However: illustration is about communicating a specific contextualised Graphic design and fine art, perhaps because there is sometimes an It is often confused with other disciplines most notably that of Illustration have a long history, it has been in existence forД¬enturies, but only been recognised as a distinct discipline fairly I will also recommend The art of looking sideways by Alan Fletcher In almost every way, I agree with so I have very little to add, except this excerpt from the book Illustration, a theoretical and conceptual perspective, by Alan Male. It's a very fuzzy line between the two disciplines.

Graphics are often designed to give an abstract impression of mood and personality (usually in a more carefully controlled, analysed and deliberate way), for example a good corporate logo has to meet a lot of very specific requirements about how it is to be used and function, as well as giving the impression of an abstract 'personality' of the company. A good children's book illustration adds depth to and enhances the very simple text without competing with it.

Illustrations often carry a deliberate meaning, usually a reframing of the meaning of the thing that it illustrates, for example illustrations in children's books which visually show the action that is being described in the text. It creates a whimsical mood even if you don't look directly at it, attracts and directs attention in a deliberate set way (but it doesn't demand attention), and it communicates a deliberate message if you do pay direct attention to it.ДЄ lot of (most?) design work is somewhere between the two like this. This t-shirt is somewhere between the two, both graphic design and illustration. It works with your attention in a controlled, deliberate way. It attracts attention to itself with a strong, clear focal image, and uses a visual hierarchy to pass attention down to the smaller image below, which carries a deliberate meaning about bikes not needing fuel. This t-shirt is an example of graphic design. It doesn't need your attention to work and, when you look at it directly, it doesn't try to direct your attention around itself - your eye wanders around freely. It has a really strong expressive style and creates a mood bringing to mind bikes, chaotic things and energy without you needing to look at it directly. This t-shirt is an example of illustration. Here's some examples taken from, a clothing site with designs made by illustrators and also by designers: In terms of skills involved, illustration is generally more expressive, art-y, about images that create a subjective mood, and graphic design is more deliberate, science-y, about images that achieve an objective goal. It's common to see courses with titles like 'Graphic Design And Illustration'. There's a lot of overlap between the two disciplines. Most illustrators are competant designers and most designers are competant illustrators. Illustrators and designers use similar tools and have similar skills and training. They do compete for attention with other things, and a good designer will be able to control which elements win attention in what order on a busy page. Graphic design is the art of making images that attract direct attention towards themselves and use attention for a specific, deliberate purpose.The other thing is the focus of the attention, and the illustration's role is to add personality and character without competing with that other thing. Illustration is the art of making images that work with something and add to it without needing direct attention and without distracting from the thing they illustrate.Most people just have a gut feeling for where the line is between graphic design and illustration. If your question is essentially ' What is 'illustration', and how is it different to graphic design?', that's a good question. Illustrators are people who do illustration, like how designers are people who do design.

What does an illustrator do