Personal and Professional Practice: April 2014

What is Illustration?

My answer to this question hasn't changed since the beginning of my degree. However I now have much more of an understanding of it in terms of knowledge, depth and extent. I still believe that Illustration is a form of visual communication. I think Illustration has the power to communicate a message, story or tone of voice to any given audience. This is the same answer I gave at the beginning of my degree, but I now know there there are so many ways that illustration can achieve these things. Aspects which I hadn't considered so much before include;

-the use of composition. The composition of an image can completely dictate the tone of voice or message it comes across in and even what context people see the image in.

-the idea of line of sight. I never really considered how an illustrator could manipulate where the viewer looked in an image. Understanding this has given me much more insight into how I can emphasise the meaning or purpose behind my images.

-media and audience. This is something so obvious that I perhaps didn't even consider taking into consideration before. The chosen media of the piece and how it is applied tends to go with the target audience or purpose of the piece.

Where do you find Illustration ? What context does it exist in?

I now realise that Illustration can exist in any context and can be found anywhere. Furthermore to this, it doesn't have to be restricted to a page or flat surface/ Traditionally, illustration if found in books, publishing, fashion, advertising etc. However I now realise it can also exist in sculpture, film, photography and animation.

-children's books

-instruction manuals

-fashion

-recipe books

- postcards

-advertising

-posters

-books for adults

-pamphlets

-products ( furnishings etc)

-packaging

-typography

-technical drawings

-film sets

-theatre sets

-costume

-special effects

-animations

Thinking of it in this way almost leads me to question whether illustration is something which can be wholly defined but is perhaps just the way that any art goes about communicating something?