ABOUT
Illustrators For Hire (IFH) is a curated list of freelance illustrators—from around the world—who specialize in various subject matters and have expertise with specific products and formats.
The ILLUSTRATORS
The freelance illustrators on IFH have a wide array of experiences, talents and specialized skills. Each one has expertise in a specific type of illustration, a demonstrated commitment to the field of illustration, and professional experience working with clients. Visitors who care to commission an illustration or communicate with an illustrator can contact them directly via the email address provided on the illustrator’s profile page.
The PLATFORM
Illustrators For Hire was founded in 2015 by the brother-and-sister illustration duo of Nate Padavick and Salli S. Swindell. The platform is a resource for building networks and making connections within the illustration community. IFH is not an agency—it is a free resource for art directors, creative directors, and illustration buyers who are looking to commission work from a professional freelance illustrator. Visit our FIND page to narrow down your search and find the perfect illustrator for your project.
The MISSION
To promote the freelance illustration businesses of its trusted members by displaying their experience and expertise within specific illustration niches.
Engaging with ILLUSTRATORS FOR HIRE
If you wish to receive illustration inspiration in your inbox, sign up for the IFH Newsletter.
If you are an illustrator who wishes to join this platform, learn more and apply here.
If you need guidance or have a question, send an email Salli or Nate.
The SITE DESIGN
The website of Illustrators For Hire utilizes the key success factors of search engine optimization and the best practices of website design to effectively present the work of professional freelance illustrators. The site enables creative directors, art buyers, and illustration seekers worldwide to find the right illustrator with the right skills in the right location.
The FOUNDERS
Salli S. Swindell and Nate Padavick are siblings who were born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. They have worked together as an illustration-and-design studio—under the name Studio SSS—since 2001. Salli is the right-brained, artsy older sister. Nate is the left-brained, nerdy baby brother. Recently, Salli and Nate were active participants in ICON12: The Illustration Conference. They led a 3-hour workshop titled SEO: The Secret Sauce for Illustrators and were in conversation with illustrator Sarah Walsh discussing the topic of Embracing the Business Side of Art.
SALLI S. SWINDELL
Salli lives in Hudson, Ohio, a leafy little historic town southeast of Cleveland. She specializes in greeting card design and food illustration. Salli began her career in the mid 80s as line designer for American Greetings and has worked within the social expressions industry ever since. Salli manages the day-to-day promotional activities of IFH, while working on assignments that vary from greeting card design to book development to editorial illustration. She even creates artwork for popcorn tins! In her free time, she stays colorfully creative with her daily sketchbook practice and takes daily power walks through her leafy neighborhood. View Salli’s personal website.
NATE PADAVICK
Nate Padavick splits his time between New York and Miami Beach. He specializes in map illustration and website design. Nate began his career in the early 90s as a systems consultant and transitioned into illustration and design in 2001, under the guidance of his sister Salli. Nate manages the operational aspects of IFH, while maintaining his map-centric illustration practice. In his free time, you’ll find him either biking along the beach in Miami or shopping the farmer’s markets in New York. View Nate’s personal website.
An ECOSYSTEM OF ILLUSTRATION
Salli and Nate are also the co-founders of the illustration platforms THEY DRAW and The Illustrator’s Circle. THEY DRAW is a free platform on which anyone—professional illustrators, amateur artists, desktop doodlers—can share their food, travel, and garden illustrations. The Illustrator’s Circle is a creative playground where illustration lovers are drawn together to learn how to exercise their creativity, expand their imaginations, and inspire their innovations.
Thank you for being a part of the illustration community!
Nate & SalliCo-founders, siblings, and freelance illustrators
The NEWSLETTER
Our newsletter contains a frequent dose of illustrated inspiration for creative directors, art buyers, design agencies, and freelance illustrators.
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