4 lessons from the greatest illustrators ever

For many creatives it's a strange, uncertain time right now. For most illustrators, though, the current climate of working from home is simply business as usual. That's not to say it's all plain sailing right now; commissions may be harder to come by in these suddenly straitened times, but if you're good at your job then you should find the work.

But if you need a little encouragement – and we could all use that from time to time – here it is. There's a lot more to illustration than knowing how to draw, so we've picked out four of the greatest illustrators of all time, along with lessons you could learn from their successful careers to improve your own prospects. Read on for some essential tips from the best in the business. You might also want to see our tips for using illustration to create colourful worlds that tell a story.

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Jim McCauley

Jim McCauley is a writer, performer and cat-wrangler who started writing professionally way back in 1995 on PC Format magazine, and has been covering technology-related subjects ever since, whether it's hardware, software or videogames. A chance call in 2005 led to Jim taking charge of Computer Arts' website and developing an interest in the world of graphic design, and eventually led to a move over to the freshly-launched Creative Bloq in 2012. Jim now works as a freelance writer for sites including Creative Bloq, T3 and PetsRadar, specialising in design, technology, wellness and cats, while doing the occasional pantomime and street performance in Bath and designing posters for a local drama group on the side.

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