Born in Joliet, Illinois in 1891, Carl Erickson received a formal arts education at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, known today as the Art Institute of Chicago. Before moving to New York in 1914, Erickson worked on advertising accounts for such clients as the Chicago-based department store, Marshall Field's, and the Lord & Thomas ad agency.

Working from a studio in New York's Flatiron Building, Erickson launched his fashion ilustration career drawing for the trade journal, the Dry Goods Economist. His media included charcoal, pencil, Chinese ink, watercolor, and gouache. Around this time, he began signing his illustrations and portraits, “Eric.”

In 1920, Erickson moved to Paris, where he began illustrating for French Vogue. He lived in Paris with his family for two decades before returning to the United States. Although Erickson is best known for his Vogue illustrations, he also created commercial artwork for a number of corporate clients.

Following Erickson's death in 1958, the Brooklyn Museum and Parsons School of Design hosted retrospectives of his work in 1959 and 1964, respectively. Today, Erickson is recognized as one of the most influential fashion illustrators of the twentieth century.