What is Illustration?

Illustration can be anything, and there are a range of tools designers can use to create their illustrations. The traditional options being pens, pencil and paper. Looking again at Marion Deuchars, her illustrations have an individual aesthetic to them. An example of this is her work for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. By adding simple shapes and lines to her typography, she creates basic but effective illustrations to visualise what is being said. In saying this, is she was to remove the words, you would still be able to tell what the illustrations are depicting. Deuchars work shows how sometimes there is no need to create complicated illustrations and sometimes all that is needed is simply a pen and some paper.

 

 

Another more traditional tool would be the photocopier, which is expertly used by Dan Fern. Fern is an award-winning designer, particularly within graphics, who has also become an influential teacher. He has taught at the Royal School of Art and Munich University. Some of his graphic work includes a set of stamps for the Royal Mail, posters for the London Underground and a memorial poster for Henri de Toulouse Lautrec’s 100th anniversary. Fern utilises existing materials to create interesting collages and compositions, using a mixture of imagery and type. This creates vintage looking designs which can also be altered through colour and editing to make it more modern and brighter. Fern also uses solely textures and patterns in some of his designs, which are just as effective as some of his more complex designs.

 

 

It is not only pen, paper and collage, but some designers have found more unconventional ways of creating designs. Paul Elliman uses found objects to create compositions and typography. His work with type is particularly interesting as he finds objects that resembles letters. These objects can also be used to reflect the meaning of the word they are spelling. Looking at his ‘objectified’ piece, which represents exactly what he has done with the word, how Elliman manipulates the shapes is genius, either through rotation, mirroring or sizing and positioning. The diversity in widths, sizes and weights, some being solid and others only outlines is something that probably shouldn’t work as a composition, but in actual fact, it works really well. Elliman’s designs show that not all work has to come through hand drawings, but through what is around us, design and illustration can be anything.

 

 

 

Moving into the modern era, and technology becoming more and more prevalent, many designers have moved to digital. One of these designers is Olly Moss who currently lives and works in Winchester, UK. He is a graphic designer who is best known for his reimagining of movie posters. Moss’ work would regularly feature in Empire Magazine. He has been commissioned by huge companies, like Marvel executives to create a poster for ‘Thor’. Other work by Moss includes artwork covers for the 2011 ‘Resistance 3’ game and the first digital covers for the Harry Potter series. Looking at his work as a whole, Moss has an eye for optical illusions where he can see shapes within shapes and how two images could be combined. This is visible in his work for ‘An American Wolf in London’ and Clint Eastwood’s ‘Dirty Harry’. His work, like many modern designers, can often also provide a comical edge to it. A feature that probably makes his work so effective, is his skill with colour. Each of his designs will typically have one set colour to coincide along with the black and white. Using a tablet allows him to explore endless tones and can add multiple layers, giving the design depth.

 

 

Another tool that has grown significantly through the digital age is Procreate. This allows designers to work digitally while also keeping a hand-drawn feel to their designs. Jorge Colombo, an illustrator, photographer and graphic designer, has been creating digital art since 2009. He initially started finger painting on an iPhone, but as technology has developed, Colombo now works with Procreate on an iPad and an Apple Pencil. Using these tools result in sketch like features within some of his designs, whether that be in faces or very small details like book ends. The New Yorker regularly uses Colombo’s illustrations on its’ covers. They usually have a similar aesthetic of the nightlife in New York.

 

 

 

Even in the modern and digital design world, the more ‘traditional’ tools are still very much vital and used by many well established designers. However, the modern tools give a new and extra dimension to designers with the range of options and tools and their disposal.