The Harsh Truth About Being a Freelance Illustrator: My Upwork Experience
In this post, you’ll learn:
Why illustration is still undervalued in the digital age
The hidden costs of working on Upwork
What freelance artists face behind the scenes
How AI and platform fees are changing the creative industry
As a freelance illustrator, I’ve heard it all:
“Drawing is easy.”
“You just copy things.”
“The computer does it for you.”
And now — “AI can replace artists anyway.”
This mindset leads to a dangerous underestimation of creative work. Clients often assume that illustration takes no effort, requires no knowledge, and should cost no more than $10-15 — for hours of work. But creating visual content is not unlike producing a film: it requires planning, storytelling, execution, and post-production. And just like movies, it needs promotion, which clients rarely factor in.
What usually happens:
After 3–4 months, clients begin to understand that building a high-quality visual product is expensive and time-consuming. They run out of budget, get overwhelmed with promotion costs, and eventually blame the artist for "not meeting expectations" — even if the artist was underpaid from the start.
This cycle is familiar to many digital illustrators, especially those on freelance platforms like Upwork.
Let’s talk numbers. Upwork charges a 20% commission on your earnings and now requires you to pay for job applications using “Connects.” Each application costs around 16 Connects (equivalent to $1.50 or more), and to realistically find work, you may need to submit 20–30 applications per month.
That’s $100–200 just to apply for jobs — with no guarantee you’ll land one.
Upwork claims this filters out scammers and low-quality freelancers, but in reality, it blocks access for creatives from economically disadvantaged regions. It’s a pay-to-play model that feels more like gambling than job hunting.
Here’s what you need to join Upwork:
Email, phone number, and passport ID
A minimal gallery to showcase your portfolio
Reviews that cannot be deleted, even if they’re unfair
An interview conducted entirely in English
The only upside? You can easily report your income and pay taxes. But that’s hardly enough to justify the growing barriers to entry.
AI tools have added another layer of bias. Now people assume:
“If a robot can draw, why pay an artist?”
This perception threatens to devalue illustration even further. But AI isn’t free either — platforms charge for access, and AI-generated art often lacks originality and heart.
Working as an illustrator is a dream for many, but platforms like Upwork turn it into a gamble. Between commissions, application fees, client expectations, and industry myths, the road is tough — especially if you're just starting out.
So, is it still worth it?
That depends on how much you're willing to invest — not only money but your energy, health, and time. For many of us, the answer is still yes, but something needs to change in how digital art is valued.
