Get the most out of your College Membership Free

There are so many benefits to make use of as an AOI College Member. The more you use us, the more value you’ll get from your membership, all whilst aiding and preparing your students for their future illustration careers.

The website is packed with useful resources and as a team, our wealth of knowledge has grown from supporting illustrators for over 50 years. You can get to know the team, here.

Your Member Dashboard is a great place to start exploring, and to keep up to date with any news specific to you as an AOI College Member. For any queries, you can also get in touch: [email protected]. We’re always happy to help.

Access your AOI Business Masterclass

A key benefit for College Members is the AOI Business Masterclass, where we share all of the essential information students need to know to prepare themselves for those first steps post graduation and a successful illustration career into the long-term.

The AOI Business Masterclass comprises 3 x 1 hour videos, available for tutors and students to access throughout the academic year, and a 1 hour live session with bonus content and an opportunity for a Q&A with an AOI staff member. We cover:

Part 1 – What does it mean to be a professional illustrator?

We introduce areas of the industry you can work in as an illustrator, an introduction to being an entrepreneur, the essentials about how an illustrator earns a living and how to present and negotiate fees.

Part 2 – How to take control of your own career path.

We talk about your online portfolio (your website), how to use self-initiated work to your advantage, how to promote yourself online, how to reach out to clients, and how to manage your finances.

Part 3 – The commissioning process

Finally, we talk about what the commissioning process looks like: the client’s offer, fees and contracts, negotiating and the artwork timeline. We also cover planning your path ahead.

As part of their access to the masterclass, students also receive exclusive members-only downloadable handouts which will help set them up for success in the early years of their career. This includes notes to accompany each video, as well as the AOI Illustrator Template Contract and the AOI Action Planner, among others. Our template contract is an industry standard contract suitable for most commissions and essential for any freelance illustrator starting out.

To find out more about how to access the masterclass videos, how to book your live session, and to submit questions for the Q&A, head to your Member Dashboard.

Explore our Resources

AOI Resources cover all of the essential topics related to building a career as a freelance illustrator, and are available to access any time.

Tutors can take advantage of the Resources as part of a Professional Practise module, or as general teaching aids. We explore key topics such as Finance, Business Practise, Copyright, Contracts, Pricing and Self-Promotion.

Our Animation resources, contributed by animation experts from the wider creative industry, share useful industry insights. We also share perspectives from agents – Folio Advice from Agents – and commissioners – How to Pitch Your Illustrated Picture Book.

Elsewhere, we have some brilliant news, features & interviews specifically for graduates, such as Taking the First Steps: Tips & Insights for Graduates, How to Start as an Illustrator, and the Art of Breaking In: Real Talk with Early Career Illustrators.

Set Creative Briefs with Inside Illustration

We offer tutors the opportunity to access mock creative briefs from a variety of areas of the creative industry, through our Inside Illustration suite of content.

Inside Illustration is a a library of practical content exclusive for AOI Members, offering an in-depth exploration of different areas of the industry, helping members to diversify and attract work from various avenues. So far, we’ve covered editorial, branding, illustration for children, site specific illustration, book covers, fashion and gaming – with more to come.

In the Creative Practise Course for each season, industry experts, including agents, commissioners and illustrators, offer insights into that particular area of the industry in engaging video presentations, and set the audience creative briefs to respond to. These presentations can form useful teaching aids, alongside the resources, interviews and podcasts that form part of each season.

You can find the mock briefs from the Creative Practise Course in your Member Dashboard, or by clicking this link to download.

Gain Industry Insights with Event Recordings

Our Event Recordings offer tutors the opportunity to delve into important topics being discussed within the illustration industry today, as well as an understanding of how illustrators have got to where they are today.

AOI Discusses is an informal discussion between two illustrators or industry professionals on a range of topics, which are of particular interest for illustrators and the wider industry at the moment. In Illustrators in Motion, we invite a presentation from and discussion with illustrators who also explore animation as part of their practise. We get to know their work as well as how they got to where they are today.

Discounted Membership for Students and Staff

Students studying at an AOI Member College have access to a further discount to the student membership, at £69 for a full year.

Here is a short PDF that can be shared with students or uploaded to an online platform, to make them aware of the benefits of AOI Membership and how to take advantage of the discount.

Tutors and staff can also purchase an individual Illustrator + Folio membership at the discounted affiliate rate with a valid staff ID. Find our more including how to join, here.

Gift Membership, with the Graduate Support Scheme

Our Graduate Support Scheme enables college members to purchase AOI membership for their students at a cost of £69 per student, for a full year’s access. 

Setting up professional support for students in their first year of freelancing equips them with knowledge and guidance and empowers them to see themselves as professional illustrators, in turn improving student satisfaction and graduate outcomes. 

Please get in touch via [email protected] if you’d like to purchase membership for your students, and we’ll be happy to assist.

The below PDF explains the scheme in more detail .

Follow our Campaigning Work

The AOI has been successfully campaigning since it started in 1973. We stand up, speak out and campaign on your behalf.

All membership fees help contribute to this vital work. Our Campaigning page includes more information about the work we do.

We recognise that advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) text-to-image generating platforms are raising significant concerns for illustrators and the wider creative community, in particular, and may be a subject tutors and students have queries about.

We aim to inform and help illustrators navigate this changing landscape as it develops. See our AI Updates resource page for more information, which contains links to related news articles and opinion pieces.

Share Updates, Events & News

Get in touch with updates, events and news from your course and students, and we will be happy to help spread the word!

You can share information with us by logging in to your Member Dashboard and clicking on ‘Share Your News’, or email us at [email protected]. The AOI’s social media is a buzzing hub of all things illustration, and we love to celebrate and share news from our members.

Do also keep an eye out for our annual Graduates to Watch Feature and our call for entries as we approach graduation time. We’d love to also hear about your Degree Show when the time comes, and we can advertise the details on our Events page.

Keep In Touch

We love to hear from our College Members, and welcome feedback.

You are welcome to get in touch with us on the Helpdesk, if you have a specific query. You can email your enquiry to [email protected] or phone us on 020 7759 1010.

If there are any other ways we can support you as a College Member, or any queries you have where we may be able to assist, don’t hesitate to reach out to the team. We can also set up a Zoom or Teams call.

If you have any questions about your membership renewal, accessing your membership or the named contact for your membership, please contact [email protected]. We’ll be happy to help.

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The AOI would like to make resources accessible to all members. If you would like an alternative format please ask.