Is there a clear distinction between digital and non-digital illustration? This might be in terms of style, production or the use of interactivity.
There are no clear boundaries between digital and non-digital illustrations. In a sense computers and various software are just an additional set of tools to create illustrations and very often illustrators use a mix of traditional and digital tools. For instance, they might sketch with a pencil and import the sketch in Photoshop to colour it.
Moreover, digital tools are often inspired from traditional ones. Many brushes in Procreate or Photoshop are meant to recreate the effects of watercolour or acrylic paint, pencils and other traditional tools.
In many cases, it is difficult to know which mediums have been used to create an illustration. In an article I read online https://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/features/illustration/yuke-lis-pencil-drawings-are-entirely-digital/), Yuke Li explained how people thought that her digital illustrations had been created with pencils.
There are however some differences between digital and non-digital illustrations.
In terms of productivity, it is easier to redo and undo work on the computer. In fact, it is one of the advantages when sketching with a tablet. It can be cumbersome to use a light box to create new improved versions of the same sketch. On the other hand, it can be done in a few seconds with a tablet by adding a layer and play with transparency.
Digital illustrations can be shared online straight away. Colours can be changed sometimes fairly easily. The use of vectors means that an illustration can be resized and this can be a necessity in some cases (use of illustrations in reports for instance).
On the other hand, it can be easier to take a pencil and a sketchbook to draw on location.
In terms of style, there are also differences in what can be achieved.
Digital tools can allow an illustrator to create a mixture of realistic and painted effects that look different from non-digital illustrations (https://www.creativebloq.com/digital-art/10-digital-artists-you-need-know-11618947). A lot of special effects can be applied including a mixture of illustrations and photography. Illustrators sometimes use textures from photograph and apply them to painted illustrations.
Non-digital illustrations also have a certain look that cannot always be recreated digitally. In fact, in a world where technology allows the creation of the most incredible special effects, there might be a growing appeal for non-digital illustrations.
Picking up on Steven Heller’s quote, what is the future for digital illustration?
To answer Steven Heller’s question: “Can the computer be an integral medium that changes the way we perceive and practice illustration?”, it is of course the case today and not only for digital illustrations as non-digital illustrations are often enhanced digitally and shared online.
There are now many articles and tutorials online to learn about digital illustrations including https://www.creativebloq.com/imaginefx/ (also sold as a magazine) and https://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/ but also YouTube videos and many other websites offering valuable information on the subject.
Digital and non digital illustrations are now existing side by side in the same way that some artists will choose watercolour while others will prefer oil paint and this is likely to be true in the future.
The process is not so different with digital and non-digital illustrations. Whatever the tool, the illustrator’s skills are just as important.
Of course, we could wonder at what new technologies will bring in the future and what will be possible with artificial intelligence but it seems that hand-drawn illustrations will remain attractive.
Catherine Roux Degree in Illustration 