Digital illustration: Difference between revisions

{{More citations needed|date=February 2023}}[[File:Graffiti2i.PNG|thumb|400px|A digital illustration depicting a tree in autumn, drawn using [[Facebook]]'s "graffiti" app]]

[[mouse (computing)|Mice]] are not very precise for drawing, so a [[Graphic_tabletGraphic tablet|graphics tablet]] is often an important tool for amost digital illustratorillustrators, because it allows the user to make a mark easily in any direction, in a way that reflects the natural or "lively" line made by the human hand. In addition to flexibility of movement, an industry-standard digital drawing tablet has a pressure-sensitive surface, allowing the illustrator to make marks that vary from faint to bold, and from thin to broad., Thesesimilar variationsto mimichow traditionalone wetwould and dry media. Drawingwork onwith a digitalbrush. drawingThese tabletvariations startsmimic totraditional feelwet naturaland afterdry about a week of practicemedia. A [[hybrid graphics tablet/screen]] might be helpful, since the artist can see more accurately where to place strokes in the image, but the hardware is currently much more expensive.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

[[File:First Daughter Inhales the Breath of the Citadel (detail).jpg|thumb|Example of an original bitmap (raster) painting in Photoshop. Note the fuzzy textures and transitions between colors that are typical of a painting program.]] [[File:First Daughter Warns Juan in Orbit (detail).jpg|thumb|upright|Example of an original vector drawing in [[Adobe Illustrator]]. Note the precise edges of shapes and even width of lines that are typical of a drawing program.]]

There are two main types of tools used for digital illustration: [[raster graphics|bitmap]]ped (also known as "raster") and [[vector graphics|vector]] applications. Bitmap applications are commonly called "painting" programs, such as ''[[Adobe Photoshop]],'' while vector applications, such as ''[[Adobe Illustrator]]'', are called "drawing" programs. These terms reflect the difference in look-and-feel between the images created in each type of program. With a [[List of raster graphics editors|bitmap application]], the content is stored digitally in fixed rows and columns of pixels, which can be created in separate layers for more easily isolating and manipulating different parts of the image. A bitmap image contains information about each pixel's hue (color), luminance (brightness), and saturation (intensity of color). When the pointing device moves over an area of the image, new colors and values are applied to the underlying pixels. Painting tools allow the easy creation of "fuzzy" imagery, including effects such as glows and soft shadows, and textures such as fur, velvet, stone and skin, and are heavily used in photo-retouching.

With [[List of vector graphics editors|vector-based tools]], the content is stored digitally as resolution-independent mathematical formulae describing lines (open paths), shapes (closed paths), and color fills, strokes or gradients. Vector paths are constructed of anchor points and path segments by using the pointing device to click and drag. Many vector graphics are readily available for download from online databases which can then be edited and incorporated into larger projects. Drawing tools typically create precise lines, shapes and patterns with well-defined edges and are superb for working with complex constructions such as maps and typography. Digital illustrations may include both raster and vector graphics in the same work. A bitmap image file may be saved in a format which embeds a layer of vector information, and vector image file may include imported bitmap images.