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ILLUSTRATION The ancients recognized that a picture is worth a thousand words. In a well-crafted illustration, the artist consciously chooses not only what to say, but how to say it. A great deal of subjective information – emotion, humor, and intensity – can be conveyed, or a strait-forward authoritative tone can be struck. Illustration should not compete with text, but work with it to create a richer, more compelling, and/or more informative experience for the audience. Telling a story visually does not begin with picking up a pencil or opening an illustration program, but with understanding what it is you want to communicate and by thinking about how best to say it. It is a problem that is solved only by a good, insightful, creative, intuitive idea. Choices of media, colors, style and tone, all of which shape the reader’s experience, flow naturally from a good idea.
Click on any image for a larger version. When the visual display of complex information is the task, the designer’s job is still problem solving. You must know what to convey, and how to do so clearly. Arriving at an effective solution is rarely simple or straightforward, but it almost always looks that way. Narrative or emotive elements can support the technical information, but must never interfere with it.
Click on any image for a larger version. Far more than works in any other medium, a photograph has the power of reality. It is often perceived as a document, rather than a creation. Those who use pictures to tell stories make choices, employ knowledge and technique, and express their ideas. They shape reality and should do so consciously.
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