TL;DR — Which illustration agency should you choose?

• Best affordable ongoing illustration partner: ManyPixels
• Best for playful brand characters & murals: Brosmind
• Best for motion-driven digital illustrations: Illo / BluBlu Studios
• Best for branding + visual communication systems: eDesign Interactive / Studio Matsu
• Best for animation & commercial storytelling: BuzzFlick / Foreal
• Best for hiring individual professional illustrators: Handsome Frank / Folio / Central Illustration Agency
• Best for niche physical artwork & mural artists: Paper & Cloth
• Best for editorial & book illustration: Also

💡 If you need continuous marketing graphics and digital illustrations, you want an ongoing illustration design agency.
If you need a single artistic piece, use agencies that represent illustrators.

What does an illustration agency actually do?

An illustration agency helps brands communicate ideas visually through custom artwork. Depending on the type of studio, they may provide:

• digital illustrations for marketing
• animation design and motion graphics
• brand illustration systems
• editorial artwork
• murals and environmental artwork
• product and packaging illustration
• access to talented illustrators or illustrators and animators

There are several types of illustration agencies:

• Illustration design agency – delivers finished creative assets
• Digital illustration agency – specializes in marketing visuals and UI artwork
• Visual communication agency – integrates illustration into branding‍
• Illustrator representation agency – connects clients with freelance artists

Understanding the difference matters more than choosing the “most famous” studio.

Ongoing illustration & design partners

These agencies function as long-term creative partners rather than one-off artists.

1. ManyPixels

ManyPixels is a subscription-based illustration agency providing unlimited digital illustrations, marketing design, and web visuals at a fixed monthly rate.

Instead of hiring freelancers, businesses can work with a dedicated team who learns the brand style over time. 

Best for: startups, SaaS companies, marketing teams needing continuous visual content
Not ideal for: one-off artistic commissions
Pricing: starts at $599/month

💡 Key insight: ManyPixels is an ongoing illustration partner, not a project-based studio.

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ManyPixels also has a vast library of free illustrations, where you can find inspiration, useful freebies, and get a taste of what they can do!

2. Studio Matsu

Studio Matsu combines graphic design, motion, and illustration styles to build complete brand systems. They also provide services, such as hand lettering and typography.

Best for: brands building long-term visual identity
Not ideal for: quick single assets

3. Jolby

Jolby works heavily in retail and food branding, creating packaging and merchandise illustrations. They’ve created packaging illustrations for several coffee companies, and have worked with clothing brands like Patagonia.

Best for: consumer brands and restaurants

‍Not ideal for: corporate enterprise communication

Animation & motion illustration studios

These studios specialize in animation design and storytelling rather than static artwork.

4. Illo

Illo is an Italian digital illustration agency focused on colorful storytelling and motion visuals.
Clients include Google and Apple, but also some smaller brands.

Best for: product storytelling and app branding
Not ideal for: simple social media graphics

5. BuzzFlick

BuzzFlick is an animation production company creating explainer videos and commercial storytelling content.

Pricing for BuzzFlick’s video animation services starts at $1,850. It can go all the way up to $5,950 for their premium package

Best for: marketing videos
Not ideal for: static illustrations only

6. BluBlu Studios

BluBlu Studios produces high-end animation commercials and character-driven campaigns. They help brands produce characters, commercials, product videos, and illustrations.

Best for: large ad campaigns
Not ideal for: small businesses

7. Foreal

Foreal is an enterprise-focused animation studio known for conference visuals and looping animations. They’ve created Google Next conference animations and the looped animations seen on Twitch.tv.

Best for: tech conferences and corporate media
Not ideal for: startups with limited budget

8. Studio NYC

Studio NYC is an illustration agency with a specialty in live-action and animation design. They’ve worked with entertainment brands like Disney.

Best for: entertainment industry

‍Not ideal for: everyday marketing needs

Branding & creative design studios

These studios are closer to a visual communication agency than a pure illustration company.

9. eDesign Interactive

eDesign Interactive is an award winning visual design agency offering everything from web design, digital marketing, corporate identity, and brand positioning. 

They’ve worked with clients like Welch’s and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Best for: corporate brand systems
Not ideal for: small ongoing tasks

10. DKNG Studios

DKNG is a creative design studio producing posters, identity work and merchandise-style illustrations.

