How to Become an Illustrator in Albuquerque, New Mexico

The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico features many thriving businesses representing a continuous demand for talented resident graphic artists.  With a fast-growing economic need for brand identities, logos and packaging design, Albuquerque is particularly suitable for graphic designers with exceptionally refined illustration technique.

Albuquerque Schools and Training Programs for Illustrators

Albuquerque is well-stocked with colleges, Universities and independent fine arts schools providing workshops and training programs in commercial illustration.  Aspiring illustrators enrolled at Albuquerque colleges often study visual arts, photography, computer science and other related topics.  Acclaimed Albuquerque colleges with graphic arts divisions include Central New Mexico Community College, New Mexico State University and University of New Mexico.

At the same rate, artists all over Albuquerque are acquiring skills and degrees online.  Successful accredited online design colleges include Stratford Career Institute, Post University, Full Sail University, University of Phoenix, National University, DeVry, The Art Institutes and ITT Tech.  What's more, virtual educational alternatives often feature physical campus locations.  University of Phoenix and ITT Tech both maintain campuses in Albuquerque.

Working as an Illustrator in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque artists often create commercial illustrations for local graphic design firms.  Among top rated examples are Bridge Graphics, Indivisuals, Rio Graphics, Bodo Graphics and Ideation Graphic Design.  Other local illustrators do intricate diagram design work for acclaimed Albuquerque engineering firms like ACG Engineering, Burton Engineers, Donaldson Engineering, Prindle Engineering and Schuch, for instance.  Some Albuquerque illustrators draw anatomical images for medical illustration companies such as Hess-Medical, John-Campsall or Greg-Tucker-Illustrations.  Other local businesses in need of talented illustrators include record companies, interactive game programmers, animation studios, real estate developers and mobile service providers, among others. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professional illustration artists employed full time in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico report an average annual salary of about $41,900, with a reported mean hourly wage of roughly $20.15.  However, these estimates do not reflect the unreported incomes of locally employed part timers or freelance illustrators.

Skills of a Professional Illustrator

Professional illustrators have different areas or expertise.  Some specialize in painting, others in comic art and cartoons.  Still, others are best at corporate identity visuals like logos, mascots and trademark design.  In any case, virtually all professional illustrators are proficient with virtually all forms of traditional visual media.  Most illustrators also demonstrate full familiarity with illustration design software packages such as Serif Draw, Auto Trace, Logo-Design-Studio-Pro, Adobe InDesign and Macromedia-Freehand, to mention only a few.