Posted on December 2nd, 2022

Digital illustration is the creation of a narrative image that tells a story, conveys an emotion or mood, or sells a concept or product. 

While traditional illustrations are created using methods such as oil or watercolor on paper or canvas, digital illustrations are made using software such as Adobe Photoshop.

What are the different types of digital illustration?

Illustration is used in so many aspects of life, more than most people are aware of! An artist may create art for things like:

• Films and games
• Storyboards (for film, TV shows, and commercials)
• Editorials
• Books and book covers
• Magazines and posters
• Toy designs and packaging
• Fashion and costume design
• Advertising
• Commercial products

What are the two types of illustration?

Bitmap (also called "raster") graphics and vector graphics (also known as "object-oriented") are the two common types of illustration.

Bitmap (raster) graphics

Bitmap (or "raster") graphics are made up of rows of colored pixels that create an image. In their simplest form, bitmaps have only two colors, with each pixel being either black or white. However, more complex images can include many different colors; photograph-quality images may have millions.

Some popular examples of bitmap graphic formats are GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, XBM, BMP, and PCX. Another common type of bitmap is a font - these are the images you see displayed on a computer monitor. They can also be printed out using devices like scanners and printers. Usually, bitmaps are created with software programs like Adobe Photoshop.

Vector graphics

Instead of a grid of pixels, vector graphics are made up of shapes, curves, lines, and text. This type of graphic is created using mathematical formulas that describe shapes, colors, and placement.

Some examples of vector graphic formats are PICT, EPS, and WMF files, as well as PostScript and TrueType fonts. These can be created using GIS and CAD applications or drawing programs like FreeHand.

What is the difference between drawing and illustration?

Drawing refers to the fundamentals, the basics of art. An artist needs to know how to draw before they can illustrate.

Professional illustrator and mentor of CG Spectrum’s digital illustration courses Eric Wilkerson says:

It’s like needing to know how to play an instrument before being able to play in an orchestra. You need to know the basics first. Once you build a foundation, you can apply it to creating your illustration.

How is illustration different from concept art?

Concept art is the idea of what the character, environment, or prop might look like. Illustration is when you put all of those elements into one image to tell a story.

There is a lot of overlap, but the two are quite different. For example, concept art could be the front and back of a Marvel hero’s costume or their weapon. An illustration is the next stage: putting a hero and a villain together in one image to tell a story.

What is the difference between illustration and fine art?

A fine artist takes whatever they’re interested in and creates an art piece, hoping that someone will respond to it, whereas illustrations are usually commissioned to promote a product or message. For example, an Illustrator may be commissioned to create packaging to help sell a toy or create eye-catching book cover art to stand out on bookshelves. 

The best digital illustration tools

Photoshop is the industry-standard software for digital illustrators. Other popular tools include Clip Studio, Corel Painter, and Procreate. 

Photoshop is my preferred program because it’s the most powerful one out there. If you’re going to illustrate professionally, you need a stable program.

You can’t afford to be working on something and have it suddenly crash and lose everything, says Eric.

If you get an on-site job at an ad agency or game studio, you will most likely be set up at a computer with Photoshop on it. It’s assumed you will know Photoshop. 

“Using other software is fine,” says Eric. “Whichever tool you use, it all comes down to being able to create a narrative image using the fundamental art principles. But at some point in time, you’re going to have to open Photoshop for something - whether it’s scaling, changing colors, etc. So it’s good to learn.” 

Other good tools to know include common desktop applications like Adobe Acrobat, MS Word, and Google Docs. “You might get your creative brief or instructions for the job in a PDF or Microsoft file, so you need to have the program to view it. You should also know how to make a PDF for things like contracts and invoices. PDFs are less likely to be corrupted when emailed.”

Some people ask if they need to learn Adobe Illustrator to become an illustrator. Eric says this vector-based illustration software is more commonly used by graphic designers who deal with fonts and images that need to scale without losing resolution. 

“Illustrations done in Adobe Illustrator are typically done for packaging design - things that need to be scaled up and down and put on different types of packaging. For example, stores like Walmart or Toys R Us have banners, balloons, signage, etc. that need to be scaled. Vector art has a very unique look and requires a different mindset. If that’s the kind of work you want to do, you could get a job in-house for a toy company or ad agency.” 

Source: Spectrum