“She had a thing for those sailors, and they had a thing for her. Unfortunately, humans didn’t last long in her element.”
I am so happy and a bit proud that I managed to board with #Mermay this year – and thrice! I found Sunday’s theme – #Sailor – so inspiring that I stole some more time to finish another drawing: Mermay on her way to new adventures. ➔
“She had a thing for those sailors, and they had a thing for her. Unfortunately, humans didn’t last long in her element.”
I am so happy and a bit proud that I finally managed to board with #Mermay this year – and twice! I found Sunday’s theme – #Sailor – so inspiring that I stole some more time to finish another drawing: Mermay and her Souvenir! ➔
“She had a thing for those sailors, and they had a thing for her. Unfortunately, humans didn’t last long in her element.”
I’m very happy and also a bit proud that this year, inbetween all my other projects, I finally managed to get on board with #Mermay! I found today’s #Sailor theme so inspiring that I’m already trying to find time for another one… ➔
Heather Tal Murphy has written an exciting article for SLATE Magazine about Spawning, the company behind haveibeentrained.com (the website where artists can have their images removed from LAION 5B, the database most commonly used to train AI models), and I feature in it too – in words and pictures! ➔
We wish you particularly great, sunny and delicious Easter holidays – as well as a wonderful long weekend off (or vacations :)) with greening trees, blooming meadows and chirping and singing little birds all around! ➔
Together with other former students and teachers of Vivienne Westwood‘s fashion class at the Berlin University of the Arts, I participated in this commemorative obituary that was published in the culture section of WochenTAZ today – and I also had the great honour of designing the obituary on behalf of all of us. ➔
Because I’m having a large construction site right outside my studio window for the past couple of months, my noise protection headphones aren’t always enough and moving my work requires some major rewiring, I wondered what Lily Lux would do here, or better, what it might look to make the best of this terribly annoying situation? ➔
Not only have I been learning a lot about AI text-to-image generators and writing a post about the ethical issues involved, but I’ve also been thinking and discussing with collegues what we can do to solve those very issues as soon as possible – on both a large and small scale, and in both the long and short term. Here’s a little roundup! ➔
I assume that in most people’s lives, there are a few precious others from whom you have learned a lot and who have shaped you, quite directly or in confrontation or both. For me, my professor Vivienne Westwood, in whose fashion class at Universität der Künste Berlin I studied for four years, was one of those people without whom I would not be who I am today, and to whom I am infinitely grateful for everything I learned from her (and often, against her). ➔
We’d like to wish you very lovely, candle-lit and heartwarming holidays (and a merry Christmas, or whatever you may be celebrating!), and all the best for a truly happy, healthy and wonderful new year Twothousandtwentythree! ➔
I’ve been learning a lot lately about how the currently popular AIs that generate images from text prompts work. Now that I can find virtually everything I’ve ever published in those databases, I think it’s time to explain this to others: ➔
Today is my last day in the studio before our little summer break – and in mid-August I’ll continue fresh and rested with showing some amazing new projects and identification charts, which I’m already looking forward to!
