Detroit-based illustrator Nate Sweitzer blends the best of artistic sensibilities from past and contemporary movements to create something that feels timeless. “My approach to creating a compelling image is a part of a larger conversation with every artist whose work has impacted me,” he explains, “and I feel like my creative output often reflects that conversation more than it does an uncompromising artistic vision. I find that my most exciting pieces often come from working with new art directors, subject matter and applications for my work that push me out of my comfort zone and expand what defines my practice.” Having grown up in a creative family, Sweitzer was encouraged to explore a career in the arts from childhood and went on to graduate from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and study at the online program Visual Arts Passage. “I was fortunate enough to study with Sterling Hundley, Edward Kinsella and Francis Vallejo, among many other artists, who were generous enough to share their approaches and gave me the tools to find my own voice as an illustrator,” he says. His personal style combines the best features from impressionistic and midcentury illustrations with contemporary sensibilities. “At the core of my work, there’s a desire to bridge the gap between historical and contemporary modes of imagemaking,” Sweitzer says, noting that his influences count artists like Tomer Hanuka and Ruprecht Von Kaufmann as well as Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Bernie Fuchs. “When working on a piece, I regularly bounce between traditional and digital mixed media, marrying traditional textures and rendering with fresh perspectives, which keeps my work from feeling confined to any particular time or place.”