illustrator

illustrator — noun

1. someone whose work is to create images, especially drawings or paintings, that g

1.nounB1
Definition

someone whose work is to create images, especially drawings or paintings, that go with the text of a book, magazine, or other publication.

Example

The children's book illustrator, Priya, spent six months painting jungle scenes for the story.

collocation: children's book illustrator

Yusuf liked the way the illustrator used watercolors to show feelings in each character's face.

Common collocations
  • book illustrator
  • children's book illustrator
  • medical illustrator
  • freelance illustrator
  • work as an illustrator
  • hire an illustrator
Synonyms
  • artist

    broader term — an artist may create any kind of art, while an illustrator's work specifically accompanies text.

  • designer

    focuses more on layout and visual planning; an illustrator creates the actual pictures.

  • cartoonist

    specializes in humorous or political drawings, often with speech bubbles or a narrative style.

Usage Note

Countable noun. An illustrator typically creates images that accompany a written text, which distinguishes this role from a fine artist who creates standalone works.

Common Mistakes

The illustrator drew the classroom'.
The illustrator drew pictures for the classroom book.
'illustrator' is a job title for someone who creates art to go with text, not a general word for anyone who draws.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'artist' is the broadest term — covering anyone who creates visual, musical, or performance art — an 'illustrator' is a specific type of artist whose work is tied to a written text. A 'designer' focuses on the overall look and layout of a page or product, often arranging existing elements rather than drawing original images. A 'cartoonist' creates drawings with a humorous, political, or storytelling angle, frequently adding speech bubbles or comic strips. For example: a publishing house hires an 'illustrator' to paint scenes for a picture book, but hires a 'designer' to lay out the pages, and a 'cartoonist' to produce a comic for the newspaper.

artist ↗designer ↗cartoonist

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • work as an illustrator
  • hire an illustrator

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'illustrare', meaning 'to light up, make bright, or make clear', combined with the agent suffix '-or' (someone who does something). The word first entered English in the 1500s with the meaning 'someone who enlightens or explains'. By the 1600s it took on the sense of 'someone who decorates a text with pictures'. The modern meaning — a person who creates images for books and other publications — became standard in the 1800s as illustrated books grew popular.