Career advice for young illustrators and artists

Career advice for young illustrators and artists with award winning illustrator, Shoo Rayner, suggested by Gansherx who asked:

I was just wondering how you got into the publishing and illustrating business. When I am older I would love to be a concept artist or an illustrator and I am making my GCSE choices next year, and I need all the help I can get :D. What do you think I should take?? I know I am asking randomly but I want a lot of advice. Please reply!!!

Shoo has illustrated well over 200 children's books for famous authors and for his own stories.

Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/117947137150973770218
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=750207845
Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/shoorayner
Website http://www.shoorayner.com

Follow Shoo's other channels http://www.youtube.com/drawstuffrealeasy for short snappy lessons
and http://www.youtube.com/shooraynerlife for chat,advice,techniques and interviews with other great artists and illustrators.

I use a Rotring Tikky Graphic 0.3 pen. The paper is fairly cheap drawing cartridge or bristol paper.

Find out more about me and my books at my website http://www.shoorayner.com.
and my apps at http://bit.ly/kPo5pb

Look me up on Amazon or in your local bookstore. I've illustrated over 200 books in my time! Enjoy!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Career
• advice
• for
• young
• illustrators
• and
• artists
• designer
• concept
• Work
• Office
• Painting
• Artist
• Drawing

[O2B4Jesus]

Hi, Shoo...I was wondering if you could answer with the name of the artist that you spoke of several times....I couldn't quite understand your accent. It sounded like Quinton Blade?

[ShooRaynerDrawing]

@O2B4Jesus It was Quentin Blake :)

[froo13]

I love your name :)

[ShooRaynerDrawing]

@froo13 thanks - so do I :D

[MrAivariokas]

Im doing homework and do you know that he looks like...Mr Neil Paulger who is director of business development for st barnabas hospice? :)

[KDuffyAnimation]

@horseynia in which case, you want to be an artist, not an illustrator. Artist's draw for themselves, illustrators draw for others (and tend to be more successful)

[syedhateem]

I love Roald Dahl <3

[JoshT909]

@ShooRaynerDrawing

I am 12 and I have some drawing skill. I practice alot. I put art that I think is good up on my channel. I mainly do anime. Do you have any advice for anime? I could use a whole lot!

[shinyspartan]

Lol I agree with the anime thing. On the otherhand, I think I want to be a visual development artist for Western Animation o_O. Of course my mind could change in the future but I'm sticking to that for now :D.

[marzy17]

@ShooRaynerDrawing Thanks, I'll try to take your advice on board in the future.

I should probably just concentrate on becoming a generally better drawer for now, since I need to improve a lot still. I can work out things like creating my own style much later on. I tend to jump ahead of myself. Either way, it was a fun experience to play around with today. :)

Thanks again, Ross.

[ShooRaynerDrawing]

@marzy17 your right there are a lot of styles to compete with. but there is something within you. don't get hung up about it. It may take a long time to develop, but if you keep searching and trying things out, your style will emerge. If you keep copying others you will only ever look like them. seek inspiration in other's work and adapt what you learn from them to your own style good luck!