Book excerpt: Across digital and print media, editorial illustrators create visuals to support text and convey ideas, but there is more to these illustrations than meets the eye. Internationally-recognised illustrator and educator Andy Selby takes you through the importance of context and content when responding to editorial illustration briefs, explaining how understanding of visual communication concepts leads to more successful illustrations - all while under the time pressure of editorial briefs. Covering ideation, development and execution, this book includes: - A short history of illustration as a political and social tool - How to use visual language, symbolism and satire and to what purpose - Representation of identity, ethics and society - both for impact and sensitive designs - Research, commercial judgement and experimentation - Professional conduct, self-promotion, responsibilities and plagiarism So whether you're illustrating a news story, summarising new scientific discoveries or creating an image for a magazine cover, Editorial Illustration will give you the skills to produce striking commercial designs on time and to brief.