Illustrator CV Example & Writing Tips for 2024

Ensure your CV format is structured to best highlight your unique experience and life situation.

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How to write an illustrator CV

Before you begin writing, make sure you know how to write a CV in a way that best emphasises your strengths.

Whether you’re a digital illustrator or work in traditional media, crafting a CV that showcases your unique style, skills, and experience is essential. Here’s how to write an illustrator CV that highlights your artistic strengths, regardless of your medium.

1. Begin with an engaging personal statement

Your personal statement should provide a snapshot of your illustrative style, key techniques, and notable achievements.

For digital illustrators, focus on your expertise in software and digital techniques. And if you work with traditional media, highlight your mastery of tools such as pencils, watercolours, or ink, while also showing how your traditional skills translate into contemporary projects.

Example personal statement for a digital illustrator

Versatile Digital Illustrator with 4+ years of experience creating vibrant visuals for publishing and advertising. Skilled in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate, I specialise in vector illustration, character design, and motion graphics. Recent clients include Fresha and Timely, where my designs led to increases in user engagement of up to 20%. Passionate about creating dynamic visuals that captivate audiences across multiple platforms.

Example personal statement for a traditional illustrator

Accomplished Illustrator with 6 years of experience in hand-drawn and mixed media illustrations. Specialise in watercolour, ink, and graphite techniques. Collaborated on editorial and book projects, including the bestselling children’s series Hawthorne Road. My work has been featured in Art & Design Weekly, praised for its emotive quality and fine detail. Eager to bring my artistic expertise to Coppersmith Publishing, contributing to its creative vision through traditional artistry.

2. List the right key skills

Your skills section should give the employer a quick bulleted overview of the skills that make you a great fit for the job. Focus on your hard skills, such as digital illustration software or manual techniques.

Soft skills such as creativity and communication are also necessary, but they’re best demonstrated through specific examples when you get to your work experience section or write your cover letter.

Great hard skills for illustrators

• Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop
• Procreate
• Vector and raster illustration
• Digital painting and shading
• Character and environment design
• Colour theory and composition
• Typography design
• Storyboarding
• UI/UX design for illustration
• Watercolour, ink, and pencil techniques
• Oil and acrylic painting
• Mixed media and collage
• Printmaking and screen printing
• Storyboarding and visual storytelling
• Book cover and editorial illustration
• Colour theory and blending
• Fine detail and texture work

3. Outline your work experience

For both digital and traditional illustrators, your work experience should showcase your creative and technical strengths.

If you’re a digital illustrator, focus on projects that involve website assets, social media campaigns, or animated designs.

If you work in a more traditional field, include physical artworks, editorial spreads, or exhibitions, while highlighting any digital applications of your work, such as translating paintings into digital formats for product designs.

Example of digital illustrator work experience

Freelance Digital Illustrator
London | 20XX – Present

• Created a series of digital illustrations for [Brand Name]’s social media campaign, increasing audience engagement by 25%
• Designed vector-based character assets for a mobile app, helping to streamline the app’s user interface and improve user retention by 15%
• Collaborated with a marketing team to produce animated infographics and motion graphics for digital advertisements, boosting ad clicks by 18%

Example of traditional illustrator work experience

Illustrator
Dreamer Studios, Bristol | 20XX – Present

• Created hand-painted illustrations for a limited-edition children’s book, which sold out within two weeks of launch
• Designed a series of ink illustrations for a gallery exhibition, gaining critical acclaim in [Publication Name] and leading to additional commissioned works
• Collaborated with an editorial team to produce watercolour cover art for [Magazine Name], resulting in a 30% rise in subscriptions during the featured issue

4. Include your education history

Employers will care most about your work experience and portfolio when they look at your illustrator CV, but a strong education section will reassure them you have the right training to excel in the role.

List your qualifications starting with the most recent degree you obtained. Degrees in fine arts or painting are typically most relevant for traditional illustrators, while courses in design, digital media, or animation stand out more for digital illustrator roles.

Unless you’re writing your CV as a recent graduate, keep your education section as brief as possible, only including the degree name, institution, and your start and end dates.

How to list your education history

BA (Hons) Illustration
University of the Arts London | 20XX – 20XX

Need more ideas?

Our library of CV examples has hundreds of tailored CVs you can use to fine-tune your job application and stand out from other applicants.