Women Who Draw

Overview

Women Who Draw was a free, open directory of female, trans, and gender non-conforming professional illustrators, artists, and cartoonists. Founded in 2017 by artists Wendy MacNaughton and Julia Rothman, it existed to increase the visibility of femme-identifying illustrators, with an emphasis on illustrators of color, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized groups of commercial artists.

Unlike general portfolio platforms, Women Who Draw focused specifically on helping art directors, publishers, and editors discover and commission underrepresented illustrators. The directory grew to over 5,000 artists before closing in 2025.

Key Benefits

• Art directors could search and directly commission underrepresented illustrators at no cost.
• Many artists secured their first major paid assignment — including New Yorker covers and New York Times editorials — through the directory.
• The platform fostered professional community through live events, educational resources, and creative collaborations.
• All profits went to support emerging artists, funded largely by the founders themselves and member donations.
• WWD partnered with major brands including Planned Parenthood, Sephora, and Pottery Barn, generating real commercial work for listed artists.

How It Works

Illustrators applied to be listed in the open directory, where art directors, editors, and publishers could browse and search for artists to commission. Once an art director discovered an artist through the directory, they contacted the illustrator directly to begin a working relationship.

Use Cases

• Art directors at major publishers used the directory to find and hire underrepresented illustrators for book covers and editorial projects.
• Magazine editors at outlets like the New York Times and Chicago magazine discovered new illustrators for editorial assignments.
• Emerging illustrators fresh out of college used the listing to gain visibility and land their first paid commercial gigs.
• International illustrators with limited local commercial opportunities used the directory to access the U.S. illustration market.
• Brand marketing teams at companies like Sephora and Pottery Barn sourced artists for commercial and product collaborations.

Why Choose This Product

Women Who Draw served illustrators who identified as female, trans, or gender non-conforming and sought access to commercial illustration work in publishing, editorial, and brand contexts. The site closed in 2025 after eight years of operation; this page now serves as a historical record of the project.