illustrate vs portray

illustrate

verb
  • To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison. 

  • To provide a book or other publication with pictures, diagrams or other explanatory or decorative features. 

portray

verb
  • To describe in words; to convey. 

  • To play a role; to depict a character, person, situation, or event. 

  • To paint or draw the likeness of. 

  • To represent by an image or look. 

How often have the words illustrate and portray occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )