As an illustrator myself, exploring the incredible variety of styles and techniques is a source of great enjoyment. It has a range that encompasses so many styles, making it one of the most powerful tools for communication, much more so than even writing or photographs. In fact, long before the invention of written words, humans communicated with pictograms — pictorial representations of things, places or events.
One of the earliest, and most famous, was found on a cave wall in Spain from around 15,000 B.C. It is a realistic drawing of a woolly mammoth with a heart-shaped smudge over the chest. We can surmise that this illustration may have been used as a teaching aid for young hunters.
Speaking of mammoths, a tusk was found in Ukraine in 1966, dating from about 10,000 BCE. It may be the oldest known map in the world, interpreted to depict the location of dwellings along a river.
What exactly is illustration anyway?
In its simplest terms, illustration is an artistic visualization that conveys, depicts or explains specific information to a target audience. Unlike fine art, which is typically created as a form of self-expression or personal interpretation, illustrations are most often made for a client and serves an external viewership. For example, a painting of a duck meant to express its beauty is different than a painting of a duck to be included in a field birding guide. The intention of the final work is the key difference between illustration and fine art. To clearly define the main idea is the fundamental goal and purpose of illustration.
How does it work?
Illustrators harness a wide variety of mediums and styles to infuse character and meaning in their art. From traditional media, like pencil or paint, to digital software, like Procreate or Adobe Illustrator, artists can utilize an array of tools to craft their own distinctive style and visual language. Illustrations typically begin with a discussion with a client to grasp the project’s requirements and objectives. This is called a brief. An understanding of the client’s desired tone, mood and message is key to choosing the most effective illustration style. Illustration is everywhere and used in so many different ways, we often don’t even realize it. Furthermore, each genre of illustration can be further subdivided into even more specific styles. Medical illustration, for example, can include informative schematic or diagrammatics, figurative cross-sections, detailed digital 3D renderings, narrative watercolor or pen & ink drawings and many more. Or take fantasy illustrations, which can be used in video games, films, books and board games.
The history and scope of illustration spans the entirety of human civilization and cutlure. It can be overwhelming to grasp its totality. But perhaps we can gain a better comprehension of this art form by breaking it down into categories.
Where is it used?
Here is a list of the most common types of illustration. Click on a style to view an example.
- Publications
- Book covers & jackets
- Editorial
- Political, Satirical
- Scientific, Realistic
- Technical, Industrial
- Cartographic
- Commercial
- Advertising
- Packaging
- Branding, Logos
- Textiles
- Sports
- Traditional
- Pencil
- Charcoal
- Pen & ink
- Paint
- Cartoon
- Comic, Graphic novel
- Caricature
- Flat
- Line art
- 3D
- Fantasy
- Fashion
- Vintage and Retro
- Geometric
- Typographic
- Concept, Storyboard
