Hi! I'm an illustrator and I sometimes get asked to draw things I don't agree with for sexist articles like, 'get bikini ready' and things of that sort. My question is, how can i let them know i don't want to do it? I've offered a more 'positive' illustration idea but it's not what they want. Now i feel it's too late to say no because they're counting on me to do it. It's a big newspaper so they give me a lot of work for different sections, so I don't want to stop working with them.
If you have agreed to do a job for a client, especially a repeat client, then you owe it to them to give them something usable and not leave them in a lurch. That said, retaining your morals as an illustrator is very important as well. Ultimately you are responsible for what messages you put out in the world as an artist, but you also need to make a living. It can feel dangerous to try to balance the two, but it is absolutely possible.
In this case, since you’re already committed, and you’ve already offered some changes to the illustration that they’ve rejected, I would do the piece as close to inoffensively as possible, but still usable for them. However, I would put the piece you would have preferred to do in your portfolio (if you have time to do that version. If not, then leave it out entirely). If the newspaper comes back to you with any other stories that you feel morally against, talk to your AD and say it’s making you uncomfortable – but right away when they assign the job, don’t sit on it working up courage to talk, because then you’re making it a bigger issue than it needs to be. Since you have a working relationship with each other, they should be able to hear your concerns. They may go to someone else for that job, but they should be happy to keep working with you on other projects.
If the piece is one you really cannot morally stand for, then I would suggest another artist who would have less problems doing the piece that you know is ready and available to take it on immediately, then offer the trade to the client.
Is it a risk? Sure, but a good client will match the artists to the jobs they care about, not force them to fit a job they have problems with. And if that client refuses to respect your morals, you know you have to start phasing them out as a client and find new ones.
—Agent KillFee
