60 pro illustration tips

Over the course of interviewing some of the world's best established and up-and-coming illustrators for this in-depth set of professional tips, one thing has become clear. No matter how you work - whatever medium or software you choose - the concept, or idea, is the most important part of your piece.

Every single one of the 30 talented illustrators and designers that we've featured here confirmed this, before going on to offer their valuable software and industry-focused nuggets of advice to help you further your skills and career.

Whether you're after a neat trick in Illustrator, the things to avoid in Photoshop, or how to begin a paper-cut project, there's something here for you. So, before you embark on the work for that new killer concept you have, take heed of the great advice on offer.

Vector illustration
Make the most of Illustrator to take your creations to the next level

01 Supply it right
Aaron Miller
Freelance illustrator
www.aaronmillerillustration.com
"Always ask the client how they want the final image. If they want the Illustrator file, and you have lots of layers but don't want to move them to a new artwork one by one, it's easier to draw a large rectangle over the final image, Ctrl/right-click, and select 'Create a Clipping Mask'. This crops your artwork to the shape you drew."

02 Learn the Bezier tools
Ben the Illustrator
Illustrator and designer
www.bentheillustrator.com
"Working with a Wacom tablet, I'm a big supporter of the Pen tool. The Bezier curves take time to learn, but are a super-efficient way to get the exact lines and shapes you want. Use the Alt/Option key to drag off a copy, instead of copy and paste, and learn all the tool shortcuts to save precious minutes."

03 Start out right
Kitsch Nitsch
Illustrators
www.kitsch-nitsch.com
"Consider the technology that will produce the work - you approach a full-colour image for a print magazine differently than something you'd spray on a wall. Our wall decal illustrations have to be simple, one-dimensional and easy to cut out, so we use styles from the 60s and 70s with elementary shapes."

04 Mix it up
Edvard Scott
Graphic designer and illustrator
www.edvardscott.com
"Don't be afraid to remove elements to make a composition that you're happy with. I usually think about an image for a long time before I start illustrating - but sometimes I just start with a line and a shape, then remove them. I remove half of everything I draw, and from that the illustration evolves."

05 Send it as a TIFF
Gary Fernández
Illustrator and graphic artist
www.garyfernandez.net
"Work from the beginning in CMYK and even though your final image is vector, try to send it as a TIFF. This will avoid any kind of colour problem or involuntary change - in colour or composition." Of course the client may demand an AI file, so then take Aaron Miller's advice (see 01).

06 Be tidy and simple
James Roper
Illustrator
www.jroper.co.uk
"Make sure you keep track of your layers - I usually have a lot in any piece - and keep things tidy. I only use Illustrator's Selection, Direct Selection and Pen tools, because I prefer not to let the software's plethora of (admittedly very good) tools get in the way of my vision. It's all about simplicity and execution."

07 Go back to basics
Ben Mounsey
Animator and illustrator
www.greenglasses.co.uk
"The best way to start any project is in your sketchbook: get your ideas down on paper, and be scrappy. Push ideas around, make observations, document everything that comes into your head. When I plan an image, everything usually stems from keywords and sketches, from there it's just a matter of layout."

08 Use Smart Guides
Leandro Castelao
Graphic designer
www.leandrocastelao.com.ar
"I love Illustrator's Smart Guides - a great feature introduced in CS4. At the beginning they freaked me out a bit, but now I find that I just can't stop using them. They let me structure objects very quickly. They also help me align shapes and nodes when I'm drawing - they're a great time-saving device. "

09 Master the Pathfinder
Luke O'Neill
Deputy art editor
www.computerarts.co.uk
One of Illustrator's most effective tools is the Pathfinder palette. Computer Arts' deputy art editor Luke O'Neill agrees: "Master the Pathfinder tool. Realising its full potential will enable you to quickly and easily build shapes without the need for laborious use of the Pen tool."

10 Keep it consistent
Anna Wray
Illustrator and graphic designer
www.woollycritter.com
"Always keep consistency of style in mind in every element of your illustration. If you add too many differing styles, and too many jarring shapes, the illustration will tend to lack authority. Try to add your style to every vector element in the work, no matter how small - this will keep things consistent."

