CHARACTER DESIGNS
With characters everything started. I already was doodling around on the folders of my friends in 10th grade and one of them said: “Why don’t you draw them for real, with colored pencils?”. I tried that, liked it, and when I went to Florida for my year abroad, I took a bunch of art classes. I even took part in a so called “AICE Art and Design” program and all my projects were about character design. I was always carrying around my sketchbook and tried different methods to draw or paint the characters. When I came back one year later, I also took a class at the Ringling College of Art and Design about character design. I learned how to connect my characters with my pattern drawing.
I used to paint them with watercolors but a while ago I started using colored pencils by Faber-Castell, i.e. Polychromos pencils. For outlines, I use Pigma Microns from Sakura of America, and for highlights a white gel pen from Uniball.
ANIMAL ILLUSTRATION
I wanted to draw a reindeer for Christmas and since a normal one would be too boring, I put the reindeer in a pullover. Since then, I fell in love with animals in pullovers, bows, or with anything unique on it. Currently, I have a long list of animals I want to draw, but if you have any suggestions don’t hesitate to let me know!
I usually draw on an A4 or A3 Hahnemühle paper, using Faber-Castell Polychromos. With Pigma Microns from Sakura of America and a white gel pen from Uniball I add some details. I tried to use some other materials like charcoal, but usually just for experiments.
ZENTANGEL INSPIRED ART
I started doodling patterns at the end of my year abroad, inspired by the host sister’s doodles. Back in Germany, I did not much more than patterns for a few years until I got into animal drawings. A few years back it was really just doodling but after a little of practice my drawings got really structured, more like Mandala.
The drawings take much longer than character or animal drawings but it is really relaxing. I use Pigma Micron pens from Sakura of America for such Mandalas or pattern work, usually on thicker paper.