Women Who Draw Highlights Female Illustrators of Color and Diverse Backgrounds

Scroll through your Instagram feed and chances are you've probably come across an illustration or two. In perhaps an ironic twist, this forgotten type of art has been making a comeback in the age of instant gratification, thanks to a new crop of artists who are using, yes, social media to showcase their collections of work. And while we love checking out the latest sets of celeb selfies and product shots on our feed—how else could Kylie Jenner share the next launch date of her Lip Kits?—there's something very charming about seeing a handmade artwork on a screen.

Enter Women Who Draw, a new online directory that showcases the work of a diverse group of female illustrators around the world. While it was designed as a platform to introduce new talents to professionals in the media and editorial industries, the site is an endless source of inspiration to the occasional doodlers and experienced artists alike. I'll admit after scrolling and clicking through the wide-range of portfolios from Canada and the Middle East, I was tempted to sign up for a drawing class myself (New Year's resolution, perhaps?).

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https://twitter.com/designsponge/status/808359977299673088

And while the art form has never been buzzier than ever, with top fashion brands like Gucci and Prada commissioning new illustrators to draw their ad campaigns, the site points out that female illustrators still face tremendous difficulty in appealing to major publishing brands. According to the site's notice, Women Who Draw was founded by a group of anonymous women artists "in response to the disproportionately low number of women illustrators commissioned and hired by some prominent U.S. publications." Even better, it aims to include trans and gender-nonconforming artists, as well.

The directory has already garnered much attention on Twitter, thanks to design blogger Grace Bonney and other notable names in the industry. Within 24 hours of its launch, it has stopped accepting participants due to the overwhelming response (it can only receive 1,200 submissions per day). But don't fret, the pause is temporary. While you wait, feast your eyes on all the pretty sketches the site currently offers.

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