At ThinkLink Graphics, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside visual practitioners from many parts of the world. One thing has become beautifully clear: graphic recording looks different everywhere. Style, composition, colour, metaphor, and cultural references all shift depending on place, tradition, and audience. It’s one of the things we love most about this field.
Place, politics, process, and personality all shape graphic recording. That’s what makes it so powerful.
With that in mind, we’re excited to spotlight Blanche Ellis.
Based in Barcelona and working across Spain, the UK, Europe, and beyond, Blanche collaborates with a wide mix of clients, from community projects and NGOs to universities, think tanks, and intergovernmental bodies. Much of her work centres on human rights, equality, and sustainability. She works both analog and digital, sometimes alongside a facilitator, an approach she especially loves.
Blanche’s graphic recording style is fluid, organic, and unmistakably hand-drawn. She leans into sketchiness and visible mark-making, valuing the human warmth that comes from seeing the “hand of the maker.” For her, graphic recording is less about polished vectors and more about storytelling, listening, and emotional connection.
Living in what she describes as a cross-cultural “mish-mash,” Blanche draws inspiration from old master painters, comics, global folk art, and what she admires at Barcelona’s National Art Museum of Catalunya.
She’s inspired by many peers, including long-time collaborator Temujen Gunewardena for their tender, elegant style and deep listening; Agah Nugraha Muharam for his dynamic comic-style energy; and Raquel Durán for her bold, punchy compositions.
For us, Blanche’s work is a beautiful reminder that before the pen hits the page, graphic recording begins with listening deeply, carefully, and with heart.
Want to learn more about the ideas behind the ‘Graphic Recording’ process and Blanche Ellis?
Check out this great video about what Blanche calls “Visual Minutes”
We would love to hear from you!
Please reach out to us to start the conversation about all the wonderful ways you can include:
- Graphic Recording
- Illustration
- Action Sketch Videos
- Storymaps
- Rich Pictures at your next gathering.
