Effect of Illustration - Assignment Example

Effect of Illustration Introduction Illustrations are visual aids like pictures, videos, paintings, drawings, sketches, and many other artistic impressions used by an individual to express his/her self. Illustrations are basic tools of learning and they are present everywhere. Modern illustrations include the invention of animations, visual arts, sculpture, textile designing (digital prints) and photography. All of these new forms of art have been inspired from the historical art findings. For example the architecture of many theme-based restaurants today has come from the initial architectures of the Mughal Empire and Victorian era. Many people are fond of collecting illustrations for example famous paintings, stamps, comic books and photos of celebrities. Many others are in the process of learning using illustrations as the basic tool of learning. For example, all Montessori students are taught different words using flash cards. Visual aids are extremely important in corporations as well. An office without the pictures of its achievements, past endeavours and products related photos looks unimpressive. Compared to this, organizations which have more graphical representations look more professional and appealing. This paper discuses the history of illustrations, their impact of different sectors of society and their importance. History Art is the celebration of human individuality. It is a beautiful form of expression which begins with emotions and ends with visible attributes. It is a journey of how a person wants to communicate- be it a drawing, a painting, sketch or a complicated sculpture; illustrations have many forms and shapes. Art and illustrative objects have a long history. Illustrations have a long history which goes back about thirty-five hundred years (Carney & Levin, 5). These early illustrations included animal paintings, engravings and skilfully made drawings. These facts prove that art has been an integral part of daily routine since the inception of human life. In addition to this, illustrations help in the development of human brain and aided their learning process (Carney & Levin, 6). Illustrations have not only been restricted to paper, they are also visible in the building around us. The art of Roman era some twelve hundred years ago set a new trend of aesthetically made architecture, enamelwork, mosaic, stained glass, and tapestry (Norris. et al, 11). Pyramids of Egypt, stone work in France and powerful structures of early churches of Europe all lay the foundation of art. The paintings of Picasso, the sculptures in Hindu temples and the Mughal paintings have deep histories and prove to be the basis of modern art. Illustrations existed when cave men communicated with each other and they left stories for us to wonder what they wanted to tell us. The fact is that man cannot live without illustrations and need it in daily routine. Today, illustrations have been introduced in new genres such as virtual arts, graphic designing, photography and much more. But the basic theory of representing what the artist is feeling remains same. Impacts of Illustrations Art is not restricted to artists only- anyone can b creative and make use of art. It is not necessary that a person has some educational degree or certificates in the field of arts. The field of illustrations is open to practically anyone. However, some people may find it difficult to interpret illustrations, while for others; these drawings or paintings are a source of inspiration and energy. One of the most positive impacts of illustrations is that it increases self-confidence and esteem of a person. Daily Routine When a person engages with art he/she is disconnected from the outer world and just expresses his/her inner feelings (MHF, 3). Creating an illustration of any form, a painting or a simple drawing adds value to a person’s life by giving a sense of accomplishment. Participatory art for example, art completions can help people discover their inner talents and polish their creative thinking. Cutler, et al. (4) in their report stated that ‘Art helps us to Breathe’ and that it is one of the greatest forces of the twentieth century. The authors further claim that art plays a crucial role in our daily lives and definitely impact us. There is a myth that art belongs to a certain group of people, commonly known as artists but if we look around us, illustrations are present everywhere. The kitchen’s interior, the design of bathroom tiles, the bed sheet’s print, the design of your office desk or the dress you are wearing, each and every object is illustrative in nature. Aesthetically good objects make us feel better and boost our confidence. Compared to a dull looking dress, a person feels much better if he or she is wearing presentable clothes. Similarly an amusing television program is hundred times better than a boring one. Education Illustrations also play an integral role in education of children. Pictorial story books and text books having graphics look more interesting and appealing to students. A child is more sensitive to pictures rather than text. The recognition of visual stimuli like drawings, paintings, videos is more affecting in learning. Students with creative minds can do really well in telling stories by just viewing the pictures. According to a study conducted by National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), 93% people agreed that arts are essential to providing s well-rounded education for children and 86% believed that it improves attitudes towards schools. Illustrations help handicapped people to express themselves even if they don’t know any language. Drawings can aid them in daily activities. Moreover, use of illustrations in subjects like biology give a better understanding of the human body and without pictures and magnified photographs, a person can never understand the mechanisms in the body. Similarly, engineers also need to view diagrams of machineries in order to interpret how different components work together. However, too many illustrations in text books can divert the child’s attention from text which is equally important for learning. In addition, young children who are in the process of learning a certain language might interpret the pictures wrongly. Until and unless they are told what the picture is all about, they won’t understand its true meaning. These are some of the drawbacks of using illustrations in the primary education (Carney & Levin, 6). Cognitive & Motivational Skills Learning experiences in art help in the development