11 Don't use the wrong tools
Kitsch Nitsch
Illustrators
www.kitsch-nitsch.com
"With gradients and gradient meshes, plus skilful use of shadows and glows, you can dabble in a sort of digital photorealism. But just because it can be done, doesn't mean you should. If you're trying to produce such an effect in an illustration, use Photoshop, collage techniques, or photograph readymade compositions."

12 Don't forget your audience
Ben Mounsey
Animator and illustrator
www.greenglasses.co.uk
"The most important part of any illustration is the message. The most common mistake by many illustrators is forgetting the audience - your job is to reach the right people and give them your client's message. The key is to do your research and know your audience, it's not about what you like."

13 Don't rely on stock vectors
Luke O'Neill
Deputy art editor
www.computerarts.co.uk
"I'm passionate about people drawing their own objects. Don't rely too heavily on stock vectors in your work - they've been massively overused, and it's now abundantly obvious when they are employed in a piece. Stock vector textures are a particular pet peeve of mine in a project."

14 Don't pick from RGB
Leandro Castelao
Graphic designer
www.leandrocastelao.com.ar
"If you're working on a vector illustration and want to sample some colours from other placed images within it, one thing I always avoid using is the Eyedropper to get a colour from a linked picture. The value of each CMYK shows a strange number, and I don't like it."

15 Don't be obvious
Ben the Illustrator
Illustrator and designer
www.bentheillustrator.com
"The beautiful array of colour swatches in Illustrator are priceless. But avoid 'the easy way', especially with shading, gradients and effects. A lot of the obvious methods can create predictable results, as they are the tools everyone uses. If you experiment you'll find your own way, with more original results."

16 Don't scrimp on the detail
Aaron Miller
Freelance illustrator
www.aaronmillerillustration.com
"Read up on colour theory and how colours appear next to others, experimenting with hues, tones and shades. Attention to detail is very important - if you have a landscape with clouds, rather than creating one cloud and copy and pasting it, resizing or flipping it, I create a series of unique clouds. It just adds to the final work."

17 Don't complicate things
Gary Fernàndez
Illustrator and graphic artist
www.garyfernandez.net
"I use as many shortcuts as possible in order to make Illustrator more useful, friendly and bearable when I work. The keyboard has to be like a piano for a pianist. And your Wacom pen has to be like the baton for an orchestra. I think of vector as a technique, rather than a style."

18 Don't worry about technology
Edvard Scott
Graphic designer and illustrator
www.edvardscott.com
"A few years ago there were things I avoided - mainly for performance issues, but also because certain tools weren't refined enough. But these days I can't see what would be a problem. Sometimes I get stuck on gradient meshes, but most of the time, I admit it's not Illustrator's fault, it's mine."

19 Don't use the Trace tool
Anna Wray
Illustrator and graphic designer
www.woollycritter.com
"Even though it may seem like a handy option, don't use the Auto Trace tool in Illustrator, or use trace shapes within your design - the results always tend to look obvious and amateurish. I think this rule holds true no matter how well the tracing has been done."

20 Don't send it straight away
James Roper
Illustrator
www.jroper.co.uk
"After hours and hours of working and concentrating on an image, I think it's usually a good idea not to look at the final image for about 24 hours. When you come back to a project with fresh eyes, you are more able to see any final changes that the image may need."

Bitmap illustration
Work Photoshop harder to add real depth and texture to your work

21 Use Selective Colour
Radim Malinic
Art director, illustrator and designer
www.brandnu.co.uk
"I'm growing to be an even bigger fan of the Selective Colour function. It's an invaluable tool for making sure your images have the right colour values for print, especially when your black is near 400 per cent. I like to take five minutes at the end to make sure all the colour values are right, and the image pops out."

22 Scan, and blur the edges
Rik Oostenbroek
Digital artist
www.secretshowcase.com
"Recently I've scanned in my own painted textures, and placed them on shapes and stock imagery to give those elements a nice and subtle texture, making a piece more unique. Also, I always drop soft brushes on the edges of every shape I do, to create a soft light effect on it."

