Comments on: Ask An Artist – Illustration Vs. Design http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/05/05/ask-an-artist-illustration-vs-design/ Illustration Tutorials and Tips for the Traditional and Digital Artist - Monster Cutie Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:24:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Some Quick Awesome Source « Finder’s Keepers Insights http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/05/05/ask-an-artist-illustration-vs-design/comment-page-1/#comment-1049 Some Quick Awesome Source « Finder’s Keepers Insights Tue, 05 May 2009 15:14:43 +0000 http://monstercutie.com/blog/?p=323#comment-1049 [...] And no, I’m not just telling you to check it out because he’s asked me for a few [...] [...] And no, I’m not just telling you to check it out because he’s asked me for a few [...]

]]> By: peckinpaw http://monstercutie.com/blog/2009/05/05/ask-an-artist-illustration-vs-design/comment-page-1/#comment-1047 peckinpaw Tue, 05 May 2009 14:37:21 +0000 http://monstercutie.com/blog/?p=323#comment-1047 I agree with Chris that Illustration and Design are both 'applied arts'. I would go one further and call them commercial arts. Where I disagree with all three panelists is to equate Comic art with Illustration. This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of comics, which is rampant in the webcomic world today. Comics started about the same time as film did in the late 1880's and as film it is truly its own art form. Comics are NOT illustration and certainly not design. That's like saying Jazz is the same as a radio jingle. Sure Jazz can be used in a radio jingle, and a comic 'style' can be used in illustration, but they are not the same. Comics is a unique combination of words and pictures to tell a story. Illustration is ONE picture that usually ILLUSTRATES something particular (a book cover, an article, a medical device...) It would be like saying a film is like a photo, which its not, clearly. Design and Illustration, being commercial arts, fulfill a very specific commercial purpose, that is to organize information in a readily understandable way for the viewer. This is very important because that is the definition of commercial work. It needs to be readily understandable, hence Garth's point about the massive research behind commercial design solutions. Illustration always refers back to a pre-existing style. You will never find an illustration that is not derivative of a pre-existing art style, which is why they are called 'applied arts'. Comics and cartoons on the other hand have no such boundaries. Take Krazy Kat for example. I venture to say most readers today wouldn't even understand what the strip is about. The liberties Geo. Herriman is able to take are beyond the limits of design or illustration. Frank Miller is able to explore all kinds of storytelling options in his books as is Moebius (French). This is not design and it is not illustration. Sure comics use elements of design and illustration, to get a point across for example, but comics are a true art form that has no boundaries and as such is not an 'applied art'. I agree with Chris that Illustration and Design are both ‘applied arts’. I would go one further and call them commercial arts. Where I disagree with all three panelists is to equate Comic art with Illustration. This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of comics, which is rampant in the webcomic world today. Comics started about the same time as film did in the late 1880’s and as film it is truly its own art form. Comics are NOT illustration and certainly not design. That’s like saying Jazz is the same as a radio jingle. Sure Jazz can be used in a radio jingle, and a comic ’style’ can be used in illustration, but they are not the same. Comics is a unique combination of words and pictures to tell a story. Illustration is ONE picture that usually ILLUSTRATES something particular (a book cover, an article, a medical device…) It would be like saying a film is like a photo, which its not, clearly.

Design and Illustration, being commercial arts, fulfill a very specific commercial purpose, that is to organize information in a readily understandable way for the viewer. This is very important because that is the definition of commercial work. It needs to be readily understandable, hence Garth’s point about the massive research behind commercial design solutions. Illustration always refers back to a pre-existing style. You will never find an illustration that is not derivative of a pre-existing art style, which is why they are called ‘applied arts’.

Comics and cartoons on the other hand have no such boundaries. Take Krazy Kat for example. I venture to say most readers today wouldn’t even understand what the strip is about. The liberties Geo. Herriman is able to take are beyond the limits of design or illustration. Frank Miller is able to explore all kinds of storytelling options in his books as is Moebius (French). This is not design and it is not illustration. Sure comics use elements of design and illustration, to get a point across for example, but comics are a true art form that has no boundaries and as such is not an ‘applied art’.

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