Meet the Market: Greeting Card and Gift Illustration

During the holiday season, there is no shortage of decoration and festivity! With it comes an abundance of cards, toys, and other novelties designed by the many artists who have chosen to make the greeting card and gift markets their focus. 

From 50 Markets of Illustration, 'Greeting card and gift illustration covers a lot of ground in the industry. A wide variety of art styles and techniques are employed for serious and humorous greeting cards, puzzles, post cards, novelty gifts, and more.'

The greeting card and gift markets are closely tied to several other similar markets, since 'This category also branches out to licensing, concept art, and the collectible market with licensed characters adapted and developed into figurines and chinaware.’ For this reason, some artists may find it convenient to ‘double dip’ with this market and others.

You may also be pleased to know that 'All manner of mediums and styles are in demand in this expansive realm of the arts,’ so it is a market worth exploring for many artists!

With the greeting card and gift markets in mind, take an extra moment to enjoy the illustrations that surround you at this time of year and consider how your work might fit into these popular and lucrative markets.

Communication Arts - Where 50 Markets Got its Start

Did you know that 50 Markets of Illustration originally got its start as an article in Communication Arts Magazine? 

Published in 2012, the “45 Markets of Illustration: A Passion to Illustrate” article featured markets in the categories of editorial, advertising, and publishing; medicine and science; technical, graphic, and informational; historical and documentary; product and fashion; and gallery, prints, and entertainment.

Enjoy a blast from the past with the original column here!

Creative Concepts Blog

50 Markets of Illustration has been featured on the Creative Concepts Design Studio blog! Artist and editor-in-chief of “The Moon from my Attic", Alex Colombo, has work featured in the e-book and shared her interview with author John Roman in her latest blog entry. 

In addition to editing for the blog, Alex is a designer, illustrator, and licensing artist. “The Moon from my Attic” features interviews with working artists, as well as a firsthand account of life in the licensing market.

Read her post and interview with John here!

Meet the Market - Food Illustration

With Thanksgiving upon us, it’s hard to avoid being inundated with images of food at every turn! But did you know that food illustration is actually a very popular market, with many artists focusing solely on depicting food and drink?

From 50 Markets of Illustration, "Throughout history, the depiction of food has been a popular topic of interest. According to New Yorker columnist, Kyle Chayka, 'Food holds a special place in visual culture and still-lifes of food are an ongoing obsession with artists.’"

Wondering what kinds of clients are looking for food illustration? 

"National restaurant chains, food manufacturers, cookbook publishers, ad agencies, wineries, dining and travel magazines, and fruit and vegetable wholesalers/retailers exemplify the types of companies that seek pleasingly illustrated food art. Stylized representations of food are also a hot commodity in the licensing market, limited-edition print field, and the gallery circuit."

With this delicious market in mind, you may want to pick up your sketchbook and take the time to do more than gaze at this year's Thanksgiving feast!

Event at the Norman Rockwell Museum

Meet the artist and author of 50 Markets of Illustration, John Roman, as he speaks about this exciting new e-book!

The Norman Rockwell Museum will be holding a book launch and workshop on Saturday, January 31st, where John will discuss his book and the many fields that await artists who are willing to branch out. Visit the website for the town of Stockbridge here for more information, and stay tuned with us for more information as it becomes available!

.Get Inspired! Magazine and a FREE Copy of 50 Markets!

Exciting news - .Get Inspired! magazine is offering an opportunity to win your own FREE copy of 50 Markets of Illustration!

.Get Inspired! is an e-magazine based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and founded in 2009 by Andre Kreft. It is a fast-growing online showcase, magazine, and social network for artists, designers, and photographers. .Get Inspired! magazine is currently attracting more than 30 thousand page views per month and showcasing more than 10 thousand inspiring images. All work shared in the magazine is curated and you can expect to find high quality work from both professionals and beginners. Everyone is welcome! The e-magazine is free for download, as well being available as a freed iPad app and as a printed version. Find .Get Inspired! here!

Here is what .Get Inspired! has to say about 50 Markets of Illustration:

"Freelance illustration can be a difficult industry to break into, but with 50 Markets of Illustration by John Roman, you can start to narrow down your options and find a market that will allow you and your talents to flourish. If illustration is your passion, hone in on your personal style and specialization, and utilize this market guide to discover which of 50 different, lesser-known markets within the industry will be best suited to your skill-set. You might be surprised to find out that your skills translate well into several different niche markets!

From comic strip and biological illustration, to tattoo artistry, military art, and more, this thorough guide plays an essential role in any freelance illustrator’s job and career search. While your impression may be that the field of illustration is difficult to land a job in, the 50 out-of-the-box markets presented beak the industry wide open. Take advantage of the opportunities these markets provide, discover your specialized skill-set, and find the markets that will allow you to practice your passion.”

Click here to find out what to do for the chance to win your own copy of 50 Markets of Illustration!

Hartford Art School Blog

50 Markets of Illustration has received a mention on the Hartford Art School’s blog!

The Hartford Art School is a low-residency MFA program located in Hartford, CT that offers students a chance to study closely with outstanding faculty and fellow students. It was conceived and directed by internationally-renowned illustrator, educator and illustration historian, Murray Tinkelman.

The 50 Markets of Illustration book proudly features work from several Hartford Art School illustrators.

See their blog post here!

iSpot Feature

We are very excited to share the news that 50 Markets of Illustration has been featured on The iSpot’s blog! 

Created in 1996, The iSpot is considered one of the leading online resources for both illustrators and art directors in search of the perfect artist to compliment their project. Artists upload their portfolios to the site, where buyers can browse images for just the right style and technique they are looking for. 

Click here to see the post!

According to The iSpot, 50 Markets of Illustration is “fantastically useful” and "covers a vast territory of prospective clients for illustrators.”

Thanks, iSpot!

Welcome to the 50 Markets of Illustration Official Blog!

Here, you will find news and excerpts from this exciting new guide to the many markets available for illustrators and other artists!

Visit the official Facebook page here!

Or buy the the e-book here!