Meet The Illustrator: Peter Baldwin

Name: Peter Baldwin

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Earthy, expressive, narrative-driven with nature and character at heart.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Books and comics for inspiration, Dungeons & Dragons miniatures for painting and storytelling, tidy art supplies for focus, and my computer to pull it all together. My miniature ecosystems—terrariums and aquariums—bring the outside in. They help me slow down, stay curious, and dream up the wild worlds I love to draw.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Hand-drawn inking is definitely my favourite. I enjoy the control and expression that ink pens and brushes offer. I also use pencil, coloured pencils, crayons, and watercolours to add texture and colour. My lightboard, Wacom, and computer help me refine and finish the work digitally. It’s a balance between traditional techniques and digital tools.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
I’m really inspired by Ben Hatke, Benji Davies, and Joe Todd-Stanton. Ben Hatke’s work, like Zita the Spacegirl, grabs me with its sense of adventure and heart—his characters feel alive and relatable, which I really admire. Benji Davies’ use of texture in books like The Storm Whale creates such a rich, tactile feel that adds depth and atmosphere, something I try to bring into my own illustrations. Joe Todd-Stanton’s vibrant colours and rich details in books like The Secret of Black Rock remind me how powerful storytelling can be when the art has layers you can get lost in. What really connects me to all three, though, is their amazing characterisation—the way they design characters and capture expression makes their stories jump off the page. Their work keeps pushing me to explore character, emotion, and environment in my own style.

 
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I think I’d choose the Art Nouveau period. There’s a quiet beauty in how artists then found inspiration in nature and brought a sense of playfulness and flow to their work. It feels like a time when art was part of everyday life, and I’d love to experience that simplicity and connection

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
My time as a primary school teacher showed me how powerful children’s books can be, but it was really in my own time—collecting picture books and graphic novels—that I fell in love with the art and storytelling. Seeing how illustrations bring stories to life made me want to do it myself.

Can you share a photo of your creative workspace or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I work in a small studio out the back of my house. It’s filled with aquariums, terrariums, and small ecosystems that I’ve created. Each one is its own little world, carefully arranged and full of life. The studio has plenty of natural light, which helps keep the space bright and uplifting. Having all the nature around, combined with the light, helps me stay calm and focused while I work—it’s like having a little slice of the outdoors inside. The quiet, simple space lets me concentrate and keeps my creativity flowing.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I really enjoy the character design stage, especially after I’ve read the story. It’s exciting to start imagining how the characters will look and feel—their expressions and emotions. That’s when the story really starts to come to life for me.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
I’d say keep drawing whenever you can, even if it’s just for your own enjoyment outside of work. Having a different job alongside your illustration journey can take the pressure off and give you space to grow at your own pace. Look at other artists’ work for inspiration, be patient with yourself, and remember it’s okay to take your time finding your own style.



Peter Baldwin is a Sydney-based illustrator and teacher creating children's books, educational resources, and commercial art. Inspired by nature and storytelling, his work includes Lucky (Affirm), Granbad (UQP), and Maxi the Lifeguard (Affirm). A former wildlife educator, he won the 2019 Environment Award for Children’s Literature.

For more information, please visit Peter's website or follow him on instagram.