Illustrations
Illustrations were first used in books to introduce and supplement the content of the book.
Illustrations are images expressed using patterns. Based on the principle of unifying aesthetics and practicality, we try to make the lines and shapes clear and lively, and easy to make.
Illustration is a universal language, and its design is usually divided into characters, animals, and product images in commercial applications.
Characters: Illustrations are based on characters, which are easy to connect with consumers, because characters can best express cuteness and intimacy, and the imagination of characters creates space It is very large. First of all, the proportion of shaping is the key. In real life, the head-to-body ratio of adults is 1:7 or 1:7.5, and the ratio of children is about 1:4, while cartoon people are often 1:2 or 1: The large head form of 1 appears. This proportion can make full use of the head area to reproduce the image and expression.
The facial expression of the character is the overall focus, so it is very important to depict the eyes.
Secondly, the use of exaggerated deformation will not give people an unnatural and uncomfortable feeling. Instead, it can make people laugh and have a good impression. The overall image will be clearer and give people a deeper impression.
Animal images: Animals have been used as cartoon images for a long time. In real life, many animals have become people’s pets. These animals are even more popular with the public as cartoon images.
When creating animal images, we must attach great importance to creativity and the anthropomorphism of the image. For example, one of the differences between animals and humans is that there is no smile on their expressions.
However, cartoon images can give animals a human-like smile through anthropomorphic techniques, making the animal images humane.
Using animals that are familiar and favorite in people’s lives can be easily accepted by people.
Product image: It is an expansion of animal anthropomorphism in the field of merchandise. Anthropomorphized merchandise gives people a sense of intimacy.
The personalized shape has a refreshing feeling, thus deepening people's direct impression of the product. In terms of the concept of personification of the product, it can be roughly divided into two categories:
First The category is completely anthropomorphic, that is, exaggerating the product, using the product's own characteristics and modeling structure to perform anthropomorphic performance.
The second category is semi-anthropomorphism, that is, adding hands, feet, head, etc. that are unrelated to the product as anthropomorphic characteristic elements on the product.
The above two anthropomorphic shaping techniques make the product humane and personalized.
Through the form of animation, the characteristics of the product are emphasized, and its actions and words are directly linked to the product, and the publicity effect is more obvious.
Illustrators often draw illustrations for graphic designers or directly for magazines, newspapers and other media.
They are generally professional illustrators or freelance artists, with their own themes and painting styles like photographers.
The professional sensitivity and desire for new forms and new tools have led many of them to start using computer graphic design tools to create illustrations.
The functions of computer graphics software allow them to give greater play to their creative talents, whether simple or complex, whether traditional media effects, such as oil painting, watercolor, print style or endless new changes in digital graphics, New fun can be completed more conveniently and quickly.
Digital photography is the latest development in photography.
Photographers use a digital camera to shoot objects or scan traditional positives into a computer through a scanner, then adjust, combine, and create new visual images on the computer screen, and finally output the positives or negatives through a film recorder .
This new photography technology completely changes the creative concept of optical imaging in photography, with digital graphics processing as its core, also known as 'photography without darkroom'.
It blurs the boundaries between photographers, illustrators and graphic designers. Nowadays, as long as you have the talent, you can complete these three jobs on the same computer.
Types of illustrations
Illustrations occupy more positions than copywriting in most advertisements. They play an equally important role in promoting products. In some poster advertisements, Illustrations are even more important than copywriting.
The main functions of illustrations in advertising include attraction, reading and induction.
The suction function mainly refers to attracting consumers’ attention.
Someone in the American advertising industry invented the "least effort principle of reading" for illustrations, which means that it takes less effort to look at an advertisement than not to look at it.
He assumed that his consumers were psychologically bored by all advertisements, and suddenly saw the advertisement when they accidentally saw it. The wonderful illustrations on the advertisement made the consumer forget that he was not here to see the advertisement. , falling into the abyss just like Alice fell into the rabbit's nest, but in the abyss consumers discovered the truth and acted according to the truth.
This is how you make consumers fall and then climb back up with you.
The reading function of illustrations mainly refers to conveying the content of poster advertisements quickly and effectively.
The best poster illustrations are concise and clear.
Illustrations that help readers grasp the key points.
Some foreign advertising illustrators use the "Tibetan method" to test the expressive ability of advertising illustrations, that is, covering up the text and title of the advertisement so that readers can only see the illustrations to see if they can understand what the advertisement wants. To express the content, good illustrations often have the power to be effective in three seconds.