After publishing my Songbirds last year, I now lovingly revised all birds to make them even more distinctive! The new version is now available as a poster in German and English from Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay) and printed on cards, mugs, bags, shirts, pillows, blankets, cases, stickers and other products from Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
I am very happy about my specimen copy of the opulent catalog for the exhibition »Modebilder – Kunstkleider« at the Berlinischen Galerie, for which my former costume history lecturer Dr. Gundula Wolter wrote a very exciting article about Vivienne Westwood’s fashion class at the Berlin University of the Arts, and where I found unexpectedly many and full-page pictures of the huntresses from my diploma collection »Jagdfieber«, which I created there! ➔
As new variants and increasing incidences appear, while at the same time mask mandates for public indoor spaces are lifted (…), mask upgrades and mask optimisation are once more discussed widely – and more often than not, the topic is oversimplified. Therefore, I would like to summarize our various DIY approaches to making masks safer and more efficient for the new challenges we’re all facing these days! For further information, you’ll find links in the text. ➔
After the Hybrid Pleated Mask, Hybrid Custom Masks and the Hybrid Boxy Mask, I created a Hybrid Mask Frame – as an alternative for all those who cannot breathe well with Double Masks, yet don’t find a gaplessly fitting, slip-free respirator or surgical mask. Due to a reverse pleat, this Mask Frame fits perfectly – even without nose wire! ➔
We’d like to wish you very lovely, candle-lit and heartwarming holidays (and a merry Christmas, or whatever you may be celebrating!), and all the best for a truly happy, healthy and wonderful new year Twothousandtwentytwo! ➔
In addition to the illustrated instructions for sewing my brand new, not only gaplessly and slip-free fitting, but also very spacious Hybrid Boxy Mask, I have now created a highly detailed step-by-step picture tutorial for beginners! ➔
Now that I’ve gone through all the possibilities to customize my original Hybrid Mask for a wide range of face shapes, needs and preferences, I finally created a new cloth mask pattern with an open chin dart (or twisted pleat). Similar to 3D, Boxy, Origami, Japanese or Octagon shapes, which form a square box, the Hybrid Boxy Mask forms a triangular box which does not touch the mouth or nosetip and offers plenty of space for breathing, speaking or singing. ➔
Due to personal reasons, my sewing partner Reusable Mask Co Australia is closing their business on October 31st, so if you’d like to own one (or more) of their beautiful masks (recommended by Vogue!), you better order right away! I’m so thankful to Sarah for this amazing collaboration half around the globe, I still adore her masks and truly enjoyed seeing all her adventures and successes in mask making, and I wholeheartedly wish her all the best for the future! ➔
As part of my “Foxy goes Hiking” project, I’ve researched and illustrated a lot of the smaller animals of New England. When the abundance became confusing, I’ve turned them into a chart, and now the infographics is available at Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6, printed on posters, notebooks, postcards and mugs as pictured below, as well as bags, shirts, pillows, scarves, blankets, covers, stickers and plenty of other products! ➔
Little Foxy was one of my favorite projects this year! It all started with a friend enquiring me to draw a special art print for the birth of a friends’ daughter, and it involved extensive research (like, snooping the new mother’s blog for likes and interests :)), finding a new style (I’ve never drawn anthropomorphic animals before, and it was more fun than expected!), figuring out that New England’s wildlife is surprisingly different from European wildlife (American robins are actually thrushs!) and, somehow, drawing so many of these animals that they got their own wall chart! ➔
For an article named “The many faces of mask fashions”, The Occidental asked LA art students about their masks, and my sewing partner NagaKiri‘s adorable daughter Emily is showing three of her beautifully handcrafted Hybrid Masks (avialable via NagaKiri Studio on Etsy). Plus, she’s the cover girl! Thank you Kiri, for letting me know. ➔
Some maskers insert disposable filter materials (e.g. Filti) between the inner and outer layers of reusable cloth masks. For this reason, my Hybrid Mask has a filter opening! This offers the advantage of combining decent fit (through mask pattern) and filter efficiency (through disposable filters), but the disadvantage that filters are often complicated to insert, rarely cover the whole surface and easily slip. For me and my family, double masking, i.e. wearing FFP2 / KN95, surgical or self-stapled, same-pattern filter masks underneath, seems like a better option. Lately though, a lovely mask maker mentioned how complicated double masking is for kids, and I finally had an idea: Filter frames! ➔
Last January, when I wrote my post about Mask Science with the science behind masks, advantages and disadvantages of mask types, practical tests, tips for optimization and a note on why and how we double mask, I still hoped that the vaccine might make masks redundant in everyday life, and that this could be my last mask post. Right now, it looks like thanks to new variants, masks will stay with us for a while (…), and as many people are looking to upgrade their masks these days, I’d like to explain our double masking with the Hybrid Cloth Mask (aka Luckhaus Mask) in detail. ➔
We’re taking a little break for summer – and look forward to August, when we’ll continue fresh and rested, and when I can finally show you all the wonderful projects I’ve been working on but am not supposed to show yet!
