When talking about illustrated books, our immediate thoughts are of children’s storybooks with their beautifully illustrated pages depicting fun and colourful characters. While that is a fully accurate depiction, we often overlook the fact that illustrated books are a part of every genre and they serve the same purpose in the adult world as they do with children. Illustrated books provide the reader with a visual representation of the topic they are reading about and make it all that much more interesting.
Keeping that in mind, research has shown that people prefer illustrated books over books without illustrations by an increasingly wide margin. This is due, mainly, to the fact that we are a visual society. We like to learn by example and see what we are learning about. Illustrations help our minds interpret where words fail. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and illustrated books prove that.
Illustrated Books In The Contemporary Art And Culture World
When it comes to the usefulness of illustrated books, nothing is more evident than their use in the contemporary art and culture world.Illustrated books make the artists’ works come to life. How can you accurately describe a painting by Monet, or a drawing by Edward Ruscha? This is where the illustrations come in. They give life and imagery to the artwork and help the mind’s eye create an objective visual of the artist’s work.
Illustrated Books As Historical Records
Another important feature of illustrated books is that they serve as a historic record of the actual artwork they depict. Thousands of important works of art have been lost to decay and mishandling. Illustrated books featuring these masterpieces help to preserve the memory and image of these great works of art.
Illustrated Books As A Commodity
Finally, illustrated books are an important commodity in any industry, including the contemporary art and culture industry. Illustrated books sell at a rate of at least 5 to 1 compared to non-illustrated books. This means more profits for the author as well as exposure within the industry which can lead to increased credibility and future book deals.
Contact Black Dog Press
To learn more about the importance of illustrated books, contact Black Dog Press and speak with one of the contemporary art and culture industry’s leading publishers today.
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