Upon continuing my reading through “The Fundamentals of Illustration”, I realized the sector of illustration that I find most interesting (and the one that I would certainly enjoy working in the most) is the music industry.
Illustrators in the music industry possess a lot of power: they control how the public views the musician as well as the music before the public even hears one bit of music!
Now, the sub-sector within the music industry that I would feel at home is certainly in the classical genre; I grew up listening to and unequivocally falling in love with classical music. There are many situations in the classical field of music where graphic designers and illustrators are able to find work: there are countless music competitions that need promotional materials to be created, there are summer programs that happen all over the world that mailout brochures, there are opera companies and symphonies that have entire departments that are responsible for promoting the organization, and there are even record labels that sign only classical artists that need to promote the artists brand.
I find the potential of working in some regard within the classical field exciting because before a single note is heard the illustrator and/or graphic designer is the person that first communicates with the audience about the music. When I look at a newly purchased c.d. I am already making up my mind as to what the recording is going to be like and how the artist even goes about their performance! The job of an illustrator and graphic designer includes a lot of power and that is so exciting.
Austin Smithson | Graphic Designer 