THIS IS THE FORMER HOME OF WOMEN WHO DRAW.
Founded in 2017, Women Who Draw was an open directory of female, trans and gender non-conforming professional illustrators, artists and cartoonists. It was created by artists and friends, Wendy MacNaughton and Julia Rothman, to increase the visibility of femme-identifying illustrators, emphasizing illustrators of color, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized groups of commercial artists.
For eight years, Women Who Draw served as a free, easy to use resource for publishers, art directors, and editors to discover, connect with, and commission more underrepresented illustrators. The goal of WWD was to make it impossible for any art director or editor to say “I’d hire more ______ if I only knew where to find them.”
In addition to helping illustrators get jobs, WWD fostered community in the professional arts through live events, educational resources, and creative collaborations. A favorite: One Sky invited 100 international artists to look up and draw the sky at the exact same moment, creating a poetic snapshot of a shared moment in time.
Women Who Draw partnered with businesses and organizations like Planned Parenthood, Sephora, and Pottery Barn, even launching a line of PB houswares featuring artwork by WWD artists. Julia and Wendy operated WWD as a labor of love, funding it largely themselves and through member donations, and all profits went to support emerging artists.
Many artists secured their first major paid assignment through Women Who Draw, including New Yorker covers, New York Times editorials, and commercial and book illustration projects.
I come from a country with little or no opportunities for commercial illustration... I owe my career to Women Who Draw.”
Being accepted to the Women Who Draw directory was a gift on its own. I felt so special and accomplished, in the company of amazing artists… I got my first Penguin Publishing and Meredith magazine jobs through Women Who Draw.”
Without an art director finding me through Women Who Draw, I’m not sure that I would’ve had the courage to start looking for a literary agent… it changed my whole trajectory!”
I was fresh out of college in 2018 and I got an email from an art director from the New York Times… She found me through WWD!”
I got my first ever editorial gig from Women Who Draw in 2020 for Chicago magazine, and since then I have built my editorial career and worked with many amazing clients.”
I got my first illustration job [the New York Times Sunday Opinion] through Women Who Draw and earned a bit of money which was very helpful to me then, right out of school.”
In 2025, Julia and Wendy decided to close Women Who Draw. The resource had grown to over 5,000 artists. Times changed. Gender evolved. Our lives changed. Women Who Draw achieved much of its goal. And nothing lasts forever.
