Fraser was born in London, the son of a solicitor’s clerk and a school-teacher. He was educated at Westminster City School, where his artistic talents were recognised early; he attended evening classes at Westminster School of Art, where a notable influence included the painter Walter Sickert, who held life classes at the school. Fraser went on to win a scholarship to Goldsmiths School of Art where his teachers included Francis Marriott – the Headmaster – Clive Gardiner (drawing and painting); Harold Speed (painting); E. J. Sullivan (book illustration and lithography) and Alfred Taylor (commercial art).

At Goldsmiths Fraser had the opportunity, due to E. J. Sullivan’s ill health, to teach a little lithography. Afterwards, he resumed teaching proper, from 1928 to 1940, at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts in London as well as, from ’37-40, at the Reimann School of Commercial and Industrial Design. His teaching career was, however, interrupted by the war when, classified ‘unfit for active service’, he worked as a Civil Defence Warden and also received commissions from the Ministry of Defence to draw maps.

After the war, settled firmly with his family in a house called Penn’s Place, in Hampton, where he worked from an ex-army hut at the end of the garden, Fraser resumed his career in art. By then he was a highly sought-after illustrator whose notable clients had included The Radio Times (for whom he began work in 1926); Harper’s Bazaar and the Folio Society. Alongside illustration, he continued also to accept commissions as a muralist and contributions in this facet were made to The People of Britain pavilion at the Festival of Britain and the British Pavillion at Expo ’58, in Brussels. He also designed stained glass, notably windows for St. Mary the Virgin, Hampton as well as St. Mary the Virgin, Childswickham, Worcestershire.

He even designed a reredos, for St. Stephen’s Church at Ashill, Devon, where his son Geoffrey Fraser, was the Vicar. Unfortunately damaged by bat droppings, only a replacement is available to view on the altar now. Luckily, the windows at the St. Mary’s can still be enjoyed to this day.

Eric Fraser’s work is represented in the collections of the V&A. The Chris Beetles Gallery held a major retrospective of the work of his work in 2013.