There was a time when students went to school for either Illustration or Graphic Design. Illustration is "a visualization such as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that stresses subject more than form" (wikipedia). Graphic Design "can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images and/or words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages. A graphic designer may utilize typography, visual arts and page layout techniques in varying degrees to produce the final result of the project" (wikipedia).
So what is the difference? Well, generally Illustrators do not perform Graphic Design and Graphic Designers do not create Illustrations. That statement is beginning to faulter, however. Everything and everyone is becoming global. Designers and Illustrators must function across all platforms, although the two are very different. Illustrators create visual depictions of concepts. Whether it be via cartoons, actual drawings, digital renditions - Illustrators construct the beautiful eyecandy that goes into the layout.
The Graphic Designer is the collage artist, in layman's terms. He/she gathers the illustrations, photos, type, copy, paper, color and all other odds and ends that come together to create an entire communcative piece. The Graphic Designer finds a way to juggle all the elements effectively to ultimatley deliver the end result - the message.
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