Best for: lifestyle brands
Not ideal for: enterprise communication

11. Brosmind

Brosmind is a Spanish studio known for colorful characters and cartoonish design.

Notably, Brosmind is famous for working with big brands like Mailchimp and Clash of Clans to create massive murals on buildings.

Best for: playful brand storytelling and mural artists
Not ideal for: corporate branding

12. Paper & Cloth

Paper & Cloth is a UK-based illustration company specializing in interior artwork and textiles.

Although they are relatively small-time, they have worked with big names like Target and Pottery Barn.

Best for: environmental artwork
Not ideal for: digital marketing

13. Canopy

Canopy is a retro-themed game and illustration design agency. The two-person team has worked closely with game studios, universities, and industry leaders like Google and DuckDuckGo.

Best for: game studios
Not ideal for: B2B marketing

14. Doodle Designs

Doodle Designs is a niche illustration design agency focused on doodle-style visuals. Notable clients include Citibank. 

They also have an online shop, where they sell doodle-style artworks starting at $8.

Best for: simple explainer visuals
Not ideal for: high-detail art

15. Also

Also is a design company primarily known for its book design. You can find Chicago house  and road marking prints  from $30 to $110 in their web shop. 

Best for: publishing and editorial illustration
Not ideal for: advertising campaigns

Agencies that represent illustrators

These are not production studios — they connect you with professional illustrators.

Use them when style matters more than process.

16. Handsome Frank

London based illustration companies representing contemporary artists.

Best for: high-end editorial illustration
Not ideal for: ongoing design support

17. Central Illustration Agency

Central Illustration Agency is a large international hub for commercial art talent.

Best for: advertising campaigns
Not ideal for: quick turnaround marketing

18. Folio

Folio is a global platform connecting brands with illustrators and animators.

Best for: style exploration
Not ideal for: predictable delivery timelines

19. Inky

Inky matches clients to artists based on project briefs.

Best for: specific art direction
Not ideal for: iterative marketing work

20. Owl Illustration Agency

Owl Illustration is a portfolio-based artist selection system.

Best for: curated artist search
Not ideal for: ongoing collaboration

21. Illuzoo

Illuzoo is a style-organized marketplace for talent discovery.

Best for: discovering illustration styles
Not ideal for: managed projects

22. The Bright Agency

The Bright Agency connects illustrators with advertising brands.

Best for: campaign artwork
Not ideal for: small teams

23. Roar

Roar is a talent agency that pairs brands with carefully selected artists.

Best for: high-concept artwork

‍Not ideal for: continuous production work

How to choose the right illustration partner

Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Do you need continuous content?

👉 Choose an ongoing illustration design agency.

2. Do you need storytelling or motion?

👉 Choose animation studios with illustrators and animators.

3. Do you need a specific art style?

👉 Choose agencies that represent illustration talent.

Types of illustration services explained

Not all illustration agencies provide the same kind of work. Many businesses search for a “top illustration agency” but actually need a specific production workflow. Here are some type of illustration you might need.

👍 Digital marketing illustrations

These are the most commonly requested assets today. A digital illustration agency produces graphics used across websites, landing pages, ads, blog posts, and social media.

Typical deliverables include:

• hero website graphics
  
• blog visuals
  
• UI onboarding illustrations
  
• advertising creatives
  
• email graphics
  

Companies that publish content weekly usually benefit from ongoing illustration partners rather than project-based studios. Continuous production requires a team familiar with the brand style and visual communication goals.

🍎 Brand illustration systems

Some agencies don’t just create individual graphics — they design a complete illustration language for a brand.

This includes:

• character systems
• icon families
  
• color rules
• composition guidelines
• scalable illustration styles

A visual communication agency typically handles this type of work. Instead of single deliverables, they design a repeatable framework for consistent visuals across the board.

🎞️ Motion and animation illustration

Animation studios combine illustrators and animators to produce moving visuals.

Common use cases:

• explainer videos
• product demos
• app walkthroughs
• social video ads
• conference visuals

These studios focus on storytelling rather than volume production. They’re ideal for campaigns but less practical for daily marketing content.

📖 Editorial and publishing illustration

Publishing companies often need artwork that communicates ideas rather than promotes products.

