*Top,* children exploring a dilapidated Syrian Army tank in Azaz, illustrated by George Butler, 2012; *above,* Butler sketching in Bucha, Ukraine, soon after the city’s liberation from Russia, 2022.

Front Lines

In his illustrations of war, the British artist George Butler adds color to the oft overlooked human experiences behind global conflicts

By Jack Sullivan

On February 24, 2022, most of us watched the news with shock. George Butler, however, was considering whether to pack his bags. Vladimir Putin had just launched a “special military operation” against Ukraine—a full-scale multi-front invasion, complete with air strikes. Butler, a British reportage illustrator, needed to decide if he should risk his life on the front lines covering it.

That question is one Butler, now 40, has asked himself routinely over the last 20 years. Born in the Cotswolds, in England, he attended Kingston University, in London. His mother was an artist, and her influence led him to pursue a degree in illustration. Over the course of his studies, Butler “slowly learned that reportage illustration was an old-fashioned, albeit very effective way of communicating stories.” He decided to take up the art form.