Ainsley ILLUSTRATOR

Publishing Illustrations

Bringing Your Stories to Life
Publishing Illustrator for Hire: Bringing your stories to life with illustrative storytelling and custom editorial illustrations for magazines, newspapers, and books. My publishing illustrations go beyond visuals—they’re gateways to vibrant worlds, transforming words into immersive experiences that bridge text and imagination. From captivating cover art to detailed editorial illustrations, I create artwork that enhances storytelling, deeply engages readers, and enriches the reading journey.

Breaking Down Complexity for GoDaddy to Boost Reader Retention

Making Knowledge Clickable with Social Media Visuals

A vibrant watercolor and digital ink illustration, perfect for the GoDaddy blog. This lifestyle illustration captures the blue hues of technology and AI, ideal for editorial and creative projects.

Cyber security illustration
Digital ink honeycomb illustration layered on top of the watercolour.

A striking mixed media illustration, combining watercolor and digital ink in purple and white. Perfect for GoDaddy's editorial and marketing needs, showcasing the intersection of technology and creativity.

Engagement through illustration
Streamlining content by simplifying the illustration process.

A colorful editorial illustration for GoDaddy, depicting a person of color overwhelmed by daily options. This visually striking image explores the challenges of modern life in the digital age, perfect for tech and AI-focused content.

The sum of all things
A loose sketching style combined with simple colouring technique captures attention and grounds the illustration.

Editorial Illustrations for Toronto Star

A Multi-Platform Powerhouse by an Illustrator for Feature Stories

A hyper-realistic illustration of Black men for the Toronto Star, capturing their unique stories. This impactful piece is an editorial exclusive, perfect for showcasing diversity and promoting social change.

Emotional resonance
The power of realism in editorial content.

A hyper-realistic illustration of a Black man, showcasing his individual features and personality. This impactful piece is an editorial exclusive for the Toronto Star, perfect for promoting diversity and inclusivity.

Rethinking realism
Challenging conventions in editorial videos.

An editorial illustration of Arrowhead Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, featuring a skating rink and newspapers. This captivating image explores the intersection of nature, technology, and media, perfect for publishing and AI-focused content.

Skating through nature
A winter wonderland at Arrowhead provincial park.

A vibrant digital illustration of Toronto's bustling downtown core, showcasing smart intersections and pedestrians navigating the busy streets. This piece is perfect for the Toronto Star, exploring urban planning and technology in a visually engaging way.

Revitalizing downtown Toronto
Introducing smart intersections.

A vibrant historical homes illustration for the Toronto Star editorial, showcasing the city's rich heritage. This detailed piece, inked and colored with precision, captures the essence of Toronto's past.

Preserving history through art
Illustrating heritage sites.

A creative chalkboard illustration, featuring typography and icons, designed for the Toronto Star editorial. This visually engaging piece effectively conveys complex information, making it perfect for educational and informative content.

A typographer's playground
The art of chalkboard typography.

A vibrant editorial illustration for the Toronto Star, featuring a barista in a cozy coffee shop. This full-color image captures the warmth and community of local businesses, perfect for showcasing the city's unique charm.

The power of imperfection
The appeal of loose lines and uneven colours.

An editorial political illustration for the Toronto Star, featuring cogs turning endlessly, symbolizing rising taxation in Canada. This striking image effectively conveys the message, making it perfect for political commentary.

Tax burden
A visual commentary on Toronto's rising costs.

Product Illustrations for H&G Designs' Product Line

Balancing Nature and Design with Promotional Artwork

Uninterrupted simplicity
A clean and minimal design.

A balancing act
A seamless blend of design elements and blooming orchids in perfect balance.

A vibrant watercolor and ink illustration of orchids, bookshelves, and plants, showcasing the harmony between organic and inorganic elements. Perfect for product illustration and editorial use, capturing the beauty of nature and design.

Fostering Diversity Through Character Development in Addiev Training

Building a Global Learning Community with Illustrations for Educational Marketing Materials

A character development illustration featuring a First Nations woman, designed for inclusive internal training manuals. This artwork promotes diversity and inclusivity in hiring practices, fostering a welcoming corporate culture.