I’ve been working on my European Songbirds wall chart for several years, every now and then. It takes some effort to not just copy a photo, but to create a generalized cross-section from countless images – but that is exactly what helps with the identification! In addition to posters, notebooks, postcards and mugs as pictured above, there are bags, shirts, pillows, scarves, blankets, covers, stickers and many other products available on Redbubble and Søciety6 now. ➔
It’s been a year since I first started testing mask patterns, having no idea that this would lead to making my own and helping the helpers! It’s been quite a ride since, and I am so thankful for how mask makers make this dark time feel so much brighter. Yet, there are days when everyday life feels so far away… and then, there’s a new pattern challenge, a license enquiry, a kind donation, or someone who thanks me in a way that’s so touching – and all of a sudden, I’m sure we’re gonna be fine. Thank you so much, Jenn, for brightening my day with your beautiful mask! <3 ➔
In Germany, the wearing of medical masks, i.e. FFP2 or surgical masks, became mandatory yesterday. Since I don’t think anyone will check certifications in public, this means that everything except cloth masks is allowed. I’d like to explain how masks work, how filter and fit determine their efficiency, and why a cloth mask ban doesn’t really make much sense to me. Furthermore, I’d like to point out solutions for a more responsible, safe and sustainable use of medical masks. One of these solutions could be wearing a cloth cover over medical masks, or double masking. ➔
I adore these stylish winter hybrid masks made of chunky Pendleton wool buffalo plaid, which my sewing partner Kiri Schultz from Seattle in the Pacific Northwest made! In her family, they are jokingly called “blankets for the face”, which I find at least as pretty as the fresh fir branches and cones in the picture. I bet these masks smell great! ➔
Today, I would like to introduce you to my amazing sewing partners, who are making masks with my hybrid pattern and selling them in online shops, on Etsy or in retail stores. Each of them has a different approach to mask making, they offer unique fabrics and ways to apply my pattern – and I think all their masks are just stunningly beautiful! In the picture above, you can see some samples by Christina King, Reusable Mask Co Australia and Samook Designs. ➔
My amazing sewing partner Reusable Masks Co Australia shot a lovely video with beautiful Carmen on how to dress up the Hybrid Cloth Mask with head ties, and another one on how to make ear loops! I could watch them all day long, and I thought they might be useful for my readers too. Great thanks to Sarah for letting me show them! ➔
Open Source Medical Supplies is my favourite international mask making group, as there are specialists from such a wide variety of fields, helping each other and the volunteers. I have been posting and discussing my hybrid mask pattern there, helped countless volunteers to sew it and was thankful to learn about material studies and neat sewing tricks! When John Kalil asked to intervíew me for their site, I jumped right in – and now, his article is online! ➔
Since I first published my pattern for sewing the Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits gapless (even without nosepiece!) and reliably stays in place, I’ve been asked about adjustments for special shapes and needs. In this post, I introduce a selection of these customized Hybrid patterns, and every now and then (last March 8th, 2021), I add new ones! ➔
If you take a closer look, there are so many ways to attach a face mask to your ears or head! After looking into masks in great detail over the past couple of weeks and having all these little sketches for mask tying techniques on my desk, I finally drew an infographic that shows all the different ways to tie a cloth mask with ear bands or head ties. ➔
Since I first published pattern and instructions for my Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits gapless yet roomy and reliably stays in place, I’ve been asked about making a detail tutorial for beginners and visual learners, but as a video needs at least 2-3 quiet days and a picture tutorial was possible to just make inbetween, I decided to go with that for now! ➔
For my own production, I optimized the pattern and manufacture of the cloth mask, to make it fit gapless and fog-free around nose, cheeks and chin and reliably stay in place, so it doesn’t slide up the eyes or down the nose. Individual parts such as wire, filter and ties are very easy to replace, plus the mask is quick and simple to sew, wash and iron. ➔
Do you know these moments, when you stumble over last years’ pictures or some souvenir from your last vacations and all of a sudden, there is this incredible longing for some real, true everyday life, just as we knew it?
