Illustration Digital Future

I personally feel that technological advances can only help the future of illustrators who work in similar ways to myself. Digital illustrations have the potential to be developed into animations for websites or TV.


I think that artists who use more traditional methods will find it more difficult to develop their work into animations. I don't think it's impossible, just a little more difficult and could possibly make them feel more reluctant to do so. 
I think to become a successful illustrator in the world we are currently living in you have to be ready and willing to embrace digital ways of working. Being able to do more things with your work will also make you more appealing to potential clients because you are versatile. 


I see technology such as the I-pad having great potential for illustration, in particular children's book illustration. The I-pad could allow for interactive picture books where the children can interact with animated characters in the story and make the concept of learning to read much more exciting.
A children's book illustrator called Oliver Jeffers has already embraced this way of working and has produced a brilliant interactive story called 'Heart and the Bottle' that I find greatly inspiring.

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I have been collaborating with a moving image student recently to produce a short animation piece but it has made me want to learn how to animate myself. My hope is to learn basic skills in animation to prepare myself for more product advances like the I-pad.
The only challenge I think illustrators would face would be having to think how their illustrations would move. Usually as an illustrator your images exist statically on the page but in order to embrace animation you would need to take into consideration how they would move when designing anything new.
Below is another example of a picture book being adapted for the I-pad.


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I also think that advances in technology mean that we can become more creative and experimental with websites. Illustrators websites are becoming much more interactive for example Keri Smith's website gives you the chance to submit a drawing of what you see around you and you can add it to a gallery. 
This wouldn't have been possible several years ago and makes me excited about what might be possible in the future.