Tag Archives: Julia Rothman

Sign Up For This New Resource For Lesbian, Bisexual And Trans Artists

If you’re a creative type, then connect with other queer and transgender female artists on the Women Who Draw database.

Women Who Draw is a new platform for women, transgender and gender non-conforming illustrators and cartoonists to network with each other, find jobs with companies and expand their talents worldwide.

When it first launched in December of 2016, the database received so many applications within the first twenty-four hours that it crashed. It now has 700 active members and 300 more on a fast-moving waiting list.

So how does it work? The site connects artists to clients and clients to artists. Female artists add their name and portfolio to the website and can identify themselves by region, religion, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation. This will help clients looking for a specific type of illustrator to find what they need, and this will help artists connect to specialized projects.

Founder Julia Rothman launched the database after realizing that out of 55 illustrated covers of one of her favorite magazines, only four had been drawn by women. This hiring bias is pervasive throughout the illustration industry.

Many corporations complain that they don’t hire women simply because they don’t know any female artists. Thanks to Women Who Draw, now they do.

According to the Huffington Post, Women Who Draw intends to “bring images of women of color and queer women ― made by women of color and queer women ― into mainstream publications that don’t often showcase them.”

Rothman wants to make it as easy as possible for corporations to access diverse, talented populations.

In the future, Rothman wants to broaden the Women Who Draw database to include other creative fields – perhaps filmmaking, music or creative writing. But for now, she’s passionate about helping illustrators and is excited about how much impact the database is already having.

Women Who Draw follows in the footsteps of other diversity databases. Check out LGBTQ Cartoonists of Color and the Queer Cartoonists Database.

Sign up for Women Who Draw here.