What's The Difference Between Graphic Design and Illustration?

Question

At the moment I'm on a Graphic Design course (pre-degree) and I'm thinking I want to switch to Illustration for my BA - the real reason I want to do this is 'cause I like DRAWING!
I've been forewarned that at my interview I'm going to be asked why Illustration is NOT Graphic Design - the thing is, I'm not sure I can come up with an eloquent answer! What would you say if you were asked this?

For bonus points, I may well be asked to explain why Illustration is NOT Fine Art either - I think I've got a good answer for this but it couldn't hurt to get others' input..

Just to clarify - I know what Graphic Design is - I'm doing the course! And I know that a lot of it crosses over these days - Illustration can just as frequently involve layout in the same way Graphic Design does, and Graphic Design can be expressive and doesn't always involve rulers!

The important thing is I've been told specifically that at interview for my degree I WILL be asked to explain why Illustration and Graphic Design are NOT the same thing! I can't tell them "well they're basically the same".

Answer 1

Speaking as someone who trained and worked for a number of years as an illustrator and is now a graphic designer, I can point out several obvious differences:

• It's less soul-destroying when someone rejects a design you've worked on for seven straight days than an illustration;
• It's much cleaner;
• You can make a decent living in graphic design.

In answer to your other point about Fine Art vs Illustration, I always thought that the main difference was that Fine Art is intending to provoke a reaction or emotion, whereas Illustration is intended to reflect it - or 'illustrate' it. Take away the text that accompanies it and an illustration should still say something about the subject.

Answer 2

Graphic Designer Vs Illustrator

Answer 3

In my opinion and experience, I offer that illustration is a component of graphic design. In a layout that includes an illustration, that figure must fit in place for the best impact on the observer's eye. A page must flow and an graphic must be scaled and placed in such a way that it does not interrupt that flow. Even if the eye is meant to linger on the illustration, the flow can be continuous, moving around the figure, before going on to other parts, or to the end.

A good designer knows a bit about psychology to be able to create effective layouts, and the placement of any graphic element, whether illustration, photograph or typeography uses this knowledge.

In an ideal situation, the illustrator would be the designer of the layout, so that the graphic can be created in such a way as to fit the page, rather than the layout be arranged to accomodate the graphic. Next best situation would be that the illustrator and the designer work closely, in order to avoud compromises that detract from page's intention.

In any case, both, the graphic designer and the illustrator must know the elements of good composition, so that the page "conflicts" are usually kept to a minimum.

I, too, love to draw, and consider myself an excellent illustrator. But business demands mean that I must be flexible, and my training as a graphic designer means that I don't have to turn away clients, whatever they may need. It means that if a client needs a graphic, and can't afford to pay me for original artwork, then I must resort to clip art of someone ELSE'S work, and make it fit in the client's layout.

It's a fact of professional, commercial, life, and, both, the graphic artist and the illustrator bring their, separate, expertise to the game.

So many of the answers, here, have got it SO wrong, such as "Peter K"s response that illustration has no type. I've done plenty such illustrations, including logos, sign painting, book covers, etc. Or, "kathiekai"s suggestion that graphic design did not exist before computers. The appelation of "artist" appies to the designer, as well as the illustrator.

Answer 4

It's like Magoo said, the lines are blurring between illustration and the graphic arts, due to the software that is very sophisticated nowadays. Adobe has a Creative Suite of graphics software, and among them is Illustrator, which is a vector-based program, allowing you to draw images, and import and export to other programs like Photoshop and InDesign ( a page layout graphics program). By the time you graduate and interview for a job, I doubt you'll even be asked this question, because it's an old-school approach.

Answer 5

difference graphic design illustration

Answer 6

Graphic design is usually sketching and planning developments the initial layout of a project, protractors, rulers and other equipment is used, also some CAD (computer aided design). Illustrations are usually drawings for publications such as in books. Graphics is about measurements and exact replication of real life objects whereas illustration is your own interpretation. Fine art, expanding further is a personal expression of a wider world, can be imaginary too and not true to life, more of a hobby.

Answer 7

i actually did a graphic design & illustration course at Uni of Hertfordshire. Graphic design is quite varied and often deals with typography, layouts for packaging, magazines,etc whereas illustration was, for me, a bit more personal and something i could haver fun doing. My tutors used to say theirs a fine line between it all nowadays and most courses will just let you go in the direction you want.

Answer 8

Graphic Design BA courses should offer the marketing aspect as well (or the opportunity to investigate marketing as part of your study modules). Knowing what society wants or does not want is largely common-sense.

Answer 9

graphic design is a consist of elements such as lines, texts, illustrations and other stuff. so, you could say illustration is a subset of graphic design.

Answer 10

Graphic design covers areas like typography and layout. Illustration is just um, drawing.