About

Hello! I am an illustrator, author, and automotive engineer.

A picture book maker and an engineer may sound quite different from one another, but they have many similarities. Both require writing and pictures to communicate ideas. 

I grew up in the suburbs of Akron, Ohio and graduated from the University of Toledo with a mechanical engineering degree. Then I moved to the metro-Detroit area to work as an engineer in the automotive industry, where I still am today.

I have always loved drawing. Cartoons, comics, and fantasy art were my favorite subjects to draw, but I also enjoyed handwriting, drafting, geometry, scientific diagrams, maps, and anything else where I had an excuse to draw.

My formal art training was K-12 school. Later, I attended some evening art classes at community colleges, local art centers, and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. But I was always reading books on drawing and trying to imitate artists that inspired me. I kept finding ways to make use of my drawing skills in whatever class, organization, or job I had, which continues to this day.

I tried my hand at comic books and submitting comic strips for syndication, but they didn't pan out.

Later, I joined the Ann Arbor Ad Club to network and learn about the industry. Through that and running ads in The Big Idea, a trade magazine for the Detroit advertising scene, I made some connections that led to commercial illustration work and the need to learn Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

From my used book collecting, I discovered (or rediscovered, I'm not sure) Edward Gorey. He opened my eyes to how many ways words and pictures can be combined into stories. Gorey led me to Edward Lear and the joy of playing with words and making nonsense.

Over the past several years I have been learning the picture book craft, joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), participate in a writers' group, and received input from The Illustration Department. It has been a great experience so far.

I would be remiss to not say anything about my engineering career. After college, I worked on clutch hydraulics for a few years and ever since have been working on electric powered steering systems. The skills I learned through drawing, graphic design, and writing have helped my career immensely, such as sketching out ideas on paper or PowerPoint, making diagrams, flowcharts, and graphs, creating attractive presentations, etc. And engineering has given me confidence in problem solving, managing teams and projects, improving my written and verbal communication skills, simplifying complex topics, using MS Office apps, and working with a diverse and global group of people.

There is always something to learn, and I look forward to what comes next!

SCBWI Michigan interviewed me for their blog, The Mitten.
https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2023/04/interview-with-illustrator-ken-eaton.html

Contact Me

You can email me at:

           Ken [at] BigTallKen [dot] com