of academic skills like the areas of reading, language development and mathematics. These learning experiences contribute to cognitive skills also known as thinking skills. The ability of reasoning, sixth sense, perception, imagination, ingenuity and problem-solving skills are some of the thought processes associated with study of the arts (NASAA, 13). It increases the motivation to learn and has significantly reduced drop-out ratios in schools. Illustrations help in creating an environment favourable to teacher and the students by promoting innovation, cultural engagement and increased attendance (NASAA, 13). Art Related Industries Students who are enrolled in the fashion or media related fields also make use of illustrations as part of daily routine. Digital prints on fabrics, designs and cuts of dresses are all different forms of illustrations that are used in the fashion industry. In addition, tattoos on the body are also very much in fashion and are the biggest example of illustrations used in this segment. The entire category is dependant over various types of illustrations. Without the innovative artistic designs the fashion industry has no meaning. Nobody wants to wear a plain, dull coloured dress as compared to a stylish printed, aesthetically appealing dress. A well groomed and well dressed person is more confident and is able to carry him/her self better in the society. However, using inappropriate symbols (like religious words, abusive words or adult pictures) that are used for making tattoos or are printed on fabrics give out negative vibes about illustrations. The entertainment industry makes use of multiple images, photographs and videos to create content which is then viewed by millions of people across the globe. If they do not use illustrations, how will they be able to communicate their message across? Increase in competition has made it mandatory for every category of industry to use innovative techniques to grab the attention of the audience. An entertainment channel would not be able to survive if it lacks creativity and originality. Cartoons are the biggest examples of how beautifully several images are played together. Without cartoons children may lose a large part of entertainment- in fact cartoons are an industry themselves based on illustrations only. However, illustrations can be misused as well. For example; controversial content (in the form of violent pictures or videos) which goes on air poses negative impact on vulnerable minds of children and minorities. Importance of Illustrations Art helps us in communicating our ideas. It may not be a language but it surely enhances any language used. Explaining a task to a deaf person might become much easier if some pictures are used. Similarly illustrations play a highly essential role in the education sector which is incomplete without illustrations. Art is also helpful for the old aged and mentally disable people. It improves their well-being via engagement (MHF, 4). For most people, art is a source of income because many people are involved in home craft businesses. Today, the field of art has opened new opportunities of people who are not interested in technical fields like medicine or engineering. These artistic minds have the option of joining art related fields and can add value to the society. Signs and symbols present on roads or within institutions guide the people and help them save time. Without street signs, traffic accidents can occur and people can miss their streets. Similarly, if you are finding some room in a new organizations signs can guide you through it-without these signs a person may waste a lot of time in searching the correct floor or room number. Illustrations printed on packages help the customers while they are shopping. The ingredients printed on food products guide the person whether he or she should buy it or not. In addition, when we visit a home décor shop we need illustrations to show us how a certain tile would look on the wall or what will it look like if we place it on the floor. These shops are fully aided with pictures which show the samples of how a particular design of tile would look like after it is installed. Furniture shops like IKEA always provide a picture of their furniture because most of their products are dismantled and need to be fixed by the customer at home. Without any illustration and guideline it is nearly impossible to re-create a furniture piece. Illustrations provide convenience to our daily lives. They enhance the way we live by making the procedures less complicated. For example the use of PowerPoint presentation is much more effective and efficient as compared to an oral presentation. Illustrations help us to remember things easily; therefore it is widely used in academic as well as professional presentations everywhere. Conclusion Illustrations are an integral part of society and cannot be separated from it. It has enhanced human life tremendously by providing convenience and time-efficiency. Art helps us to identify various cultures and gives us an identity. The flag of our country is the biggest example of this. Art and illustrations are considered as special languages that are spoken by all the people of the world irrespective of racial, cultural and social barriers- it enhances cultural awareness and appreciation. They are an important source of expression, especially for introvert people and help them discover their inner talents. Illustrations help in academic learning by improving thinking skills and motivate children to study their pictorial school books as compared to boring text based books. Pictures are able to communicate a lot of things even if no one is explaining them. A huge example of this is greeting cards which are artistic in nature and the cards say it all. Therefore, we should cherish the illustrations around us because they guide us and make our lives better. Works Cited Carney. R & Levin. J, 2002, ‘Pictorial Illustrations Still Improve Students’ Learning From Text,’ Educational Psychology Review, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp 5-26. Print. Cutler. D et al, 2011, ‘How the Arts can contribute to quality of life in Residential Care,’ Web, 23rd May 2014. Mental Health Foundation (MHF), 2011, ‘An Evidence Review of the Impact of Participatory Arts on Older People’ Web, 23rd May 2014. NASAA, 2006, ‘How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement,’ Web, 23rd May 2014. Norris. M, 2005, ‘Medieval Art: A Resource for Educators,’ Published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Print. Read More