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In this book, Alan Male investigates the role of the illustrator in contemporary society by analysing theoretical and historical aspects of illustration in various social contexts. Male also offers an outline of the training and methods of the illustrator, which serve as guidance to those studying illustration at tertiary level.

The book is divided into three chapters: “Education”, “The Nature of Imagery” and “The Role of Illustration”. In the preface, Male defines illustration as ‘a “working art” that visually communicates context to audience’. Despite being defined as a “working art”, Male explicitly states his disinterest in discussing commercial and business, as well as practical and media, concerns. Rather, Male’s approach is a more theoretical one toward the application of knowledge and skill that results in good illustration in various contexts. Male continues in this vein in his introductory passages, providing commentary on the changed role of illustration in an age where images do not only come to us in print. Unlike in the past, the impact of illustration is heavier on society, owing to the many different ways in which illustrators reach their audiences – in various forms of print media, by means of film and television and via the internet. In this sense, the illustrator’s social conscience and sense of responsibility needs to be more finely tuned. Also, however, the illustrator is faced with greater challenges in reaching an audience that may have become numb to the bombardment of visual imagery with which it is faced on a daily basis. Hence, ‘successful, forward-thinking illustrators need to be educated, socially and culturally aware communicators utilising a breadth of intellectual and practical skills’ (14), in order to avoid the old label of mere “colouring in technicians”.

In his “Education” section, Male begins with an overview of the programme of work that an illustrator will follow when approaching a job and moves on to address each aspect. In his discussion of developing and answering the brief, Male offers commentary on elements such as rationale, aim, objectives, contexts, audiences, clients and subject matter. He then investigates features of the conceptual process, such as brainstorming and various research methodologies. Finally, Male discusses the drawing process – the practical issues of skilful and accurate representation as well as more theoretical issues, such as freedom of expression in illustration.

The second section, entitled “The Nature of Imagery”, looks at illustration (or images in general) from an academic perspective. The chapter includes sections on visual language, visual metaphor, pictorial truths and various aesthetic trends. This section deals, primarily, with the knowledge with which an illustrator will necessarily be equipped in order to respond intelligently and sensitively to any given brief. This kind of content knowledge provides a foundation for the illustrator, which allows for the development of creative thought processes and innovative problem-solving skills.

“The Role of Illustration” fulfils the contextual claims of the publication. Male looks at illustration in practical situations: the informative role of illustration, with regard to documentation, reference and instruction; the ability of illustration to provide social commentary, particularly in the environment of editorial illustration; the importance of illustration as a storytelling device, in children’s books specifically; the elements of persuasion in “above the line” advertising illustration; and the “below the line” capacity of illustration to form corporate identities with branding concepts.

Beautifully designed and (of course) illustrated, with instructions on how to get the most out of the book, Illustration: A Theoretical and Contextual Perspective is user-friendly and comes replete with all the necessary knowledge and tools a burgeoning illustrator could need. The Appendix contains a thorough bibliography, a glossary of terms and useful tools and examples in sections dedicated to education and issues of professional practice, including space for notes and sketches. However, although Male offers a good foundation in the theoretical issues of illustration, the insights provided by the text are not critical enough in their implications to be aimed at the final year undergraduate / postgraduate audience the publication claims to address.

 

Keywords: Academic, Books, Illustration