Current status of Illustration / Research

http://justcreative.com/2014/02/10/the-current-state-of-illustration-and-how-to-succeed-in-2014/

The future of Illustration Design Tools

http://mydecorativetree.com/2013/05/the-future-of-illustration-design-tools/#.V_9WQJMrKi4

"…brushes that don’t just offer an imitation of real materials, but brushes that can do wild stuff that only digital could do. Just as the old masters built their own brushes, so will the new masters."

"The future of art and design looks very promising, and very different."

Chris Riddell: What I'm thinking about ... a new era for illustration 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2012/aug/12/chris-riddell-new-era-illustration 

"But times changed and, in the latter half of the 20th century, illustration went into decline. Children's books that in Shepard's day would have been automatically illustrated were deemed no longer to require an illustrator's input. A case in point are the defiantly un-illustrated Harry Potter books. In newspapers and periodicals, Photoshop and montage replaced illustrators and cartoonists. No mainstream publisher these days would dream of commissioning illustrations to a new edition of Pepys' diaries."

The Illustrator’s Market: A Professional’s Insights Into the Illustration Industry

http://www.artistsnetwork.com/articles/business-of-art/the-illustrators-market

"The decline of printed matter paired with the rise of the digital age and the proliferation of stock collections has put the illustration world in flux. Only a few years ago a large company’s annual report might have offered the opportunity for hundreds of illustrations. Today, that same report might exist only in digital form (and may include only stock photography). Similarly, fewer magazines and newspapers mean fewer print ads-and fewer opportunities again for illustration. Nevertheless, the profession endures, as does the need to effectively and creatively communicate ideas in the marketplace."

"How does illustration differ from so-called fine art? Though the two worlds often overlap, for our purposes we can draw a line of distinction. While fine art usually exists as the sole expressive creation of an individual, perhaps with the hope of future sale, illustration is typically commissioned by others for commercial purposes. And therein lies the collaborative nature of the industry. An illustrator must be a good listener, problem solver, communicator, and artist. All of this is for the ultimate success of the client."

Isn’t it time the world of illustration had a bit of a kick up the arse? 

http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/illustration

"They probably hear the word “illustration” and think of naff murals in cafes, screen printed pictures of bears wearing beanies, or t-shirts with wistful flocks of birds across them. They probably think of in-house supermarket magazines, or bad billboards for phone adverts on The Tube. They might think of craft fairs with people selling baubles, and knitting, and etchings of girls in raincoats with fringes, or haughty birds wearing top hats and carrying pocket watches. This stuff is only a small corner of the brilliant, clever, diverse world of illustration – yet it seems to be what gets the most attention."