Freelance Illustrator Career Development Plan Report

This report details a career development plan for aspiring freelance illustrators. It begins with defining personal career aspirations, emphasizing the desire to excel in watercolour and digital media illustration. The plan then outlines a skill enhancement strategy, focusing on improving conventional art skills like sketching and paint techniques, alongside digital media skills in 3D software, animation, and industry-standard platforms like Adobe Illustrator. The report includes a timeline and activities to achieve these skill enhancements. Implementation involves focusing on the basics, practicing regularly, and seeking feedback. The review stage assesses progress, highlighting improvements in pen and ink techniques and digital media skills, and contributions to projects. Finally, the plan outlines future actions, including continuous skill development, project enhancement, and enrollment in a media nullification course to identify market opportunities and develop marketing strategies for business success. The plan is comprehensive, structured, and geared towards achieving freelance illustration success.

CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
PLAN

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
STAGE 1 Personal Career Aspirations.......................................................................................1
STAGE 2 Skill Enhancement Plan.............................................................................................2
STAGE 3 Implementation of Plan..............................................................................................4
STAGE 4 Review of Career Development Plan.........................................................................4
STAGE 5 Plan.............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
This developmental plan for career is refereed as the written list about an individual's
plans, goals and objectives at both long and short terms. It emphasis on outlining a formal
structured way of performing and conducting tasks to attain the goals and objectives for personal
progression. In regard to the same, it is easier when divided into five stages such as defining the
Personal Career Aspirations, outlining the Skill Enhancement Plan, Implementing the strategic
Plan, Reviewing of Career Development Plan to know about the progression and lastly the Plan
involving the placement procedure or any further developmental processes. Therefore, the
individual follows a systematic step by step methodology to attain the goals.
STAGE 1 Personal Career Aspirations
The career as a freelance illustrator is very creative, interesting and rewarding. Being a
freelance illustrator is not an easy task. It requires a large amount of creativity, talent and skills
along with artistic and education field. The quality demanded for being a freelance illustrator is
very high as it turns out to be more competitive one(Miller, 2017). I want to become a freelance
illustrator who loves to play with watercolours and painting the beautiful world around me. My
career aspiration is to become a successful freelance illustrator in the succeeding years. To be
successful there is need to set both personal and professional goal. The personal goal are based
on personal achievement and professional aspiration. The professional goals are to achieve the
needs of professional business.
The goals to be efficient freelance illustrator are:
 To develop and strengthen the illustration portfolio
 To develop the YouTube and LinkedIn profile
 To have specialization in digital media.
In order to achieve this goal, I need to develop the various skill which are the necessary
to achieve development of the professional and personal goals in my carver of freelance
illustrator.
The major skill are required are-
 Conventional art skills- in the conventional art I have to learn more minuteness in the
work of pen and ink, paint media(consisting the water and oil colours), sketching.
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 Digital media skill- to be a successful freelance illustrator, the manual painting is needed
to be converted in animated and digital form(Miller, 2017). So the skill are required to be
developed in 3D software, animation software and software of games.
 Development of industry standard platforms such as adobe illustrator CS 4, drawing
vector based, flash.
 Graphic skill development for the making of graphic sequence and graphic
representation for purpose of sales.
KEY QUALIFICATION
 Media Qualification
 Qualification in graphic design.
The need of the development of these qualifications are due to the demand of graphics
art. As the profession of freelancer illustrator is digital now, so it needs all type of technical
skilled professional.
STAGE 2 Skill Enhancement Plan
Current Skills Standard Activities Comment Time
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1. Sketching Conventional art
skills
Pen & ink art- to learn the
cleanliness in work with pen
&ink through the
management of various
techniques such as correct
use of pen along with its
holding and other dry pens
and wash strategies. This
will be helped to me by you
tube tutorials.
Paint media- the correct
texture with use of water
