2DARTIST MAGAZINE | ISSUE 136Folklore, mythology, femininity, and the
complex relationship between humankind
and the natural world we inhabit are
the main stimulants for Nataša Ilinčić’s
elegant illustrations. Her love of nature
has propelled her passion for art which
in turn has advanced into a bright career,
exhibiting works internationally and creating
illustrations for books and magazines.
Working mostly from her cozy Scottish studio,
or when traveling, Nataša uses a variety of
traditional mediums to create her works,
including watercolor and gouache paints,
graphite, ink and even tea stains, and often
some digital work too. Here Nataša discusses
her favorite projects, how she manages her
time as a freelance artist, and announces
her exciting new personal project...
2dartist: Hello Nataša! Thanks for talking to
2dartist. First off, could you introduce yourself
with a bit about your background and projects?
Nataša Ilinčić: Hi! I’m currently working as a
freelance illustrator from my quirky little studio
in Edinburgh, Scotland but my roots are Croatian
and I grew up in Italy. During my university years I
always kept my passion for illustration alive. After
a BA in Archaeology, I graduated with honors in
Cultural Anthropology at the University of Venice
with a dissertation on traditional tattooing in the
Balkans. After that I decided to pursue my artistic
career full-time, and nourish it with themes that
speak deeply to me: folklore, mythology, and the
relationship between humankind and nature.
2da: What or who encouraged you
to take up a career as an artist?
NI: When I was eleven years old I remember my
mother getting an expensive custom wooden
frame for a map of an imaginary island I had
painted with ink. We were not wealthy, quite
the opposite, so it meant the world to me to see
that someone valued my creations that much.
For as long as I can remember my fingers have
been dirtied with graphite and paint. I happened
to be good at it, and kept practicing in every
spare moment with no other goal than personal
“For as long as I can
remember my fingers have
been dirtied with graphite
and paint”Beltane: watercolor, gouache, graphite, and digital painting