Articles

Articles exploring illustration, ideas, and wider issues related to the framework of illustration as a form of visual expression and communication. We seek to explore the evolving nature of contemporary illustration as well as looking at illustrators of the past and examining their work.

SHOW AND TELL – DIGITAL INNOVATION IN NARRATIVE ILLUSTRATION
Beyond the current popular use of narrative illustration in digital media, how are illustrators creating innovative narrative-led work in the new ocean of digital possibility?

Thoughts on an Illustrator’s Role

As illustrators, what role can we, should we, or do we want to play in society? What steps could we take as illustrators to make our role and work more democratic, more inclusive, more transparent, more informed, more engaging? Here are some thoughts, and some questions…

BLACK AND WHITE

In this fascinating article, Ruth Wivell tackles the tricky subject of race in a reading of Dahlov Ipcar’s 1963 Black and White, a beautifully illustrated book for children inspired by the civil rights movement.

EVALUATING ILLUSTRATION AESTHETICALLY

How do you evaluate excellence in illustration? How do you start understanding illustration’s place in the creative arts? Jaleen Grove, an art historian with a specialization in illustration studies and illustration history, looks at key ways we can assess illustration.

BOOKS WITHOUT WORDS

Is a book still a book if it doesn’t have any words? In this article Anna Ridley takes a close look at wordless picture books and discovers there’s more than one way to tell a story.