Where to Hire Illustrators in 2024?

Custom illustrations are a great way to spruce up your professional graphics. From presentations and social media, to websites, they can fit just about any industry and every purpose!

In this detailed guide you’ll learn where and how to find freelance illustrators that will tick all the boxes!

10 Best sites for finding freelance illustrators

Wondering how to find freelance illustrators? Here are 10 of the best sites to look at.

ManyPixels

Hiring and vetting freelance illustrators takes ages. Plus, even if you find someone you like, there are no guarantees they’ll always be available for work when you need them.

Opting for an unlimited graphic design service offering illustration design is a much better choice! Here’s why:

1. You get a team of illustrators on hand. Instead of just one person, work with dozens of designers with different styles specializing in different types of illustrations.
2. You pay a flat rate. No matter how simple or complex the illustrations are, you’ll always stay on top of your budget.‍
3. Vetted designers and fast turnaround. We deliver most illustrations in just 1-2 business days. That’s usually the time you'd just spend finding, vetting and hiring a freelance illustrator.

{{ILLUSTRATIONS_PORTFOLIO="/dev/components"}}

Upwork

Upwork is a widely used platform connecting freelancers and clients across various industries. So, no wonder it’s also one of the best freelance sites for illustrators. You can post your project and browse through a diverse pool of illustrators with different styles and expertise. 

Freelancer

Similar to Upwork, Freelancer is a global platform where you can find freelance illustrators. You can post your project, review proposals, and choose the illustrator that best fits your needs.

Fiverr

Fiverr is a platform known for its gig-based services, offering a variety of creative freelancers, including illustrators. You can browse through profiles, check portfolios, and hire illustrators based on your project requirements.

It’s the best freelance site for illustrators working on smaller-scale projects.

99designs

99designs is a platform that connects businesses with graphic designers and illustrators, for various creative projects. The platform operates on a contest-based model, where clients submit a design brief, and designers compete to create the best design. The client then selects the winning design and pays the chosen designer.

Behance

‍

Behance is a platform by Adobe that showcases the work of creative professionals, including illustrators. You can directly contact illustrators whose work resonates with you and discuss potential collaborations. Thanks to great search filters, you can easily find an illustrator with just the right skillset and style.

Dribbble

‍

Dribbble is yet another platform where designers and illustrators showcase their portfolios. You can find skilled illustrators, review their work, and connect with them for potential projects.

Illustrators for Hire

‍

If you’re looking for freelance illustrators, this is a site you definitely don’t want to miss! This site has one of the largest libraries of freelance portfolios, as well as refined search filters. So you can hire an illustrator based on your expertise in a certain topic (characters, animals, etc), products (editorial, book covers, brand illustrations), or their location. 

Illuzoo

‍

Illuzoo is an illustration agency representing both industry veterans and emerging freelance illustrators for hire. They have several offices around the world, and represent many artists that have worked with various brands. You’ll only be able to see the portfolios, so if you’d like further information, such as the artists’ location, years of experience and education, you’ll need to get in touch.

Minty

Minty is a vast illustrator portfolio platform that allows you to browse artists, but the hiring and secure payment processes are done through the parent company (OWL Illustration). You can also post an illustrator job or hire an agent to set you up with the best talent. 

OWL Illustration

‍OWL Illustration is an agency that connects freelance illustrators with prospective clients. They have a relatively small roster of artists for hire compared to some of the other platforms. However, with this option, you can be certain that you’re hiring the best talent out there, including experienced illustrators who can take on the role of art directors.

How much do freelance illustrators charge?

One thing you must remember before hiring a freelance illustrator is that illustrators are different from graphic designers.  

Graphic designers usually have a much broader skill set. However, digital illustration work requires specific tech (e.g. a digital drawing pad, Adobe Illustrator which is a paid program, etc.) and often more experience in a specific area (e.g. character design,digital painting). 

So, you can expect the cost to hire illustrators to be higher than those for a graphic designer.

Most graphic designers charge, on average, $31 per hour. In contrast, the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook suggests the typical rate for freelance illustrators is between $100 and $400 per hour. 

Of course, bear in mind that it’s impossible to give a definite answer to the question ‘how much do freelance illustrators charge”. Aside from different hourly rates the complexity of the illustration project also impacts the final price. 

So, when it comes to paying per project, you can expect to pay between $30 and $200 for simple illustrations, and up to $1,000 for more complex projects.

A better alternative to hiring freelancers

Finding the right freelance illustrator will take time. On top of that, illustration work might require many revisions, which can increase the cost. 

An unlimited design service like ManyPixels gives you total control of your budget and endless creative possibilities. Whether you just need illustrations, or want to take advantage of our full range of creative services, we’ve got you covered!

{{ILLUSTRATION_BANNER="/dev/components"}}

We have a team of highly talented illustrations who understand your vision and deliver high-quality illustrations within 48 hours. All of our plans come with unlimited requests, unlimited revisions, and native source files.

Still on the fence? Book a demo call to learn how we’ve helped thousands of businesses like yours!