Some illustrators feel stuck because they don’t have enough ideas. Others have plenty of ideas, but no way of figuring out which ones are actually worth doing and which ones will help them land clients.

In this video, I’m going to show you a system that solves both problems: unlimited ideas, and a way to choose the ones that will genuinely level up your portfolio.

I’m James. I’ve been an illustration agent for over ten years, working with some incredible artists and brands. I’ve also reviewed hundreds of illustration portfolios, so I have a good sense of what catches a client’s eye and what gets ignored.

That’s why I can say with confidence that if you use this system, your portfolio will benefit from it.

You know that moment when you sit down, open your sketchbook, and nothing happens? Just a blank page staring back at you.

Some artists get stuck there, waiting for inspiration to magically appear. But I don’t actually think that’s the most common problem. You can always draw what’s in front of you or sketch something random just to warm up.

The real issue is that if your portfolio is built only on what you feel like drawing, it often doesn’t line up with what clients actually need.

You might end up with beautiful work, but it isn’t targeted. It doesn’t show how you’d solve real problems for real clients.

I see this a lot. Some illustrators build portfolios that are essentially passion projects and then wonder why commissions don’t come in. The illustrators who stand out think beyond “I just draw what I like.” They imagine what a client needs, who the work is for, and what purpose it serves.

They don’t rely on inspiration alone. They have a method for generating ideas clients can actually use.

You might have come across Rick Rubin’s book, where he talks about making the music he wants to hear. He doesn’t chase trends, he just creates what he likes, and millions of people respond to it.

That sounds like perfect creative advice, right?

But here’s the difference. Rick Rubin has decades of experience and finely tuned creative instincts. He’s shaping taste, not guessing. And in music, the audience is the client. There are millions of listeners.

Illustration doesn’t work the same way.

As a commercial illustrator, you can make whatever you like and hope it connects, but there’s a lot of luck involved, especially early on. I don’t want your career to depend on luck.

That’s why I recommend treating personal projects like client projects. When you define an audience, a format, and a purpose before you start drawing, you make your work more useful and more hireable.

The system

This system is very simple. All you need are four sheets of paper.

Title them:

• Subjects

• Formats

• Clients

• Audiences

All we’re doing is creating lists, then mixing and matching them to generate briefs.

Subjects

This is what the illustration is actually about.

Write down things you enjoy drawing, but also things you don’t usually draw or have never tried before. You can keep it broad, like “nature,” or very specific, like “mushrooms.”

Aim for around thirty subjects. The more you list, the more combinations you’ll be able to generate later.

Formats

Illustration is used in lots of different ways. Clients want to see your work used in formats they actually commission.

Think about book covers, posters, packaging, editorial illustration, websites, murals, icons. Think about scale too, from tiny digital assets to large physical pieces.

Don’t limit yourself at this stage.

Clients

This is about who’s paying for the imaginary project.

You can name specific companies, or you can keep it more general. Imagining the client tells you a lot about tone, style, and intent.

A travel poster for Lonely Planet would feel very different to one for Ryanair, even if the subject and format were the same.

Audiences

This is the most fun list.

The illustration isn’t for the company. It’s for their audience.

An illustration aimed at design students will look very different from one aimed at retired golf enthusiasts. Thinking about audience immediately influences style, colour, and message.

Once you’ve made your lists, you can cut them out and mix and match them to create briefs.

Not every combination will work, and that’s fine. Swap elements in and out until it feels like a legitimate project.

With around twenty-five to thirty items in each list, you’ll end up with hundreds of thousands of possible combinations. More than enough ideas for a portfolio.

Once you’ve got an interesting combination, you might want to do some research or make a moodboard before you start drawing.

If the client is Nike, you already know a lot about how the final illustration should look, because their brand is so strong. If the client is more general, like a law firm, you can look at similar companies to understand the visual language.

The same goes for audiences. Different age groups and interests lead to very different visual decisions.

Formats and subjects are more straightforward. If you’re illustrating a book cover, choose a realistic size. If your subject is beer, think beyond a single object. You could illustrate ingredients, breweries, cultural references, or related scenes.

You’re building most of the elements of a real brief.

You can even add a deadline if you want to practise that part of working professionally.

If you don’t have time to do this manually, Jonas from Creative Howl has built a simple tool that does this same experiment digitally. You can randomise briefs and reroll combinations you’re unsure about.

Try this system next time you’re planning a new illustration. It will make your projects stronger and your portfolio more focused.

If you try it, let me know what combinations you come up with. The more ridiculous, the better. Challenge me in the comments and I’ll see what I can do with it.

And if you’re ready to start adding new projects to your portfolio website, I’ve got some tips on that in the next video.

See you next time.