Artist Feature - David Creighton Pester Nov 18 2022

David Creighton-Pester is our illustrator feature this month! As an illustrator from Hamilton, New Zealand, his silly style has made him a success around the world.

Since childhood, David has loved to draw and was inspired by the wacky things he saw. The weird things around him still spark his creativity. 

“I love drawing fun, silly characters, often anthropomorphic animals, built from simple shapes with plenty of texture and colour. As a child, I was always inspired by animation, illustration, and weird things that seem like nonsense! And they still spark my creativity today. I'm especially fond of cartoons and picture books from the '60s.”

He turned his passion for creativity into his career! Through Advocate, he has been able to work on many projects over the years.

“I have illustrated nearly 30 children's books over the last 7 or so years and Advocate has been key in finding all that work. They have helped me grow and develop my art and an understanding of where I want to go in my career. “

Of those many projects, one series sticks out in his mind:

“Two of my favourite projects were Battle of the Butts (released Nov 2021) and the follow-up book Battle of the Brains (just released this month!) with Running Press. Each book explored interesting facts about 10 animals around the themes (Butts or Brains). Despite being a factual, non-fiction book I was encouraged to be playful and silly with the illustrations. I also got to have a hand in design elements throughout the book including the title design and page layouts - a side of picture books I love to engage with. Both books have received great reviews, translations, and Battle of the Brains has also received a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.”

We are thrilled to see David’s success in this series and in others. Even with his success as an illustrator, David has bigger plans for his future, 

“One of my focuses for the future includes expanding into writing, with several stories in development and a hope to bring more fun and silliness into the lives of kids across the globe!”

All of us at Advocate can’t wait to see the next silly story David comes up with!

Interested in seeing more? Click HERE to see David's full portfolio! 

Advocate Art illustration agency specializes in art licensing and children’s book illustrations. Based in London, Seville, New York, L.A., and Singapore, we represent leading illustrators who produce children's and decorative work to commission or license.