What You Need to Know to Be an Illustrator in Orlando, Florida

Orlando is Florida's largest inland city, featuring more than a hundred thousand commercial businesses and several world-famous tourist attractions like Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios.  Florida's media-friendly job market maintains an ongoing demand for local visual artists, especially for talented illustrators.

Orlando Schools and Training Programs for Illustrators

Orlando features numerous colleges, Universities and private arts training facilities that offer classes, workshops and degree programs in illustration arts.  Accredited Orlando design colleges include Florida Technical College, University of Central-Florida, High-Tech Institute, Florida Metropolitan University and Orlando Tech, among others.  Aspiring Orlando illustration artists typically major in fine arts.  Excellent non-degree local art colleges include Kanye School of Fine Arts.

On the other hand, many of today's professional artists in Orlando acquire all the training they need online.  Successful accredited internet colleges with arts and design training include Full Sail University, National University, Stratford Career Institute, University of Phoenix, The Art Institutes, ITT Tech and DeVry.  Many online visual design schools also provide convenient local resource facilities.  University of Phoenix, National University and DeVry all have campuses in Orlando.

Working as an Illustrator in Orlando, Florida

Orlando corporations that recruit the services of talented professional illustrators include architects, local authors, sign companies, website developers and landscapers.  Some local illustrators are employed by Orlando graphic design firms like Amazon Design Graphics, Architectural Graphic and Design, Energy Graphics, Oceanique Graphics and Sonstyle, for instance.  Other Orlando illustrators work for leading local high tech engineering firms like Alliance Engineering, Pyro Engineers, Spyglass Engineering, Tawill Engineering and Ingenuity Engineers, to name a few. 

Professional illustrators who occupy full time positions at companies in Orlando claim an average annual salary of about $40,800, with a reported mean hourly wage of around $19.60.  Orlando businesses support roughly 190 full time illustrators, not counting local freelance professionals.

Skills of a Professional Illustrator

Professional illustration artists demonstrate proficiency and competence with many forms of mechanical media such as ink, graphite, clay and paint, as well media “supports” like paper, celluloid film, treated canvas, stretched fabric, parchment (made from skins) and certain three-dimensional surfaces.  Illustrators are typically able to reproduce selected images and objects on command, adopting a variety of styles and methods.  Professional illustrators are almost always familiar with several illustration software design packages.  Currently popular varieties include Adobe PhotoShop, Corel Draw, Inkscape, Xara and Microsoft Expression Design.