Søciety [USA, shipping worldwide] is celebrating Memorial Day with very generous discounts, a full 50% off art prints, posters, wrapping paper and stickers, 25% off stationary cards and 20% off a huge variety of other printed products!
Category Archives: Science
Feature | Article about Spawning in Slate Magazine
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! ➔
Postcard »Nützliche Knoten« for Kurze Wege
For the project Kurze Wege (Short Paths) of the Protestant Youth in Wunstorf, I revised my Useful Knots and created a postcard from them, which was sent to the supporters of the project together with a piece of rope – in order to “create connections” in this way, which I think is an extremely neat idea! ➔
What can we do against AI-generated Images? (Part II)
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! ➔
Statement | No to AI-generated Images (Part I)
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: ➔
Available | Black Friday at RedBubble and Søciety6
In addition to our annual 20% November discount at Posterlounge, Søciety6 [US] is now offering 15%-60% and RedBubble [EU/US] 20%-60% discounts on everything for Black Friday! Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been updating my stores with new illustrations and infographics, and lovingly re-edited every product. ➔
Art Prints | 20% November Discount at Posterlounge
For those who want to redecorate their walls in November or to buy their Christmas gifts early, I’m having a nice surprise: My Posterlounge Shop offers a discount code, »LUCKHAUS2022«, with amazing 20% savings until early December, on all articels, such as posters, prints, wall stickers, canvas, wood, foam, aluminum or acrylic prints in formats from 13 x 18 cm (from € 6.95 5.56) over 30 x 40 cm (from € 9.95 7.96) to 60 x 80 cm (from € 22.95 18.36)! ➔
Available | Animal Trail Poster with Hidden Tracks for Stadtwildtiere
After being asked time and again if the animal trail poster I created with tracker Stefanie Argow and Dr. Sarah Kiefer of Stadtwildtiere.de, the Citizen Science project of the Leibniz-Instituts für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung (IZW), was available for purchase, we have now finally uploaded it to Redbubble [product page], where it can be ordered! The original size shown in this article, with life-size tracks, corresponds to the poster in large format, 85 x 120 cm. ➔
Identification Chart | Leaves of Trees and Shrubs
This summer, we’ve been out and about in forests, fields, parks and gardens a lot, and enjoyed identifying trees! We noticed that the distinction between tree and shrub is quite impractical for identifying leaves on the go!, and therefore, I decided to extend my 25 Tree Leaves identification chart to 36 Tree and Shrub Leaves, to cover the most common large, woody plants! The infographics is now available at Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Infographie | Feuilles d’Arbres et d’Arbustes en Français
Cet été, nous nous sommes promenés souvent dans les forêts, les champs, les parcs et les jardins et nous avons identifié les arbres avec enthousiasme ! Nous avons remarqué que la distinction entre arbre et arbuste pour déterminer les feuilles au bord des chemins n’était pas très pratique, et c’est pourquoi, après mes 25 feuilles d’arbres, j’ai dessiné un tableau d’affichage élargi avec 36 feuilles d’arbres et d’arbustes, couvrant les plus courantes des grandes plantes ligneuses. Le motif est disponible chez Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble et Søciety6. ➔
Infographics | Series of Alphabets, Signs and Codes
Finally, the series is complete! I revised my Two-Handed Finger Alphabet and Flag Semaphore and also edited the two alphabets that were still missing, Morse Code and Braille Alphabet, to fit in a poster format. The entire series is now available as posters or art prints at Posterlounge (also via eBay!) and as printed on lovely cards, mugs, bags, shirts, pillows, towels, blankets, cases, stickers and a whole lot of other beautiful products at Redbubble and Søciety6! ➔
Art Prints | Identification Chart for Garden Birds
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. ➔
Art Prints | Identification Charts with Foliage Trees
After drawing Tree Shapes, Leaves, Fruits and Shoots, I have put all these characteristics of the most common foliage trees into a single identification chart, which is helpful to get to know the tree species and identify them over all the seasons. The identification chart is available at Posterlounge (also via eBay!), Redbubble und Søciety6! ➔
