I’ve been working through this illustration series on my Instagram account ( @whimsicalillustration ) and thought it might be super fun to share it with you here. I’ve not yet finished the series (more to come so be sure to follow on Instagram) but I’ve been doing portraits of famous historical women in a manga illustrated style. My first gal was Emelia Earhart – the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic – no small feat in her day! –>

Couldn’t resist drawing Jane Austen next, she is one of my favourite authors and if you’ve never read her books it’s high time you did!

Joan of Arc – divinely inspired warrior – heroine of France – martyred Saint. (You can read all about her on Wikipedia 😉). I was fascinated by her story when I was a kid – especially because she lead armies of men when she was only a teenager! (Pssst… I have no idea if she had blonde hair and blue eyes – I just made that up – I know, I know not very historically accurate. 😅)

Okay, so maybe not the most inspirational woman in history but definitely very memorable – Marie Antoinette! “Let them eat cake.”

Queen Elizabeth I – The Virgin Queen! Ruled unmarried for 44 years in an era when many Kings could not keep their thrones! (Pssst… This was the Elizabethan Era – Shakespeare’s day!)

Sacagawea – strong inspirational woman! She traveled thousands of miles from North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean as a guide for Lewis and Clark. Along the way making cultural connections and researching natural history.