As someone who has done commercial illustration for some of the big outlets, it’s strictly a numbers game. You can’t get enough work if your style is too distin

As someone who has done commercial illustration for some of the big outlets, it’s strictly a numbers game. You can’t get enough work if your style is too distinct, or at least, not enough work consistently to make ends meet. Outlets like the NYTimes still do employ talented illustrators with distinct, innovative styles. Just look at this drawing of Bill Gates by Connor Willumsen: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/technology/bill-gates-virus-conspiracy-theories.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/technology/bill-gates-vir... But it’s not the kind of work that’s centered by these publications. Anecdotally, and from what I’ve read about the history of the profession, this stems from art direction not having as much independence from editors as they once had. Editors used to hire art directors with the intent of respecting and deferring to their taste and expertise. Now, they override and meddle, thinking themselves capable of directing an overall “vision” without domain knowledge or really even taste.