Just like a picture is worth a thousand words, an illustration is contemporarily worth a thousand more!
Rooting to render the significant task of entertaining and informing the audiences at the same time, the mesmerizing beauty of digital illustration as a form of digital art is outpacing and flourishing in the modern world of art.
The arena of illustrations originated right when men decided to carve designs on cave stones and has come a long way since then, crossing the boundaries of ages and eras.
Let’s step into the mushrooming world of Digital Illustrations and know what the wave of craze all about is!
Recommended Story – Top Famous Indian Photographers
What is Digital Illustration?
With the exceptional admix of modern mediums and personalized art, Digital Illustration stands to be a perfect example of the world following the road to digitization.
It has successfully united the digital tools of art and distinctive skills of artists to create an exceptional form of Digital Art.
It is created with the help of various software and interfaces giving birth to multiple opportunities and latitudes in the field of art.
Digital Illustrations are one amongst the list of top evocative and powerful forms of communication in modern times when the world is going online.
Embarking on the evolution of art, Digital Illustrations have made it possible for artists to utilize digital technology in creating their stellar pieces of art.
An effective medium for expressing the vivid imagination and complex emotions of people in today’s era, Digital Illustrations also gives artists the creative freedom to go beyond the traditional resources.
The Evolution of Digital Illustration as a Form of Digital Art
Change is inevitable and the concept of evolution is widely accepted by humankind.
Like everything else in this ever-changing and evolving world, technology too has managed to parallel walk along the path of evolution and change.
The Analogue Times
The antecedent generation was blessed with the experience, dedication, and love for the traditional mediums of creating and presenting art.
The availability of various styles and forms of physical surfaces and tools to shape the imagination into tangible art was a fascinating job for artists.
The traditional medium gave a luxurious status to both the art and the artist which was something very difficult to be given up by the conversationalists.
The artists of analogue times were too comfortable and purist towards their traditional mediums of art which were a majestic manifestation of their imagination and skills.
The Dawn of the Digital
The trait of change being constant can be ignored by none and the same goes with evolution.
It was time for art to see changes and step into its journey of evolution while the world was walking the same path.
In the 1980s, the term ‘Digital Art’ was used for the first time.
A program named AARON was developed by engineers, which enabled a robot to draw paintings on a sheet of paper placed on the floor.
The early 1990s saw the developments and advancements in technology and Digital Art became a possible job with the help of computers.
The 1990s marked the arrival and widespread use of first-generation computers which comprised the tools that enabled the users to digitally draw and design their art.
The time was changing and computers were becoming capable of capturing the artists’ vision through evolving artistic software.
Programs like MacPaint, Adobe Photoshop, MS Paint, and Adobe Illustrator surfaced with time to become the very first options for digital painting.
The pros and cons of digital painting were being studied and perceived by people.
Undoubtedly, the most prominent and advantageous element of digital art was less time consumption and easy delivery which made it even more convenient.
The decade made way for the emergence of a new age in the arena of art and artists begun to acknowledge Digital Art.
The Era of Multimedia
The era of multimedia began in the years 1990 to 2006.
Just like people were adapting the use of computers, the technology was adapting with new techniques and styles to ensure modification.
Multimedia like graphics, images, music, animations, etc was extensively being put to use to elevate the rate of effective communication.
The use of VFX and high-end visual effects in the movies also modified the art of storytelling through cinema.
Both software and hardware were creating magic and the difference between realism and sci-fi became difficult to be traced.
Along with Digital Art becoming a huge part of so many different fields, the 21st century also began with the wave of various social media platforms being launched year by year.
From the launch of Facebook in 2004 to that of Instagram in 2010 and Google+ in 2011, social media led to increased exposure of users to Digital Art.
Recommended Story – Talented Photographers right out of Indian colleges
The Present Age
Illustrations have now become an integral part of the present world.
Digital Art has successfully created its safe space in people heart and has proved to be effectively influential.
The inception of social media has made the world go online and there’s probably nothing that doesn’t incorporate the use of Digital Illustrations as a part of it.
This mostly happened because of the changing human habits.
We are exposed to screens and most of the information and knowledge we receive is through digital mediums.
Studies show that sixty percent of people are visual learners, ninety percent of the information transmitted to our brain is visual and forty percent of people respond better to visuals.
Digital Illustration as a Part of our Daily Life
Today, communication is all about making an impact and getting a grip over the audience’s attention.
Various forms of Digital Art have become a part of our daily life.
For example, the expressions through Emojis and stickers used in social media, learning through illustrations in books and magazines, entertainments through graphics and animation, news and important structured information through info graphics, etc.
The Scope of Digital Illustrations
Like everything else, the entrepreneurial ecosystem is also evolving.
Almost every industry has recognized the human behaviour towards Digital Illustrations as a user and is trying to make the best use out of it.
Visual representation of information with a hint of entertainment in the marketing strategies has turned out to be a very common and recurring phenomenon of the era.
Influential and thought-evoking graphic elements are being used to enhance the success rate and brand image of products and services.
The visual advertisements both in print as well as the web are making the use of Digital illustrations very prominent day by day.
The visual representation of data, statistics, and information is also being shared with the extensive use of well-designed illustrations and graphics, making it easy for users to remember the content seen.
Also, the advent of Covid-19 has added a lot of things to the list of traditional chores evolving into digital forms due to the lack of socialization.
The invitation cards are not just being designed to be further printed out but to also be the best graphical versions including the video format.
Apart from the general use, Digital Illustrations have also grown to become people’s interest and passion.
Being a Digital Illustrator has become a very artistic as well as an admirable job in the last decade; as the growth and scope of Digital Art even in the near future is hidden by none.
The steady growth of the industry is assured with the new mediums, styles, designs and forms coming into light.
The Scope of Digital Art in India
The inception of modern technology and programs being upgraded day by day has made it very easy to draw digitally for artists all around the world, including India.
India is known for its traditional art and conventional methods which have given the country an exceptional identity.
In a place like this where traditional art runs in the veins of artists, adapting to technology has taken their own time and efforts.
But, the inevitability of change can be ignored and denied by none.
Even though nothing can replace the beauty of brush strokes running on surfaces, the innovation of the Pen Tab has made life easier.
The only difference is you don’t have to carry different types of brushes and surfaces according to the requirements because with the Pen Tab you need nothing else; it adjusts itself according to your desires and needs.
Other than the still drawings of these Pen Tabs, the photo montage paintings, graphic illustrations and animations have also efficiently proven their utility by their presence all over the different mediums.
The scope of Digital Illustrations in India is not just limited to using the designing tools to create paintings or different mediums of communications like Flyers, Logos, Advertisements, Book covers or Info graphics, etc; but it also extends its arms to designing accessories, home decor products and even clothing.
Digital Illustration in India paves the way for the upcoming generation of artists to create new limits and cross new boundaries of art.
It also provides the chance of learning new things to the traditional artists.
The beauty and creativity of Digital Art have crossed the boundaries of conventionalism very efficiently over the years.
The future of Digital Illustration seems to be even more vibrant than the present age, as there’s no going back to any less exposure with technology but only ahead.
Also Read – Graphic Designing as a career in India: Here’s Everything You Need to Know.
