Some illustrators constantly ask themselves the question: analogue or digital? Both approaches have their advantages and challenges, and the decision between them is often a question of context, preference and objective.
Analogue illustration
What is analogue illustration?
Analogue illustration includes all forms of hand-drawn artwork created with traditional tools such as pencils, watercolours, ink or acrylic. This approach has a long history dating back to the earliest forms of human art.
Advantages of analogue illustration:
- haptics: tactile qualities of brushes, pens or colours are difficult to imitate digitally, besides it is a different feeling to draw on real paper.
- uniqueness: every stroke is unique and cannot be easily reproduced.
- textures: Materials such as watercolour paper, canvas or charcoal create natural textures that are difficult to imitate in the digital world.
Disadvantages of analogue illustration:
- error correction: unlike in the digital world, there is no ‘undo’ button. A mistake can be difficult or impossible to correct.
- material costs: high-quality colours, papers and tools are often expensive and have to be replaced regularly.
- limited reproducibility: analogue works must first be photographed or scanned for digital use, which can be time-consuming and does not always deliver perfect results.
Digital illustration
What is digital illustration?
Digital illustration refers to artwork created with software and digital devices such as tablets, pencils or computers. Programmes such as Adobe Photoshop or Procreate offer artists a wide range of tools and effects.
Advantages of digital illustration:
- flexibility: the possibility to try out different tools, brushes and effects with one click makes the creative process diverse and customisable.
- error correction: functions such as ‘Undo’ or ‘Layers’ make it easy to correct mistakes or make changes.
- cost savings: After the first purchase of a tablet and the software, there are no additional material costs.
- reproducibility: digital works can be copied and passed on in perfect quality, making them ideal for commercial purposes.
- integration into work processes: Digital files can be seamlessly integrated into print processes, animations or web applications.
Disadvantages of digital illustration:
- time intensive: working with graphics software and digital tools requires time and patience.
- technical dependency: it is not possible to work without electricity, a functioning device or the right software.
- artificiality: digital art can sometimes appear less ‘alive’ or ‘authentic’ compared to analogue work.
For what purposes are analogue and digital illustration most frequently used?
Areas of application for analogue illustration:
- Art and gallery work
- Children’s book illustrations (often traditional techniques such as watercolour or coloured pencil)
- Sketches and concepts
- Handmade designs (posters, greeting cards or packaging)
Areas of application for digital illustration:
- Entertainment (video games, film and animation)
- advertising
- Editorial content (magazines, blogs and newspapers)
- Web design and UI/UX (icons, layouts and visual elements for apps and websites)
How can analogue and digital techniques be combined?
The combination of analogue and digital illustrations combines the advantages of both sides:
- Analogue sketches as a basis: Analogue sketches can be digitised and then further processed using digital software.
- Textures and patterns: Handmade textures such as brushstrokes, watercolour backgrounds or charcoal drawings can be used.
- Hybrid works: Artists use both analogue and digital tools in the same project.
- Collages: Digital collages can consist of scanned analogue elements, photographs and digital drawings.
- Printing and post-processing: Digital works can be printed out and then further processed using analogue techniques such as paint or pens.
The artist and graphic designer Kevin Bergquist combines analogue and digital art by creating collages from his analogue drawings and then digitising and editing them (see image).
How is analogue illustration digitised?
Digitising analogue illustrations is an important step in making them usable for digital purposes. There are various methods and aspects that should be taken into account:
- high quality scanning: Scanner with high resolution (at least 300 dpi)
- photography: high-quality camera and even lighting
- post-processing: adjust brightness, contrast and colours
- cropping: remove or adjust the background
- file format: lossless format such as TIFF or PNG, JPEG version optimised for web use
- calibrated devices: calibrated monitor to ensure colour accuracy
Does analogue illustration have a future?
Despite the fast development of digital technologies, analogue illustration has not lost its relevance. In fact, it is making a comeback in certain areas. Artists and consumers appreciate the unique character and originality that only handmade works can offer. At the same time, analogue art is often seen as an opposite pole to the fast- moving digital world and is consciously used as a statement.
However, there is no doubt that digital illustration is leading the way in many commercial areas. Its efficiency, flexibility and integration into digital work processes make it the preferred choice for businesses and creative projects.
Ressources:
praxistipps.chip.de – zeichnungen-digitalisieren-so-gehts
pixus-punktus.de – digitales-zeichne-und-analoges-zeichnen-ein-vergleich
truegrittexturesupply.com – blogs/news/tutorial-get-analog-digital-with-kludge
diepresse.com – analoge-und-digitale-schnittstellen-in-der-kunst
xp-pen.de – blog/digital-vs-traditional-art
youtube.com – Digital Zeichnen vs analog Zeichnen: Was ist besser?
