Tips on Becoming an Illustrator in Lansing, Michigan

The city of Lansing, Michigan supports nearly 20,000 commercial businesses and scores of talented artists seeking careers in graphic arts.  Lansing corporations represent a broad field of opportunities for local graphic artists, especially those with illustration skills.  Illustrators draw everything from whimsical conceptual designs to detailed technical diagrams and all things in between.

Lansing Schools and Training Programs for Illustrators

Lansing, Michigan is home to hundreds of independent art studios and several accredited art colleges that offer courses, workshops and degree programs in illustration design.  Aspiring Lansing illustrators typically attend Lansing Community College, Reach Studio Art Center or Michigan State University.  They usually study visual arts, computer science and mass media.

Meanwhile, other artists living in Lansing opt for online learning programs.  Among the more popular accredited internet colleges of graphic arts are National University, Post University, Full Sail University, Stratford Career Institute, DeVry, University of Phoenix, The Art Institutes and ITT Tech.  Various accredited virtual design schools also maintain handy local facilities.  University of Phoenix has a campus in Lansing.
 
Working as an Illustrator in Lansing, Michigan

Business corporations in Lansing, Michigan hiring professional illustrators include local writers, printing presses, book publishers, law enforcement agencies and medical service providers.  Numerous Lansing artists render commercial illustrations for local graphic design firms like Paradise-Graphic-Design, KGR-Graphic-Design, Lansing-Graphics, Colorfly-Graphics and Lightening-Design, for instance.  

High tech illustrators often work for leading Lansing engineering companies like Alfred-Benesch, DLZ-Michigan, Bergmann-Associates, Fitzgerald-Henne and Fred-White-Engineering, among others.  Some Lansing illustrators create anatomical artwork for medical illustration services such as the Lansing-Medical-Services-Administration, the Lansing-Medical-Examiner or Eisenhauer-Medical-Transcription. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professional illustrators who are employed full time in the city of Lansing, Michigan earn about $44,590 per year, with a reported average hourly rate of roughly $21.45.  Lansing companies employ about 230 graphic designers, a group which encompasses all commercial artists, including illustrators.  However, these figures do not reflect the incomes of local freelance professionals.

Skills of a Professional Illustrator

Professional illustrators are skilled, versatile artists whose job it is to create detailed artwork representing highly recognizable characters, objects and scenery.  Illustrators often demonstrate adeptness in a variety of styles and subjects, as well as proficiency with many different traditional drawing implements.  Today's illustrators are also fully familiar with digital illustration software packages like Mayura Draw, Arts-Letters, DrawIt, e-Picture-Pro and Harvard Draw.  Preferred interpersonal skills of professional illustrators include superb communication, stylistic flexibility and electrifying attention to detail.