What You Need to Know to Be an Illustrator in Rochester, New York

Businesses in the city of Rochester, New York support a continuous demand for professional local illustrators.  Talented visual artists who live in Rochester consistently find employment in the field of commercial graphic design among the city's numerous local businesses.  Artists with illustration skills have a definite edge over their commercially creative competitors.

Rochester Schools and Training Programs for Illustrators

Rochester, New York features several colleges and numerous private art studios that offer classes and degree programs in commercial illustration.  Aspiring Rochester illustrators attending local design schools typically study communications design and visual arts.  Rochester colleges with graphic arts departments include Rochester Institute of Technology and Everest Institute.

Meanwhile, many Rochester artists acquire technical skills via online programs.  Popular accredited virtual design colleges include the Academy of Art University, National University, Post University, Full Sail University, Stratford Career Institute, University of Phoenix, The Art Institutes, ITT Tech and DeVry.  In many cases, online schools also provide convenient local campuses.

Working as an Illustrator in Rochester, New York

A hefty percentage of illustrators residing in Rochester create commercial artwork for local graphic design firms like 585-Graphics, Phake Graphics, Cory Graphics, Speedy Graphics and Phoenix Graphics, for instance.  Other local illustrators work for Rochester engineering companies like  Donald-Jensen-&-Associates, Diana-Robinson, SRF-&-Associates, Sear-Brown and Pathfinder Engineers, among others.  Some illustrators draw complex biological images for local medical illustration firms like Serwacki Illustration, Silva Illustration or Medical-and-Graphic-Illustration.  Other Rochester businesses that recruit local illustrators include mobile service companies, greeting card manufacturers, fashion design houses, architects and product packaging designers. 

According to reports recently compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professional illustrators employed full time at companies in the city of Rochester, New York claim an average annual sum of about $46,910, with a reported mean hourly wage of around $22.55.  This data does not reflect the incomes of part time illustration artists, freelance professionals or local illustrators employed by offshore businesses. 

Skills of a Professional Illustrator

There's more to professional illustration work than knowing how to color and draw, although professional illustrators color and draw better than the rest of us do.  Illustrators are masters of composition, color theory, sculpting, photography and other related skills.  Illustrators often study anatomy, botany, history, environmental science and architecture.  Most illustrators are full familiar with more than one illustration design software program.  Highly recommended is Adobe Suite, which includes Illustrator, PhotoShop and InDesign.  Other popular varieties include Logo-Design-Studio-Pro, Corel Draw, Xara, Simply-3D and Flash Animation.