Art Print | Identification Chart with Urban Wildlife
After illustrating the Wildlife of New England last year, planning a color version of my black-and-white forest animals for a long time and recently working more often with and about urban wildlife, at some point it made sense to create an identification chart with wildlife close to settlements, i.e. wild animals that can be seen in the city and on walks! The illustration is finally finished and available at Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Art Prints | Identification Chart with Culinary Herbs
In the meantime, I’ve finished my identification chart on kitchen herbs that I started years ago (but never found time to edit), mainly because I wanted to know for myself what is what and because it’s so exciting to try and understand and draw the blueprint of plants! The chart is available via Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Infographics | Braille Alphabet for the Blind
After Finger Alphabet, Flag Semaphore, and Morse Code, I now finally revised the Braille Alphabet for posters! The infographics is now available as a poster at Posterlounge (also via Amazon and eBay!) and printed on cards, mugs, bags, shirts, pillows, towels, blankets, cases, stickers and other awesome products at Redbubble und Søciety6. ➔
Art Prints | Identification Chart with Tree Leaves
After a couple of years, where I learned a lot about trees – partly thanks to my client, the Landesforsten – I recently completely revised and lovingly corrected the details of my tree leaves, so that every tiny line is finally right (I hope :))! The revised identification chart is now available at Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Tipps & Tricks | Upgrading our Masks for new Challenges
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. ➔
Infographics | Morse Code and Radio Alphabet
After the Finger Alphabet and Flag Semaphore, I have now also revised the Morse Code for posters! The infographics is available as a poster at Posterlounge (also via eBay!) as well as printed on beautiful cards, mugs, bags, shirts, cushions, towels, blankets, cases, stickers and many other products at Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Featured | Animal Tracks on the Landing Page of Pinterest
I’m so happy that my Animal Tracks Pin was featured on the Pinterest “Today” page on February 24th! Unfortunately, I missed it, but I think it’s all the more great that these lovely people of Pinterest told me about it. Thank you! ➔
DIY Instructions | Hybrid Mask Frame for Sewing or Stapling
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! ➔
Hybrid Mask Press | ICOM Blog »Clothing the Pandemic«
Design historian Serena Newmark, whom I first met when she showed some beautiful Hybrid Masks on Twitter (#luckhausmask) and lateron introduced my pattern to the workshop »Clothing the Pandemic« by ICOM [International Committee for Museums and Collections of Costume, Fashion and Textile] as part of a lecture on the exchange of information between makers, has now written a great article about me and my Hybrid Mask for the ICOM blog! ➔
DIY Tutorial | Hybrid Boxy Mask Pictorial
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! ➔
DIY Instructions | Sewing a Hybrid Boxy Mask
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. ➔
Art Prints | 20% November Discount at Posterlounge
For those who want to redecorate their walls in November or to buy their Christmas gifts early, I’m having a nice surprise: My Posterlounge shop has a discount code, »LUCKHAUS2021«, with amazing 20% savings available for the whole month, on all articels, such as posters, prints, wall stickers, canvas, wood, foam, aluminum or acrylic prints in formats from 13 x 18 cm (from € 6.95 5.56) over 30 x 40 cm (from 9.95 7.96) to 60 x 80 cm (from € 22.95 18.36)! ➔
Available | Discounts at Redbubble and Søciety6
My shops at Søciety6 [US] and RedBubble [EU/US], which I recently updated with new illustrations and infographics and which in addition to art prints, posters and cards also sell printed products like curtains, pillows, blankets, carpets, bed linen, mugs, trays, boards, wrapping paper, notebooks, stickers, jigsaw puzzles, magnets, cases, bags, shirts and a whole lot of other things, offer fabulous discounts again! On Redbubble, it is 20% to 60% with the code »WHYWAIT« until November 11th, and Søciety6 also offers 35% to 50% (without code) on a wide range of articles this week. ➔
Closing soon | Goodbye, Reusable Mask Co Australia!
