Yes, you can have live illustration at your event without the illustrator in the room. On the 31st August 2026 I drew Seattle Botanic Gardens' volunteer celebration for the Arboretum Foundation live from my studio in the UK, while guests at the in-person party in Seattle watched it grow on screen. (Grow.. get it? 🤪 Ok, ok ok I’ll stop.)
Here's how online live illustration worked for this event:
Before the day: the team sent volunteers' reflections in their own words, so the drawing started nice an’ early.
A week before: a quick tech check, and a walk around the venue using WhatsApp video so the day itself was easy. No surprises.
On the day: I drew live for two hours alongside the celebration. Attendees could see the illustration in progress and saw me drawing live.
Straight after: the finished artwork and a timelapse video were in their Dropbox within half an hour.
What was the brief?
Seattle Botanic Gardens brings the Arboretum Foundation and UW Botanic Gardens together as one organisation. Their volunteer celebration was a chance to thank their brilliant volunteers. There are three sites:
the Seattle Japanese Garden
the Union Bay Natural Area at the Center for Urban Horticulture
the Washington Park Arboretum
Their Volunteer Programs Manager had a nice clear plan. Gather reflections from volunteers before the day, start the illustration early and then keep drawing live during the celebration so everyone could watch it take shape.
I loved this approach! It was so nice to work from the volunteers’ real life words and have something to show at the start of the event.
How do you prepare for an online live illustration?
The team at the Botanic Gardens sent over a nice comprehensive bundle of prep material:
volunteer responses, in their own words
a chart of the qualities volunteers hope will define the new, joined-up organisation
photos of all three gardens, from the Japanese Garden in autumn to the Arboretum's azaleas in spring bloom
We talked it through on a call and agreed a calm, garden-inspired palette: soft sage, muted plum, olive and leaf green, plus black and white.
We also ran a tech check the week before. Online live illustration is easy when the tech is sorted early, and this one behaved beautifully.
If you're weighing up remote or hybrid live illustration for your own event, my Zero-Stress Guide to Hybrid Live Illustration walks you through how it all works. All you need is a decent internet connection and a dreeeam!
What happens on the day?
The party happened in person in Seattle, and I dialled in remotely for a two-hour live session. My drawing was shown on screen in the room, so guests could watch it grow as the party went on. The guests were a lovely mix of volunteers from across the programmes, staff and colleagues from Seattle Parks.
The illustration built up while the celebration went on. Within about half an hour of the event ending, the finished artwork and a timelapse video were in their Dropbox, ready to share.
What did we draw?
The illustration brings together the three gardens, the volunteers' reflections and the values they want to carry forward. Words like camaraderie sit alongside quotes from the volunteers themselves.
"I enjoy helping visitors see the garden from a new perspective."
The final title was "Volunteers - Growing Connections". Voilaaa:
Timelapse: watch "Volunteers: Growing Connections" being drawn live online for Seattle Botanic Gardens, from blank page to finished artwork. Tadaaaa!
Why did this online live illustration work?
It started with volunteers’ voices. Reading their words before the day meant the drawing reflected the humans behind the real life volunteer community of the gardens :)
Prep plus live drawing. Starting early meant I could include as many of the volunteers’ contributions as possible. And drawing live gave everyone something to watch and talk about during the event. (I could see them enjoying the event and stopping to have a look at the illustration while I was working too, so it was really nice!)
Distance wasn't a problem. I was in the UK and the party was in Seattle. With the tech check done and a simple set-up, it was easy from my end. Attendees on-site could see the live illustration taking shape on a big screen in the venue.
The client shaped the final piece. After the event, the team asked for three small changes: a spelling, a swapped quote and a new title. All quick, all included, and turned around in 2 working days.
"We appreciate how you captured the experience and how the volunteers are helping to shape who we are and what we're to become."
-Seattle Botanic Gardens
Frequently asked questions
Can a live illustrator draw an in-person event remotely?
Yes. I draw live from my studio while your event happens anywhere in the world, and your guests watch the illustration grow on screen. For Seattle Botanic Gardens' volunteer celebration I drew for two hours from the UK. A tech check the week before keeps the day itself easy.
What do you need from us before the day?
Whatever helps me understand your people. For Seattle Botanic Gardens that was volunteers' reflections in their own words, the values they wanted to carry forward and photos of their three gardens. We also agree a colour palette on a short call, so the drawing feels like yours from the first line.
What do we get after the event?
The finished artwork and a timelapse video of it being drawn, ready to share. For this event they were in the client's Dropbox within about half an hour of the celebration ending. Small tweaks, like fixing a spelling, are included.
Does the time difference matter?
Not for you. The session runs at your event's local time and I fit around it. Seattle is 8 hours behind the UK, and the celebration ran as planned with me drawing live throughout.
Is online live illustration accessible?
It is! And we do our best to make it even more accessible post-event too. Every job includes screen-reader-friendly visual descriptions and alt text, so people using screen readers can enjoy the artwork too. Colour contrast and legible lettering are also taken into consideration while we’re creating the live artwork too.
Want online live illustration for your 2027 event?
Planning a celebration, a conference or a team day in 2027? I draw live, online or in person, anywhere in the world. Bold, vibrant visuals, and an easy process from first call to final files.
Enquire about live illustration for your event - let's chat!
x Katie