We’re taking a little break for summer – and look forward to September, when we’ll continue fresh and rested, and when I can finally show you all the wonderful projects I’ve been working on but am not supposed to show yet!
For a client who doesn’t want to be mentioned, I’ve made some drafts to illustrate the Bulgarian fairy tale “The little Girl and the Winter Whirlwinds”. The project evolved in a different direction, but those drafts have led me to a new style – so I’d like to show them, even though they are unfinished and I most likely won’t finish them properly. ➔
It’s nice to see that in the blog La Despensa de Leonardo by Manuel Profeiedda, I am featured as an example for the illustrators you can find on Women who Draw, with an illustration from the “Balkantherapie” by Mimi Fiedler!
We’re delighted to see the first picture of the book »Du hast das Wort, Schätzchen! – 100 charmante Geschichten rund um die Sprache«, which I discovered today at Fräulein Nullpunktzwo. Thank you very much for the tag, Susanne! ➔
My life drawings now have their own profile at the Posterlounge, but are still available via Amazon oder eBay! Furthermore, there are several new sketches, including some very simple experiments with ink and watercolour experiments (see below). All of them can be bought from € 6,90 for 30×30 cm or € 9,90 for 30×40 cm! ➔
I am very happy to be on board with Women who Draw, an awesome open directory for female illustrators from all over the world, to which each of us added an illustration of a woman. And I really like the coincidence of interaction between those drawn ladies, just like a comic!
After really long time (actually, far too late :)), I now arrived on Instagram as well!
The spring preview by Duden Verlag is online – and I am very much looking forward to soon announce a truly great, informative and exciting book I illustrated a couple of months ago!
Those were my first designs for character, clothes and styling for the book “Brauchstu ma keine Doktor, brauchstu nur diese Buch! – Die Balkantherapie für Liebe, Leib und Leben” by the wonderful Mimi Fiedler, which I illustrated almost a year ago for MVG Verlag. In the book and on the cover, Mimi wears mostly the fourth outfit (striped shirt, hotpants and suspenders), and in one of the small vignettes, the blouse from the third outfit. ➔
Those were my first designs for character, clothes and styling for the book “Brauchstu ma keine Doktor, brauchstu nur diese Buch! – Die Balkantherapie für Liebe, Leib und Leben” by the wonderful Mimi Fiedler, which I illustrated almost a year ago for MVG Verlag. In the book and on the cover, Mimi’s mother and advisor Marija wears the fourth outfit, a tight red dress with simple polka dots. ➔
After planning on this for months, I finally found time lately to update the main self portrait I’m showing in the profile section of this site (and which once, in an even earlier version, even served as a landing page). My studio actually looks very much like this – and I only depicted birds which frequently visit my winterly tree-buffet!
Once again, I spent a sunny afternoon with my old sketchbooks in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, and it was truly awesome to draw not only outdoors, but also completely analogue with pencils and paper! ➔
Today I received my – beautifully printed! – voucher specimens, and tomorrow the »Balkantherapie« by the great actress, musician and author Mimi Fiedler will be released and available in bookstores! ➔
Lovely Mimi Fiedler is in the Jingle Jungle Studio in Zürich right now, reading her »Balkantherapie« for the audiobook (release: Nov 9th, 2015) – and she posted some beautiful photos (© Olivia Burkhart) of this on Facebook, which she kindly allowed me to share. I am so much looking forward to listen to the book read by her!
May I introduce you to Monsieur Guy le Sailör? I developped and illustrated the guy for the Mimi Fiedler’s awesome »Balkantherapie«, and in the books he presents some physical exercises (and a little more)! ➔
For Mimi Fiedler’s book »Balkantherapie«, I illustrated the cover, some highly detailed pages, several physical exercises and also plenty of vignettes, of which I’d like to show a selection here. ➔
I just finished numerous illustrations for the book »Balkantherapie« by the charming, smart, incredibly funny and simply great actress, singer, photographer and author Mimi Fiedler, which I’ve enthusiastically been drawing the past couple of weeks, as commissioned by the Münchner Verlagsgesellschaft. ➔
“She had a thing for those sailors, and they had a thing for her. Unfortunately, humans didn’t last long in her element.”
