Book illustration
Encyclopedia
The book illustration is specific type of illustration
, which appears in books. Some of modern illustrations are performed by American Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Modern book illustration comes from the 15th-century block book
s. and closely followed the development of printing
. The xylography and lithography
triggered the production of illustrated issues and were exploited by such masters as Daumier, Doré
or Gavarni.
As the demand for books grew, and paper became more available, printers across Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Italy began devising ways to "mechanize" book production using movable type. This is when Johann Gutenberg invented typography and the printing press in the 1450s.
As printing took off and books became common, printers began to use woodblocks to illustrate them. Hence, "centers for woodblock playing-card and religious-print production became centers for illustrated books.
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
, which appears in books. Some of modern illustrations are performed by American Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Modern book illustration comes from the 15th-century block book
Block book
Block books, also called xylographica, are short books of up to 50 leaves, printed in Europe in the second half of the 15th century as woodcuts with blocks carved to include both text and illustrations. The content of the books was nearly always religious, aimed at a popular audience, and a few...
s. and closely followed the development of printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
. The xylography and lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
triggered the production of illustrated issues and were exploited by such masters as Daumier, Doré
Dore
Dore is a village in South Yorkshire, England. The village lies on a hill above the River Sheaf, and until 1934 was part of Derbyshire, but it is now a suburb of Sheffield. It is served by Dore and Totley railway station on the Hope Valley Line...
or Gavarni.
History
Book illustration as we now know it evolved from early European woodblock printing. In the early 1400s, playing cards were created using block printing, which was the first use of prints in a sequenced and logical order. "The first known European block printings with a communications function were devotional prints of saints." These later turned into block books in the mid-1400s, used to spread religious messages to illiterate masses. Each page was carved from one single block of wood and printed as an image.As the demand for books grew, and paper became more available, printers across Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Italy began devising ways to "mechanize" book production using movable type. This is when Johann Gutenberg invented typography and the printing press in the 1450s.
As printing took off and books became common, printers began to use woodblocks to illustrate them. Hence, "centers for woodblock playing-card and religious-print production became centers for illustrated books.
External links
- Old book illustrations (all public domain)