The induction function of illustrations means to capture consumers’ psychological reactions and draw their attention to the copy.
A good illustration should be able to connect the advertising content with the consumer’s own reality. The illustration itself should fascinate and interest the consumer, and the picture should have enough power to prompt the consumer to want to know more about the product. The detailed content of the product entices consumers to turn their attention from illustrations to copywriting.
The images represented by the illustrations include the product itself, a certain part of the product, the product to be used, the product in use, the product for test control, the distinguishing characteristics of the product, the benefits that can be obtained by using the product, and the benefits that can be obtained without using the product. The possible consequences of this product, testimonial illustrations, etc.
There are three main categories of expression methods: photographic illustrations, painting illustrations (including realistic, purely abstract, neo-concrete, comic-cartoon, graphical, etc.) and three-dimensional illustrations.
Photographic illustrations are the most commonly used illustrations, because consumers generally believe that photos are real and reliable, and they can objectively represent products.
The biggest difference between photographic illustrations as poster advertisements and general art photography is that they try to express the characteristics of the product and expand the reality of the product. In order to pursue a certain artistic conception, art photography often combines photography with The artistic diminution of some of the true characteristics of an object.
Photographic illustrations used as posters are best shot with a 120 single lens reflex camera. According to the requirements of different themes, some commonly used lenses should be equipped, such as wide-angle lens, telephoto lens, macro lens and Close-up lens, etc.
Color reversal film is generally used to create photographic illustrations for posters to ensure the quality of printing and plate making.
Most of the production of photographic illustrations is done indoors. The background needs to be arranged manually to set off the main subject. The backup background materials include woolen, velvet, cloth, paper, etc. Of course, you can also try it boldly. Wall coverings, wool and linen materials that are currently on the market can also use slide backgrounds if conditions permit. Their advantage is that they are not affected by time, location, and climate, and can meet the requirements of advertising creativity.
Painting illustrations contain the subjective consciousness of the author to some extent. They have the freedom to express their personality. Whether they are fantasy, exaggeration, humor, emotion or symbolic emotions, they can be freely expressed and processed. As a Illustrators must complete the theme of digesting advertising creativity and have a deeper understanding of things in order to create excellent illustrations.
Since ancient times, painting and illustration have been performed by painters. With the expansion of the design field, illustration skills have become increasingly specialized. Today, illustration work has long been performed by specialized illustrators.
The most commonly used technique in painting and illustration is airbrushing, which is a technique that uses air from an air compressor to transport paint through an airbrush.
Its characteristic is that there are no brushstrokes caused by ordinary paintings, and the transition of the picture is natural, which has extremely high application value.
In paintings and illustrations, comics and cartoons are also very common.
Comic cartoon illustrations can be divided into four types: exaggerated illustrations, satirical illustrations, humorous illustrations and witty illustrations.
Exaggerated illustrations seize certain characteristics of the described object to exaggerate and emphasize them, highlighting the essential characteristics of the thing, thereby enhancing the performance effect.
Sarcastic illustrations are generally used to denounce hostile or backward things. They are ridiculed in an implicit tone to achieve a negative publicity effect. Humorous illustrations use innuendos, satire, puns and other rhetorical methods. The technique uses a kind smile to expose the eccentricities and unreasonable things in life, thereby making people laugh and understand some truths from laughter; humorous illustrations make the advertising pictures full of interest, allowing people to accept the advertising in a relaxed situation. Information, experience new concepts in a pleasant environment, and be particularly unforgettable.
Diagrams in painting illustrations are an illustration form that is very suitable for showing complex products, such as the operating procedures of new household appliances, the cooking methods of a new type of food, and the design of household appliances. Installation, various combinations of children's building blocks, etc. can use several consecutive graphic illustrations to introduce readers to the correct operating steps.
Three-dimensional illustrations are a highly expressive form of illustration used in poster advertisements. They are still rare in China, but judging from the development of international poster advertisements, it is an inevitable trend.
Its production method is: first make a three-dimensional work based on the advertising creativity, and then take a photo and use it in the poster advertising screen.
This requires poster designers and illustrators not only to have good graphic design capabilities, but also to have a solid foundation in three-dimensional composition.
