Commercial Illustrator Resume Example

Bestselling book and digital branding visual expert. This senior-level commercial illustrator resume example shows how to present your experience, skills and results so they stand up to both recruiters and applicant tracking systems.

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Full commercial illustrator resume text

Maurice Sendak Jr. · Brooklyn, NY

Professional summary

Celebrated Commercial Illustrator and Visual Storyteller with 15+ years of experience in children's literature, editorial art, and digital branding. Expert in traditional and digital media, with a unique, evocative style. Proven record of illustrating NYT bestsellers and defining visual identities for heritage brands.

Work experience

Senior Principal Illustrator

Creative Ink Illustration Agency, Brooklyn, NY · Jun 2012 – Present

Lead the visual development and illustration for 10+ high-profile book projects annually, including 2 NYT Bestsellers
Direct the creative vision for global brand illustration systems, ensuring consistency across digital and print touchpoints
Developed a proprietary digital brush and texture library that is now a core asset for the agency's technical workflow
Spearheaded the agency's transition to 100% digital delivery without sacrificing the "organic" feel of traditional media
Manage a diverse team of 5 staff illustrators and 10+ freelance contributors, overseeing quality and deadline delivery
Regularly featured in Communication Arts and American Illustration for excellence in editorial and narrative art

Staff Illustrator

Heritage Editorial House, London, UK · Jan 2006 – May 2012

Produced hundreds of high-quality editorial illustrations for major publications (The Guardian, The New Yorker)
Designed several award-winning book covers and internal layouts for classical literature re-issues
Managed a high-volume weekly production calendar with 100% on-time delivery record
Mentored several junior designers on the basics of composition, color theory, and narrative storytelling

Skills to put on a commercial illustrator resume

Digital Illustration (Procreate/Photoshop)
Traditional Media (Gouache/Ink)
Narrative Storytelling
Concept Art
Editorial Illustration
Brand Visual Identity
Team Leadership
Composition & Color Theory
Print Production
Character Design

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Illustration · School of Visual Arts (SVA) · May 2006

Projects

NYT Bestselling "The Wild Within": Complete illustration lead for a critically acclaimed children's book that has sold 1M+ copies globally.
Global Tech Brand Mascot: End-to-end design and rollout of an illustrated mascot and UI icon system for a major social media platform.

What makes this commercial illustrator resume work

Link to a portfolio and keep the resume to the process and impact behind the work.
Describe the problem, your role, and a measurable outcome for each project.
List design tools and research methods plainly so applicant systems pick them up.

At senior level, emphasize leadership, scope and business impact. Hiring managers look for the decisions you drove, not only the tasks you did.

Build your own commercial illustrator resume

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