23 Understand masking
Josè Oliveira
Graphic designer and illustrator
www.onrepeat.net
"The skill involved in using Photoshop's masks is vitally important. I use masks on all of my images, be it for clearing a certain area without actually destroying the layer content, or simply to paste stock imagery inside other elements in a project. It's an extremely versatile technique."

24 Preserve 'the soul'
Johnny Cheuk
Graphic designer and illustrator
www.johnnycheuk.com
"It's always possible to finetune stock images and photography by using graphics, brush strokes, or anything expressive in your own style. But I believe, for a perfect fusion of illustration and photography, the bottom line is that you should preserve the 'soul' of the image."

25 Capture textures
Jonny Wan
Illustrator
www.jonnywan.com
"Take full advantage of the Blend modes when applying texture to your illustrations or photos. Speckle and custom brushes are fantastic, but you can't beat the rawness of textures from real life. Fill an album with photos of things like brick walls, water ripples, pavement slabs or grains of salt."

26 Save versions
Garry Milne
Illustrator
www.garrymilne.co.uk
"I try and save a few versions of an image as I go along. That way I can experiment a little, and if it's not working I can go back to how it looked earlier or have final versions to compare. I find that layering textures and scanned-in surfaces helps to prevent an image from ending up looking too digital."

27 Use Actions
Josh Vanover
Visual artist
www.spaceknuckle.com
"I'm not really a technical guy - more of a caveman, really. But something that has helped me a lot with speed and efficiency when I'm working is the use of Actions. It's a nice little tool to have at your fingertips when you find yourself doing the same thing over and over again."

28 See it as a tool
Tom Lane
Designer and illustrator
www.gingermonkeydesign.com
"Photoshop should be viewed as a tool. It's a phenomenal piece of kit that enables you to enhance your ideas, but you should understand what you're looking to achieve. I view the greatest techniques in Photoshop to be the ones you have to work at refining - that you make your own and are part of your process."

29 Warp it
Tim Vanhaeren
into1
www.into1.be
Tim Vanhaeren, one half of creative studio into1, has a favourite tool in Photoshop. "Experiment with the Warp tool to transform shapes and pictures to create a dynamic effect that fits best with your idea. Benefit from the underrated power of the Transform Warp tool."

30 Think of negative space
Ben Thomas
Digital artist and photographer
www.ben-thomas.com
"Spend time working on your composition, and make sure that you always think about negative space too. It's often said, but remember that less can be more. It's very easy to get carried away with layers in Photoshop. Oh - and always do a sketch before you start a new project."

31 Don't rush in
Johnny Cheuk
Graphic designer and illustrator
www.johnnycheuk.com
"I always remind myself that there must be a pre-defined style and an idea of my own behind every illustration. Illustrating without thinking is to be avoided. In addition, I always try to avoid exaggerated or overly-extravagant styles of imagery - with too many filters and the like - hoping to bring my works closer to reality."

32 Don't forget about ink and paper
Radim Malinic
Art director, illustrator and designer
www.brandnu.co.uk
"I've heard about print problems from so-called illustrators. Some people haven't grasped CMYK and moan about glowing pinks not coming out. It proves that not everyone who manages to install Photoshop is an illustrator. There's no point sweating over the image if you can't print it properly."

33 Don't let the computer rule you
Josh Vanover
Visual artist
www.spaceknuckle.com
"Don't let the computer control you. You're the artist - not the computer. Approach the computer as an artist does his canvas and oils: use these programs as you would any other medium. Explore, and find new ways to use these amazing machines. Don't feel as though there is a set way to go about things."

34 Don't forget to name layers
Tim Vanhaeren
into1
www.into1.be
It's a basic point, but one that's so often overlooked by creatives - and so important: don't forget to name and organise your layers. As Tim Vanhaeren points out: "After a couple hours of playing, you won't find anything in that mess. Use your layer folders to organise them."

35 Don't forget the focus
Rik Oostenbroek
Digital artist
www.secretshowcase.com
"Whenever I do something theme or client-based, I always drop the main object in first, as it's essential for the entire composition. I only start detailing when the main object is in position. The more layers and smaller objects you have to move if the client's not satisfied, the more frustrated you will be."

