Illustrator to cartoonist
An illustrator already meets 68% of what the cartoonist role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.
35.3/ 100
1 How much of what a cartoonist is expected to do is already part of an illustrator’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 cartoonist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A cartoonist role treats 11 of its required skills as things an illustrator already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- analyse texts to be illustrated
- consult with editor
- copyright legislation
- create animated narratives
- create sketches
- finish project within budget
What stands in the way is 6 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. A cartoonist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an illustrator 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 11 the cartoonist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 8 missing skills fall into 3 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 adapt to type of media required
- still to learn maintain an artistic portfolio required
- still to learn practice humour required
- still to learn develop creative ideas required
- optional, not held write captions optional
- still to learn follow the news required
- still to learn study media sources required
- optional, not held use CAD software optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a cartoonist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 adapt to type of media practise this
- 02 follow the news practise this
- 03 maintain an artistic portfolio 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 create animated narratives skill
- already held create sketches skill
- 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 original drawings 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
2 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held write captions optional
- optional, not held use CAD software optional
16 held skills the cartoonist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role art history knowledge
- not needed by the target role collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions skill
- not needed by the target role consult with business clients skill
- not needed by the target role contextualise artistic work skill
- not needed by the target role design greeting cards skill
- not needed by the target role develop artistic educational activities skill
- not needed by the target role develop educational resources skill
- not needed by the target role edit negatives skill
- not needed by the target role edit photographs skill
- not needed by the target role ensure visual quality of the set skill
- not needed by the target role gather reference materials skill
- not needed by the target role gather reference materials for artwork skill
- not needed by the target role intellectual property law knowledge
- not needed by the target role labour legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform ideation activities skill
- not needed by the target role plan art educational activities skill
Common questions about this move
Can an illustrator become a cartoonist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An illustrator already covers 68% of what a cartoonist is expected to do: 21 skills carry over, 11 of which the cartoonist role treats as required.
What skills does an illustrator need to become a cartoonist?
6 required skills are missing, plus 2 optional ones. They fall into 3 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is adapt to type of media.
How hard is the move from illustrator to cartoonist?
Its learning distance is 35.3 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.