Productivity Tip: Creating Multi-Purpose Illustrations
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A question I frequently get over the years is how do I have the time to create new illustration pieces regularly despite my long hours in a full-time job.
The boring answer is having a very structured project & time management process, but that’s a huge topic for another time. (My background is in corporate IT & Finance project management so organisation and systems are something I can go on about…)
That said, I wanted to share one thing I do that helps if you have time constraints - being very strategic about creating pieces that serve multiple purposes.
Here’s a recent example - from an initial drawing of the Nutcracker ballet couple I did for fun, I created the following:
Instead of just a one-off piece that lives in my portfolio, deriving new work from one drawing will create opportunities to get work in publishing, licensing and building an audience on social media.
The other advantage of doing this as well is that you’ll be able to improve your design and composition skills. Whether you are a children’s illustrator or surface designer (or both!), you’re bound to need to create pieces that combine lettering/typography and illustration.
By making this kind of illustration a regular practice, you will train yourself to be able to think about how lettering/typography and illustrations can work together to create a strong piece.
Optimising your way of working is very important when you don’t have the hours of a full-time artist but want to drive noticeable growth in your art skills and income potential.
Two points to note:
I do not do this every piece of art I create because not all work will translate well across different markets or purposes, but I try to do this whenever possible.
It would get very dull to only ever work on strategic pieces this way though, so my advice is to combine strategic artwork with topics you enjoy. In my example, I adore the Nutcracker ballet (I’ve watched it multiple times and love the Tchaikovsky orchestra suite) so I was very content creating these.
As always, there’s a fine balance of making sure you’re creating work that helps your career but doesn’t feel like a chore.
Hope this was a helpful tip! I’d love to hear what other ways of working you’ve tried that have worked for you, just leave a comment below.
This post was originally sent in a previous fortnightly newsletter to all curiouszhi letters subscribers. Want to get early access to practical advice like this (and more) straight in your inbox? Sign up here (it’s free!)