36 Don't be nondescript
Ben Thomas
Digital artist and photographer
www.ben-thomas.com
"I'm not a big fan of those nondescript stock images, especially the ones of girls in bland poses. Always try to shoot or scan your own stuff, and experiment with different media. If you're not a keen photographer, try to approach someone you admire and see if they would be willing to collaborate."

37 Don't scale type
Jonny Wan
Illustrator
www.jonnywan.com
"When working with type in Photoshop illustrations, don't scale type manually, just change the font size. It's easier and you don't lose quality. Also, stay away from the Text Wrap presets - they're only good for basic experiments, not for professionals. Instead use the Pen tool and create your type on a path."

38 Don't get messy
Josè Oliveira
Graphic designer and illustrator
www.onrepeat.net
"If the client needs to include a source file, I try to keep the arrangement of the Photoshop layers simple and easy to understand. Sometime clients want to tune some of the elements, such as colours, so it's important to have an organised PSD document to work from."

39 Don't filter it
Garry Milne
Illustrator
www.garrymilne.co.uk
"I would say a Photoshop 'no-no' would be to just utilise a simple filter from the list. Applying a cut-out effect and so on to an image is instantly recognisable, and can make the work seem immature. Try and find an approach that will leave people wondering, 'How have they done that?'"

40 Don't throw it all in at once
Tom Lane
Designer and illustrator
www.gingermonkeydesign.com
"I strongly advise against the use of the 'move it around until it looks good' or 'build up as many layers as possible until it's interesting' techniques. That whole approach has been done to death. It comes across as unconsidered, and is totally counterproductive to understanding your own creativity."

Hand-drawn illustration
Master traditional techniques for that unique handmade appeal

41 Photograph it yourself
Casper Franken
Shotopop
www.shotopop.com
Casper Franken is one half of Shotopop, and firmly believes that you should photograph your set design yourself. "After all," he says, "you know the concept." He also suggests having a good first aid kit - because you will need one. It's just one of the pitfalls of using razor-sharp scalpels all day.

42 Plan and scan
Christina Magnussen
Oh Yeah Studio
www.ohyeahstudio.no
"Spend time planning! And buy a good scanner to integrate hand-drawn elements into your signal illustrations. Drawing is time-consuming, from finding the references to doing all the Photoshop prep. If it's ambitious, the planning can easily take a week - so you need a good sketch of the finished image."

43 Have a good starting point
Merijn Hos
Illustrator
www.bfreeone.com
"In these times of visual overload, some illustrators are paying less attention to good concepts. I think they focus more on style instead of the concept. Illustration is not just about making a beautiful image, it's about telling a story in that image - otherwise it would be called 'visualising'."

44 Achieve a look
Jeff Bowman
Illustrator
www.mrbowlegs.co.uk
"Normally I print images out, scan them, and make sure they've gone through a few processes (such as photocopying for that old-school edge) to give them the extra tactile quality that will sit with my work. Just because you work with photos or other provided imagery, you can still make it fit with your style."

45 Choose the right pens
Gemma Correll
Illustrator
www.gemmacorrell.com
"I use PITT artist pens: they're waterproof and lightfast. I used to use Pilot V-Pens, which I love drawing with, but I discovered they fade in sunlight - drawings I had in an exhibition faded to nothing in a week. Paper is different though; I'll use thin, cheap computer paper for initial sketches, or the backs of letters."

46 Research, research, research
Kate Forrester
Illustrator and typographer
www.kateforrester.com
"I generally start with a really terrible sketch to show roughly where text/images will go. If I need reference, I spend a good hour sourcing this from Google, stock photo libraries and books, and print out a sheet of ideas. Then I get away from the screen. I need to work with a pencil at this stage so the ideas can flow."

47 Use Photoshop to prototype
Jessica Walsh
Multidisciplinary designer
www.jessicawalsh.com
"I start by thinking about what I want to convey in an image, and list things that represent the concept. I make Photoshop mockups of the elements I want in the end piece, play around with the sizes until the composition is balanced, then recreate the mockups with real objects and photograph it."

