Media of Illustration,Essentials of Telling a Story through an Illustration

Media of Illustration 

Illustrations can be made mainly by two media, which are digital media and traditional media. However, some people create an illustration with both media, which is called mix media. 

· Digital Media 

Illustrations made digitally through computer are called digital media. People use programs in doing their illustration, such as Adobe Photoshop and Corel Draw. 

· Traditional Media 

Traditional media is a media to draw illustrations traditionally. People in the past who did paintings on rock walls, caves, canvases, and papers are included as traditional artists. Tools used in making a traditional illustration are also varying, such as pencils, colored pencils, markers, charcoal, drawing pens, watercolor pencils, crayons, et cetera. 

· Mix Media 

Illustrations made by mix media is an illustration made by both digital and traditional media. 

Essentials of Telling a Story through an Illustration 

Andrew Loomis (1947, p.179) pointed out what should be done in the essentials of telling the story through illustrations: 

· Visualization 

After the idea chosen to be illustrated, the illustrator has to know the atmosphere of what they will illustrate. They should read the whole story to understand the subject, as well as the characters, setting, accessories, and costumes. 

· Dramatization 

Commonly, there is a way to tell the story dramatically. The first thing we need to do is to think about an expected events happened in the story that others would think of. If the story is not interesting, we can emphasize the interest points to the characters through their gestures, expressions, and suggestions. 

Angle is also effective in dramatizing a story. A good angle with a good composition will make the story more dramatic. Natural movements by the characters will make a good motion picture as well. 

In dramatization part, the illustrators get an opportunity to be as creative as they can to show their originality. 

· Characterization 

Characterization in a character tells who they are. For example, wrinkles on the face and white hair can tell that the character is an old person. Things spread messily in a room can tell that the owner of the room is a person who doesn‟t really care with tidiness. Accessories can also tell a story as well. 

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