The illustration industry is experiencing an unprecedented downturn in 2025, with even established professionals who have built successful careers over decades finding themselves without work. Seasoned illustrators with agent representation and years of steady income are reporting empty inboxes, ignored follow-ups, and drastically reduced earnings, signaling what many believe could be a permanent shift in the creative industry.
Neil Stevens, who has spent over 12 years building his illustration career, describes the situation bluntly: "I've officially dusted off the CV and am looking for full-time, paid work again. I've never known anything so quiet as this year. There was a time I would be earning 80-90k plus. This year I'll barely make 10k. It's fallen off a cliff." His experience reflects a broader pattern affecting illustrators across the industry, regardless of their previous success or reputation.
The numbers tell a stark story of declining opportunities. Illustrator and animator Daniel Fishel reveals a dramatic drop in commissioned work: "In 2020, I invoiced 77 assignments. So far this year, I've invoiced 22. I'm optimistic that I'll get it to 30 by the end of the year." For Alex Tomlinson, who graduated in 1989 and has worked as a full-time illustrator for almost 30 years, the changes feel seismic. "It's been ebbing away these last three to four years, with budgets and deadlines drastically shrinking," he explains. "Where you used to have a fortnight for a job, they now want it in two days. They'll say: 'Don't spend any longer on it; we haven't got the budget.'"
A particularly troubling trend emerging in the industry is what illustrators describe as a "ghosting" culture, where potential clients express interest but then disappear without explanation. Cartoonist and illustrator Lana Grushnik has had no paid work in 2025 at all, despite positive feedback about her work. "I keep hearing 'you're so good, your work is amazing', and then silence," she explains. "Follow-up leads to ghosting. Where are the clients who still hire illustrators? They are now completely out of reach! Now it's like a private member club." Neil Stevens confirms this phenomenon, stating: "The ghosting is real. There's no personal touch anymore. Just tumbleweeds."
Freelancer Jessie Bayliss has managed to maintain her previous year's earnings, but only through existing client relationships. "I think the hardest part is the lack of usual enquiries coming through," she notes. "I've barely had any new client enquiries; it's all been through repeat work, which worries me a lot for new illustrators graduating. The silence feels deafening and depressing, and also, so many existing clients are lowering budgets." This reliance on repeat clients raises concerns about the sustainability of the profession for newcomers.
Many professionals point to artificial intelligence as a significant contributing factor to the industry's decline. Illustrator and brand designer Shruti Singh observes: "Most of the established illustrators have a very specific style and when AI can pull that off, it dilutes their work in the market." Lana Grushnik frames the impact more dramatically: "AI is cheap and the general public swallows it like it's junk food. So illustration becomes a fine cuisine that's not really in demand." The accessibility and cost-effectiveness of AI-generated imagery appears to be displacing human illustrators in many commercial applications.
Beyond AI, industry professionals cite oversaturation within the profession as another major challenge. Illustrator and printmaker Spencer Wilson notes: "There's work, but the competition is stiff, and the sheer volume of 'available for hire' illustrators is huge. I dread to think how many graduates there are each year. If I'm brutally honest, it feels like a bubble or Ponzi scheme. This may be why you're seeing more established people offering insights and courses for a fee; to diversify their income streams." The combination of too many practitioners and fewer opportunities has created an extremely competitive environment.
The broader economic climate is also playing a significant role in the industry's struggles. Daniel Fishel explains: "Budgets are cut, companies are laying off staff, and saving money while we're in a soft recession with an economy being held up by AI investments." Companies are reducing marketing and creative budgets, directly impacting the demand for illustration services. This economic pressure compounds the challenges posed by technological disruption and market oversaturation.
Social media platform changes have created additional obstacles for illustrators who built their client base through digital channels. Illustrator and designer Bulma Vilmante Juozaityte, who started freelancing in 2019, explains: "My Instagram DMs used to be full of inquiries, but this year has been completely quiet. Everything is moving towards reels, and algorithms prioritize video content. So it's much harder to rank well and be visible to new audiences with still images." Holden Mesk, who began his career in 2017, shares a similar experience: "I used to have a steady flow of clients all the time. My DMs on Instagram would always have someone inquiring about album covers, merch designs, beer labels, etc. But this past year, it's been a ghost town."
Faced with these unprecedented challenges, illustrators are adopting various survival strategies to maintain their livelihoods. Rachael Presky has been "talking to old clients, bugging people where I can and picking up some design work too." She has also begun transitioning toward fine art, finding it "human-focused and enjoyable." Tim Easley, whose work spans design, art direction and illustration, took a full-time design position "because there was so little coming in." These pivots represent significant career adjustments for professionals who previously relied solely on illustration work.
Education has become another refuge for struggling illustrators. Tom Parsons made a complete career change, explaining: "I lost the motivation for being ghosted by potential clients and scrambling for money. Got my educator's license last December and have been teaching art in 2025." Similarly, mixed media artist and illustrator Nadia Flower has taken up part-time work after 15-plus years of freelancing full time, despite having agent representation. "I've had just one live gig, flown from New Zealand to Germany, and one other commission all year," she says, blaming the "global economy, AI, and algorithms that don't work for small creatives."
Some illustrators are exploring entrepreneurship and alternative income streams. Kohenoor Kamal, an illustrator and graphic designer, has been diversifying her revenue sources and starting a new business. "I've been fortunate to get a little bit of funding," she reports, "which has helped supplement my income from my main job of illustrating. I definitely see it as the way forward with the way the world's going." This diversification strategy reflects a broader trend among creative professionals seeking financial stability through multiple revenue streams.
The question remains whether this downturn represents a temporary market correction or a permanent transformation of the illustration industry. Marcus Marritt, approaching his 11th year as a professional illustrator, takes a pessimistic view: "The notion that illustration as a discipline will fight back is a beautiful dream, but that's all it is, a dream. 2025 is the year the industry changed, and it will never go back." Veteran illustrator Peter Grundy shares similar concerns: "There have always been downturn periods in the creative profession, but these have usually been linked to economic recession. I fear this one may mark a sea change in creative attitudes globally."
Despite the widespread challenges, some illustrators are still finding success. Juliana Castro, an illustrator and creative studio owner, offers a contrasting perspective: "Is it bad that I am actually fully booked? The beginning of the year was quiet, but the second half has been insane." Her experience suggests that certain niches or approaches may still be viable, even in the current difficult market conditions.
Optimism persists among some industry professionals who view the current situation as temporary. Rachael Presky maintains hope for a recovery: "I think it's a combination of AI and the economy. So hopefully the economy will pick up soon and people will realize how yucky AI is." This sentiment reflects a belief that human creativity and craftsmanship will ultimately be valued over artificial alternatives, though the timeline for such a shift remains uncertain.
Ultimately, whether 2025 represents a temporary downturn or a fundamental restructuring of the illustration industry remains to be seen. What is clear is that illustrators are facing their toughest challenge in decades, forcing many to completely reinvent their careers to survive. The combination of AI disruption, economic pressures, platform algorithm changes, and market oversaturation has created a perfect storm that is reshaping how visual communication professionals approach their work and livelihood.