I am so happy and a bit proud that I managed to board with #Mermay this year – and thrice! I found Sunday’s theme – #Sailor – so inspiring that I stole some more time to finish another drawing: Mermay on her way to new adventures. ➔
“She had a thing for those sailors, and they had a thing for her. Unfortunately, humans didn’t last long in her element.”
I am so happy and a bit proud that I finally managed to board with #Mermay this year – and twice! I found Sunday’s theme – #Sailor – so inspiring that I stole some more time to finish another drawing: Mermay and her Souvenir! ➔
“She had a thing for those sailors, and they had a thing for her. Unfortunately, humans didn’t last long in her element.”
I’m very happy and also a bit proud that this year, inbetween all my other projects, I finally managed to get on board with #Mermay! I found today’s #Sailor theme so inspiring that I’m already trying to find time for another one… ➔
Heather Tal Murphy has written an exciting article for SLATE Magazine about Spawning, the company behind haveibeentrained.com (the website where artists can have their images removed from LAION 5B, the database most commonly used to train AI models), and I feature in it too – in words and pictures! ➔
We wish you particularly great, sunny and delicious Easter holidays – as well as a wonderful long weekend off (or vacations :)) with greening trees, blooming meadows and chirping and singing little birds all around! ➔
Together with other former students and teachers of Vivienne Westwood‘s fashion class at the Berlin University of the Arts, I participated in this commemorative obituary that was published in the culture section of WochenTAZ today – and I also had the great honour of designing the obituary on behalf of all of us. ➔
Because I’m having a large construction site right outside my studio window for the past couple of months, my noise protection headphones aren’t always enough and moving my work requires some major rewiring, I wondered what Lily Lux would do here, or better, what it might look to make the best of this terribly annoying situation? ➔
Not only have I been learning a lot about AI text-to-image generators and writing a post about the ethical issues involved, but I’ve also been thinking and discussing with collegues what we can do to solve those very issues as soon as possible – on both a large and small scale, and in both the long and short term. Here’s a little roundup! ➔
I assume that in most people’s lives, there are a few precious others from whom you have learned a lot and who have shaped you, quite directly or in confrontation or both. For me, my professor Vivienne Westwood, in whose fashion class at Universität der Künste Berlin I studied for four years, was one of those people without whom I would not be who I am today, and to whom I am infinitely grateful for everything I learned from her (and often, against her). ➔
We’d like to wish you very lovely, candle-lit and heartwarming holidays (and a merry Christmas, or whatever you may be celebrating!), and all the best for a truly happy, healthy and wonderful new year Twothousandtwentythree! ➔
I’ve been learning a lot lately about how the currently popular AIs that generate images from text prompts work. Now that I can find virtually everything I’ve ever published in those databases, I think it’s time to explain this to others: ➔
Today is my last day in the studio before our little summer break – and in mid-August I’ll continue fresh and rested with showing some amazing new projects and identification charts, which I’m already looking forward to!
