End note ..................................................................... 20

1.

TECHNIQUES Pencil illustrations

Maybe one of the most popular types of illustration is the pencil one. It is rich material, which allows you creating soft shadows and transitions, as well creating sharp, accurate lines. Sometimes, illustrators choose to keep the pencil sketch very loose and to draft with a pencil – later on, they finish off the illustration with another material.

Above you saw 3 different approaches to pencil illustration – monochrome, with clean lines and richness of the line weight; one with colored pencil with very smooth and soft shading of the volumes; and one rough, sketchy and dynamic illustration, because of the energetic line work and the search for shapes and volumes. The last approach is very common for creating initial character design concepts

Notes

1. Illustration by Jo Taylor

3. Illustration by Dey Stoeke 2. Illustration by Stavros Damos

2.

TECHNIQUES Charcoal illustrations

Charcoal illustrations are often not as precise as pen and pencil illustrations but are a preferred choice for illustrating short stories, fast sketches, nooks. Charcoal’s blendability lets the artist create a range of textures, representing materials and shadows, people, objects and the natural world. Artists often use fingers and tissues to blend the soft material, smudge and create smooth and soft shadows. In the above illustrations, you can see how the charcoal helped in creating rough, loose sketch of a horse. Then, another artist made very fine detailing of a human face in another piece. Last, but not least, an illustrator created soft shadows, blending and texturing. Probably, the main difference, compared to pencil illustration is, that the line of the charcoal is always slightly thicker, softer and darker in quality. The reason why example 2 and 3 are so different is because of the way the charcoal is produced: charcoal pencils consisting of compressed charcoal powder and a gum binder, which produces a fine, sharp line; while vine charcoal provides a smooth, softer line. Notes

1. Illustration by Karl lee

3. Illustration by Yatoshi Sue 2. Illustration by Tracy Hetzel

3.

TECHNIQUES Watercolor illustrations

In watercolor illustrations, the main thing is to use color pigments and to create nuances and different transparencies by adding water to the color. The overall feeling of watercolor illustrations is soft, airy, with lots of depth. Illustrators prefer it for illustrating cookbooks, feminine and fashion types of illustration, children book illustrations, as it is very light. It is one of the easiest ways of creating splashes of color, merging one into another – common threats for the mentioned illustration styles. The fineness associated with watercolor illustration allows it to be used as an effective tool for storytelling. Watercolor artwork is noted for its detailing and depth. It’s no wonder why it is is extensively used in children’s books. Using a delicate and creative combination of airy and lighter shades, artists can create extraordinary, thought-provoking watercolor illustration.

Notes

1. Illustration by Audra Auclair

3. Illustration by Shelly Liu 2. Illustration by Tracy Hetzel

4.

TECHNIQUES Gouche illustrations

Gouache paint is similar to watercolor modified to make it opaque. It offers rich, thicker, bit darker shades than watercolor and can be even reworked some years later. Commercial artists often use gouache for works such as posters, illustrations, comics, and for other design work. Most 20th-century animations used it to create an opaque color on a cel with watercolor paint used for the backgrounds. Using gouache as “poster paint” is desirable for its speed as the paint layer dries completely by the relatively quick evaporation of the water. Gouache paint, like both watercolor and acrylic paint, is a watermedia: a pigment that has to be mixed with water in order to be spread across a surface. Because it isn’t as popular as other styles of paint, gouache is often described as an “opaque watercolor,” a children’s poster paint, or a supplementary medium to be used alongside better-known techniques.

Notes

1. Illustration by Roman Muratkin

3. Illustration by Leo Bruke 2. Illustration by Patrick Kretos

5.

TECHNIQUES Acrylic illustrations

Acrylics is one of the most prefered techniques for beginners – it is relatively easier to work with them, than with watercolor or oils. Still, the artist can achieve both similar effects to oils and watercolors. One can paint with them on almost any kind of surface and they become water resistant, once they are dry. These paints are very versatile as they also come as fluorescents, metalics and other interesting effects.

This type of illustration is ideal for beginners. Artists use acrylic paint on various surfaces such as cloth or canvas to create an illustration. Acrylic paints are available in different finishes and they become water-resistant once they dry up. They are extremely versatile and vibrant, offering the artist a wide range of textures, colours and consistencies. The heavy body colour of acrylics is buttery and smooth, blending on the canvas almost like oils. Because they basically dry into a plastic surface, they are ideal for using in multimedia painting as well

Notes

1. Illustration by Don Bolognese

3. Illustration by Cario Crene 2. Illustration by Natalia Andrews

6.

TECHNIQUES Pen and Ink illustrations

Illustrating with ink allows the artist to create strong areas of contrast. Most of the illustrations are done by using one tint of ink on a light surface, which again helps achieving high contrasting pieces. Inks are widely accessible and affordable material, easy to transport and to work expressively with. May be you remember the high contrasts of the woodcut? Well, inking allows you to be more mobile and to create even finer lines.

