Different styles, techniques and types of illustration

DIFFERENT STYLES, TECHNIQUES AND TYPES OF ILLUSTRATIONS

There is a primary difference between designer and illustrator. While a designer organizes pictures, typography and other visual elements in logical manner for creating appeal of a particular topic that seeks attention, an illustrator works on one element which is developed exclusively by him and supports an idea by showcasing its functionality. An illustration is drawn, painted or printed art form that offers explanation, clarification or visual portrayal of an idea or decorates the text for enhancing its commercial appeal. Realistic illustration surfaced well before advent of photography and was used in books, newspapers etc. for creative expression.

Types of illustration techniques Illustrations can be categorized into traditional and modern styles. Illustration creation has undergone change over time with availability of better expressive medium. Paints and paper have given way to digital canvases of popular illustrative software like 3D Studio Max and Photoshop.

Woodcutting The manuscripts from ancient period that have survived today bear testimony to this archaic technique. It gained in popularity in middle ages after printing press invention. One master cutting carved on wooden block made it possible to mass produce books carrying enchanting illustrations. Colour contrast and texture was depicted through darker and lighter shades and large strokes.

Metal Etching Steel, copper or zinc is mantled with acid resistant wax which is etched through needle in areas where the illustrator wants shape to surface in the bare, finished metal. Acid bath of metal leads to sinking of artistic lines in the exposed plate. After cleaning the plate, inking is done freshly and then metallic surface is wiped off allowing the ink to settle on the etchings.

A printing press subjects the plate to intense pressure along with paper sheet wherein the ink and texture are imprinted on the sheet. Different metal etching techniques when used with proper ideas can pave way for different appearances with subtle lines, hatchings, water-colouring etc.

Pencil illustration Using richness of charcoal, sharp lining or soft shadows can be created with accuracy. There are three ways to refine the image i.e. monochrome in which lines are clean and richly weighted, coloured wherein soft and smooth shades are drawn, and rough for introducing dynamism in illustration.

Charcoal illustration Though not highly accurate, this is used for illustration of sketches and short stories wherein an array of textures can be blended with different shadows and objects. Fingering, tissue wiping, and smudging is generally used for creation of smooth shades. Compression of charcoal powder with gum binder allows sharper lines to appear.

Lithography Offset lithography has superseded the technique of oily, fatty or waxy images posted over limestone plate. You can achieve a set level of softness and cause the colours to appear washed out.

Water-colouring Colour pigments are used for creation of nuances through varies transparency sheets by altering the amount of water added to colour. Depth, space, and softness characterize the illustrations. Colours can be splashed one above other with ease.

Gouache illustration The gouache paint resembles watercolour but is opaque in consistency. You can use it for accomplishing richer, thicker and heavier shades compared to water colours. In animations, cel is opaquely coloured and then water-colour painting is used in the backdrop. Water evaporation happens rapidly resulting in drying of painted layer faster.

Acrylic illustration Acrylics are preferred by beginning painters due to the relative easiness with which acrylic can be used. Effects commensurate with oils and water-colours can be accomplished. After drying, the illustration exhibits resistance to water and can be painted on any surface type.

The versatility of acrylics can be utilized for pulling off fluorescence, metallic or other dynamic effects.

Collage illustration Assembling of various forms made up of varying materials into a coherent whole leads to formation of collage. Enthralling 3D effects with depth can be pulled off by using varying shades on layers.

Pen and Ink illustration Heavy contrast can be achieved with inky illustration. Tinted ink is used on light surface and then the hues are made darker for striking contrast. Expression of ideas through vibrant illustrations is easy and fine lines can be effortlessly created. Differently weighted dots and strokes maintained at varying distance among them allow addition of more value.

Freehand digital illustration services Artistic expression in digital era has changed with availability of sophisticated design tools and software. Conventional brushes, pens and different drawing mechanisms are mimicked perfectly by modern software for producing impeccable effects. In freehand, smoothness of light and transitioning of shadows allow complex backdrops and finer details to be produced digitally. Quality has to be preserved before blowing up as the images are in raster format.

With vector imaging, there is flexibility of scaling the image to any shape without compromising on quality. Vector format is suitable for online design although transition

effects are not commendable. There are several 2D and 3D software used by service providers professionals indulged in the same.

List of illustration styles Style can stand for a particular design genre, or individual way of artistic expression.

Concept art In concept art, illustrations pertaining to fantasy games, animations, one-pagers etc. fall.

Disney studio used the term first and later it was progressively used in automotive industry.

Varying interpretations of a particular theme are created to facilitate varying stages of development and illustration creation. Realistic illustrations replete with detailing or simple, innocent or naĂŻve paintings both fall under concept art. The way illustrations are used for narrating a scene and the focused upon group decide the fluidity of illustration.

Comics and graphic novels Comics use images for expression of creative ideas in combination with texts and other visually appealing materials. Image panels are placed side by side for producing striking effect. Textual cues like captions, balloons with speech of characters embedded in them, as well as onomatopoeia signify the interaction among comical characters and certain sound effects. Image panel sizing and arrangement allow for imparting momentum to narration.

Books and publications Illustration for books can be created in versatile manner and is contingent on the way the author visualizes the book’s subjects and its interaction with other elements. The focus is on making readers commit their attention on the book, so the journey starts with the cover of the book which carries a visual hint to what lies inside.

Advertisement illustration Here, the illustrations are deployed for grabbing your eyeballs and conveying an indelible impression to you. You would be spontaneously reminded about a particular brand when the image crosses your mind.

Audiences can better relate with company’s messages through spellbinding images.

Packaging illustration Mostly used for differentiating a product from its competitors and contemporaries, this kind of graphic illustration styles provide for personalized, elegant and customized appearance.

Branding illustration Particular skill sets are used for creating specific imaging styles. A logo is the perfect example wherein the readability of the text is not compromised despite the smaller size of the logo. The illustrations are customarily simple yet linger in the memory for being attention grabbers. Brand creates their unique identities through customized illustrations of these types.

Get in touch with a reputed graphic design company to get flawless illustrations that can excellently serve your exact purposes.