I’m an illustrator who specialises in creating work with a focus on historical themes, using drawing, textiles and collage to create non-fiction and narrative illustration. Research is the foundation of my illustration practice, and I love to gain knowledge and a deeper understanding through my work.

 

A double page spread from the children’s book ‘Sew What?’ by Yve Ward, depicting a charity ball in 1826. People are dancing and all the women are wearing red dresses.

The importance of research was a theme that developed throughout my degree, culminating in my final degree project, a children’s picture book called ‘Sew What? Why women were so important in the Norwich textile industry.’ I used playful, sensitive drawings to make history more accessible to children and to highlight women’s stories.

 

A page of black and white pencil sketches by Yve Ward depicting women and girls from different time periods, including an Edwardian nurse and a woman weaving at a loom.

The foundation for this project was my research report on the power of illustration to change how we understand museum collections. In this report I discussed how vital research is for illustrators, in order to avoid spreading misinformation or biases in our work, something I am always mindful of when illustrating historical themes.

A repeat pattern by Yve Ward, featuring colourful pencil and watercolour drawings of women. The women wear fashions from different time periods, ranging from 1700 to 1920.
A cross stitch piece by Yve Ward, showing a Regency-era couple: a woman in red dances with a man in black. The year ‘1826’ is stitched next to the couple.
A cross stitch piece by Yve Ward, showing a Victorian child having a dress fitted by a woman crouching next to her. The year ‘1880’ is stitched next to them.