3D illustration: Futurism
3D futurism, with its bold colors and shapes, will become one of the hottest illustration trends 2023. This trend enables the designers to convey more density and volume visually. Hence, many brands are likely to consider 3D futurism as the best option to make their advertisements more appealing and innovative.
Printmaking
Printmaking is another trend that is going to dominate the illustration practice in 2023. This trend has the ability to bring warmth and authenticity to the design. In addition, they will also give a retro look to your design. It may look very basic and traditional if used alone. But with other illustration styles, printmaking will give an innovative and cool look.
Surrealism
Although popular for a while, surrealism is going to gain momentum in 2023. With dreamlike images with a surreal style, it will make illustrations look more creative and stylish.
This is a very specific trend, but if you apply this trend after understanding the taste and mindset of the targeted audience, this style can do wonders.
Vintage and Retro
Illustrations inspired by the first half of the 20th century are making a comeback. As far as we know, there were no laptops in the 1930s. It meant the design process was slower, and very intentional. That era gave us plenty of vibrant and elegant designs.
Of course, this style is a bit more accessible now. You’ll find retro filters on most social media tools, which has helped this style come back into focus. There’s a lot of vintage color palettes appearing in web projects right now, too.
Illustrated fonts are also a big part of the vintage and retro illustration trend. Brands often add a modern take on a font by using their own colors. This design trend has lived long enough that it’s not likely to wear out. It’s sure to give your creations a timeless, classic feel.
Psychedelic
Technically, this style is pretty retro now, too. But it’s not quite as old as the first style we mentioned. Psychedelic designs first took off in the mid 1960’s and stuck around for a decade or so. The psychedelic movement had a big impact on art, but also on music and culture.
The vibrant colors and kaleidoscopic spiral patterns make every psychedelic design unique. Groovy typography and fantasy imagery also makes this style feel familiar.
There are endless variations you can make to the psychedelic style. When a style is so versatile, it will always come back as a trend in illustration sooner or later.
Comic Book
Illustrators find traditional comic books inspiring. They are great examples of character creation, style, and narrative. Laying out a story, panel-by-panel, is an excellent way to create something with meaning.
Illustrations help to reflect moods and themes that you’ll see in graphic novels. The comic book style has been a method for digital storytelling for some time. Telling those stories helps us to be more human, and more personal.
Flat
Flat designs are becoming increasingly popular these days. The 2D features look bright and crisp both on the web and on print.
The simplicity is an important part of the look. It removes clutter and sticks only with what’s needed for a visual to be complete. It also plays nice with other elements like text and images. A great example of flat illustrations are the scenes and objects in our very own style, Offbeat.
Line Art
Whilst line art is primitive, it is super effective at creating an impact. Each line is purposeful, and the style is perfect for many uses. The clean lines, white space, and minimal detailing give a crafted, yet refined design. This style always gives an original feel to your creations. With careful planning, line drawings can communicate exactly what you want to say.
Micro Animation
Micro Animations are great for grabbing people’s attention for a split-second. It lets them get into your story, and learn about your message. They’re often used in websites to help direct users, or make them stop in their tracks.
We all know it’s getting more difficult to compete for our attention online. This is where micro animations are a game-changer. It almost feels like this style was invented for the shortening attention span.
Micro animations are extra hot on Instagram, TikTok and Dribbble. You could consider using them if your audience hangs out on these social channels.
AI
Many illustration trends this year will nod to styles that have come before it. But using A.I. for design is a much more recent idea.
People created remarkable art using DALL·E, Stable Diffusion and Midjourney last year. We’re fascinated with its potential, too. We actually launched an A.I. Holiday Card Creator as our first step into using A.I. and visuals together.
Wrap Up
We are surrounded by different illustration styles. Each year we see the emergence of new illustration trends that suits different purposes. Some of these illustrative styles are vibrant and have the potential to grab everyone’s attention to the design. Others are very specific and will depend on the product presentation.
With an appealing illustration, you can evoke emotions in your targeted audience, convey a message, and generate the desired consumer flow. Understanding and strategically using these illustration trends will help you stay on top of the competition and attract the targeted audience effectively.