Sometimes, achieving just the form is important, unless, working with ink and brush as it is in the first example illustration. Contrast be ahieved also by using dots and strokes with different weight and different distance from each other, as in the second example. In the third illustration, the artist wonderfully combined heavily shaded, rich in value areas with elegant, simple but high contrast illustration.

Notes

1. Illustration by SudoSK 2. Illustration by Mark Burnet

3. Illustrationby Meryl Ross

TECHNIQUES Freehand digital illustrations 7.

Freehand digital illustration is created in the same way how artists use pen and ink to create traditional illustration. Artists creating digital art use stylus or tablet pen to give their imaginations a concrete shape. Artists can create stunning digital illustration styles through an appropriate use of multiple colors, tools, and brush presets. You can even address errors and implement changes quickly. With the combination of the right blends and shades, it is possible to create different effects.

With various tablet and stylus combinations, detailed digital illustration can be created. However, it needs to be noted that the digital illustration will be in raster mode, which means that you can zoom or enlarge them to a certain extent or else they will appear blurred. Freehand digital illustration is used for storyboarding, animation, recreation, etc

Notes

1. Illustration by Beto Garza

3. Illustration by Denny Wer

2. Illustration by

Katrine Rosse

TECHNIQUES Vector illustrations 8.

Artists creating vector illustration make sure that every point is represented on coordinate axes for determining the direction of the path. Vector illustrations can be saved in PDF, EPS, or SVG extensions. Vector graphics can be zoomed and scaled to a particular extent without having to worry about pixelation. Additionally, artists can define outlines in a clearer and better way. Due to lesser flow or gradation, vector illustration can be ideally used as web illustrations, logos, etc Vector illustration is better than freehand digital illustration and is primarily used in print media. You can use vectors with text and typography. Besides, you can easily rotate, skew, stretch, and change the graphics for getting the desired outcomes. However, the vectors are not really used for creating photorealistic art or for adding details to an art.

Notes

Styles

We start with a small remark – by style, we mean the different genres in illustration (or at least the most popular ones). However, style is used also for the individual and very specific way of expressing of the individual artists, but this could be defined much harder if possible at all. Long story short, we can recognize the following genres in illustration:

1. Illustration by James Ruk

2. Illustration by Dyan Rio

STYLES

Children’s book

Concept Art

Children book illustrations can be very diverse – from realistic, full with details illustrations to very simplified, child-like, naive drawings. It depends on the story, the target age group and many more. Nevertheless, children’s illustrations are colorful, narrating, there is always something happening. The characters are cute and friendly.

These types of illustration include Fantasy illustrations, illustrations for Gaming, Animation and One-Pager Fine Illustrations. The term concept first appreared back in 1930s, used probably first from Disney and it was used in the automative industry as well. In concept illustration, the artists creates several interepretations (concept) of a certain theme, from which the client can choose from and see the different

Notes

1.Illustration by Clerkye

2. Illustration by Natalia Ros

STYLES

Graphic novels / comics

Books, publications, editorial

Comics is a medium used to express ideas by images, often combined with text or other visual information. Comics frequently takes the form of juxtaposed sequences of panels of images. Often textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia indicate dialogue, narration, sound effects, or other information. Size and arrangement of panels contribute to narrative pacing. Cartooning and similar forms of illustration are the most common image-making means in comics.

Today, a book illustration could be designed in any technique and then printed. This style is very versatile and depends on the vision of the authour and the subject of the book. Illustrators try to create eye-catching covers in order to compete with the piles of books in bookshops. It is a very specific style, which demands catching the viewer’s attention, giving a hint of what is inside the book and sometimes, it is the cover that sells the book (or publication). Notes

1. Illustration by Rlon Yang

1. Illustration by Jesse Drok

STYLES

Advertising

Packaging

While book and publication illustrations should be supporting and illuminating a certain idea, without stealing the show from the text, advertising type of illustration is meant to do just that – grab your attention and make a lasting impression on one big idea or brand/product. Many companies choose illustration as the medium to send their message to the audience, because the style better translates the idea than photography, for example.

While book and publication illustrations should be supporting and illuminating a certain idea, without stealing the show from the text, advertising type of illustration is meant to do just that – grab your attention and make a lasting impression on one big idea or brand/product. Many companies choose illustration as the medium to send their message to the audience, because the style better translates the idea than photography, for example.

Notes

1. Illustration by Riodrik

1. Illustration by Kasumi San

STYLES

Brand / Logo

Branding/Logo type of illustration isa very specific style, requiring a certain set of skills. For example, a logo should be recognizable and readable at smaller sizes. Therefore, the illustrator should carefully plan the details of the logo. Logos should be simple, yet grabbing attention and memorable. Sometimes, businesses need more than a logo illustration, but mascots, cartoonized version of their employees or products. With their help, the brands enhance their presence and impression on customers.

Some of the branding/logo illustrations you might want to see: La Petite Joie A collection of great logo illustrations in cartoon style

Notes

End notes ?

Doodle time

“When I sit down to make a sketch from nature, the first thing I try to do is to forget that I have ever seen a picture.” -John Constable

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