Welcome to Manuel Draws!

Hi! I’m Manuel. A sketchnoter, an illustrator, and educator. I also love a good taco!

Over the past 20 years, I’ve used my passion for education, sketching, and creativity to create illustrations, build workshops and design talks that bring out the inner creative in everyone. I keep play and process at the core of what I do to help people develop confidence and practice routines around thinking and creativity. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to be featured at events across the globe such as SXSW, ISTE, FETC & The International Sketchnote Camp. I’ve also partnered with book publishers, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and private companies to design illustrations and graphics.

Let’s work together! I’m excited to join you on your journey and look forward to helping you unleash your inner creative.

What People Are Saying

Stephanie Tate | Marketing & Communications | Great Rivers and Routes

“Manuel has provided illustrations for two separate publications for the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau of Southwest Illinois. His work has made our publications shine brighter and added some much needed graphic depth in the form of colorful, creative map designs. Working with Manuel has been truly enjoyable – we throw out an idea and he takes it and runs with it – creating marvelous illustrations that don’t require many – or any – changes. He meets our deadlines and is easy to communicate with during the illustration process. We are making plans to collaborate with him on additional projects and look forward to seeing what his creative mind comes up with!”

Jordan Jackovich | Communications Manager | Discover Downstate Illinois

Manuel’s illustrations are a delightful blend of creativity and skill, consistently exceeding our expectations. We contracted Manuel to draw a map and design a mural layout for us here at Discover Downstate Illinois, and we could not be more thrilled with the results. Each of his creations is a testament to his remarkable talent and imaginative vision, making him an invaluable asset to any project. He was easy to communicate with and brought a wonderful positive attitude to each one of our meetings. We would absolutely love to work with him again and could not recommend him enough.”

Aaron Speropoulos | Creative Director | Studiopoulos

“Manuel has such an incredible grasp on the design thinking/creative process, and an even better ability to communicate that into a fun, energetic, and easily digestible message when he speaks. His passion is contagious and the positive energy in the room that day was palpable. I still find myself referencing some of his ideas to this day! “

Kristin Patrick | Indiana State Literacy Association, An ILA Affiliate

“Our leadership board was over the moon excited when Manuel agreed to design the artwork for our annual conference. We knew the warmth and humor of his drawing style perfectly matched the joyful vibe we wanted to communicate. His artwork served as a beautiful invitation for participation. When the conference shifted from in-person to virtual, he immediately edited our graphics to reflect the new format. We were honored that Manuel was also willing to serve as a conference presenter. Session participants learned fresh approaches to the teaching of reading comprehension while building their digital toolkit with tools and strategies that they could implement the next day with learners. Manuel was a wonderful addition to our conference lineup.”