After publishing my Songbirds last year, I now lovingly revised all birds to make them even more distinctive! The new version is now available as a poster in German and English from Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay) and printed on cards, mugs, bags, shirts, pillows, blankets, cases, stickers and other products from Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
I am very happy about my specimen copy of the opulent catalog for the exhibition »Modebilder – Kunstkleider« at the Berlinischen Galerie, for which my former costume history lecturer Dr. Gundula Wolter wrote a very exciting article about Vivienne Westwood’s fashion class at the Berlin University of the Arts, and where I found unexpectedly many and full-page pictures of the huntresses from my diploma collection »Jagdfieber«, which I created there! ➔
As new variants and increasing incidences appear, while at the same time mask mandates for public indoor spaces are lifted (…), mask upgrades and mask optimisation are once more discussed widely – and more often than not, the topic is oversimplified. Therefore, I would like to summarize our various DIY approaches to making masks safer and more efficient for the new challenges we’re all facing these days! For further information, you’ll find links in the text. ➔
After the Hybrid Pleated Mask, Hybrid Custom Masks and the Hybrid Boxy Mask, I created a Hybrid Mask Frame – as an alternative for all those who cannot breathe well with Double Masks, yet don’t find a gaplessly fitting, slip-free respirator or surgical mask. Due to a reverse pleat, this Mask Frame fits perfectly – even without nose wire! ➔
We’d like to wish you very lovely, candle-lit and heartwarming holidays (and a merry Christmas, or whatever you may be celebrating!), and all the best for a truly happy, healthy and wonderful new year Twothousandtwentytwo! ➔
In addition to the illustrated instructions for sewing my brand new, not only gaplessly and slip-free fitting, but also very spacious Hybrid Boxy Mask, I have now created a highly detailed step-by-step picture tutorial for beginners! ➔
Now that I’ve gone through all the possibilities to customize my original Hybrid Mask for a wide range of face shapes, needs and preferences, I finally created a new cloth mask pattern with an open chin dart (or twisted pleat). Similar to 3D, Boxy, Origami, Japanese or Octagon shapes, which form a square box, the Hybrid Boxy Mask forms a triangular box which does not touch the mouth or nosetip and offers plenty of space for breathing, speaking or singing. ➔
Due to personal reasons, my sewing partner Reusable Mask Co Australia is closing their business on October 31st, so if you’d like to own one (or more) of their beautiful masks (recommended by Vogue!), you better order right away! I’m so thankful to Sarah for this amazing collaboration half around the globe, I still adore her masks and truly enjoyed seeing all her adventures and successes in mask making, and I wholeheartedly wish her all the best for the future! ➔
As part of my “Foxy goes Hiking” project, I’ve researched and illustrated a lot of the smaller animals of New England. When the abundance became confusing, I’ve turned them into a chart, and now the infographics is available at Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6, printed on posters, notebooks, postcards and mugs as pictured below, as well as bags, shirts, pillows, scarves, blankets, covers, stickers and plenty of other products! ➔
Little Foxy was one of my favorite projects this year! It all started with a friend enquiring me to draw a special art print for the birth of a friends’ daughter, and it involved extensive research (like, snooping the new mother’s blog for likes and interests :)), finding a new style (I’ve never drawn anthropomorphic animals before, and it was more fun than expected!), figuring out that New England’s wildlife is surprisingly different from European wildlife (American robins are actually thrushs!) and, somehow, drawing so many of these animals that they got their own wall chart! ➔
For an article named “The many faces of mask fashions”, The Occidental asked LA art students about their masks, and my sewing partner NagaKiri‘s adorable daughter Emily is showing three of her beautifully handcrafted Hybrid Masks (avialable via NagaKiri Studio on Etsy). Plus, she’s the cover girl! Thank you Kiri, for letting me know. ➔
Some maskers insert disposable filter materials (e.g. Filti) between the inner and outer layers of reusable cloth masks. For this reason, my Hybrid Mask has a filter opening! This offers the advantage of combining decent fit (through mask pattern) and filter efficiency (through disposable filters), but the disadvantage that filters are often complicated to insert, rarely cover the whole surface and easily slip. For me and my family, double masking, i.e. wearing FFP2 / KN95, surgical or self-stapled, same-pattern filter masks underneath, seems like a better option. Lately though, a lovely mask maker mentioned how complicated double masking is for kids, and I finally had an idea: Filter frames! ➔
Last January, when I wrote my post about Mask Science with the science behind masks, advantages and disadvantages of mask types, practical tests, tips for optimization and a note on why and how we double mask, I still hoped that the vaccine might make masks redundant in everyday life, and that this could be my last mask post. Right now, it looks like thanks to new variants, masks will stay with us for a while (…), and as many people are looking to upgrade their masks these days, I’d like to explain our double masking with the Hybrid Cloth Mask (aka Luckhaus Mask) in detail. ➔
We’re taking a little break for summer – and look forward to August, when we’ll continue fresh and rested, and when I can finally show you all the wonderful projects I’ve been working on but am not supposed to show yet!