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! ➔
Press | Emily with NagaKiri’s masks in The Occidental
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. ➔
DIY Tutorial | Filter Frames for Cloth Masks
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! ➔
Tips & Tricks | Double Masking, or Hybrid Top Masks
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. ➔
Hybrid Mask | Museum Workshop »Clothing the Pandemic«
I first met Serena Newmark when she posted a beautiful Hybrid Beard Mask (aka #luckhausmask) on Twitter, and we chatted about her pretty skull fabric! Later, Serena asked me if I’d give her an interview about my experiences as a mask pattern maker, and she turned out to be a PhD candidate at FU Berlin with a profound – and super interesting – knowledge about 19th century Prussian furniture in Texas! I feel honoured that Serena will present my Hybrid Mask in a workshop, »Clothing the Pandemic«, by ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Costume, Fashion and Textile, as part of her lecture about »The Creation of an Online Art and Design Reference Library: information seeking and sharing among mask makers«, which takes place online on June 23rd at 3:10 PM CET. ➔
Note Books and Gym Bags for Stadtwildtiere
Together with tracker Stefanie Argow from HiddenTracks and Dr. Sarah Kiefer from Stadtwildtiere.de, the Citizen Science Project of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), I designed two notebooks and a gym bag, for their advertising and as an identification aid for wild animals whose tracks can be found in the city of Berlin. ➔
Art Prints | Identification Chart with Songbirds
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. ➔
Published | Animal Tracks in Welt der Wunder
In the current “Welt der Wunder” magazine (6/21), there is an exciting interview with the tracker Stefanie Argow of Hidden Tracks, and they’re showing eight of the animal tracks Stefanie and I created together! ➔
Available | Field Guide Products in German!
Since my field guides for nature have been printed on products on RedBubble, I’ve been asked to offer German graphics too, and now they’re available as art prints, posters, postcards, pillows, blankets, bed linen, shower curtains, bath mats, mugs, water bottles, notebooks, stickers, magnets, cases, skins, bags, shirts and more amazing products! ➔
(Deutsch) Website | Hidden Tracks Hub Page
Nachdem ich schon seit einigen Jahren immer mal wieder mit der Fährtenleserin Stefanie Argow an bis ins kleinste Detail korrekten Trittsiegel-Grafiken arbeite und wir die mittlerweile auch für gemeinsame Kunden und Projekte nutzen, habe ich zuletzt unter www.irisluckhaus.de/hiddentracks eine ganz übersichtliche Verteilerseite angelegt!
