Nathaniel Eckstrom — Children's Book Illustrator, Sydney

The ability to visualise gentle realms of fun and adventure has made Nathaniel Eckstrom one of Australia’s leading children’s illustrators, capable of taking his clients’ concepts and turning them into something imaginative, quirky and eye-catching.

For many artists the blank page is intimidating, but for the Sydney-based illustrator it offers a world of possibilities. The scenes he loves to create are playful, dreamlike places, filled with captivating little characters, each of which has a secret story to tell. Nathaniel enjoys traveling in Asia and has a huge collection of vinyl toys, art, music and picture books. He gets inspiration from bands like the B52s, the Cramps and Jane’s Addiction, as well as the artists Tim Biskup, Jeff Soto and Jay Ryan. After studying graphic design at the KvB College of Visual Communication in Sydney he began carving out his individual illustration style.

Approach

The textures and preliminary artwork for each of Nathaniel’s pieces are developed using natural media such as pencils and acrylic paints. After digitising these raw materials, he puts everything together in Photoshop to perfect both the composition and colour.

Key Software

Photoshop

Style

With an earthy palette and tactile texturing, Nathaniel’s style is warm and playful, with a retro, dreamlike quality to it. Viewers can instantly relate to the universe he creates and its handmade feel.

Awards

2008 Create Awards – Best Illustration 2018 Children’s Book Council Australia – Notable Book award

Client list

Nathaniel has worked with Cadbury, Nestlé, Kraft Food, Walker Books, Hardie Grant Egmont, Scholastic Australia, ABC Music and Little Hare Publishing.

Illustrated map of Sydney Botanic Gardens with landmarks by Nathaniel Eckstrom