When I ran my design studio, every illustrator I ever hired was based on the exquisite madness personal to their portfolio.
I don’t know if this is relevant, it feels like this notice for artists who wish to sell merch, but it felt appropriate to say.
Every illustrator came as a recommendation from someone and every time I hired them for a project it was purely out of their “ah HA” ability in their work.
My studio was… less than Madison Ave so again I appreciate this is maybe not appropriate if you are targeting a big ol’ ad agency (we were 2-5 people doing tiny work for big companies… but we paid well and on time!)
Maybe this isn’t great advice or broad advice, maybe it’s not even relevant anymore
Take with a grain of sea salt from a creaking pile of driftwood, but if it’s worth anything at all?
“Personal work” was always the first portfolio link I clicked on.
It’s not hard to triangulate “your personal piece here, and your commercial piece there, is what I am looking for to do project piece.”