Heya :) Looking for some advice! How do you work out whether your work is more suited to graphic design or illustration?
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- Work out what you love doing first, then once this becomes something you can't live without everything else will start falling into place.
- Hi Bea! Personally, I'd say the main difference is that graphic design tends to be for a purpose. I.e., a business want new branding to attract more clients, so it's about communication and problem solving, whereas illustration is more about making an image for visual or creative purposes. Of course there is some overlap, but at the moment I'd say your work in more illustrative.
- @Sophie Rawlingson thank you for the feedback. It doesn't come across as negative at all, I'm a big fan of analogue but as with every medium it has it's limitations. Your embroidery is great so I wouldn't let the fact that it is not commercial at this point in time deter you from doing it. Thanks again for the recommendations, will check them both out.
- Looking at your current work, I would say you’re neither!If you’re looking for a career change however, you obviously have a knack for image making and so would suggest illustration. Through speaking with art directors and owners of illustration agencies however, they’re less keen to hire people who’s work is time consuming, and prefer to hire people who can make changes quickly as per the clients request, hence why most illustrators are digital. Fine artists however still can work commercially and have their work in magazines etc, you’ll just have to find those that would appreciate what you do, regardless of how long it may take to paint or make changes.There’s a great illustrator based in the UK with a YouTube Chanel - Holly Exley - and her work is all hand drawn and uses watercolours. She has a great illustration series and I would highly recommend :-) Also would be worth talking to Gary Wing on LinkedIn, as he’s been in the bizz for years.As someone who also makes analogue work, I hope this doesn’t come across as negative! I’ve been curious myself as what kind of illustration would get me the most commercial work, and unfortunately it’s not my embroidery.
- Thank you everyone for your comprehensive responses- super helpful!!
- At times a story or an article will require illustration if photography is not possible or challenging to achieve. An illustrator han depict almost anything, whereas photography requires it to be right in front of you.
- I'd say if you unsure, it's probably suited to both.
- All below. Also usually an illustrator is required to have a specific personal style, while a graphic designer is more an interpreter of the client (but some graphic designer have their style and they're hired exactly for that :))
- Graphic design involves a lot of curating, lay outs, typography, composition, user experience, making already existing assets fit together with other things like typography. This is deffinitley not the best description but probably enough to give you a senseIllustration is where you are creating things usually from scratch, depends what its for but it’s based on a topic then you are either telling the story through the illustration, or deconstructing the meaning of something utilising a illustrationWhen comparing them it’s worth taking note that generallyGraphic design is more about communicating with a target audience in mind, where as illustration is concerned mostly about a creative interpretationThey over lap and entwine but think of if a graphic designer and an illustrator have the same project and how differently they may go about bringing it to life. Nothing to say you can’t do a bit of both but pick which one you enjoy
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