Aluga-se um braço: formação, inserção e sobrevivência do ilustrador profissional no mercado editorial brasileiro

Abstract

This study investigates the professional illustrator’s development process, seeking to understand how this trajectory unfolds. The research adopts autoethnography as its methodology, characterized by a qualitative and autobiographical approach in which the author’s personal experience serves as both the object and the instrument of analysis. Through reflection on the author’s own formative trajectory, the study seeks to understand the different factors that contribute to the construction of professional identity and practice. The results point to the complexity of artistic awakening, showing that this process is not limited to formal learning environments, but is deeply influenced by diverse life experiences and constant experimentation. In this context, learning develops through observation, practice, and continuous reflection on one’s own outcomes, allowing mistakes, successes, and discoveries to be incorporated into the educational journey. The study concludes that trial and error plays a central role in the training of illustrators, not only as a strategy for acquiring technical skills, but also as a mechanism for building repertoire, identity, and particular modes of creation, thus constituting a fundamental element in the artist’s development.