Another method of three-dimensional illustration is to use drawing to express a three-dimensional image, which is an illusion of three-dimensional space expressed on two-dimensional paper.
In short, modern illustrations are no longer limited to two-dimensional expression space, and relying solely on two-dimensional expression techniques no longer meets the requirements of modern illustration design.
Illustration
In the field of modern design, illustration design can be said to be the most expressive, and it has a close kinship with the art of painting.
Many expression techniques of illustration art draw lessons from the expression techniques of painting art.
The marriage of illustration art and painting art has enabled the former to make great progress in exploring the diversity of expression techniques, or in the depth and breadth of design theme expression, showing a more unique art. Charm and thus more expressive.
In a sense, the art of painting has become a basic subject, and illustration has become an applied subject.
Throughout the history of illustration development, its application scope is constantly expanding.
Especially today with the rapid development of information, people's daily life is full of all kinds of business information. Illustration design has become an irreplaceable art form in the real society.
Therefore, the purpose of our study is how to study, think and research in-depth the knowledge of modern illustrations and better serve the society.
Definition of illustration
"Cihai" explains "illustration" as: "refers to pictures attached to books and periodicals.
Some are printed in the middle of the text , Some use inserts to supplement the text content or to appreciate art. "This explanation is mainly aimed at the definition of book illustrations, which is a narrow definition.
Due to the advent of the information age and the development of modern society, the meaning of modern illustration has changed from the narrow concept in the past (limited to paintings and pictures) to a broad concept. "Illustration" is what we usually see. The pictures inserted between the text in newspapers, magazines, various publications or children's picture books are collectively called "illustrations".
Illustration, in Latin, originally means "illumination".
As the name implies, it was originally used to increase the interest of the text in the publication, so that the text can be more vivid and vivid in the hearts of readers.
In today’s various publications, the importance of illustrations has far exceeded the role of “illuminating the text” as a foil.
It can not only highlight the idea of ??the theme, but also enhance the appeal of art.
Illustration is an art form. As an important form of visual communication in modern design, illustration occupies a specific position in modern design with its intuitive image, real sense of life and appeal of beauty. , has been widely used in many fields of modern design, involving cultural activities, social welfare undertakings, commercial activities, film and television culture, etc.
Historical evolution of illustration
The development of illustration art has a long history.
To you and me, these seemingly ordinary and simple illustrations have great connotations.
From the world’s oldest illustrated cave paintings to the folk prints of Japan’s Edo period, ukiyo-e, all demonstrate the development of illustration.
Illustration first developed with the changes in newspapers, periodicals and books in the early 19th century.
Its real golden age first started in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. At that time, illustrations that had just been separated from art works were obviously painterly, and most of the authors engaged in illustrations He was a professional painter, and later he was influenced by the Abstract Expressionist school of painting, changing from figuration to abstraction.
It was not until the 1970s that illustrations returned to a realistic style.
The earliest illustrations in China appeared in the form of prints. With the introduction of Buddhist culture, "disguised" illustrations were used to illustrate scriptures in scriptures in order to promote the doctrine.
At present, historical records record the earliest printmaking work in my country, the "Dharani Sutra Mantra" published during the reign of Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty.
The exact date is recorded on the title page of the "Vajra Prajna Sutra" written in the ninth year of Xiantong, Yizong of the Tang Dynasty (868).
In the Song, Jin and Yuan dynasties, book illustrations made great progress.
The scope of application expanded to medical books, historical geography books, archaeological catalogs, daily encyclopedias and other books, and color overprinted illustrations appeared.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it can be said that the ancient illustration art developed greatly, and there was a book engraving industry all over the country.
Different regions have formed different styles.
The forms of illustrations generally include the following: frontispiece drawings, illustrations in the text, pictures above and below or pictures above the bottom, paintings on the inside cover or title page, and plaques, etc.
The historical evolution of ancient Chinese illustrations can be regarded as the development history of printmaking.
At the same time, it is also the history of folk New Year paintings.
It’s just that folk New Year pictures became an independent commodity earlier, and they are the predecessor of commercial illustrations.
The history of illustration in Europe is similar to that in our country, and it was first used in religious readings.
Later, illustrations were widely used in publications such as natural science books, grammar books, and anthologies of classic writers.
With the development of society today, illustrations are widely used in various fields of society.
Illustration art not only expands our horizons, enriches our minds, gives us unlimited imagination, but also broadens our minds.
