Illustrations for The Golden Hinde museum

In the spring of 2020, I was commissioned by The Golden Hinde museum to work on an exciting project titled “Meet the Crew.” This idea emerged from the necessity to create engaging lessons for students while they were learning remotely, as COVID-19 lockdowns kept school groups from visiting museums in person.

The project centered around illustrating the various crew members who sailed on the original voyage of Sir Francis Drake. Working closely with the Education team, we utilized a variety of research materials to gather details about each crew member, either focusing on their role on the ship or, where information was available, on a specific person. Each description was then paired with an illustration that brought the historical figures to life.

A selection of ‘Meet the Crew’ characters.

The illustrations were designed to be playful and accessible to everyone from very young children to older students. My aim was to create characters that were not only informative but also entertaining, sparking questions about the historical context. At the same time, I wanted to ensure that the artwork remained true to the museum's minimalist branding style.

Aside from being used as an online educational resource for schools, these illustrations were showcased aboard the museum itself once it reopened and later became part of The Golden Hinde’s branding, including merchandise that can be found in the museum shop.

Illustrations used for the Golden Hinde ‘play pack’.

Pirates through history illustrations.