Several artists have noticed that I have a profile on a site called HireAnIllustrator.com, and have inquired about its service and quality. This post is meant to answer a lot of those questions.
What is Hire An Illustrator?
Hai! is a portfolio website service for artists, created in late 2007. The artist pays a fee to the site, and in exchange is able to post their work to an online gallery. If you are familiar with sites like CreativeShake.com (formerly Portfolios.com), ChildrensIllustrators.com, or theispot.com, then you have a general idea of how this site works. They are not an agency or representative, and do not take commissions from the work you gather there. They merely collect the artists and put them in a place that is easy for art directors and potential clients to browse through.
The site is run by a guy named Darren Di Lieto. He used to work as a freelance illustrator and designer, and is best known as the creator of another website called the Little Chimp Society, an illustration news portal.
This is how the site describes the creation of Hai!:
[Darren] gave up illustrating after losing a number of high profile jobs by recommending illustrators he considered more suitable for the jobs in question to his clients. They got the jobs and, as they say, the rest is history. It was this passion (after 5 years in business) for being able to always find the right person for an illustration job that put him in a unique position to set up Hire an illustrator! and become a conduit for the commissioned art and illustration industry.
What makes Hai! different?
Quality
Hai! features many artists whose work I admire. I hate it when I enter a portfolio site and cringe at some of the ugly artwork that is featured, because I know that is exactly what the art directors are thinking too. And who wants to pay to put their work on a site like that? The first thing I notice upon entering Hai! is that there is TALENT. Potential clients are likely to think so too, and stick around long enough to browse through the artists.
Promotion
Hai! is heavily promoted online, in print, and through email.
Since Darren had a strong web presence before the site’s creation, it got a good amount of hits and publicity right out of the gate, and still goes strong. He consistently sends out newsletters and emails. For these, he gathers news about the artists and accepts contributions from the artists themselves.
Hai! also puts a call out regularly to its subscribers to contribute to its “mail shot packs”. These are collections of the artists’ own personal postcards, tearsheets, and mailers, which are all collected and sent out in packets.
Recently, Hai! also put out a promotional magazine featuring some its artists. A print version was sent to art directors and publishers, and an online version is available to view on the website.
http://hireanillustrator.com/v2/hai-zine
I would also like to emphasize that Darren does a lot of promotion personally, and knows many of the artists by their work. He has the ability and know-how to suggest individual artists on a case-by-case basis.
Growth
Hai! is still a new site compared to its competition, but I’ve watched it grow significantly over the past year or so. It was featured by respected sites like Drawn!, and has received high praise from artist rep Anna Goodson, who had this to say about the site:
“I am very impressed with this website so far. AGM is on several illustrator websites, but none have given us as many job opportunities as Hire an illustrator!. To be honest, I am quite amazed and surprised how quickly this website has caught on and am very glad we decided to sign up. I also like the international exposure, that some of the other portfolio websites don’t seem to offer.”
My Verdict
Have you ever joined a portfolio service and posted your artwork only to watch it disappear into the sea of other profiles? Do you ever get the impression that your portfolio site is concentrated more on sponsors than promoting artists? Did you fork down insane amounts of money, only to feel you got nothing in return?
I have joined several portfolio sites in the past, and have had all these experiences with them. I have developed a distaste for them in general. However, I’m a fan of Hai! This is one of the only services I have used where I actually feel like my work is being seen, and by the right people. The attention to detail, care for the artists and the industry, and numerous promotional opportunities exhibited by the site make it a good option if you are looking for a new way to market your work.
Give the site a visit: http://www.hireanillustrator.com
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Dani,
Thanks for the insight into your experience with Hire An Illustrator. For some reason I was under the impression HAI was invite-only, will have to check it out again.
It would be great for a detailed post on your experiences & thoughts on all the portfolio sites you’ve worked with, I have looked into a few but it’s so difficult to determine which ones are the best to go with.
Thanks!
Even with the promotional benefits of Hai!, I’m still wondering how it’s possible to not get lost in all the other portfolios on the site. With the number growing daily, how does one stand out in the masses?
Thomas
Thomas – The best way to stand out? I would recommend to just create the best work you can. I guess that’s not saying much, and easier said than done, but you’re going to be dealing with this challenge in every web and advertising venue you try. The only way to guarantee your art will be seen above others is to create superior, and unique, work from those around you.
This is a great post – I recently got a promotional email from HAI, but still being a student – albeit one nearing graduation – I don’t really have the sort of money required to purchase a portfolio. They looked good, though, and I was wondering if they really were – glad to see at least somebody’s happy with them. I’ll definitely give them a shot once I have a little more money to spend on self-promotion – certainly the free sites aren’t doing much good.
Fair enough. That’s a good point. That helps me to see it as another opportunity rather than the answer to everything. Thanks for the response, and for all the great info on here. While I’m here, I’d like to recommend the new podcast called Big Illustration Party Time, all about freelance Illustration. There’s a link to it on my blog at http://www.thomasjamesillustration.blogspot.com
Thanks again,
Thomas James
I have a question. You mentioned that what struck you about HAI as opposed to other sites was the amount of good talent. Do they have a screening process to keep out the junk? If not, what is to prevent this site from eventually becoming a huge bin of vast amounts of mediocre artwork with a few gems thrown into the mix, like so many other sites?
Diane – No, there is no screening process for getting a profile on Hai. However, the site administrator picks what news is featured on the site and in the newsletter. There is also a regular featured artist and there have been screening processes for some of the promos. They are actively making this site useful for art directors and work hard to keep the quality up so the junk does not take over. All members are allowed and encouraged to submit news and send promos for their mail packs, so you don’t have to get lost in the shuffle.
Thanks for this review – I’ve been looking into joining HAI, but have been reluctant to do it without hearing some thoughts on the service from an illustrator’s perspective, so this was really helpful. Has your listing on HAI led to any new work? How often are you contacted by a potential client who found you through their service? I’m trying to get a feel for how much of a difference a service like this could make in addition to the usual self-directed promotional efforts.
Wylie – Sites and promotional tools work differently for different artists depending on market, style, etc. My best advice would be just to try it and if it doesn’t work out for you, don’t use it anymore.