Examples include:

• book covers
• magazine features
• newspaper stories
• educational materials

Agencies that represent talented illustrators are often the best choice here, because artistic style matters more than production speed.

🧱 Environmental and mural artwork

Some illustration companies specialize in physical environments instead of digital platforms.

They create:

• office murals
• retail wall art
• packaging patterns
• interior installations

Mural artists and environmental illustrators usually work project-by-project and collaborate closely with architects or brand teams.

How illustration agencies structure their teams

Another important difference between agencies is how work is actually produced. Two studios may look similar but operate completely differently.

🧔 Dedicated team model

You work with the same illustrators every time. 

Advantages:

• consistent style
• faster revisions
• long-term brand familiarity

Best for: companies producing frequent content.

🔄 Studio rotation model

A creative director assigns different artists to each project.

Advantages:

• wide range of styles
• strong art direction

Best for: campaigns or one-off projects.

🔍 Talent marketplace model

You are matched with an independent illustrator.

Advantages:

• very specific styles
• artistic uniqueness

Best for: editorial or packaging artwork.

Common illustration styles businesses request

Understanding illustration style categories also helps when selecting an agency.

Flat illustration

Simple geometric visuals used heavily in SaaS and tech products.

Isometric illustration

3D-like perspective often used for product explanations and dashboards.

Character illustration

Mascots and storytelling visuals for brand personality.

Line illustration

Minimalist drawings for editorial or educational content.

Painterly illustration

Detailed artistic visuals used in publishing and advertising.

Why companies increasingly outsource illustration

More marketing teams are moving away from hiring individual artists and toward structured illustration partners and outsourcing.

The main reasons are:

• predictable production timelines
  
• consistent visual identity
  
• faster campaign launches
  
• reduced management overhead
  
• scalable creative output
  

Instead of commissioning artwork piece by piece, businesses build a visual communication pipeline. This approach works particularly well for content marketing and SaaS growth teams that publish frequently.

FAQ: Illustration agencies

What is an illustration agency?

An illustration agency is a company that creates custom visual artwork for brands, marketing, publishing, or products. Depending on the agency type, they may either produce the illustrations themselves or connect clients with professional illustrators.

What’s the difference between an illustration agency and an agency that represents illustrators?

An illustration design agency delivers finished creative assets using its internal team.
An agency that represents illustrators acts as a talent broker. It matches you with an independent artist, but you manage the project yourself.

Businesses needing ongoing content usually prefer a production agency, while one-off artistic commissions work better through representation agencies.

How much does it cost to hire an illustration agency?

Pricing varies widely based on the working model:

• subscription illustration agencies: monthly flat fee
• project-based studios: per project pricing
• illustrator representatives: per artist + licensing fees

Ongoing illustration partners are typically more cost-predictable for companies producing frequent marketing content.

When should a company hire an illustration agency instead of a freelance illustrator?

Hire an illustration agency when you need consistency, fast turnaround, and multiple assets over time.
Hire a freelance illustrator when you need a specific art style or a single high-craft artwork.

Agencies are better for visual communication systems, while freelancers are better for individual artworks.

What industries use illustration agencies the most?

Illustration agencies are commonly used in:

• SaaS and technology companies
• startups and marketing teams
• publishing and editorial media
• advertising campaigns
• gaming and entertainment
• education platforms

Any brand that communicates ideas visually benefits from digital illustrations.

Are animation studios considered illustration agencies?

Some animation studios function as illustration agencies because they create illustrated assets as part of animation design. However, their workflow is usually optimized for video production rather than everyday marketing graphics.

What should you look for when choosing an illustration agency?

The most important factors are:

• workflow (ongoing vs project based)
• illustration styles offered
• turnaround speed
• revision process
• team communication

Choosing the correct workflow matters more than choosing the most famous studio.

Final thoughts

There are many illustration agencies available, but the right choice depends on workflow — not prestige.

Most businesses actually need consistent visual communication rather than one-off artwork.
In those cases, a subscription-style digital illustration agency is typically more efficient than hiring artists individually.

If you need reliable and affordable illustrations look no further than ManyPixels! We have a small, but select team of pro illustrators, dedicated project managers, and a 1-2 business day turnaround. Everything you’d expect from a professional illustration agency — at a fraction of the cost!

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