@Mossy I’m not a professional illustrator, but having listened to 3PP for years and each episode multiple times, these are the thoughts that are coming to mind:
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Is there particular illustration work you’re attracted to? There are a few different things that fall under that umbrella: picture books, book covers, greeting cards, etc.
I would think about which of those you want to focus on, then choose a few successful artists in those fields and see what they have in their portfolios. -
On 3PP, Will has mentioned multiple times to try and avoid including the “filler” illustrations - the ones that just move the story and aren’t terribly interesting. These are important when actually making a book, but in your portfolio, be sure to jazz it up with the interesting stuff!
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Don’t put things in the portfolio that you don’t want to do. If you’re a little “meh” about certain ones (even if they’re technically good), probably try to leave those ones out.
For example, if one of your better technical illustrations is of a horse, but you really aren’t interesting in drawing horses for a living, probably don’t include the horse one, even if it’s good. -
Lastly, one thing I hear a lot is update your portfolio often, especially in the beginning and especially if it’s not getting you work.
I hope it helps - it’s all from the guys on the 3PP podcast. They know their stuff!