Cartoonist to illustrator
A cartoonist already meets 55% of what the illustrator role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
50/ 100
1 How much of what an illustrator is expected to do is already part of a cartoonist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the illustrator role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An illustrator role treats 9 of its required skills as things a cartoonist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- analyse texts to be illustrated
- consult with editor
- copyright legislation
- finish project within budget
- follow a brief
- follow work schedule
What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 21 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An illustrator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a cartoonist background worth leading with.
- already held analyse texts to be illustrated information skills
- already held interpret illustration needs communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held create animated narratives communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held create original drawings communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held use traditional illustration techniques communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held select illustration styles communication, collaboration and creativity
All 21 carried skills, including the 9 the illustrator role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 16 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn perform ideation activities required
- still to learn consult with business clients required
- still to learn ensure visual quality of the set required
- optional, not held design greeting cards optional
- optional, not held collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions optional
- optional, not held develop educational resources optional
- still to learn contextualise artistic work required
- still to learn gather reference materials for artwork required
- optional, not held gather reference materials optional
- still to learn intellectual property law required
- still to learn labour legislation required
- still to learn art history required
- optional, not held develop artistic educational activities optional
- optional, not held plan art educational activities optional
- optional, not held edit negatives optional
- optional, not held edit photographs optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an illustrator role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 perform ideation activities practise this
- 02 art history study this
- 03 consult with business clients practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 21 skills that carry over
- already held analyse texts to be illustrated skill
- already held consult with editor skill
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held finish project within budget skill
- already held follow a brief skill
- already held follow work schedule skill
- already held graphic design knowledge
- already held interpret illustration needs skill
- already held select illustration styles skill
- already held ICT software specifications knowledge
- already held apply desktop publishing techniques skill
- already held create 2D painting skill
- already held create animated narratives skill
- already held create original drawings skill
- already held create sketches skill
- already held design graphics skill
- already held desktop publishing knowledge
- already held multimedia systems knowledge
- already held perform image editing skill
- already held use digital illustration techniques skill
- already held use traditional illustration techniques skill
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held design greeting cards optional
- optional, not held develop artistic educational activities optional
- optional, not held edit negatives optional
- optional, not held edit photographs optional
- optional, not held plan art educational activities optional
- optional, not held collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions optional
- optional, not held develop educational resources optional
- optional, not held gather reference materials optional
8 held skills the illustrator role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt to type of media skill
- not needed by the target role develop creative ideas skill
- not needed by the target role follow the news skill
- not needed by the target role maintain an artistic portfolio skill
- not needed by the target role practice humour skill
- not needed by the target role study media sources skill
- not needed by the target role use CAD software skill
- not needed by the target role write captions skill
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn art history required
- still to learn intellectual property law required
- still to learn labour legislation required
Common questions about this move
Can a cartoonist become an illustrator?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A cartoonist already covers 55% of what an illustrator is expected to do: 21 skills carry over, 9 of which the illustrator role treats as required.
What skills does a cartoonist need to become an illustrator?
8 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is perform ideation activities.
How hard is the move from cartoonist to illustrator?
Its learning distance is 50 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.