In the Picture: Illustration in Times of War

Photography dominates the news in print and online. It is an immediate, vivid and mostly objective medium for portraying current events. In comparison, illustration is seen as more subjective and tends to be confined to softer, more abstract stories.

But is there still room for illustration in hard-news stories?

We are flooded with images taken by cameras and phones which often struggle to have the impact that they did 50 years ago. In a society that has become so desensitised to photographs of war, can illustration be used to better encapsulate a situation and connect with the viewer?

In 2013 George Butler‘s drawings from war-damaged Syrian towns were used in The Guardian, The Times and on the BBC World News. He will be joining us to present his work and talk about how he produces it. 

He will be joined by Malik Meer, features editor for The Guardian and editor of the G2 supplement, to discuss the appeal of his illustrations.