Today’s illustrators rarely use just one favorite technique, although that does happen. More often they experiment, mix traditional and non-traditional materials, draw over a photograph, make collages, add effects to ready-made images in computer programs.
Combinations with collage
Collage cannot be called a traditional technique. In general, it is often associated with children’s crafts, which are given to first graders at home. It immediately recalls cutting out, gluing, washing your hands and scissors of glue, and cutting again.
But many illustrators now use collage as a primary or supplementary technique in their work.
Combinations with pencil.
The plain or graphite pencil is the most used material among artists and illustrators, if only because it is most often used for sketching. It means that a pencil is the basis for almost every traditional drawing, but sometimes we don’t even realize it.
It is possible to combine a graphite pencil with a variety of materials.
Who uses
Alex Ross is an American illustrator, one of the most famous in the world of comics. He works in different mixed techniques, such as combining a pencil, gouache and airbrush, that is a paint sprayer. He starts with a traditional pencil sketch, then works in gouache, and uses the airbrush only in the final stages to make the details more vivid.
Vicente Martà is an illustrator and graphic designer from Chile. He combines the graphite pencil with ink, acrylics, collage techniques and digital graphics.
Combinations with a ballpoint pen
You can not only write but also draw with an ordinary ballpoint pen. It is used both as the main material for work and as part of mixed techniques. Even if you haven’t noticed the pen in the illustration, it doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Who uses it
Belgian illustrator Nabil Nezzar combines ballpoint pen, colored and graphite pencils, watercolor, and ink. For example, he created a series of illustrations for an advertising campaign for a Belgian bank, where pen and pencil were the main materials.
Combinations with watercolor
Watercolor is combined with pencil, ink, and even mixed with alcohol to create unusual effects and textures.
Who uses
The combination of watercolor and black Chinese ink is traditionally used in book illustration.
Chris Riddell is a famous British book illustrator. He creates most of his work with ink, watercolor, or a combination of the two.
Combinations with digital art
Not all illustrators work in traditional techniques. Many even process their work in computer programs after using different materials.
Who uses.
French illustrator and graphic designer Florian Nicolle uses ink, pen, markers, colored ink in one work and then applies different textures and backgrounds in photoshop.
Christoph Niemann is a graphic designer and illustrator from Germany. He draws covers for The New Yorker magazine and calls himself a visual storyteller. In his work, he also mixes different techniques, such as creating drawings on top of photographs he has made.
These are just a few examples of mixed techniques, in fact, there could be an infinite number. After all, anything can be combined. You can mix only pencil and watercolor in one illustration, and collage, acrylic, pen and digital effects in another. What and how to combine depends only on the skills, preferences of the illustrator and the result he wants to get. And sometimes it just depends on his craving for experimentation.