The silent language
Exploring body language and expression for a First Nations woman.

A First Nations man is depicted in a 360-degree illustration, showcasing a variety of emotions and perspectives. His facial expressions and body language highlight effective communication and character development, making him a valuable resource for train

Happy expression, four perspectives
A First Nations man.

A 360-degree illustration of an African American man, showcasing diverse emotions and perspectives. Ideal for training manuals, highlighting effective communication and character development.

Serious expression, four perspectives
An African man.

An African American woman is depicted in four separate illustrations, showcasing a variety of emotions and body language. Ideal for training manuals, highlighting effective communication and character development.

The silent language
Exploring body language and expression for an African woman.

A Middle Eastern woman is depicted in four separate illustrations, showcasing a variety of emotions and body language. Ideal for training manuals, highlighting effective communication and character development.

The silent language
Exploring body language and expression for a Middle Eastern woman.

An Asian man is depicted in a 360-degree illustration, showcasing four distinct facial expressions and four different body languages. Ideal for training manuals, highlighting effective communication and character development.

Happy expression, four perspectives
An Asian man.

A gender-neutral person is depicted in four separate illustrations, showcasing a variety of emotions and body language. Ideal for training manuals, highlighting effective communication and character development.

Happy expression, four perspectives
A gender neutral person.

An Indian woman is depicted in four separate illustrations, showcasing a variety of emotions and body language. Ideal for training manuals, highlighting effective communication and character development.

The silent language
Exploring body language and expression for an East Indian woman.

A Latin American woman is depicted in four separate illustrations, showcasing a variety of emotions and body language. Ideal for training manuals, highlighting effective communication and character development.

The silent language
Exploring body language and expression for a Latin American woman.

A white man is depicted in a 360-degree illustration, showcasing four distinct facial expressions. Ideal for training manuals, highlighting effective communication and character development.

Serious expression, four perspectives
A European man.

Colouring Pages for Relaxation and Creativity

Mindful Mandalas by Freelance Book Illustrator Ainsley Ashby

A detailed black and white mandala, incorporating First Nations symbolism and meaning. This intricate artwork celebrates indigenous culture and spirituality, perfect for decorative or educational purposes.

Symbolism and iconography
Baked into the details of each layer.

A unique black and white mandala coloring book illustration, designed for mindfulness and relaxation. This engaging artwork is perfect for publishing and corporate wellness programs, promoting mental health and well-being.

Nurturing the mind
The therapeutic power of organic mandalas.

A unique black and white mandala coloring book illustration shaped like a lock. Perfect for mindfulness publications, this engaging design promotes relaxation and stress relief while symbolizing personal growth and overcoming challenges.

Unwinding with intricate details
Stress relief through colouring.

A free-flowing black and white mandala, perfect for adult coloring and mindfulness. This intricate design sparks imagination and promotes inner peace, making it ideal for relaxation and stress relief.

Unleashing creativity
The power of free-flowing lines.

Visualizing Powerful Editorial Illustrations for Pie Media Group

Enhancing Reader Engagement with Portrait Illustration for Opinion Pieces

Etta James
Illustrations that go beyond simple likeness; I convey the character, emotions, and the narrative context, adding depth to the written content.

A realistic black and white portrait illustration of Etta James, featured in the Pie Media Group's celebrity series. This timeless piece captures her soulful essence, ideal for publishing and fan collections.

Ringo Starr
A confident use of colour helps bring stories to life, making the editorial content more engaging and memorable.

A vibrant full-color illustration of Ringo Starr, featured in the Pie Media Group's Beatles series. This iconic image captures his playful personality, perfect for publishing and fan collections.

Metropolis
Pen & Ink: a classic art form for editorial illustration.

A dynamic black and white pen-and-ink illustration of Metropolis, capturing its bustling energy. This piece is perfect for publishing and editorial use, showcasing the city's iconic skyline and vibrant atmosphere.

John Maxwell Coetzee
An equal blend of artistic interpretation and attention to detail, I evoke mood, and create a strong visual connection with readers.