The difference between graphic design and illustration

The difference between graphic design and illustration

Art and design are becoming more and more accessible, which makes it inevitable to mistake different mediums for one another. Take graphic design, graphic illustration and illustration, for example. It’s easy to confuse these intertwined, closely related art forms. In fact, many notable artists of the 20th century make a living at it by moving back and forth between the creative fields of illustration and graphic design.

So, what’s the difference between them? The main difference between graphic design and illustration is how and where you use them. Typically, graphic design leans more commercial, while illustration is related to fine art. As more and more commercial projects often require emotive and distinct visuals, those differences are becoming less obvious over time.

Let’s take a deeper look at graphic illustration, graphic design and illustration, what happens when you combine them, and see some inspiring ways that graphic illustration could be used for your future project.

Graphic design vs illustration vs graphic illustration?—

Both graphic design and illustration have their own set of techniques, mediums and artistic goals. It’s easiest to think of graphic design for its commercial motivation, while illustration takes the fine art route.

Graphic designer Adrian Shaughnessy puts it like this: “Graphic design’s ability to deliver explicit messages makes it a major (if little recognized) force in the modern world: it is embedded in the commercial infrastructure. Illustration, on the other hand, with its woolly ambiguity and its allusive ability to convey feeling and emotion, makes it too dangerous to be allowed to enter the corporate bloodstream.”

Graphic designers hold onto their anonymity more so than illustrators, as their focus is in communicating someone else’s ideas through classic design elements. Illustrators are often sought out based on their personal aesthetic and artistic skill.

What is illustration?

Illustrations are a visual way to portray or illustrate a written text. They might help explain an idea or tell a story or provide decoration. They come in many forms both traditional and digital.

Drawings—in both black-and-white and color—are one of the most widely used styles of illustration. Pencil drawings allow both soft lines and sharp edges. Ink drawings gorgeously showcase contrast. Charcoal drawings have the ability to create dramatic shadows and are often the tool of choice in illustrating stories. Lithography, an old drawing-meets-printmaking technique that has since been modernized, has also recently been making a comeback.

What is graphic design?

Graphic design is the art and profession of using visual compositions to solve problems and communicate ideas through typography, imagery, color and form. While illustration focuses on creative interpretation, graphic design is all about communication with its target audience. Marketing and branding strategies (rather than text or stories) typically fuel the direction of graphic designers.

The types of graphic design are wide ranging in both the print and digital worlds. Posters, fliers, business cards, packaging, billboards, and logos are a few examples of predominantly physical print works, while email marketing and web design dominate the digital landscape.

Graphic design often begins with visual identity, a type of design that communicates a brand’s personality, story and emotion through logos, typography, color palettes, images, and style guidelines to ensure consistency through all other designs.

Marketing has traditionally been focused on print materials, like flyers, magazine and newspaper ads. Publication designers produce layouts, hand-pick typography and arrange artwork for long-form projects, like books, newspapers, magazines and catalogs. Packaging designers communicate directly to consumers through the physical products. Environmental design unites design and architecture to create engaging spaces through signage, murals and exhibition displays.

The internet has also opened up other ways for graphic designers to bring brand awareness through digital channels. User interface and experience (UI/UX) designers focus on how to make more enriching interactions between users and desktop apps, mobile apps, web apps and games. Motion graphics design for online media, TV and film crafts ads, trailers, GIFs, web banners and presentations.

What is graphic illustration?

Graphic illustration takes characteristics from both graphic design and classic illustration and combines them. While graphic design puts more emphasis on communication, and illustration leans more into fine art, graphic illustration is what happens when we marry both together. It’s the best of both worlds.

Graphic illustration applies the classic design principles of color, form, shapes, and layouts to organize and showcase original artwork.