What Do Agents Look For? Insights From Three Recent Signings

Finding the right agency for you goes far beyond simply being signed. It’s about finding a place where your work can grow, where you can collaborate with great clients on projects that truly resonate with you, and where you can build a sustainable income out of what you love. At ITSme, we help illustrators find that place. After more than 25 years of spotting standout talent in the creative arena, we know what a great artist-agency match looks like, and how much the right choice can shape an illustrator’s career.

We also understand that choosing an agency, with so many options out there, may feel quite overwhelming. That’s why, when you submit your portfolio for representation, we do the hard work for you. We review every portfolio carefully, talk regularly with agents about what their clients need right now, and keep up with an industry that never stops changing. Then we match your style to the needs of each agency we represent, so your work reaches several decision-makers at once, each of whom can see where you’d best fit in. The aim is to pair you with an agency that champions your style and can provide you with the kind of projects that move your career forward.

Below are a few of our favourite signings from the last month and a little bit about why they pose a great fit for their agencies.

1) Scott Garrett – Signed with Advocate Art.

Scott is an illustrator based in Hastings on the UK’s south-east coast. His work starts as pencil drawings on paper, which then become strong pen lines on a lightbox before being scanned and finished digitally with colour and other elements. This mix gives his illustrations a characterful feel and a clear, instantly recognisable visual identity.

What draws us in is Scott’s use of colour, which, together with his confident keylines and lively, movement-filled compositions, brings his pieces to life. His characters are brilliantly animated and full of expression. They add a touch of humour to his portfolio. When it comes to non-fiction, Scott’s style makes information easy to follow without losing any of the character that makes his work his.

While attending London Book Fair earlier this year, Advocate’s agents noticed a strong client demand for this particular type of line work in children’s and non-fiction publishing, which made Scott an ideal match for the agency.

2) Erika Ruggio – Signed with Astound Us

Erika is a children’s book illustrator born in Brazil and now based in France. She works mainly digitally, but also explores traditional techniques like gouache and coloured pencils to bring texture and a little imperfection into her illustrations. Her work is whimsical, expressive and atmospheric, with a strong focus on character and storytelling.

Erika signed with Astound after completing the ITSme mentorship programme. When we caught up with her recently, she shared with us that her biggest realisation during the mentorship was the need to embrace her Brazilian heritage and make work that truly represents her. One of our favourite pieces in her portfolio, Yara, inspired by Brazilian folklore, captures that realisation perfectly, balancing her playfulness and authenticity.

Erika’s portfolio represents a great fit for what Astound is looking for right now: timeless yet contemporary styles that are thoughtful, character-led, emotionally rich and strong in storytelling.

3) Mateo Montoya – Signed with Illo Agency

Mateo is a 3D illustrator born and raised in Colombia. The twist is that his pieces are sculpted entirely by hand, from every eye, nose and ear to every cloud, mountain and object. He cares about detail, materials and light, and loves building small worlds that feel alive. His work carries a sense of childhood nostalgia and an urge to keep playing, exploring and enjoying the process. His graphic design background shaped his eye for composition and typography, so he’s always looking for type that strengthens an illustration’s message.

Mateo’s work sits in a different category from our two previous artists, who work in book publishing. He works in editorial and advertising illustration, offering a wide range of scenes, fun characters and unexpected compositions, all tied together beautifully by type. His portfolio is immersive, with stories that keep unfolding and characters who find themselves in very peculiar circumstances. It’s a brilliant blend of publishing and advertising: versatile, yet always identifiable and uniquely his.

Mateo is a great match for Illo Agency, which looks for creative voices and independent thinkers – artists driven by what they believe in and who enjoy what they create.

These artists were each signed by a different agency for different reasons. Our biggest tip is to research any agency before you apply, keep an eye on industry shifts, and don’t be afraid to open creative conversations.

We are excited to review the work of artists who are interested in agency representation, and submissions are always welcome. If you are an illustrator considering representation from our partnering agencies, feel free to get in contact via our submission form on our website.

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