I have to confess that at first I had no idea what specifically was involved with illustration.
Once I looked into it, I became intrigued. Looking at examples of illustration, it's almost like it is a visual deconstruction of something. This appeals to my analytical mind, which always seeks to understand how things work, often by taking them apart.
I'm not sure where I heard this, but someone gave this explanation:
Graphic design points you to something, whereas illustration shows you that something.
Some of the best examples of this I've found, are in the Channel 4 TV programme 'The Great British Bake Off' [1].
Using Episode 3 of Series 16 as our reference, consider the following four images of Iain's 'Irish Cheese Board' Monkey Bread: [2]
What I like about these four pictures is that they form a natural progression, almost an animation, and greatly simplify the end product, to the point that its construction is made clear.
Feel free to not take my word for it, though, and judge for yourself if the final product was sufficiently well illustrated:
[1] The Great British Bake Off - Official Website (2025) Available at:
https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/
(Accessed: 30 September 2025)
[2] The Great British Bake Off - Series 16: Episode 3 | Channel 4 (2025) Available at:
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-british-bake-off/on-demand/78357-003
(Accessed: 30 September 2025)