10 Essential Interview Questions for Illustrators

by Kelsey Arrington on Jan 20, 2023

Illustrators play a dynamic role on creative teams; bringing concepts to life for various art and design projects. With the heavy visual focus that illustration projects require, it’s safe to assume that one’s portfolio is the only thing that matters during the interview process. However, that’s not entirely true! While one’s illustration portfolio will certainly be considered, their personality and answers to interview questions will also be evaluated. After all, it’s essential to be prepared and showcase one’s skills in various ways – which is why we wrote this for you! In this article, we’ll provide you with tips and a list of interview questions to prepare for! 

In this post:

• 5 Tips to Ace Your Illustration Interview
• 5 Technical Skills Illustrators Should Hone 
• 10 Soft Skills Employers Look For
• 10 Essential Illustration Interview Questions to Prepare For

5 Tips to Ace Your Illustration Interview

Interviews for illustration projects can be daunting for some candidates. The good news is that Authentic Jobs is here to help. Just keep reading. The following tips can help you during your interview process. 

• Research the company culture and the specific role. Before the interview begins, it’s important to research the company, who works there, the company’s mission, and goals; in addition to the responsibilities related to the job position.
• Be punctual. Plan to arrive at your in-person or virtual interview on time. If possible, arrive or log on a few minutes early to avoid being late. 
• Show enthusiasm for the opportunity. Employers expect you to be enthusiastic about the role you’re applying for. So, show your interest and be mentally present during the interview.
• Dress professionally even if the work environment is more casual. Creative environments are often lenient when it comes to the company’s dress code, as they tend to allow employees to express themselves. However, during the initial interview, it’s still important to dress professionally. 
• Prepare questions to ask the employer. Show that you’ve done your research and that you’re interested in the opportunity by coming prepared with a list of questions to ask the employer.

5 Technical Skills Illustrators Should Hone

During the interview process, employers will likely ask questions about your technical skills – especially if your role involves design work for digital products and applications. 

Illustrators are typically expected to be proficient in many software programs including:

• Adobe Illustrator: one of the world’s most popular vector-based illustration programs. It is used for creating logos, digital paintings, illustrations, and other graphic elements.
• Adobe Photoshop: a world-renowned raster image program that is often used for editing, manipulating, and retouching photographs, digital paintings, and illustrations. 
• Procreate: a painting and illustration app used on the iPad.
• Sketch: a digital design and prototyping program with collaborative tools built in.
• Adobe XD: a UX design vector-based tool used for prototyping for web and mobile applications. 

10 Soft Skills Employers Look For

In addition to having software skills, employers look for soft skills as well. Some soft skills to hone may include:

• Creativity and Innovative Thinking: Illustrations need to have a strong sense of creativity to design innovative and visually appealing illustrations that convey a variety of messages.
• Communication and Collaboration: Illustrators collaborate with other creative professionals such as designers, photographers, and developers. So, it’s important to have strong communication and collaboration Skills.
• Time Management and Attention to Detail: Illustration professionals need to have a keen eye for detail to create illustrations that suit the needs of the company they work for.
• Flexibility and Professionalism: Creative professionals must be flexible on design projects to and show the utmost professionalism when engaging with clients and colleagues.
• Technical Proficiency and A Willingness to Learn: Creative professionals need to have technical skills to achieve the high-end graphics that are needed today. So, honing technical skills or having the willingness to learn them is important. 

10 Essential Interview Questions to Prepare For

Ready to ace your interview? It helps to be prepared! So, keep reading. Some essential interview questions for the role of an illustrator include the following. 

1. Can you describe your illustration process and how you approach new creative projects?
2. How do you overcome creative block?
3. Can you talk us through a particularly challenging illustration project and what you did to overcome the obstacles?
4. Show us your illustration portfolio and point out which pieces you are proud of. 
5. Can you discuss a project where you had to adopt a specific art style to appease a client? How well did you adapt to this new style or technique? 
6. How well do you work with other creative professionals to maintain a consistent visual style on projects? What collaboration tools do you implement when you’re leading group projects?
7. How do you handle feedback and criticism from art directors and graphic designers that you work with?
8. Can you discuss a project that you are proud of?
9. How do you stay on top of the latest techniques and trends in the world of illustration?
10. Can you discuss what illustration skills you bring to the table and how they would impact the work that this role entails?