With the increasing commercialization of art and the emergence of new painting materials and tools, illustration art has entered the era of commercialization.
In the era of commodity economy, illustrations played a huge role in promoting economic development.
The concept of illustration has gone far beyond the scope of traditional regulations.
Looking at today's illustration industry, painters are no longer limited to a certain style. They often break the previous way of using only one kind of material. In order to achieve the desired effect, they widely use various means to make the illustration art more unique. Development has gained broader space and infinite possibilities.
Although illustration developed relatively late in China, tracing back to its origins, it has a long history. Illustrations experienced the development of blackboard newspapers, prints, and poster formats after liberation, as well as the reference to international popular styles after the 1980s. With the popularization of computer technology in the mid-to-late 1990s, more cutting-edge authors who used computers to design illustrations emerged. ...
Illustrations have found a huge living space outside of the mother body of their birth - books.
Rich carriers are constantly emerging with the advancement of technology and social needs.
Application of illustrations
Scope of application of illustrations
Publications:
Covers of books, inner pages of books, jackets of books, Illustrations used to supplement the content of books.
Including illustrations used in editorials such as newspapers and magazines.
Commercial promotion:
Advertising - including illustrations used in newspaper advertisements, magazine advertisements, signboards, posters, leaflets, and television advertisements;
Commercial image design: product logo and corporate image (mascot);
Product packaging design;
Illustrations - consumer guidance, product descriptions, instructions for use, charts, catalogs... < /p>
Film and television multimedia:
Character and environment art settings or interface design for film and television dramas, commercials, games, the Internet, etc.
Anything used for "explanation" can be included in the category of illustrations.
Two major types of illustration applications
In the field of graphic design, we are most exposed to literary illustrations and commercial illustrations.
Literary illustrations - a visual art form that reproduces the plot of an article and embodies the literary spirit.
Commercial illustration - a form of image expression that combines art and commerce to convey product information for companies or products.
The illustrator receives related remuneration, gives up the ownership of the work, and only retains the right of authorship, which is a commercial transaction.
[Edit this paragraph] The functions and effects of illustrations
Definition of illustrations
There are certain differences between modern illustrations and artistic illustrations in the general sense.
There are differences between the two in terms of functions, forms of expression, and communication media.
The service objects of modern illustrations are first of all products.
Commercial activities require the information carried to be conveyed to the audience accurately and clearly, hoping that people will correctly receive and grasp the information, and allow the audience to take action while giving them a beautiful feeling, so it is said that it It is for commercial activities.
In general, artistic illustrations generally have three functions and purposes:
First, as a supplement to text;
Second, to allow people to obtain the satisfaction of perceptual knowledge. ;
3. Express the artist’s aesthetic concepts and expression skills, and even express the artist’s world view and outlook on life.
Modern illustrations are very functional, and deviation from the pure art purpose of visual communication often weakens the function of modern illustrations.
Therefore, when designing, the theme of the illustration should not be ambiguous.
It must be based on clarity, simplicity and accuracy.
The appeal function of modern illustrations
The basic appeal function of modern illustrations is to convey information to the audience in the most concise, clear and clear way, arouse their interest, and strive to convince them of the delivered content. , and readily accept the propaganda content in the aesthetic process, inducing them to take final action.
(1) Display vivid and specific images of products and services and convey information intuitively.
(2) Stimulate consumer interest.
(3) Enhance the persuasiveness of advertising.
(4) Strengthen the appeal of products and satisfy consumers’ desires.
[Edit this paragraph] The aesthetic characteristics of illustrations
As a form of visual art, specifically as a member of applied arts, illustration design has its own aesthetic characteristics .
Among them, the most obvious ones are as follows:
First, purpose and restriction
Second, practicality and popularity
3. Imageability and Intuition
4. Aesthetics and Interest
5. Creativity and Artistic Imagination
6. Diversity and Pluralism
< p> Due to the diversity of media, content, expression techniques, and appeal objects, modern illustrations have diverse and diversified aesthetic standards.Illustrations
[Edit this paragraph] Forms of illustrations
Modern illustrations come in various forms, which can be classified by communication media or function.
According to media classification, it is basically divided into two parts, namely print media and film and television media.
Print media includes poster advertisement illustrations, newspaper illustrations, magazine and book illustrations, product packaging illustrations, corporate image promotional material illustrations, etc.
Film and television media include movies, television, computer monitors, etc.
