Artspan Portal: Illustration

Introduction to Illustration

Illustration covers so many genres, styles, and purposes that it is difficult to encapsulate them with one definition. In the most broad sense, an illustration is a visual representation of a subject accomplished by means of a drawing, painting, or a photograph. The most traditional understanding of illustration is relegated to free-hand drawing, drawings reproduced as wood-cuts or etchings, and, in recent years, computer illustration. Illustration not only works to describe textual information in practical applications, but also functions to interpret characters in a narrative, often expressing subtle concepts. Illustration tends to be representational, and therefore, has often be relegated to the position of low art. This may have been exacerbated by its popularity in books and magazines, which hit an all time high during the first part of the twentieth century, illustration's Golden Age. The second, shorter Golden Age of illustration occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. Magazines and billboards used illustration and in the U.S., the work of Norman Rockwell was embraced as an affectionate reflection of 'everyday folks'. The decline of traditional illustration came with the rising popularity of photography and design in visual communications. Yet with the advent of personal computer technology taking off in the 1990s, illustrators began to experiment with drawing software like Illustrator and Photoshop. The emergence of digital illustration has added a new dimension to the field, yet students are still trained in the traditional methods of illustration. Fusion illustration is a byproduct of this, crossing the boundaries of the hand-drawn and the computer drawn creating hybrid works that incorporate illustration, graphic design, typography, and photography. Today illustration still struggles to find its place within the realm fine art, with its proponents working to reclaim a place in magazines and advertising and bring it back from the margins of the public imagination.  
 

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Resources: Illustration

Art Suppliers (see all)
Daniel Smith
 
Utrecht Art Supplies
The Trusted Resource since 1949... 6 Corporate Drive Cranbury, NJ 08512-3616 800.223.9132 6...
Signature Canvas
Kansas City, MO
Associations (see all)
Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators
Formed in 1971 by a group of Los Angeles based writers for children, is the only international...
Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Inc.
Founded at the Smithsonian Institution in 1968, the Guild has grown to become part of the global...
Assert the value of an artist's portfolio as an asset of the creator, not a source of free...
Books (see all)
Creative Photoshop: Digital Illustration and Art Techniques, covering Photoshop CS3
 
Fundamentals of Illustration
Creating great illustration work requires specialist skills and knowledge, and in addition to...
Illusive: Contemporary Illustration And Its Context
Illusive is a collection of contemporary illustration from around the world that addresses the...
 
Education (see all)
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
Maryland Institute College of Art
Baltimore, Maryland
Missouri College
St. Louis, MO
Galleries (see all)
American Illustrators Gallery
18 East 77th Street, Suite 1A New York, New York 10075 USA 212-744-5190
Charming Wall
New York, NY
Chicago Gallery of Illustration Art
 
 
Museums (see all)
Maureen Mullarkey
 
National Museum of American Illustration
The National Museum of American Illustration (NMAI) was founded in 1998 by Judy Goffman Cutler...
Norman Rockwell Museum
Norman Rockwell Museum is a testament to the life, art, and enduring spirit of Norman Rockwell,...
Publications (see all)
3x3: the Magazine of Contemporary Illustration
The first magazine devoted entirely to the art of illustration. Each issue takes an in-depth look...
American Illustration
 
Black Book Illustration
Published annually, Black Book Illustration takes readers inside the worlds created by some of...