An Illustration is a visualisation such as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that stresses subject more than form. The aim of an illustration is to elucidate or decorate a story, poem or piece of textual information (such as a newspaper article), traditionally by providing a visual representation of something described in the text.

Function

Illustrations can be used to display a wide range of subject matter and serve a variety of functions.

    * giving faces to characters in a story
    * displaying a number of examples of an item described in an academic textbook (e.g. A Typology)
    * visualizing step-wise sets of instructions in a technical manual
    * communicating subtle thematic tone in a narrative
    * linking brands to the ideas of human expression, individuality and creativity
    * inspiring the viewer to feel emotion in such a way as to expand on the linguistic aspects of the narrative