WRITTEN BY MOLLY POWERS

Illustration entitled "Satellite" by student Emma Beatty. An assignment for Illustration 1 asked students to illustrate the essence of an article, and Emma Beatty chose one about how communication would become unrecognizable overtime, hence the abstracted forms emanating from the satellite. She says “this assignment really tested all the skills required of an illustrator because we had to read an article, figure out the main point, brainstorm the best way to depict conceptual themes, and put that all into a finalized piece!”

During a time best characterized by a global pandemic, social unrest, a shaky economy, and spikes in unemployment, optimism is not always easy to come by.

“There are a lot of industries facing existential dread at the moment,” says Assistant Professor and Illustration Area Head Michael Hirshon. “Fortunately, it’s never been a more exciting time to be an illustrator.”

Fall 2020, Hirshon taught the first course for the brand new Illustration Emphasis in the Department of Art & Art History. He was hired to help design the program, which has been in demand by students for the last few years.

“The Department of Art & Art History is very excited about the addition of Illustration to our degree programs,” says Department Chair Paul Stout. “Illustration is like a magnet that holds attention and creates connection between words and images. Michael Hirshon is an excellent addition to the department and the ideal person to lead Illustration.”

At the intersection between painting & drawing and graphic design, illustration is truly a discipline of its own, but how exactly do you define it?

Michael Hirshon (Photo: Robin Meyer)

“That’s a simple question with a complicated answer!” says Hirshon. “In the broadest sense, illustration is about using pictures to communicate. Illustration describes the purpose behind making images. Our students here actually take quite a bit of painting & drawing area classes, which is where they learn their technical skills and practice their craft,” he explains. “The core illustration courses are less about technical skill and more about putting skills from other classes towards projects that simulate real-world illustration projects.”

As for illustration’s relationship to graphic design, the boundaries are a little fuzzier.

“There’s quite a bit of overlap in the two fields’ problems and solutions. Graphic designers frequently incorporate illustration into their work, just as many illustrators work with or around lettering and typography,” says Hirshon. “Ultimately, the Illustration Emphasis is more focused on image-making, and while students will have exposure to typography, it will not be a central element in their craft.”

“Croissants” by student Hui Zheng

As for medium, Hirshon believes in allowing students to discover how they work best, noting that successful illustrators run the gamut of approaches to their work.

“There are successful illustrators who draw, who paint, who collage, who animate… there’s even one who photographs puppets. As long as it tells a compelling story, an illustration can look like anything, so it follows that students should try everything they can.”

Hirshon has spent the last 10 years of his career as a freelance illustrator, working with clients like the “New York Times,” HarperCollins Publishers, Amazon, “The Washington Post,” “Forbes,” and American Express. His portfolio includes an eclectic mix of projects including packaging for a dog toy company, a taco truck chef’s cookbook, the side of a city bus, a dating coach’s graphic memoir, a U.S. Senate campaign, and the walls of a daycare in Pakistan.

He has a passion for illustration that is contagious, and at a time where things seem a bit bleak, he displays an inspiring optimism for the future of the illustration field.

“Illustration is a thriving field in the arts, and there’s still potential for growth,” he says. “The traditional monoliths of publishing, advertisement, and journalism are breaking down, and as a result there are so many new opportunities for emerging illustrators.”

The rise of social media has benefitted illustrators, as well. Versatile platforms like Instagram have allowed creatives to broadcast their work and use their pages like a gallery, classroom, print shop, or news blast. Social media has become a powerful marketing tool for illustrators to reach potential clients, allowing their work to inspire art directors and graphic designers in real time.

“I think social media is a great thing for creatives,” says Hirshon. “Frankly, I don’t care about someone’s selfies or political hot-takes, but I do love being able to track an artist’s experimentation and evolution through Instagram.”

Even the recent shift to online learning hasn’t taken the wind out of the Illustration Emphasis’ sails.

With the shift to online teaching in the Fall, Hirshon admitted he was a little disappointed that the first Illustration 1 class would be a hybrid course. But, he quickly realized that the format didn’t have much bearing on how the class worked, after all.

“As an industry, illustration is largely practiced remotely. Before coming to the U, I was a freelance illustrator, handling most of my business through email, phone calls, and online workspaces like Slack,” he explains.

“While I would definitely prefer to teach in person and hope that this shift is temporary, I think that this online detour has some value: it’s a good opportunity for future illustrators to practice some real-world skills like work/life balance, self-motivation, and professional communication.”

The new emphasis is designed to prepare students to navigate a growing and exciting field, and helps them approach their careers with intentionality.

“There are plenty of full-time opportunities in concept development at game design and animation companies, but illustration is a largely freelance industry, and this program will teach students to attract and retain meaningful relationships with clients. Illustration 4, the final course in the program, is a chance to decide what kind of career you want to have, and cater your portfolio to those markets.”

By the time they graduate, students will have a working website, social media presence, and printed marketing materials they can use to promote themselves across the industry, and they will be fully prepared to venture into the world of illustration.

“There are all sorts of wild opportunities for new graduates out there, hiding under rocks,” says Hirshon. “Microbreweries want illustrated packaging, skateboard brands want cool decks, indie game and animation studios need concept development, and there are plenty of random people on the internet with big, crazy ideas and tons of disposable income. It’s finally possible to connect with these small-scale operations, even from thousands of miles away.”

It sounds like an exciting time to be an illustrator, indeed. ▪