Black History Month Illustration | WIA Longlisted Artist Portraits -Edmonia Lewis

Hand drawn portraits celebrating Black History Month, featuring Elizabeth Catlett, Betye Saar and Edmonia Lewis. Long-listed in the World Illustration Awards.Celebrating Black History Month Through Illustration

This illustration project was created in response to an art brief hosted by Make Art That Sells course by Lilla Rogers celebrating Black History Month, with the aim of honouring Black artists whose work has shaped art history, culture and visual language.

For this series, l illustrated Elizabeth Catlett, Betye Saar and Edmonia Lewis - three artists from different generations whose practices challenged boundaries, reclaimed identity and expanded the space for Black voices in art. Each portrait was carefully hand drawn to reflect not only the likeness of the individual, but also what they stood for artistically, culturally and historically.

My approach was rooted in research and respect. I studied each artist's life, materials and themes, allowing those influences to guide the use of colour, texture and pattern. Rather than creating decorative portraits, I aimed to build illustrations that carried meaning - celebrating resilience, creativity and legacy.

The work was created by hand, a deliberate choice that reflects my wider illustration practice. After my hand drawings I input my drawings in Photoshop where I add colour and patterns.

Hand drawing allows space for imperfection, emotion and humanity - qualities that felt especially important when responding to a brief centred on history, lived experience and cultural contribution.

This project was long-listed in the World Illustration Awards (WIA), a recognition that affirmed both the concept and the execution of the work. Being long-listed highlighted the importance of illustration as a tool for storytelling, education and cultural celebration, particularly within editorial and publishing.

These illustrations are designed to live beyond a single brief. They could be used across editorial features, book interiors, educational resources or exhibition materials - spaces where illustration can help make history accessible, engaging and human.

This project reflects my ongoing interest in creating illustration for publishing and cultural storytelling - work that is thoughtful, researched and rooted in meaning, while remaining visually expressive and emotionally resonant.