What You Need to Know to Be an Illustrator in Portland, Oregon

The well-read residents of Portland, Oregon enjoy a thriving economy of many local businesses.  Portland also features a vigorous local arts culture and many talented visual artists landing jobs in the field of graphic design.  Portland maintains a persistent demand for professional graphic artists, especially illustrators.

Portland Schools and Training Programs for Illustrators

Portland, Oregon is packed with private art studios, not to mention accredited colleges, providing a broad range of classes, workshops and degree programs in commercial illustration.  Aspiring local illustrators typically major in visual arts or communication design.  Prominent Portland colleges of graphic design include Pacific Northwest College of Art, Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, Portland State University and the Forbidden School of Body Art.

Nonetheless, many Portland artists prefer virtual educational programs.  Successful accredited online colleges with fine arts divisions include National University, Stratford Career Institute, Post University, Full Sail University, DeVry, University of Phoenix, The Art Institutes and ITT Tech.  Some online schools even provide local campuses and training facilities.  University of Phoenix, ITT Tech and The Art Institutes all maintain campuses in Portland.
 
Working as an Illustrator in Portland, Oregon

Many Portland artists create commercial illustrations for local graphic design firms like Acme Graphic Design, Wade Graphic Design, Christine Rains, CB Design Graphics and Jason Blake, to name a few.  Illustration artists with an attitude might work at neighborhood tattoo businesses like Blackbird Tattoo, 1928 Tattoo, Mako Tattoo or Jackalope. 

Other local illustrators draw complex technical images for Portland engineering firms such as Curran-McLeod, Parametrix, Elcon Associates, Geodesign and TW Environmental, among others.  Portland illustrators with a penchant for realism might create anatomical designs for medical illustration companies.  Prominent local examples include Rangner Illustration Studio, Elsa Warnick and Information Illustrated.  

According to recent reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professional illustrators employed full time in the city of Portland, Oregon report an average earning of about $43,280 per year, with a claimed mean hourly rate of roughly $20.80.  Corporations in the city of Portland employ roughly fifty full time illustrators, not counting part timers or local freelancers.   

Skills of a Professional Illustrator

Professional illustrators are masters of detailed drawing technique.  Their available design services include book covers, editorial images, desktop publishing, logo design, websites, menus, brochures and countless other colorful commercial visual creations.  Professional illustrators are also fully familiar with digital illustration software programs like Adobe Premier, Vector Eye, Mayura Draw, e-Picture-Pro and Autodesk Sketchbook.