48 Design, print, reverse, fit
Owen Gildersleeve
Designer and illustrator
www.eveningtweed.com
"Sometimes when creating a papercut illustration, it's hard to compose the piece as you go and ensure the elements are the right size and shape. So I sometimes design sections of my papercuts on the computer, and print them out reversed onto the back of coloured paper; then I know they'll fit together."

49 Tell clients your needs
Yulia Brodskaya
Papercraft illustrator
www.artyulia.com
"Don't be afraid to let the clients know if you have any 'special circumstances'. For instance, I get distracted by phone calls and I can't pick up the phone when I'm busy gluing papers, so I often ask clients to communicate with me via emails only. Usually they're absolutely fine with that."

50 Get the right paper
Sam Piyasena
Billie Jean
www.billiejean.co.uk
"I absolutely love art material shops; working with good materials is very important. I use a smooth 150gsm cartridge paper to draw on, as ink tends to bleed on cheap lightweight paper. I find that textured paper affects the smoothness of the drawn line and doesn't scan as well."

51 Don't get lazy
Jeff Bowman
Illustrator
www.mrbowlegs.co.uk
"I constantly try to keep things moving on, so I look at my last piece of work, see how different elements work together and try to develop it. The last thing you want is a repeat of the same elements in every work, to the extent it makes it boring. I think having a recognisable style in your work is OK, but it's all about keeping things fresh."

52 Don't forget about yourself
Kate Forrester
Illustrator and typographer
www.kateforrester.com
"One thing I'm guilty of is not making time to do personal work - it's the best way to explore a fresh, new direction and the sort of images you want to create. Once you start making images for yourself, you have original material, and art directors will start commissioning you to make the work you want to do."

53 Don't think one-dimensionally
Casper Franken
Shotopop
www.shotopop.com
"I find that many illustrators think very one-dimensionally about the medium of illustration. There's definitely a need to explore different techniques and effects, be it digitally or through a more traditional medium that's imported and manipulated - you never know what you might discover."

54 Don't fake it
Owen Gildersleeve
Designer and illustrator
www.eveningtweed.com
"With handmade illustration I always get frustrated if it's been faked in some way, or if the piece has been manipulated on a computer to look handmade. The joy of making work by hand is that it's not totally neat, and has visible flaws. Fully embrace this, and use these handmade qualities to your advantage."

55 Don't accept too little
Yulia Brodskaya
Papercraft illustrator
www.artyulia.com
"It's better not to accept a fee on the phone, especially when discussing advertising projects. I usually ask clients to send me all the details by email first, so that I have enough time to quickly do a little research, and think the project concept through before getting back to them with a considered quote."

56 Don't rely on software
Sam Piyasena
Billie Jean
www.billiejean.co.uk
"Thanks to some incredible technological advances, illustrators have been given a bewildering range of possibilities to work with. In my opinion, this has led to legions of software-savvy illustrators who can't draw. Absolutely anyone can learn to use a software program, but not everyone can draw."

57 Don't follow the crowd
Christina Magnussen
Oh Yeah Studio
www.ohyeahstudio.no
"The rise in hand-drawn and handmade illustration is linked to the need to create something different in challenging economic times. The need for a certain style is important in 2010 when you really have to differentiate yourself from all the others to get that client to come to you. Don't be boring!"

58 Don't rely on style
Gemma Correll
Illustrator
www.gemmacorrell.com
"You should enjoy the way in which you work. If an image looks pretty, but has no real meaning behind it, the project can end up being a bit boring. Work in the way that you feel is most comfortable. There's no point working in a style that you don't enjoy - it always shows in your illustrations."

59 Don't forget the process
Merijn Hos
Illustrator
www.bfreeone.com
"Know your workflow. Mine is: read the brief, write down ideas, work some out in a sketch, then discuss the comps with the client. Next design one idea in a style that suits the illustration, get the client feedback, make adjustments, get more client feedback, make more adjustments, and there's the finished piece."

60 Don't ruin it with a bad palette
Jessica Walsh
Multidisciplinary designer
www.jessicawalsh.com
"I'm not sure there are any real mistakes in illustrations, like the way an accountant can make a mistake - like all art, the result is subjective. But I'd say many illustrations that have great technique or style are often ruined by a bad colour palette." The moral? Choose your colours wisely.