Backstage | A Year of Masks, and Moments of Joy
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 ➔
Mask Science | We need to talk about Gaps
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. ➔
Press | Open Source Covid19 Medical Supplies Report
»One of the most popular patterns was developed by Iris Luckhaus, a German illustrator and sewist. Luckhaus, who was fed up with cloth masks fogging up her glasses, made a small change to the nosepiece of a standard cloth mask design that eliminated fogging. Her post went viral on the OSCMS Facebook group with incredible user engagement and over 300 shares. Since then, tens of thousands of her cloth masks have been made around the world.« ➔
Available | Seasonal Hybrid Masks
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! ➔
Available | Products via Søciety6 and Redbubble
I have recently equipped my shops at Søciety6 [US] and RedBubble [EU + US] with fresh illustrations, field guides, infographics, patterns and some winter specials – and I was amazed at all the new products there! In addition to prints, posters and postcards, there are now also printed furniture, curtains, pillows, blankets, carpets, bed linen, shower curtains, bath mats, coffee mugs, water bottles, trays, boards, wrapping paper, notebooks, stickers, magnets, cases, skins, bags, picnic blankets, shirts and much more – and some of them now with my designs! ➔
Feature | Mask Tying Techniques at OSMS
I am so proud that Open Source Medical Supplies is showing my Mask Tying Techniques in a beautiful pictorial pictorial cloth mask guide! Thanks to Devon for connecting and to Sophia for the great design <3
Art Prints | 20% Discount at Posterlounge in November
For those who want to redecorate their walls in November or to buy their Christmas gifts early, I’m having a nice surprise: My Posterlounge shop has a discount code, »LUCKHAUS2020«, with amazing 20% savings available for the whole month, on all articels, such as posters, prints, wall stickers, canvas, wood, foam, aluminum or acrylic prints in formats from 13 x 18 cm (from € 6.95 5.56) over 30 x 40 cm (from 9.95 7.96) to 60 x 80 cm (from € 22.95 18.36)! ➔
Raffle | Quiz for »Spuren lesen« by Argow and Fokken
Bastei Lübbe is giving away books on Instagram – with a nicely designed quiz, for which I have provided my animal tracks graphics! Five copies of »Reading tracks – stories that the tracks of animals tell us« by Stefanie Argow and Ulrike Fokken with illustrations by Florian Frick and me will be raffled to those who answer correctly. Good luck! ➔
Published | »Spuren Lesen« by Argow and Fokken
I am very happy to present an amazing new book here, for which I created the track illustrations in cooperation with the (co-) author and professional tracker Stefanie Argow. »Spuren lesen – Geschichten, die uns die Fährten der Tiere erzählen« tells in an exciting, instructive and often humorous way about the stories behind animal tracks. ➔
Available | Introducing my Hybrid Mask Sewing Partners
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. ➔
Worksheet for Trackreading Classes
I have created a new work sheet for the classes of tracker Stefanie Argow, with whom I am continuously working on a detailed version of my animal tracks! They are already used by WWF, IZW and Posterlounge, and will soon be part of a book too! This year’s sheet shows wolf, fox, lynx, badger, marten, bear, rabbit, squirrel, deer and wild boar. ➔
Press | Recommendations for the Hybrid Mask, Part 2
My hybrid cloth mask is still getting around! It’s sewn by volunteers and partners near and far, and recommended all over the world. After my first recommendation and review collection in June, I’ve now gathered some more! ➔
Tips & Tricks | Mask Hub Page with all the Links
I have created a mask hub for all mask links, so if you’d like to share one of my masks, you can just type the link www.irisluckhaus.de/masks instead of jumping to your browser and looking for the bookmark :)
Tips & Tricks | Mask Tying Videos by Reusable Mask Co Australia
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! ➔
Press | Sewing Change: The Iris Luckhaus Story
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! ➔
DIY Instructions | Customized Hybrid Face Masks
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! ➔
Tips & Tricks | Mask Tying Techniques Infographic
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. ➔
DIY Instructions | Making a Hybrid Instant Mask
After starting out with a no-sew DIY makeshift emergency mask, then testing all available patterns for cloth masks and finally inventing my own – the optimized Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits truly gapless, breathable yet reliably stays in place, even without a nose piece! –, I have now combined these two types of masks (and everything I have learned in the meantime!) to design an instant no-sew DIY mask with the same pattern and fit as the Hybrid Mask. ➔
DIY Tutorial | Hybrid Cloth Mask Pictorial
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! ➔
Fresh Feature | Infographics Poster at Posterlounge
Wie schön, meine Blattformen und Baumknospen in einer Posterlounge-Werbung auf Instagram zu entdecken! :)
DIY Instructions | Sewing a Hybrid Cloth Mask
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. ➔
DIY Instructions | No-Sew Emergency Mask
I designed an emergency maskeshift mask which can be made quickly and easily by anyone without sewing, simply with home and office supplies. If handled with care, it can protect others from your droplets, but its use for your own protection is very limited. If available, please wear a certified mask! If you decide to use this one, please understand that you’re doing so at your own risk: Keep your distance and wash your hands as if you’re not wearing it! ➔
Published | Posters for Forest Education Centers
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten, for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn several identification sheets, decided to publish not only our first four posters with tree leaves, animal tracks, bird flights and tree silhouettes for usage in their forest centers, but our two new posters with forest animals and forester tools will also be used for forest education! Christian Talla, who edits the posters so lovingly, brought them to Din A2 format. ➔
Category Archives: Science
Discounts | Memorial Day Sale at Søciety6
Søciety [USA, shipping worldwide] is celebrating Memorial Day with very generous discounts, a full 50% off art prints, posters, wrapping paper and stickers, 25% off stationary cards and 20% off a huge variety of other printed products!