I’ve been working on my European Songbirds wall chart for several years, every now and then. It takes some effort to not just copy a photo, but to create a generalized cross-section from countless images – but that is exactly what helps with the identification! In addition to posters, notebooks, postcards and mugs as pictured above, there are bags, shirts, pillows, scarves, blankets, covers, stickers and many other products available on Redbubble and Søciety6 now. ➔
It’s been a year since I first started testing mask patterns, having no idea that this would lead to making my own and helping the helpers! It’s been quite a ride since, and I am so thankful for how mask makers make this dark time feel so much brighter. Yet, there are days when everyday life feels so far away… and then, there’s a new pattern challenge, a license enquiry, a kind donation, or someone who thanks me in a way that’s so touching – and all of a sudden, I’m sure we’re gonna be fine. Thank you so much, Jenn, for brightening my day with your beautiful mask! <3 ➔
In Germany, the wearing of medical masks, i.e. FFP2 or surgical masks, became mandatory yesterday. Since I don’t think anyone will check certifications in public, this means that everything except cloth masks is allowed. I’d like to explain how masks work, how filter and fit determine their efficiency, and why a cloth mask ban doesn’t really make much sense to me. Furthermore, I’d like to point out solutions for a more responsible, safe and sustainable use of medical masks. One of these solutions could be wearing a cloth cover over medical masks, or double masking. ➔
I adore these stylish winter hybrid masks made of chunky Pendleton wool buffalo plaid, which my sewing partner Kiri Schultz from Seattle in the Pacific Northwest made! In her family, they are jokingly called “blankets for the face”, which I find at least as pretty as the fresh fir branches and cones in the picture. I bet these masks smell great! ➔
Today, I would like to introduce you to my amazing sewing partners, who are making masks with my hybrid pattern and selling them in online shops, on Etsy or in retail stores. Each of them has a different approach to mask making, they offer unique fabrics and ways to apply my pattern – and I think all their masks are just stunningly beautiful! In the picture above, you can see some samples by Christina King, Reusable Mask Co Australia and Samook Designs. ➔
My amazing sewing partner Reusable Masks Co Australia shot a lovely video with beautiful Carmen on how to dress up the Hybrid Cloth Mask with head ties, and another one on how to make ear loops! I could watch them all day long, and I thought they might be useful for my readers too. Great thanks to Sarah for letting me show them! ➔
Open Source Medical Supplies is my favourite international mask making group, as there are specialists from such a wide variety of fields, helping each other and the volunteers. I have been posting and discussing my hybrid mask pattern there, helped countless volunteers to sew it and was thankful to learn about material studies and neat sewing tricks! When John Kalil asked to intervíew me for their site, I jumped right in – and now, his article is online! ➔
Since I first published my pattern for sewing the Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits gapless (even without nosepiece!) and reliably stays in place, I’ve been asked about adjustments for special shapes and needs. In this post, I introduce a selection of these customized Hybrid patterns, and every now and then (last March 8th, 2021), I add new ones! ➔
If you take a closer look, there are so many ways to attach a face mask to your ears or head! After looking into masks in great detail over the past couple of weeks and having all these little sketches for mask tying techniques on my desk, I finally drew an infographic that shows all the different ways to tie a cloth mask with ear bands or head ties. ➔
Since I first published pattern and instructions for my Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits gapless yet roomy and reliably stays in place, I’ve been asked about making a detail tutorial for beginners and visual learners, but as a video needs at least 2-3 quiet days and a picture tutorial was possible to just make inbetween, I decided to go with that for now! ➔
For my own production, I optimized the pattern and manufacture of the cloth mask, to make it fit gapless and fog-free around nose, cheeks and chin and reliably stay in place, so it doesn’t slide up the eyes or down the nose. Individual parts such as wire, filter and ties are very easy to replace, plus the mask is quick and simple to sew, wash and iron. ➔
Do you know these moments, when you stumble over last years’ pictures or some souvenir from your last vacations and all of a sudden, there is this incredible longing for some real, true everyday life, just as we knew it?
