Contemporary illustration methods and new application areas on illustrations: Interaction induced animated illustrations

Illustration can be defined as a sub-discipline of graphic design enabling the realization of visual communication which mediates to the description of ideas and thoughts in a formal way. From the past to the present, illustrations find various areas of usage as visual elements in communication environment and it can be used as a design element for many graphic products ranging from product designs to children’s books. Over time, stylistic differences in illustration languages have also turned into structural differences in design and production process and concepts such as interaction, user control and animation have developed an alternative language to the traditional illustration techniques. Contemporary form-languages of these illustrations are examined in the scope of this study. Formal analysis of illustrated graphic products and their delivery to new media environments are considered in this process. Animated illustrations and three dimensional design, among those application techniques, are at the active position to intensify the perception of viewers/readers via illustration. In this study, method included the usage, design and application processes of animated illustration applications, also current and proposed examples and alternative languages’ search of illustrations are discussed.    Keywords: illustration, contemporary illustration, animated illustration, three dimensional art design, interaction design.