EATER COOKBOOK
FOOD MAP ILLUSTRATIONS
EDITORIAL FOOD ILLUSTRATIONS
Client : Eater / Abrams Books
Art director : Nat Belkov
Skill: Comprehensive Editorial Illustration, Map Illustration, Spot Illustrations, Project Management
Brief :
I had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with Nat Belkov and the team at Eater as a lead illustrator for their second cookbook, Eaterland (published by Abrams). This extensive project involved creating the visual framework for the entire book, including:
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2 Double-page end paper illustrations (expansive food maps of the US)
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8 Full-page chapter opener food map illustrations
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38 Detailed spot illustrations of iconic regional dishes
This was a rewarding 4-month journey—from initial style testing to the final delivery of over 45 individual illustrations. Successfully managing this volume of work required a high level of organization and dedicated focus to ensure a consistent, polished quality across every piece within the project's turnaround.
This cookbook releases April 28.
You can pre-order and use code EATERBOOKS40 for 40% off. from @Abramsbooks.
Final Images
End Sheet : United States Food Map Illustration
Chapter Opener :
California & PNW Food Map Illustration
Chapter Opener :
Texas State Food Map Illustration
A key highlight of chapter openers was the challenge of the Alaska, Hawai'i, and Puerto Rico map.
My goal was to unify these geographically disparate locations onto a single canvas while balancing their distinct "weather vibes"—from arctic cool to tropical warmth.
This compositional harmony was highly praised for successfully making sense of such diverse locations on one single page.
Chapter Opener :
Alaska, Hawai'i, and Puerto Rico Food Map Illustration
The project featured 38 'spots,' many of which were complex images with 2 to 4 individual particular food items within a single illustration—all meticulously illustrated as separate layers. Beyond individual items, some spots are rich still lifes or specific scenes: from a 1950s retro lunch counter to a Texas smoker filled with briskets. I love that these scenes were included; they added so much depth, as this cookbook highlights the local food culture and the stories of the chefs behind them, not just the food 'as-is.
Want to see how these regional food maps were created? Here is my Process.
