Hello! I'm Erzsi, a self-taught illustrator, originally from Hungary, based in Vienna, Austria with my German partner and our two kids.
I drew a lot as a child (as most children do), but as an avid reader and thoroughly fascinated by literature and stories in all forms, I studied philology at university and have two MA's in contemporary Latin American and English literature. For several years I was teaching English and Spanish in language schools, as well as working first as an assistant at the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest, then as project coordinator for different education NGOs.
I had a constant urge to make something tangible with my hands, though- so I kept doing evening classes in life drawing, linocut printing, tapestry weaving, then in 2018, after the birth of our second child I started drawing again in sketchbooks on an almost daily basis. I soon discovered that it is actually the narrative that I enjoy most in illustration, and I re-discovered my beloved picture books from my childhood when I read them out for my own children (my old picture books, and many many new ones, of course). In 2025 I took the Picture Book Illustration course by the Good Ship Illustration which gave me a push to finally channel my drawing practice and put together a portfolio for my illustrations.
I work primarily with traditional media including linocut printing, stamps, stencils, watercolour, pastels, gouache, coloured pencils and collage, combined with digital editing. I enjoy drawing the world around me, particularly people, with all their quirks and peculiarities- the sketchbooks I keep filling with life drawing and drawing on location are a constant source of inspiration for my illustrations.
Thank you for visiting my website, and feel free to contact me with any questions at erzsiraczillo@gmail.com