An illustration is an artful creation and visual explanation of words, concepts, or ideas, that is used to amplify the graphic look and feel of a published article, landing page, or goods and products. Illustrations can be used as visual hooks on posters, cereal boxes, printed materials like brochures and flyers, magazines, video games, and films. Illustrations are the drawings you find to make websites and apps more user-friendly, including emojis.
Illustration is both the creation of and result of visual imagery that is used online to add graphic context to words and stories on the internet. In web articles, an illustration will attempt to add color to an essential element of the article. An illustration is typically created by an illustrator or increasingly, a graphic designer.
Learning how to draw and create illustrations is a creative tool that can help you open up your imagination and creativity in both your personal and professional lives. Illustration is also useful as a skill in many professions.
Learning how to illustrate also helps to open up the power of the right side of the brain, which is the creative side. This can help balance your logical, intuitive left-brain thinking capabilities. You can also advance your insights of illustration into online multimedia concepts.
Among the typical careers for someone who is good at illustration can be a professional illustrator, a medical illustrator, a graphic designer, a creative web director, and similar roles that emphasize creativity and visual acuity. Illustrators can find work with publishing companies, web content agencies, and advertising agencies. Illustrators who work in digital medium can take on projects on a freelance basis for a wide array of clients.
Taking online courses on Coursera about illustration can open up your talent base to understanding software programs like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and other leading software tools used in major companies today. When you take online courses, you can also gain an understanding of the history and evolution of type fonts, graphics, and use of color and space on both digital and print projects.