Feature | Article about Spawning in Slate Magazine
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! ➔
Postcard »Nützliche Knoten« for Kurze Wege
For the project Kurze Wege (Short Paths) of the Protestant Youth in Wunstorf, I revised my Useful Knots and created a postcard from them, which was sent to the supporters of the project together with a piece of rope – in order to “create connections” in this way, which I think is an extremely neat idea! ➔
What can we do against AI-generated Images? (Part II)
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! ➔
Statement | No to AI-generated Images (Part I)
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: ➔
Available | Black Friday at RedBubble and Søciety6
In addition to our annual 20% November discount at Posterlounge, Søciety6 [US] is now offering 15%-60% and RedBubble [EU/US] 20%-60% discounts on everything for Black Friday! Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been updating my stores with new illustrations and infographics, and lovingly re-edited every product. ➔
Art Prints | 20% November Discount at Posterlounge
For those who want to redecorate their walls in November or to buy their Christmas gifts early, I’m having a nice surprise: My Posterlounge Shop offers a discount code, »LUCKHAUS2022«, with amazing 20% savings until early December, on all articels, such as posters, prints, wall stickers, canvas, wood, foam, aluminum or acrylic prints in formats from 13 x 18 cm (from € 6.95 5.56) over 30 x 40 cm (from € 9.95 7.96) to 60 x 80 cm (from € 22.95 18.36)! ➔
Available | Animal Trail Poster with Hidden Tracks for Stadtwildtiere
After being asked time and again if the animal trail poster I created with tracker Stefanie Argow and Dr. Sarah Kiefer of Stadtwildtiere.de, the Citizen Science project of the Leibniz-Instituts für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung (IZW), was available for purchase, we have now finally uploaded it to Redbubble [product page], where it can be ordered! The original size shown in this article, with life-size tracks, corresponds to the poster in large format, 85 x 120 cm. ➔
Identification Chart | Leaves of Trees and Shrubs
This summer, we’ve been out and about in forests, fields, parks and gardens a lot, and enjoyed identifying trees! We noticed that the distinction between tree and shrub is quite impractical for identifying leaves on the go!, and therefore, I decided to extend my 25 Tree Leaves identification chart to 36 Tree and Shrub Leaves, to cover the most common large, woody plants! The infographics is now available at Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Infographie | Feuilles d’Arbres et d’Arbustes en Français
Cet été, nous nous sommes promenés souvent dans les forêts, les champs, les parcs et les jardins et nous avons identifié les arbres avec enthousiasme ! Nous avons remarqué que la distinction entre arbre et arbuste pour déterminer les feuilles au bord des chemins n’était pas très pratique, et c’est pourquoi, après mes 25 feuilles d’arbres, j’ai dessiné un tableau d’affichage élargi avec 36 feuilles d’arbres et d’arbustes, couvrant les plus courantes des grandes plantes ligneuses. Le motif est disponible chez Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble et Søciety6. ➔
Infographics | Series of Alphabets, Signs and Codes
Finally, the series is complete! I revised my Two-Handed Finger Alphabet and Flag Semaphore and also edited the two alphabets that were still missing, Morse Code and Braille Alphabet, to fit in a poster format. The entire series is now available as posters or art prints at Posterlounge (also via eBay!) and as printed on lovely cards, mugs, bags, shirts, pillows, towels, blankets, cases, stickers and a whole lot of other beautiful products at Redbubble and Søciety6! ➔
Art Prints | Identification Chart for Garden Birds
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. ➔
Art Prints | Identification Charts with Foliage Trees
After drawing Tree Shapes, Leaves, Fruits and Shoots, I have put all these characteristics of the most common foliage trees into a single identification chart, which is helpful to get to know the tree species and identify them over all the seasons. The identification chart is available at Posterlounge (also via eBay!), Redbubble und Søciety6! ➔
Art Print | Identification Chart with Urban Wildlife
After illustrating the Wildlife of New England last year, planning a color version of my black-and-white forest animals for a long time and recently working more often with and about urban wildlife, at some point it made sense to create an identification chart with wildlife close to settlements, i.e. wild animals that can be seen in the city and on walks! The illustration is finally finished and available at Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Art Prints | Identification Chart with Culinary Herbs
In the meantime, I’ve finished my identification chart on kitchen herbs that I started years ago (but never found time to edit), mainly because I wanted to know for myself what is what and because it’s so exciting to try and understand and draw the blueprint of plants! The chart is available via Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Infographics | Braille Alphabet for the Blind
After Finger Alphabet, Flag Semaphore, and Morse Code, I now finally revised the Braille Alphabet for posters! The infographics is now available as a poster at Posterlounge (also via Amazon and eBay!) and printed on cards, mugs, bags, shirts, pillows, towels, blankets, cases, stickers and other awesome products at Redbubble und Søciety6. ➔
Art Prints | Identification Chart with Tree Leaves
After a couple of years, where I learned a lot about trees – partly thanks to my client, the Landesforsten – I recently completely revised and lovingly corrected the details of my tree leaves, so that every tiny line is finally right (I hope :))! The revised identification chart is now available at Posterlounge (Amazon / eBay), Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Tipps & Tricks | Upgrading our Masks for new Challenges
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. ➔
Infographics | Morse Code and Radio Alphabet
After the Finger Alphabet and Flag Semaphore, I have now also revised the Morse Code for posters! The infographics is available as a poster at Posterlounge (also via eBay!) as well as printed on beautiful cards, mugs, bags, shirts, cushions, towels, blankets, cases, stickers and many other products at Redbubble and Søciety6. ➔
Featured | Animal Tracks on the Landing Page of Pinterest
I’m so happy that my Animal Tracks Pin was featured on the Pinterest “Today” page on February 24th! Unfortunately, I missed it, but I think it’s all the more great that these lovely people of Pinterest told me about it. Thank you! ➔
DIY Instructions | Hybrid Mask Frame for Sewing or Stapling
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! ➔
Hybrid Mask Press | ICOM Blog »Clothing the Pandemic«
Design historian Serena Newmark, whom I first met when she showed some beautiful Hybrid Masks on Twitter (#luckhausmask) and lateron introduced my pattern to the workshop »Clothing the Pandemic« by ICOM [International Committee for Museums and Collections of Costume, Fashion and Textile] as part of a lecture on the exchange of information between makers, has now written a great article about me and my Hybrid Mask for the ICOM blog! ➔
DIY Tutorial | Hybrid Boxy Mask Pictorial
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! ➔
DIY Instructions | Sewing a Hybrid Boxy Mask
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. ➔
Art Prints | 20% November Discount at Posterlounge
For those who want to redecorate their walls in November or to buy their Christmas gifts early, I’m having a nice surprise: My Posterlounge shop has a discount code, »LUCKHAUS2021«, with amazing 20% savings available for the whole month, on all articels, such as posters, prints, wall stickers, canvas, wood, foam, aluminum or acrylic prints in formats from 13 x 18 cm (from € 6.95 5.56) over 30 x 40 cm (from 9.95 7.96) to 60 x 80 cm (from € 22.95 18.36)! ➔
Available | Discounts at Redbubble and Søciety6
My shops at Søciety6 [US] and RedBubble [EU/US], which I recently updated with new illustrations and infographics and which in addition to art prints, posters and cards also sell printed products like curtains, pillows, blankets, carpets, bed linen, mugs, trays, boards, wrapping paper, notebooks, stickers, jigsaw puzzles, magnets, cases, bags, shirts and a whole lot of other things, offer fabulous discounts again! On Redbubble, it is 20% to 60% with the code »WHYWAIT« until November 11th, and Søciety6 also offers 35% to 50% (without code) on a wide range of articles this week. ➔
Closing soon | Goodbye, Reusable Mask Co Australia!
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! ➔
Press | Emily with NagaKiri’s masks in The Occidental
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. ➔
DIY Tutorial | Filter Frames for Cloth Masks
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! ➔
Tips & Tricks | Double Masking, or Hybrid Top Masks
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. ➔
Hybrid Mask | Museum Workshop »Clothing the Pandemic«
I first met Serena Newmark when she posted a beautiful Hybrid Beard Mask (aka #luckhausmask) on Twitter, and we chatted about her pretty skull fabric! Later, Serena asked me if I’d give her an interview about my experiences as a mask pattern maker, and she turned out to be a PhD candidate at FU Berlin with a profound – and super interesting – knowledge about 19th century Prussian furniture in Texas! I feel honoured that Serena will present my Hybrid Mask in a workshop, »Clothing the Pandemic«, by ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Costume, Fashion and Textile, as part of her lecture about »The Creation of an Online Art and Design Reference Library: information seeking and sharing among mask makers«, which takes place online on June 23rd at 3:10 PM CET. ➔
Note Books and Gym Bags for Stadtwildtiere
Together with tracker Stefanie Argow from HiddenTracks and Dr. Sarah Kiefer from Stadtwildtiere.de, the Citizen Science Project of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), I designed two notebooks and a gym bag, for their advertising and as an identification aid for wild animals whose tracks can be found in the city of Berlin. ➔
Art Prints | Identification Chart with Songbirds
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. ➔
Published | Animal Tracks in Welt der Wunder
In the current “Welt der Wunder” magazine (6/21), there is an exciting interview with the tracker Stefanie Argow of Hidden Tracks, and they’re showing eight of the animal tracks Stefanie and I created together! ➔
Available | Field Guide Products in German!
Since my field guides for nature have been printed on products on RedBubble, I’ve been asked to offer German graphics too, and now they’re available as art prints, posters, postcards, pillows, blankets, bed linen, shower curtains, bath mats, mugs, water bottles, notebooks, stickers, magnets, cases, skins, bags, shirts and more amazing products! ➔
(Deutsch) Website | Hidden Tracks Hub Page
Nachdem ich schon seit einigen Jahren immer mal wieder mit der Fährtenleserin Stefanie Argow an bis ins kleinste Detail korrekten Trittsiegel-Grafiken arbeite und wir die mittlerweile auch für gemeinsame Kunden und Projekte nutzen, habe ich zuletzt unter www.irisluckhaus.de/hiddentracks eine ganz übersichtliche Verteilerseite angelegt!
Backstage | A Year of Masks, and Moments of Joy
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 ➔
Mask Science | We need to talk about Gaps
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. ➔
Press | Open Source Covid19 Medical Supplies Report
»One of the most popular patterns was developed by Iris Luckhaus, a German illustrator and sewist. Luckhaus, who was fed up with cloth masks fogging up her glasses, made a small change to the nosepiece of a standard cloth mask design that eliminated fogging. Her post went viral on the OSCMS Facebook group with incredible user engagement and over 300 shares. Since then, tens of thousands of her cloth masks have been made around the world.« ➔
Available | