NILS-PETTER EKWALL
Nils-Petter Ekwall is a freelance illustrator based in Stockholm, Sweden, who specializes in urban landscapes, cityscapes, and site-specific illustrations.
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CREATIVE STATEMENT
Nils-Petter Ekwall—or just Nils—is a Swedish illustrator—or illustratör—based in Stockholm, specializing in intricate urban landscapes and detailed cityscape illustrations. With 28 years of experience in visualization, his illustrations have evolved through collaborations with ad agencies, brands, and companies across a wide range of sectors.
Nils began his illustrating career painting with Liquitex acrylics on thick Schoellershammer 4R art boards, tediously cutting frisket film with an X-Acto knife before airbrushing and adding details with a brush. Although the days of snoring Phthalocyanine blue-green snot are gone, the old analogue illustration techniques still shine through in various aspects of his work.
Inspired by childhood memories and toys, Nils often strives to recreate a "miniature scale atmosphere" reminiscent of toy sets, dollhouses, or model train landscapes in his urban landscapes and cityscapes. The aim is to provide viewers with a sense of familiarity. As Nils himself says, "Looking at a successful cityscape illustration should be like exploring a miniature world that feels instantly recognizable."
His unique style combines traditional vector work with intricate detail and love, often in semi-isometric perspective with an infographic touch. This has produced memorable designs in subjects such as infrastructure, industry, travel, construction, sustainability projects, and future technologies. While his illustrations often delve into hard and technical subjects, Nils’s work is full of life and storytelling, making him a favorite among art directors and buyers worldwide.
RECENT CLIENTS
- The Guardian
- Trelleborg
- Resources for The Future (RFF)
- Malmoe City Library
Q&A
What is your favorite sound from nature?
The sound of a blackbird in the evening or the the sound of bumblebees.
Which do you prefer: fields or forests?
Pine tree forests. But everything swampy is also interesting! Interesting orchids, strange frog sounds. A bit scary at the same time.
What is your favorite season?
Late spring. Love the light and the temperature!