How to Survive as a Freelance Illustrator

Marshall Vandruff, now in his 60s, looks back on his career in freelance illustration and shares some key lessons he’s learned. He remembers how, at first, he hated working with airbrushes but stuck with it and eventually found success. Back then, everything was done by hand—tight deadlines, portfolios to secure clients, and no room for big mistakes since lost work couldn’t be recovered. Then came digital tools, which transformed the industry. Marshall adapted to the new tech and embraced the changes it brought. Still, he points out that some fundamentals haven’t changed: hitting deadlines, producing quality work, and building solid relationships with clients. Through his experiences, Marshall hopes to inspire others to improve their craft and build strong careers in the creative world. Save 15% on Marshall’s perspective course with code 12DAYS through December 27th - https://proko.com/perspective CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Marshall’s Portfolio 19:06 - Digital Painting 28:44 - Q&A 30:50 - Outro RELATED LESSONS: 5 Tricks to Make Your Drawings Look 3D -    • 5 Tricks to Make Your Drawings Look 3D   Simple Tools For Perfect Perspective Drawing -    • Simple Tools For Perfect Perspective Drawing   #sketchtour #freelanceartist #artcareer Subscribe to Proko: https://bit.ly/SubProko Don't miss new tutorials - Hit the BELL! Premium Videos - https://proko.com/store Pose photo sets - https://proko.com/poses FOLLOW PROKO: Email Newsletter - https://proko.com/subscribe   / prokotv     / prokotv     / prokotv     / prokotv   WATCH MORE PROKO: Latest Uploads:    • Finger Drawing Mistakes You’re Making - Ha...   Figure Drawing:    • How to Draw Gesture   Art of Caricature:    • The Art of Caricature with Court Jones   Popular Videos:    • How to Draw the Head from Any Angle   ABOUT PROKO: Instructional How to Draw videos for artists. My drawing lessons are approachable enough for beginners and detailed enough for advanced artists. My philosophy is to teach timeless concepts in an entertaining way. I believe that when you are having fun, you learn better. I take pride in producing high-quality videos that you will enjoy watching and re-watching. CREDITS: Artist | Instructor - Marshall Vandruff (https://www.marshallart.com) Producer - Stan Prokopenko (https://stanprokopenko.com), Sean Ramsey (http://peoplewhodrawstuff.com) Script - Jon Neimeister Production Assistance - Sean Ramsey Editing - Ash LoRusso (https://artstation.com/ash_lorusso), Charlie Nicholson, (  / shloogorgh  , Dzmitry Tsydzik Publishing - John Birchall, Alex Otis Music Used with Permission Intro - The Freak Fandango Orchestra Additional music by Epidemic Sound