This North African Middle Eastern food illustration is a celebration of some of the kitchen tools, staple Levantine foods, and local MENA region ingredients that I grew up loving and enjoying. As mentioned in my About page, I come from a multi-cultural background, and most members of my immediate and extended families (myself included) are serious cultural travellers and foodies. I grew up around Tunisian Tajines, ceramic Moroccan serving plates, Lebanese food ingredients and staples dishes, handmade Syrian glass and mouth-watering feasts, authentic Jordanian flavours, and a never-ending infatuation with North African culture.
Some of the kitchen tools in this wanderlust-centric food illustration are traditional (urban and tribal) pots, coffee makers, and pestles and mortars known to home cooks and foodies over the span of centuries and generations. Others are vintage tools from my late Grandmother’s kitchen, probably created in the 50s, 60s and 70s. The latter is a crucial location that helped shape my food imagination. For in this kitchen I spent countless hours with my Grandmother, cooking, listening to her soothing voice and storytelling, and healing from my challenging childhood and adolescent experiences.
This illustration captures my complete and utter love for Middle Eastern and North African food culture, with all the tools, pots, and stirring spoons traditionally used to make these scrumptious foods.
Illustration Technique and Process: This artwork started out as a sketch on my Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 tablet using the included S Pen and a sketching app. I then completed colouring the illustration in Adobe Photoshop, using a Wacom tablet. Although I usually start my illustrations in pen-and-ink on paper, I opted to create this artwork digitally from start to finish.
Food illustration by illustrator and artist Yaansoon
sketchpoetry says
November 15, 2017 at 4:29 pmwow, this is beautiful! you’re art draws me in – I’m excited for future posts!
sketchpoetry says
November 15, 2017 at 4:30 pmSorry, I have to correct my typo. your*. I swear I know how to spell haha
Yaansoon says
November 15, 2017 at 4:37 pmI’m so happy to read your feedback! As a child the kind of illustrations I used to love were those about visual storytelling. And no worries re the typo, today I discovered a major one on one of my older posts, it happens 🙂
Faiz says
November 13, 2017 at 4:48 pmReally good
Yaansoon says
November 13, 2017 at 8:28 pmThank you!
Margarita says
November 12, 2017 at 6:03 pmHello Yansoon,
I’ve been drawn to your blog by your drawing style. There is so much storytelling in your illustrations! That’s what I also try to do with my drawings. In a different manner, though 🙂 It’s also soothing to hear the story of your grandmother, who was such an inspiration. I was lucky to have a beautiful relation with my auntie Wanda, who lived to turn 100. She was my best friend and a role model.
Yaansoon says
November 12, 2017 at 8:50 pmThank you for your kind and inspiring words, Margarita! I truly enjoyed reading about your auntie Wanda; this gave me such a beautiful and fuzzy feeling. It’s a great blessing to receive the gift of a role model and a mentor. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Kelcie says
November 12, 2017 at 6:52 amI saw this in my WordPress reader and had to say these illustrations are beautiful.
Yaansoon says
November 12, 2017 at 12:07 pmThank you Kelcie for your nice comment, I’m really glad you stopped by!
The Peach Tree says
November 12, 2017 at 1:10 amI love your style so much! Really awesome designs 😃 looking forward to your future posts 😁
Yaansoon says
November 12, 2017 at 1:18 amThank you for your lovely comment! I’m glad you liked my illustrations, hope you stay tuned for future posts 🙂