A panellist profile from our Crafting Conversation series.
Crafting Conversation is a panel series for makers in business, hosted by Make Good Things Happen. We unpack the creative process and the real business stuff with Australian artists, designers, and do-ers.
From his first illustration commission at just 12 years old to seeing his work appear on the shelves of international brands and local landmarks, Ben Sanders has always had a pencil (or brush) in hand. His journey has taken him from art director in global advertising agencies to life in Bolivia, where saturated colours, new stories, and a slower pace of life shaped his creative voice. Today, Ben’s portfolio spans everything from children’s picture books and graphic novels to murals, packaging, editorial illustration and branding for clients near and far.
Whether it’s sketching characters for a new children’s book, tackling a fast-turnaround editorial brief, or illustrating Ballarat’s Town Hall, he brings the same spark of enthusiasm to each project. Now based in Ballarat, Ben continues to draw for clients across the world while contributing to his local creative community.
In this MGTH Chats blog post, Ben Sanders shares the turning points, experiences, and inspirations that have shaped his career.
Meet Ben Sanders at our upcoming Crafting Conversation : Artists Edition at the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute on Wednesday 12th November 2025. Book your seat here.
You’ve been illustrating since you were 12, and your career has taken you from advertising to editorial illustration, commercial work and now books. Looking back, what’s been the biggest turning point in your creative journey?
The day I threw my job in as an art director at an international advertising agency was a big turning point in my career. All of my energy up to that point was invested into being an advertising creative. I realised in my last few months working at an advertising agency that what I REALLY wanted to do was draw all day. Part of my job there was to commission illustrators for commercial projects. I really wanted to be the illustrator, like I was when I was a kid and was paid for the drawings I did for a local publisher.
Which takes me back to my first turning point, when I was 11. My dad gave me my first visual diary, which inspired me to start drawing and lead me into my first illustration commission less than a year later.
Living in Bolivia sounds like such a unique chapter in your life. How did that experience influence your creativity and the way you approach your work today?
I didn’t exactly feel like I was more or less creative when I lived in Bolivia, but I had a lot of new and challenging experiences which sparked a lot of writing and allowed me to develop my illustration style in new directions. South Americans aren’t shy with colour, so without being conscious of it, my colour palette became more saturated. I wrote a lot of new stories, perhaps twenty or more in 3 years. It was a flurry of creativity. The Latino culture caused me to slow the pace I work and enjoy the process more. I like to slip some sly Bolivian humour and South American animals as main characters in my books, like Sloths and Capybaras.
You’ve worked with major brands like Cadbury, Vodafone and Harrods, and also created much-loved local work here in Ballarat like the Town Hall mural and Ballarat Heritage Festival branding. Do you approach commercial projects differently to your personal or book work?
I try to approach every project whether it’s local, international, a book or an advertising campaign with the same enthusiasm, but the process is different from job to job. A book requires more patience, sustained effort and self-initiated creativity. A commercial project may simply need to be styled in a way the client likes. They have done most of the thinking, all I need to do is make their vision come to life. And editorial commissions are a different beast. The newspaper or magazine send you the story and I have to turn around a visual solution in a few days or in only a few hours. There’s something very satisfying about solving the problem with a short turn-around.
But yes, it is a bit of a thrill seeing my drawings on Natural Confectionery Co. packs or having my illustration of the front page of Wall Street Journal. But I got the same buzz when I walked into the Ballarat Town Hall and saw my illustration on wall. Over and above though, is the satisfaction of incidentally discovering your book in a bookstore, like when I went to Shakespeare & Co. in Paris.
Children’s picture books and graphic novels have become such a big part of your practice. What do you enjoy most about storytelling for young readers?
I can honestly say I love every part of the process, but the start is the best. When an idea pops into your head that you feel will work as a story, and you’re scrambling to get it down on paper, it’s really exciting. There’s probably a couple of hundred hours ahead to bring the story to life so it’s important to get the first bit right, and the rest (character development, story refinement, layouts, edits, final artwork) will then be a joy.
Aside from the book’s idea, I do enjoy unfolding a story in an unexpected way, or injecting humour with just a side-eyed glance from a character.
As someone who has worked internationally and locally, how does being based in Ballarat now shape your creative life and opportunities?
Most of my opportunities come from the UK and the USA, but Ballarat is the perfect place to be based. The lifestyle is to be envied. I think my London-based publishers like the relaxed nature of Australians, which helps, and they also like that I can turn around sketches and edits ‘overnight’ due to the time zone difference. So, what used to be a disadvantage being isolated is now an advantage, with the help of technology.
Also, Ballarat is a pleasant place, with a growing and enthusiastic creative scene and with everything else I need without the big city problems.
You’re joining us for Crafting Conversation: Artists Edition! Why do you feel it’s important to be part of a real-life conversation event like this, and what would you say to encourage people to come along?
Oh, these kinds of events are so important if only for the connection with like-minded creatives. We are usually tucked away in our studios, so it’s nice to get out and learn from each other and have a laugh. I know that these kinds of events are helpful for me, as much as they were early in my career, when I knew even less than I do now. Bring your open mind and your curly questions!
Links
Ben Sanders Website
Ben Sanders Instagram
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