Where to Hire Illustrators in 2024?

A freelance illustrator is a freelance artist who works on a self-employed basis, offering their services to clients on a project-by-project basis. Looking to hire an illustrator? There’s more than one way to do it!

Illustrations are a great way to spruce up your professional graphics. From editorial illustrations in books, to presentations, social media, and even landing pages, 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!

Where to hire freelance illustrators?

Instead of just flocking to the usual freelance platforms, discover a full range of sites where you can find an illustrator that’s right for your business!

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.

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Freelancing sites 

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. 

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 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.

Illustration agencies

There are many creative agencies  out there that offer illustration services. When choosing one it’s best to check out their portfolio and see what types of illustration projects they’ve worked on.

These agencies usually have a whole marketing team on board (business analysts, SEO specialists, art directors, developers, etc.), so they can charge upwards of $10,000 for a single project.

Alternatively, there are also many specialized agencies representing illustrators, which will connect you with skilled creatives. Bear in mind that the illustration artists that use these agencies are usually ones with lots of experience, charging high rates for their work. 

Design-specific websites

99designs is a platform that connects businesses with graphic designers, including freelance 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 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.

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.

Forums and discussion groups

Utilize online discussion groups and forums to hire a freelance illustrator by joining relevant platforms. You can join Reddit’s subreddit for hire and look for artists for hire.

Just remember to post clear job requirements and engage with interested illustrators before you hire them - check their reviews, browse their design portfolios, negotiate the hourly rates, and more.

Job websites

There are various job websites on the internet that can help you find various freelance illustrators according to your needs. Some of the most popular ones are LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, and more.

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform, but also one of the best freelance sites for freelance illustrators. You can post your job description on LinkedIn, and wait for freelancers looking for potential clients to approach you.

Or search for a freelance illustrator and message them asking if they’re interested in taking up some freelance work.  

The downside is that LinkedIn sometimes doesn’t offer a good insight into a freelance career. So, you might need to do some more digging and ask for examples of work, be it editorial illustrations or hand-drawn icons.

Finally, you can even use other popular job websites like Glassdoor, Indeed, AngelList, Hired, ZipRecruiter, where you can create a job posting and have people apply.

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). 

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 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!

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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!