We’re taking a little break for summer – and look forward to September, when we’ll continue fresh and rested, and when I can finally show you all the wonderful projects I’ve been working on but am not supposed to show yet!
For a client who doesn’t want to be mentioned, I’ve made some drafts to illustrate the Bulgarian fairy tale “The little Girl and the Winter Whirlwinds”. The project evolved in a different direction, but those drafts have led me to a new style – so I’d like to show them, even though they are unfinished and I most likely won’t finish them properly. ➔
It’s nice to see that in the blog La Despensa de Leonardo by Manuel Profeiedda, I am featured as an example for the illustrators you can find on Women who Draw, with an illustration from the “Balkantherapie” by Mimi Fiedler!
We’re delighted to see the first picture of the book »Du hast das Wort, Schätzchen! – 100 charmante Geschichten rund um die Sprache«, which I discovered today at Fräulein Nullpunktzwo. Thank you very much for the tag, Susanne! ➔
My life drawings now have their own profile at the Posterlounge, but are still available via Amazon oder eBay! Furthermore, there are several new sketches, including some very simple experiments with ink and watercolour experiments (see below). All of them can be bought from € 6,90 for 30×30 cm or € 9,90 for 30×40 cm! ➔
I am very happy to be on board with Women who Draw, an awesome open directory for female illustrators from all over the world, to which each of us added an illustration of a woman. And I really like the coincidence of interaction between those drawn ladies, just like a comic!
After really long time (actually, far too late :)), I now arrived on Instagram as well!
The spring preview by Duden Verlag is online – and I am very much looking forward to soon announce a truly great, informative and exciting book I illustrated a couple of months ago!
Those were my first designs for character, clothes and styling for the book “Brauchstu ma keine Doktor, brauchstu nur diese Buch! – Die Balkantherapie für Liebe, Leib und Leben” by the wonderful Mimi Fiedler, which I illustrated almost a year ago for MVG Verlag. In the book and on the cover, Mimi wears mostly the fourth outfit (striped shirt, hotpants and suspenders), and in one of the small vignettes, the blouse from the third outfit. ➔
Those were my first designs for character, clothes and styling for the book “Brauchstu ma keine Doktor, brauchstu nur diese Buch! – Die Balkantherapie für Liebe, Leib und Leben” by the wonderful Mimi Fiedler, which I illustrated almost a year ago for MVG Verlag. In the book and on the cover, Mimi’s mother and advisor Marija wears the fourth outfit, a tight red dress with simple polka dots. ➔
After planning on this for months, I finally found time lately to update the main self portrait I’m showing in the profile section of this site (and which once, in an even earlier version, even served as a landing page). My studio actually looks very much like this – and I only depicted birds which frequently visit my winterly tree-buffet!
Once again, I spent a sunny afternoon with my old sketchbooks in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, and it was truly awesome to draw not only outdoors, but also completely analogue with pencils and paper! ➔
Today I received my – beautifully printed! – voucher specimens, and tomorrow the »Balkantherapie« by the great actress, musician and author Mimi Fiedler will be released and available in bookstores! ➔
Lovely Mimi Fiedler is in the Jingle Jungle Studio in Zürich right now, reading her »Balkantherapie« for the audiobook (release: Nov 9th, 2015) – and she posted some beautiful photos (© Olivia Burkhart) of this on Facebook, which she kindly allowed me to share. I am so much looking forward to listen to the book read by her!
May I introduce you to Monsieur Guy le Sailör? I developped and illustrated the guy for the Mimi Fiedler’s awesome »Balkantherapie«, and in the books he presents some physical exercises (and a little more)! ➔
For Mimi Fiedler’s book »Balkantherapie«, I illustrated the cover, some highly detailed pages, several physical exercises and also plenty of vignettes, of which I’d like to show a selection here. ➔
I just finished numerous illustrations for the book »Balkantherapie« by the charming, smart, incredibly funny and simply great actress, singer, photographer and author Mimi Fiedler, which I’ve enthusiastically been drawing the past couple of weeks, as commissioned by the Münchner Verlagsgesellschaft. ➔
