In storytelling, illustrators will be given very rigid briefs, and instructed to follow closely, which often leaves little room to express yourself as an artist. Finding little ways to incorporate elements that help you stay true to yourself as an illustrator is important. Your role as the illustrator is to visualise what the text is, which can often close doors in an artist's mind.
Mark Smith writes about his own views on narrative illustration in his blog and this text talks about how Smith navigates his briefs and finds ways to enjoy what he does. It helped me to realise that enjoyment is an overlooked part of being an illustrator.
Oftentimes while working on a brief or with a client, the illustrator focuses so much on what is asked of them they don't stop to think what they enjoy about their work. I feel there is a big difference in an illustrators work when they don't enjoy what they make. I feel Smith explains this well:
"These are both constraints that fine artists wouldn’t have to tackle but it’s this kind of problem solving that I love about illustration. It’s like having to find your voice or opinion from within a framework that is larger than just yourself."
Making sure you deliver what is asked of you is very important, but finding ways to enjoy your work in these guidelines is key.
The illustrators role in storytelling is to bring life to characters and locations, and that life has to come from somewhere. If there's no life to the illustrations, it takes away from the story.
Many storytellers are actually illustrators themselves, and create the text and drawings to their own stories.
Illustrators can choose what stories they want to help tell, and how they tell it. Following the guidelines set down by a client or brief doesn’t have to be a ridge system. If you go into it with an open mind and a positive outlook, the artist can usually find easy ways to keep themselves engaged and leave the project happy with their outcome. Its a chance to bring to life others' (or your own) ideas.