How to Commission an Editorial Illustration

A good brief does not need to be long. The useful thing is clarity: what the story is really about, what the reader should feel first, and what would be wrong or lazy to show.

What helps at the start

• The article draft, outline, or approved headline
• The audience and publication context
• Required format: hero image, spot illustration, cover, or social
• Deadline for sketches and final artwork
• Usage: web, print, social, paid media, internal report, or campaign
• References if they explain tone, not because they should be copied

How I usually work

I normally start by reading and reducing the story to a few possible images. Sometimes the first idea is too obvious. Sometimes the best image is hidden in a small detail. Sketches are where that gets tested before the final drawing starts.

Revisions are easiest when they are about the story: make the hierarchy clearer, make the subject more precise, change the expression, push the metaphor, or make the image sit better with the headline.

Timing and usage

Timing depends on complexity, deadline, and where the image will live. A feature illustration for a digital article is different from a campaign image that appears in print, social, events, and paid media. Clear usage keeps it simple for everyone.

If you want to brief a commission, send the story, deadline, and usage through the contact page.