If you’re at the start of your career, most of the work in your portfolio is personal work. And if you want that personal work to lead to paid work, it needs to look like paid work.

Most personal illustration projects I see start with a vague idea from the artist’s imagination. That’s not how clients are going to brief you, and it’s not how you should brief yourself.

In this video, I’ll show you how to create structured briefs for your own personal work, so your portfolio becomes a magnet for real commissions.

Segment 1: What clients actually do

Real briefs start with clear objectives, constraints, and context. Clients want to solve a problem using illustration.

Some personal work is created for experimentation or just for fun, and that’s fine. But if you want personal projects to make you look more professional and experienced, you need to practise thinking like a client.

To illustrate this, I thought I’d call one of my favourite clients.

(Humorous phone call segment omitted here for brevity, but the point stands.) 

That probably wasn’t very helpful. So instead, let’s figure this out properly.

Segment 2: Pretend to be the client

This time, I’ll play the client.

I know what my product is.

I know what message I want to communicate.

I know who my customers are and what they care about.

I know where the illustration will be used.

I know how many illustrations I need and what size they should be.

I know the tone my audience responds to.

I know when the work needs to be delivered.

I know there are technical constraints around printing or file formats.

All of this information exists before an illustrator ever starts drawing.

So when you’re planning a personal project, start by pretending to be the client and answering these questions yourself.

Start with the basics

Ask yourself:

• How many illustrations are required?

• What is the product?

• Where will the illustration be used, and at what size?

• What does the illustration need to communicate?

• What story is it telling or what problem is it solving?

• When does it need to be delivered?

Then go deeper

Think about:

• What does the client’s brand stand for?

• Who are their customers?

• What other products do those customers buy?

• What kind of tone suits that audience?

• What colours resonate with them?

• What restrictions or limitations exist?

You can make some of these things up if you need to. The goal is to practise thinking within boundaries, because that’s what real projects are like.

Working with constraints focuses your creativity. It pushes you to solve problems, not just decorate ideas.

Segment 3: Example briefs

Here’s an example brief to get you started.

Example 1: Snickers print ad 

One illustration for a large A0 print ad displayed in subway or train stations.

The product is a Snickers bar.

The audience is active, sporty commuters in major cities.

The message is bold, playful, and eye-catching.

The illustration must feature a Snickers bar in its wrapper for brand recognition.

The text reads: “Here’s your gold medal.”

You have two weeks to complete it.

The creative restriction is using only four colours plus white.

Example 2: Zoom website illustrations 

Four illustrations for the Zoom website.

The campaign aims to show Zoom as a social tool, not just for work meetings.

The tagline is: “Zoom: Not just for boring meetings.”

Each illustration shows friends or family connecting through Zoom in different scenarios, such as having a drink together, playing games, or catching up with parents.

The tone should be positive and warm.

The audience is broad but specifically non-corporate.

You have three weeks to complete the project.

The restriction is primarily using Zoom’s blue brand colour.

The client wants two rounds of feedback on sketches and colour versions.

The payoff

With any self-initiated project, treat it like a real job.

Not only will you create professional-looking portfolio work, but you’ll also practise real working conditions. Set deadlines. Work within restrictions. Give yourself feedback.

If you want to work in publishing, show book covers.

If you want to work in tech, show tech projects.

Until you have real clients, you need to be the client.

It can be hard to give yourself objective feedback, so ask a friend for help if you need to. Learning how to give and receive feedback is an important professional skill.

Here’s your challenge: plan one personal project from a client’s point of view. Write the brief in bullet points before you open your sketchbook.

I’ll link to a recent Instagram post in the description that can help you plan this out.

You might also like my video on how to turn personal projects into client magnets.

See you next time.