Illustration - A visual history by Steven Heller and Steymour Chwast

Illustration or cartoon? That's the question.

Is an illustration a cartoon? Or is a cartoon an illustration? Is a drawing an illustration or a cartoon?
Searching cartoon books a time ago, I noticed between the art books, this particular publication . At first sight the book is about illustrations (and it is), but browsing the pages with a 'cartoon eye' I noticed many illustrations that I and many of our readers should catalogue as cartoons. That's what I like about this book: it's describes many styles and forms of illustrations. This styles and forms can not only be applied on illustration art, but also on cartoons.

Here are some examples of forms and styles in which I recognized cartoon art. There many more examples in the book.

FORM

Anthropomorphic

Parody:

Conceptual:

Propaganda:

Political

STYLES

Neo surrealism:

Neo expressionism:

Psychedelic:

Gothic 1:

Gothic 2:

Cartoon expressionism:

Polish:

Expressionism:

On the back cover of the book:

"This  book is a unique survey of this vital, popular art form. Alongside striking illustrations that exemplify the character of key historical movements, Heller and Chwast offer a collection of every significant style and form from the Industrial Revolution to the Digital Age. A trove of reference material and inspiration for designers, ILLUSTRATION: A VISUAL HISTORY is an impressive overview of a medium that has had a vital influence on many aspects of modern life, from politics to advertising, and has provided us with some of the world's most iconic images."
(Abrams, New York, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8109-7284-1, 272 p.)

Learn more:
Amazon.com