Illustration Styles and Technique

Wharf Street Strategies
The Epiko
Published in
4 min readOct 23, 2019

Over the years, the way of presenting things have changed. Likewise, take the case of comic books, which finds more readers in comparison to other literary contexts. The reason is quite simple, the content in the comics is well-illustrated, looks more appealing, more interesting and more expressive.

Here, in this article, we will discuss the importance of illustration in catching the interest of the readers, its types and the techniques.

What is illustration?

An illustration may be defined as a visual representation of a concept, process or method, in such a way that even those people who are having the least knowledge about the subject are able to understand it easily.

Types of Illustration Styles

There are different types of illustration styles that are used in different industries such as advertising, publishing, and packaging. Broadly, an illustration style may be divided into two categories:-

  • Traditional illustration styles
  • Modern illustration styles

Traditional illustration styles

These are one of the oldest forms of illustration styles which dates back from the stone age when early man used to draw figures on the cave walls to illustrate their story.

Under this category, some of the most effective illustration techniques are:-

Woodcutting illustration

A Woodcutting illustration is being practiced since the invention of the printing press. Hand Carved Wooden Printing Block is the most common form of wood cutting illustration, which is used by the artists who want to give a natural and rough texture to their artwork.

Watercolor illustration

A watercolor illustration is widely used by those artists who want to give a light and airy effect to their artwork. Its application can be seen in paintings, children’s books, and fashion illustrations.

Pen and ink illustration

Pen and ink illustration is generally used by those artists who want to create highly detailed, precise and accurate artwork. In this form of illustration, the artistic take care of line quality characteristics, contrast level between the design elements and surface textures.

Modern illustration style

As technology is evolving, tools and techniques are being used by the artists for creating more appealing artwork. The most common form of illustration styles which fall in this category are as follows:-

Freehand digital illustration

This technique is similar to the illustrations done on Canvas and paper sheets. The difference only lies in the process that is followed. Here, illustrations are done using stylus or pen tool over a digital interface, which is editable and more feasible.

Vector graphics

It involves connecting 2D points using the curves and lines to create a high-resolution computer graphic image. These are primarily used for creating posters, logos, and flyers.

Experts Views

Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse.
-Winston Churchill, Former British Prime Minister

True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist.
-Albert Einstein, Theoretical physicist

So, if you have been looking for a better way of expressing your ideas, views, and concepts, then, pick any of the above-discussed illustration styles and leave a strong impact on the audience.

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The upbringing of comic books

Digital Painting: Significance in game design

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Wharf Street Strategies
The Epiko

WSS is a dynamic technology company empowering start-ups and businesses across the world.