused portfolio. Choose personal work or practice pieces that show the style and subjects you want to be hired for. Label practice work clearly, and include an easy way for a client to contact you. About 1-3 days.
- Write a short introduction. Say what you make and which kinds of projects you are looking for. Send it to relevant studios, brands or potential clients, or use a freelance platform. About 30-60 minutes.
- Ask how the client plans to use the image. Before quoting, ask what the image is for, where it will appear, how long it will be used and whether it is for one territory or a wider audience. These details affect the value and scope of a licence. The Creative Store About 15-30 minutes.
- Confirm budget, deadline and feedback. Ask what the client can spend, when they need the work, which file formats they need and how feedback will be given. If the budget does not fit the requested work, suggest a smaller scope or different use rather than accepting unclear terms. About 15-30 minutes.
- Send a written proposal. List the work you will deliver, fee, deadlines, expected revisions, payment terms and permitted use. Say that additional uses or a longer licence need a separate agreement. About 30-60 minutes.
- Use rate guides as a reference. Compare the project scope, your experience, requested use and the income you need; do not treat broad averages as a guaranteed fee or automatic minimum. Twine gives indicative Ireland day rates, while the UK benchmark is for creative industries broadly, not illustrators. Twine UK Freelance Day Rate Benchmarks 2026 About 30-60 minutes.
- Agree the terms before finished artwork. Get agreement on the brief, deliverables, fee, deadlines, revisions and permitted use before making the finished work. Keep copies of the brief, proposal, approvals and final files. About 15-30 minutes per project.
- Review the project after delivery. Ask for feedback and permission before showing the client’s work in your portfolio. Note what took time, what went smoothly and what you might change in your next quote. About 15-30 minutes.
Your first 15 minutes
This week, make a focused portfolio page with a short introduction, then send it to one suitable studio or potential client with a clear question about the kind of illustration work they commission.
The money
Quote for the work, time, revisions and usage the client requests, and make any extra use or longer licence clear. Use rate guides as references rather than promises; the project, your experience and the client’s intended use all matter.
Example only: one billed day, with costs assumed to be £0 or €0 for simple arithmetic. UK: £407 income − £0 assumed costs = £407 before tax; this is a creative-industries average, not an illustration rate. <a href="https://www.freelancing.support/resources/day-rate-benchmarks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UK Freelance Day Rate Benchmarks 2026</a> Ireland: €220 indicative junior day rate − €0 assumed costs = €220 before tax; this is a guide, not guaranteed earnings. <a href="https://www.twine.net/find/illustrators/ie" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twine</a>
The rules
There is no illustration-specific licence or vetting registration identified here. This does not give you blanket legal permission to work. Tax, age, data protection and other rules may apply. Rules for young people differ by location.
UK and Northern Ireland
- Trading income and tax. The first £1,000 a year of trading income is covered by the trading allowance. This is gross income before expenses. If you need to register for Self Assessment, do so by 5 October after the relevant tax year ends. GOV.UK Tax Help for Hustles GOV.UK
- VAT. The VAT registration threshold is £90,000 in taxable turnover. If you are approaching it, or are unsure how it applies to your work, check with HMRC or a qualified tax adviser. Business.gov.uk
- Young workers. In Northern Ireland, 16- and 17-year-olds have specific working-hour limits. These include limits on daily and weekly hours and night work. If you are under 18 elsewhere in the UK, check the rules with the relevant authority before taking on paid work. nidirect
- Data protection fee. Use the ICO’s self-assessment tool to check whether you need to pay a data protection fee. The ICO’s wholesale and retail guidance is sector-specific. It does not give a ruling for illustration. If you hold customer details only for your own accounts and transaction records, you are likely to be exempt. This does not apply to information processed by or obtained from credit reference agencies. The ICO lists advertising or marketing another person’s business, goods or services as an example of when a fee is required. Use the tool to check your circumstances. ICO
- Promotional posts. If you publish advertising or affiliate content, label it clearly. For example, use “Ad”. Advertising Standards Authority
- Consumer terms and insurance. Think about insurance that suits your work. No particular policy is stated as required.
- Commission scope and usage. Agree in writing what you will deliver, how feedback will work and how the illustration can be used. A wider territory, longer duration or more prominent use can affect the illustration’s value. You may want to charge a higher fee. The Creative Store
- Licences and registration. There is no illustration-specific licence or vetting registration identified here. If you plan to do a different activity alongside illustration, check with the relevant regulator or local council before you start.
Ireland
- Income tax and returns. If you are a PAYE worker, you should register for self-assessment using Form 11 if your taxable non-PAYE income is over €5,000 or your gross non-PAYE income is over €30,000. Below those levels, declare it on Form 12 through myAccount. If you are self-employed, you pay income tax, PRSI (Class S) and USC through self-assessment. Preliminary tax is due by 31 October. Revenue Citizens Information
- VAT. The VAT registration threshold for services is €42,500. If you are approaching it, or are unsure how it applies to your work, check with Revenue or a qualified tax adviser. Revenue
- Business name. If you trade under a name other than your own, register that business name with the CRO. The online fee is €20. Companies Registration Office
- Young workers. In Ireland, only light work is allowed for 14- and 15-year-olds. Limits vary between school holidays and term time. The rules for 13-year-olds are not established here. Check the current rules before accepting paid work. Citizens Information
- Promotional posts. If you publish commercial or influencer content, label it clearly, such as with “Ad”. If you are unsure, label it. CCPC
- Consumer terms and insurance. Think about insurance that suits your work. No particular policy is stated as required.
- Commission scope and usage. Agree in writing what you will deliver, how feedback will work and how the illustration can be used. A wider territory, longer duration or more prominent use can affect the illustration’s value. You may want to charge a higher fee. The Creative Store
- Licences and registration. There is no illustration-specific licence or vetting registration identified here. If you plan to do a different activity alongside illustration, check with the relevant regulator or local authority before you start.
Checked against official sources: 22 October 2026. Not yet reviewed by a qualified tax or legal adviser. General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official link beside each point before you start.
Common mistakes
- Starting finished artwork before agreeing the brief, fee and permitted use.
- Leaving revision limits, deadlines or payment terms unclear.
- Treating a broad rate guide as a guaranteed fee or steady income.
- Accepting a wide licence or extra use without discussing its scope.
- Forgetting platform charges or failing to keep copies of project agreements.
AI-made demonstration: this module has a 20-second street-chat video in the interactive guide. The presenter and the people in it are computer-generated, not real people.