This October, we’re excited to feature Sen Li, one of our contract illustrators at Tellwell. Sen has an incredible talent for turning stories into vivid, captivating visuals that draw readers in.

Read on to get to know Sen and learn more about their creative journey.

Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and your background as an illustrator?

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, it’s always been the most natural way for me to express myself. I grew up in Canada, but my roots are in Taiwan, and I think that mix of cultures shows up in my work, both in the stories I tell visually and in the aesthetics I gravitate towards. I trained myself through a lot of practice, observation, and experimentation rather than a rigid academic path, which gave me freedom to shape my own style.

As an illustrator, I’m drawn to mood, atmosphere, and subtle storytelling. I want my art to feel like a single frame from a larger narrative, a glimpse into a moment that already has a history behind it. A big part of that comes from my love of manhwa, where storytelling through images is so immediate and emotionally charged. That influence shapes how I use composition, pacing, and expression to pull viewers into a scene. My background in graphic design also plays a role in how I balance composition and detail, and I’m constantly looking for ways to bridge fine art with more modern, digital expressions.