Illustrator to drawing artist
An illustrator already meets 56% of what the drawing artist role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
48.2/ 100
1 How much of what a drawing artist 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 drawing artist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A drawing artist role treats 11 of its required skills as things an illustrator already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- art history
- contextualise artistic work
- create original drawings
- create sketches
- ensure visual quality of the set
- intellectual property law
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 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A drawing artist 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 perform ideation activities communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held design greeting cards 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
- already held use digital illustration techniques working with computers
All 16 carried skills, including the 11 the drawing artist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 14 missing skills fall into 2 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 describe artistic experience required
- still to learn develop an artistic framework required
- still to learn develop visual elements required
- still to learn discuss artwork required
- still to learn draw up artistic project proposals required
- still to learn select artistic materials to create artworks required
- still to learn create digital images required
- still to learn select subject matter required
- optional, not held identify artistic niche optional
- optional, not held participate in artistic mediation activities optional
- optional, not held present exhibition optional
- optional, not held assess conservation needs optional
- optional, not held develop artistic project budgets optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a drawing artist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 describe artistic experience practise this
- 02 develop an artistic framework practise this
- 03 develop visual elements 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 16 skills that carry over
- already held art history knowledge
- already held contextualise artistic work skill
- already held create original drawings skill
- already held create sketches skill
- already held ensure visual quality of the set skill
- already held intellectual property law knowledge
- already held labour legislation knowledge
- already held perform ideation activities skill
- already held select illustration styles skill
- already held use digital illustration techniques skill
- already held use traditional illustration techniques skill
- already held collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions skill
- already held design greeting cards skill
- already held develop artistic educational activities skill
- already held develop educational resources skill
- already held plan art educational activities skill
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assess conservation needs optional
- optional, not held develop artistic project budgets optional
- optional, not held identify artistic niche optional
- optional, not held participate in artistic mediation activities optional
- optional, not held present exhibition optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
21 held skills the drawing artist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role ICT software specifications knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse texts to be illustrated skill
- not needed by the target role apply desktop publishing techniques skill
- not needed by the target role consult with business clients skill
- not needed by the target role consult with editor skill
- not needed by the target role copyright legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role create 2D painting skill
- not needed by the target role create animated narratives skill
- not needed by the target role design graphics skill
- not needed by the target role desktop publishing knowledge
- not needed by the target role edit negatives skill
- not needed by the target role edit photographs skill
- not needed by the target role finish project within budget skill
- not needed by the target role follow a brief skill
- not needed by the target role follow work schedule 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 graphic design knowledge
- not needed by the target role interpret illustration needs skill
- not needed by the target role multimedia systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform image editing skill
Common questions about this move
Can an illustrator become a drawing artist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An illustrator already covers 56% of what a drawing artist is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 11 of which the drawing artist role treats as required.
What skills does an illustrator need to become a drawing artist?
8 required skills are missing, plus 6 optional ones. They fall into 2 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is describe artistic experience.
How hard is the move from illustrator to drawing artist?
Its learning distance is 48.2 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.