colours and oil paints. The
training can be done
through the specific training
from drawpainting
academy.com
My current
kill(sketching) is
not enough to
achieve my goals
of becoming a
successful
freelancer
illustrator.
2 weeks.
2. Creativity
and Imagination
Digital media skill 3D Software & animation
package- the 3D production
of my imagination and
creativity into design
virtualization which
includes the computer aided
design(CAD)programs and
animation package.
Through certified training
program via Lynda.com. to
develop the skill.
To meet the
demand of the
digitalization of
art in the market.
4 weeks
3.vector industry standard To meet the professorial To achieve the 4 weeks
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graphics platforms demands, one has to achieve
industry standard platforms
the training of adobe
illustrator CS 4, flash
required. Certified diploma
training by computer field
institute of technology.
professional
standard.
4 Coding and
typography
Graphic skill
development
To prepare graphic designs,
sequence and to gain the
knowledge of software
desktop design. The training
program will be attained to
achieve the skill via
Lynda.com.
The current
demand of graphic
skills for the sales
representation in
the sequence of
graphics.
2 weeks.
STAGE 3 Implementation of Plan
Hence, in the above stage the skill enhancement plan is made identifying my current skill
as compared to the standard skill. The time duration and the way to achieve that skill has also
been discussed. Now the implementation of skill enhancement plan is necessary (Mazzotti and
et.al., 2018).. To implement I have to pay first more attention on the basics requirement to
achieve the personal goals.
In the first two weeks proper attention will be paid on the conventional art where minute
techniques of pen & sketch will be learnt with the help d proper you tube tutorials. Along with
that oil paint and watercolours tutorial will also properly completed. Proper practice will be done
again and again to bring perfection in various techniques.
To meet the standard of industry profile proper certified training will be taken from a
computer field institute of technology through the certified training , I can meet the standard of
industry profile of freelance illustrator. The proper feedback will be taken from the teacher and
friends so that the review can help in sense of improvement. Practice daily to improve the skills.
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After every 15 days review form must be filled by the friends and teacher so that the drawback
can be identified. Proper time management is planned so that the working cant be effected.
STAGE 4 Review of Career Development Plan
The implementation of the skill enhancement plan various improvement in the skills were
developed. The self negotiated project 'yin yang' I realized that there were many improvements
in the development of the skill was there. I have learnt various techniques in pen &ink painting
such as dry pen, water. Hatching, stippling which has improved the quality of work. There is
more need to work on the oil painting as they require more perfection(Miller, 2017). The
continuous feedback improved the efficiency and effectiveness in my work. The training for the
3D software development and animation package help me to develop the skill so that I have my
contribution in the team of graphic development by creating graphic sequence for the East
London cook book.
Through the development of digital media skill help me to have my contribution in UEL
community marketing and promotion. Through the development skill of adobe illustrator CS 4,
flash and image create through vector help me to bring confidence in the contribution in market
promotion of community. There are still many more things that are needed to be developed as it
require continuous advancement for the successful implementation of plan.
STAGE 5 Plan
In the summer months I will specially try to pay more attention of the continuous
development of my skills through the continuous practice. The development of the oil painting
will be there as it requires a lot of patience in the bringing perfection in work. In today's world
there is the continuous development in the technology. So to become the successful freelance
illustrator,I have to update myself to the latest technology. In the time period of summer, I will
try to enhance more and more project so that I can add count to experience to my work profile.
In time period of summer participation in some digital media programs along with graphic skill
development will be there. At the end of the academic year I will en roll myself in media
nullification course for one year so that I can identify the major opportunities in market and
develop the marketing for the success of business.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Mazzotti and et.al., 2018. Steps for implementing a state-level professional development plan for
secondary transition. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional
Individuals. 41(1). pp.56-62.
Miller, C.L., 2017. CAREER ACTION PLAN: Applying Analytical Thinking Skills in an Online
Career Development Course. Career Planning & Adult Development Journal. 33(1).
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