Elsa Warnick was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. She went to Portland, Oregon to attend Reed College, where she earned a BA in 1964. Majoring in fine art, she earned a certificate from the Museum Art School .(now named Pacific Northwest College of Art or PNCA) in its joint 5 year program with Reed.

From 1964-1973, she taught, primarily in the Art Department at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., and in at Oregon Episcopal School (OES) in Portland. She stopped teaching when her children were born in 1973 and 1975.

Until late 1984, Elsa exhibited drawings and watercolor paintings locally and nationally.

Beginning in late 1984, Elsa began her business as a free lance illustrator, leaving the fine arts arena. She has had a broad range of illustration clients, from Forbes and Gourmet magazines to the Mayo Foundation, the American Diabetes Association, to SAP America. Her first children's book was published in 1997. There are now seven picture book titles, which can be found by entering Elsa Warnick at amazon.com.

Elsa returned to PNCA, as a part time faculty member, for most of the years since 1984. She continues as a faculty member in the Children's Books Conference at Portland State University's summer extension program at the Oregon coast.

She is a member of The Illustrators' Partnership of America (IPA) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. (SCBWI)