The definition of "illustration" in Ci Hai is: "refers to pictures inserted in books and periodicals. Some are printed in the middle of the text, and some are inserted in the pages to supplement the content of the text or for artistic appreciation. This explanation is mainly aimed at the definition of book illustrations, which is a narrow definition.

With the advent of the information age and the development of modern society, the meaning of modern illustration has changed from a narrow concept (limited to paintings and pictures) to a broad concept. "Illustration" refers to the pictures inserted between words in newspapers, magazines, various publications or children's picture books that we usually read, collectively referred to as "illustration". Illustration, in Latin, means "light up". Reading words and thinking about meaning were originally used to increase the interest given by words in publications and make the words more vivid and vivid in readers' minds. In today's various publications, the importance of illustrations has far exceeded the foil position of "luminous words". It can not only highlight the theme, but also enhance artistic appeal.

Illustration is an art form. As an important visual communication form of modern design, it occupies a specific position in modern design with its intuitive image, true sense of life and beautiful appeal. It is widely used in many fields of modern design, involving cultural activities, social undertakings, commercial activities, film and television culture and so on.

Historical evolution of illustrations

The development of illustration art has a long history. In your eyes and mine, ordinary and simple illustrations have great connotations. From the world's oldest illustration cave mural to the Japanese folk print ukiyo-e painting in the Edo period, all of them show the development of illustration. Illustrations first developed with the changes of newspapers and books in the early19th century. Its real golden age first began in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. At that time, the illustrations just separated from art works were obviously drawn, and most of the authors engaged in illustrations were professional painters. Later, influenced by the school of abstract expressionism, they turned from concrete to abstract. It was not until the 1970s that illustrations returned to the realistic style.

The earliest illustrations in China appeared in the form of printmaking. With the introduction of Buddhist culture, they used "disguised" illustrations in the scriptures to publicize their teachings. At present, China's earliest prints are recorded in historical materials, namely "Dalagni Curse" published by Tang Suzong. The title page painting of King Kong Prajna Sutra published by Tang Yizong Xian Tong in the 9th year (868) is the exact date. In the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, book illustrations developed greatly. The application scope has expanded to medical books, historical geography books, archaeological catalogue books, daily encyclopedia books and other books, and color overprint illustrations have appeared. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it can be said that the ancient illustration art developed greatly, and there were book engraving industries all over the country. Different regions have formed different styles. The forms of illustrations are: frontispiece drawings, text illustrations, top or bottom drawings, paintings on inner pages or title pages, and cards.

The historical evolution of ancient illustrations in China can be regarded as the development history of printmaking. It is also the history of folk New Year pictures. It's just that folk New Year pictures became commodities independently earlier, which is the predecessor of commercial illustration.

The history of illustration in Europe is similar to that in China, and it was first used in religious books. Later, illustrations were widely used in natural science books, grammar books and collections of classic writers.

With the development of today's society, illustrations are widely used in various fields of society. Illustration art not only broadens our horizons, enriches our thoughts, gives us unlimited imagination and broadens our minds. With the increasing commercialization of art and the emergence of new painting materials and tools, illustration art has entered the era of commercialization. In the era of commodity economy, illustrations play a great role in promoting economic development. The concept of illustration has gone far beyond the scope of traditional laws and regulations. Throughout today's illustration world, painters are no longer limited to a certain style. They often break the way of using only one material in the past, and widely use various means to achieve the expected effect, so that the development of illustration art has gained a broader space and unlimited possibilities. In China, although illustration developed late, it has a long history. After liberation, the layout of blackboard newspapers, prints and posters has developed, and after the 1980 s, international popular styles were used for reference. With the popularization of computer technology in the middle and late 1990s, more and more cutting-edge authors who use computers for illustration design have emerged. ...

Illustrations have found a huge living space since the birth of the mother book. With the development of technology and the needs of society, rich carriers are constantly emerging.