Illustration Unlocked

Welcome to Illustration Unlocked!

Commercial art straddles the line between creative expression and the statistics-and-algorithm-driven world of commerce.

More often than not, this tends to lead the artist in a state of limbo. Who to listen to? The muse inside, driving you to bring your vision into being? Or the hard-nosed editors of the world, with their lists of correct file formats, deadlines, and use case scenarios?

Well, come out of the fog of confusion and rest a spell. Here at Illustration Unlocked, we’ll sort out what resources you should use to position yourself for a career in commercial illustration, and which guidance is worthy of consideration. We’ll cover the basics of some of the most widely-accepted media to work in, what styles they can be used for, and where to start looking for publishing houses that will consider your art. Along the way, we’ll look at some examples of the various styles currently in vogue. And while we’re looking to the future, we might as well learn from the past—so we’ll take a good look at the history of these media and their influence on today’s commercial art world. An exciting artistic career is ahead of you. Are you ready to unlock it?