Traditional and

modern
Style of Illustration
Traditional
Illustration
Woodcutting
It is an ancient technique that
you can see in some of the
world’s oldest surviving
manuscripts. It was popular
during the Middle Ages and
became the illustration type
of choice after the invention
of the printing press.
Woodcutting
Distinctive for this technique are the
contrasting colors if any; the
contrast between dark and light
areas in the illustration, as well the
relatively big strokes. It is still a
preferred technique of many
contemporary illustrators who love
the rougher feel and the textured
look of these illustrations.
METAL ETCHING
In traditional pure etching, a metal (usually
copper, zinc, or steel) plate is covered with
waxy ground that is resistant to acid. The
artist then scratches off the ground with a
pointed etching needle where he or she
wants a line to appear in the finished
piece, so exposing the bare metal. The
plate is then dipped in a bath of acid and
the acid “bites” into the metal where it is
exposed, leaving behind lines sunk into the
plate. The remaining ground is then
cleaned off the plate.
METAL ETCHING
The plate is inked all over, and then the ink is
wiped off the surface, leaving only the ink in the
etched lines. The plate is then put through a
high-pressure printing press together with a
sheet of paper and the paper picks up the ink
from the etched lines, making a print.
Depending on the metal etching technique used,
the illustration can look like watercolor
(aquatint) or it can look like a pencil drawing –
with very fine lines and hatching. The above 3
examples are showing the versatility that can be
achieved in illustration with these techniques.
Pencil Illustration
Maybe one of the most popular
types of illustration is the pencil
one. It is rich material, which allows
you to create 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.
Pencil Illustration
These are 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.
 Charcoal illustrations are often
Charcoal illustration not as precise as pen and
pencil illustrations but are a
preferred choice for
illustrating short stories, fast
sketches, and 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.
Charcoal illustration
In the above illustrations, you can see how the charcoal
helped in creating a 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 examples 2 and 3 are so
different is because of the way the charcoal is produced:
charcoal pencils consist of compressed charcoal powder
and a gum binder, which produces a fine, sharp line;
while vine charcoal provides a smooth, softer line.
Lithography
• Lithography comes from the Greek word
for stone. Originally, the technique used an
image drawn with oil, fat, or wax onto the
surface of a smooth, level lithographic
limestone plate. Today, most types of high-
volume books and magazines, especially
when illustrated in color, are printed with
offset lithography, which has become the
most common form of printing technology
since the 1960s.
You can notice that the above lithography illustration examples share one quality, although
they represent different styles and imagery – there is a certain level of softness about all
three of them. In some spots, the color even looks washed out and pale.
Lithography
Lithography comes from the Greek
word for stone. Originally, the
technique used an image drawn with
oil, fat, or wax onto the surface of a
smooth, level lithographic limestone
plate. Today, most types of high-
volume books and magazines,
especially when illustrated in color, are
printed with offset lithography, which
has become the most common form of
printing technology since the 1960s.
Watercolor illustration
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, and with lots of depth. Illustrators
prefer it for illustrating cookbooks,
feminine and fashion types of illustration,
childrens 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.
 Gouache paint is similar to
Gouache illustrations 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 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.
acrylics illustration
• Acrylics are one of the most preferred
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,
metallics, and other interesting
effects.
 • The name comes from the French
Collage illustration coller, which means ‘to glue’. It is a
technique, where the artwork is
made from an assemblage of
different forms, often from
different materials, to form a new
whole. These types of illustrations
are hugely popular in recent years
and even are considered an
inspiration for the big trend –
material design.
Often, illustrators use the shading from the different layers of their collage to achieve a
beautiful 3D effect and to achieve depth. You can see in the above illustrations, how this
technique was interpreted beautifully by different artists.
Pen-and-Ink Illustration
• 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 achieve
high contrasting pieces. Inks are widely
accessible and affordable material, easy to
transport, and to work expressively with.
• Sometimes, achieving gradations in value is
hard, unless, working with ink and brush as it is
in the first example illustration. Value can be
achieved also by using dots and strokes with
different weights and different distances 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 ink linework.
Pen-and-Ink
Illustration
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
achieve high contrasting
pieces. Inks are widely
accessible and affordable
material, easy to transport,
and to work expressively with.
Modern style
Illustration
 As we discussed before, with the advancement of
electronics and stepping into the so-called digital era, the
possibilities for artists to express themselves grew rapidly
and more freely. The first electronic handwriting device was
invented back in 1888. Since then, the technology became
more sophisticated and many illustrators and designers are
accustomed to using graphics tablets nowadays – devices,
which are connected to a computer. Artists use the tablet’s
pen and surface to draw and the device transfers the image
in the open drawing software – such as Photoshop.
 Freehand digital illustrations
As you can see from the pictures below, the freehand digital illustrations allow very
smooth light and shadow transitions, making a complex background and fine detail. Most
of these illustrations are in a raster format and they can be scaled up and printed only to
certain sizes before they lose quality.
 Vector graphics
In the other group, we put vector
graphics/illustrations. The way the images
are produced allows scaling them up and
down to any size, without any quality
loss. By rule, it is harder to make a
smooth transition with vectors but vector
has its advantages in producing a certain
style of imagery. This makes it very
popular for web illustration. You can
easily recognize the vector by its clear
outlines, shapes, and definition. Learn
more about vector file formats.
 These types of illustration include
Concept Art Fantasy illustrations, illustrations for
Gaming, Animation, and One-Pager
Fine Illustrations. The term concept
first appeared back in the 1930s,
used probably first by Disney and it
was used in the automotive industry
as well. In concept illustration, the
artists create several interpretations
(concept) of a certain theme, from
which the client can choose and see
the different stages, development,
and the process of creation of the
Concept Art
Illustrations for children
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.
Comics/ Graphic Novels
comic is a medium used to express ideas by
images, often combined with text or other visual
information. Comics frequently take 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. The size and
arrangement of panels contribute to narrative
pacing. Cartooning and similar forms of
illustration are the most common image-making
means in comics.
Books / Publications / Editorial
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 author 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).
Packaging
The rise of digital technologies in the
latter half of the 20th century allowed
businesses to scale rapidly and become
global. With unprecedented
competition, packaging came to be the
way of differentiating the product on
the shelf. For some businesses such as
jewelry, bakery, and children’s
products, illustration is the most
successful choice. It offers a
personalized touch, elegance, and
custom feel.
Advertising
While book and publication illustrations
should be supporting and illuminating a
certain idea, without stealing the show from
the text, and 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.
 Branding / Logo
Branding/Logotype of illustration is a very
specific style, requiring a certain set of
skills. For example, a logo should be
recognizable and readable in smaller sizes.
Therefore, the illustrator should carefully
plan the details of the logo. Logos should
be simple, yet grab attention and be
memorable. Sometimes, businesses need
more than a logo illustration, but mascots,
cartoonized versions of their employees,
or products. With their help, the
brands enhance their presence and
impression on customers.