The State of Illustration Report with Darren Di Lieto | Episode 65

What does the illustration industry really look like right now — beyond highlight reels, social media, and shiny success stories?

In this episode, I talk with Darren Di Lietto, founder of Hireillo and the author of the State of Illustration report. For more than a decade, Darren has been surveying illustrators around the world to better understand how we work, how we get paid, and how sustainable illustration actually is as a career.

We have an honest conversation about confidence, pricing, late payments, mental health, and the quiet pressures shaping illustrators’ lives today. We talk about who’s best positioned to thrive, where illustrators are struggling most, and why so many are being squeezed out early on in their careers.

I was surprised, and honestly a little bit depressed by the numbers in the report—but Darren helps me see some of the positive takeaways as well.

🙏 A huge thank-you to all paid supporters on Patreon — your support makes conversations like this possible.

IN THIS EPISODE

What the State of Illustration report reveals about the current health of the industry
Why confidence in pricing and negotiation remains such a challenge
Who seems best positioned to last — and who is most at risk
How late payments and income instability continue to affect illustrators
The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on creative careers
Mental health, anxiety, and confidence among working illustrators
What hope and resilience Darren sees in the data
Where the State of Illustration report might go next

SHOW LINKS

From Darren

State of Illustration report ($18USD — PDF download) — https://www.stateofillustration.com
Hireillo — https://www.hireillo.com
Darren's website — http://darrendilieto.com

From Tom

🎨 Inky.af — My new class on creating expressive, inky illustrations using analogue techniques in Affinity (now free forever) — http://tomfroese.com/teaching/inkyaf
📗 Drawing Is Important — Book preorder available now — http://geni.us/DrawingisImportant

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Sharing this episode with a friend
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FIND ME ELSEWHERE

Website — https://www.tomfroese.com

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mrtomfroese

Daily Drawings — https://www.instagram.com/drawingisimportant

CREDITS

Music and cues by Mark Allan Falk — https://linktr.ee/semiathletic