About
Harlem is a London-based illustrator who studied Illustration and Animation at the University for the Creative Arts. Being a black illustrator, she often tries to highlight the importance of representation in her work as she grew up inspired by illustrations that included characters who looked much like her. Watercolour and watercolour pencils are Harlem’s favourite medium, as well as working digitally, using Procreate and other digital software. In her free time, Harlem enjoys reading, in particular, crime and thriller novels.
So Much
Harlem has re-illustrated a well-known picture book called So Much, written by Trishe Cooke. First published in 1994, this book is about a family coming together to celebrate Dad’s birthday. Throughout the book, we are shown how the relatives want to hug, kiss, squeeze and eat the baby because he is adored SO MUCH! Instead of people, Harlem has illustrated squirrels as the characters to shed a new light onto this classic story. Using watercolour pencils and fine-liner pens, she has used bold colours to show to the readers just how exciting her work can be.
Four Seasons
Harlem’s sequential narrative focuses on the season cycle. Having taken reference from her own childhood, the narrative follows a girl and a boy as they play and pull pranks on each other throughout the seasons. Drawn in a circle, the story illustrated is also puzzle pieces as the drawings overlap on each piece. Each season has two puzzle pieces that show an action and then a reaction to each scenario; because of this, each season is its own mini story. Much like her picture book illustrations, Harlem has used watercolour as it is her preferred medium.
Contact Details
Website: www.illustrationharlemedwin.com
Email: illustration.harlem@gmail.com
Instagram: @illustrationharlemedwin
