Hello! I’m Ilana Diamond, an illustrator living in Berkeley, California. Before moving to the Bay Area, I lived in New York where I received my BA and MA from The Gallatin School at NYU. My master’s thesis was about the creative process and the intersection of words and imagery in storytelling. From there I moved into a career as a visual storyteller and spent twenty years in the photo and art departments of different magazines and creative agencies.

I’ve always been happiest when drawing and painting. Now, my days are filled with just that, along with writing and illustrating the occasional book for my two children.

I love exploring my neighborhood: unearthing gems in the children’s section at the library, getting lost in the colors and forms of the local flora, and saying hello to friendly dogs and their people.

Other inspirations include everything Bowie, all things RuPaul, Hayao Miyazaki movies, and childhood memories of living in Tokyo during the 80’s. Most of all, I love playing with my beloved husband, kids, and our two very rascally black cats Boris and Linsky.

If you’d like to get in touch about collaborations, licensing, or anything else, please do so! I’d love to hear from you!

Ilana Diamond
She/her
ilana.r.diamond@gmail.com