Poster advertising illustrations: also called posters and posters.
In an era when advertising still mainly relied on print media to convey information, it can be said that it is in a dominant position in advertising.
However, with the emergence of film and television media, its application scope has narrowed.
Newspaper illustrations: Newspapers are one of the best media for information transmission.
It is the most popular, has low cost, large circulation, wide dissemination, fast speed and short production cycle.
Magazine and book illustrations: including cover and back cover designs and text illustrations, widely used in all types of books.
Such as literature books, children's books, science and technology books, etc.
This kind of illustration is gradually declining.
In the future, there will still be a large number of electronic books and electronic newspapers.
Product packaging illustrations: Product packaging makes illustrations more widely used.
Product packaging design includes three elements: logo, graphics, and text.
It has a dual mission: one is to introduce products, and the other is to establish a brand image.
The most prominent feature is that it is between plane and three-dimensional design.
Corporate image promotional material illustration: It is the VI design of the company.
It is included in the two parts of the basic system and application system of corporate image design.
Film and television illustrations in film and television media: refers to illustrations that appear in movies and television.
Generally appear more in commercials.
Film and television illustrations also include computer screens.
The computer screen has now become the expression space of commercial illustrations. Numerous graphic library animations, game programs, and graphic tables have all become part of commercial illustrations.
Expression forms of illustrations
Characters, free form, realistic techniques, black and white, color, use of materials, photos, computer production..., as long as Anything that can be formed into a "graphic" can be used in the production of illustrations.
Vector
[Edit this paragraph] Classification of illustrations
Click now Market positioning: vector fashion cartoons, realistic young children’s illustrations, concept settings, etc.
Classification according to production method: hand-drawn, vector, commercial, cutting-edge (2D plane, UI design, 3D), pixel
Classification by illustration and painting style: Japanese cartoons and illustrations, European and American illustrations, Hong Kong illustrations, Korean game illustrations, Taiwanese romance novel cover illustrations, because there are too many styles now, so I just classify them simply
In addition, in foreign countries, the style is wider and there are hand-made origami, cloth patterns, various styles, and they go hand in hand.
[Edit this paragraph] Current situation of illustrations
The place where illustrations are most developed: The United States is a country with a very developed illustration market, and appreciating illustrations has become a habit in society.
On the one hand, there are a large number of independent illustration products sold in the terminal market, such as illustrated books, magazines, illustrated greeting cards, etc.
On the other hand, illustrations, as part of the visual communication system (graphic design, illustrations, commercial photography), are widely used in design content such as print advertisements, posters, covers, etc.
The illustration market in the United States is also very professional, divided into children's, sports, science fiction, food, digital, pure art style, humor and other professional types, each type has its own Dedicated illustration artist.
The entire illustration market is very standardized and the competition is fierce, because the average income level of illustration artists is three times the average income of ordinary Americans.
Illustrations in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan: As we all know, Japanese commercial animation already has a huge market and operation team.
Animation is an important branch of the illustration industry.
Before CG technology (puter Graphics, using computer technology for visual design and production) entered the field of illustration, hand-drawn animation had already become a sunrise industry in Japan.
Today's younger generation is increasingly inclined to use computer digital technology.
In South Korea, as the game industry has risen to become the second pillar industry of the national economy in recent years, illustrations, especially digital illustrations, have suddenly emerged. Game characters designed with digital illustrations have followed the popularity of Korean games in China. Popularized and won a larger market space.
At the same time, illustration designers in Hong Kong and Taiwan are still looking for their own industry path, although their works have obvious traces of Japan.
Illustration education: Beijing Institute of Graphic Arts, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Beijing Broadcasting Institute, Tsinghua University Academy of Fine Arts, Central Academy of Fine Arts and other institutions have all opened illustration or illustration-related majors in the past two years, but Teaching content often only includes publication illustrations rather than commercial illustrations in the full sense.
But abroad, illustration education and the market are closely integrated.
Many well-known illustrators are guest teachers at various universities, and they bring the most fashionable and cutting-edge business awareness to schools.
Commercial illustrations popular in foreign markets today include four forms: publication illustrations, cartoon mascots, film, television and game art design, and advertising illustrations.
In fact, in China, illustrations have been used in print and electronic media, commercial venues, public institutions, product packaging, film and television performance posters, corporate advertisements and even T-shirts, diaries, and New Year cards.