Eleanor Taylor’s childhood was riddled with creativity. Homeschooled from the age of seven to sixteen, she remembers having a routine that including a lot of drawing. “Me and my brother had a routine – we got up early and completed our lessons in the morning,” she told Walker. “This meant the afternoons could be spent doing creative fun things like playing in the garden making dens, and as I got older sitting in the shed and drawing.”
As a lot of her learning was self-directed, Taylor had to rely on a lot of self-motivation to get herself going, “which can’t be a bad thing for an illustrator,” she remarks. Growing up without a television also meant that she would spend a lot of time wrapped up in books. “I think this nurtured my imagination and gave me a love of stories,” she added.
And as she grew up, her toolbox served her in her journey to becoming an illustrator. Since graduating with an MA in Communication Art and Design from the Royal College of Art in 2011, and a BA in Illustration from Norwich College of Art in 2008, Taylor has worked on multiple projects: illustrating picture books, designing book covers, and working for notable clients like the New York Times and the New Yorker.
Using a mixture of paint, charcoal, ink, and collage, she translates stories and narratives into detailed illustrations which are both lighthearted and heartwarming. Take a look for yourself:
