illustration vs graphics

illustration and graphics both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
illustration	Yes	No	No	No
graphics	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, graphics is a hypernym of illustration; that is, graphics is a word with a broader meaning than illustration:

illustration: artwork that helps make something clear or attractive
graphics: photographs or other visual representations in a printed publication

Other hypernyms of illustration include art, artwork, nontextual matter.

illustration (noun)	graphics (noun)
a visual representation (a picture or diagram) that is used to make some subject more pleasing or easier to understand	the drawings and photographs in the layout of a book
an item of information that is typical of a class or group	photographs or other visual representations in a printed publication
artwork that helps make something clear or attractive
showing by example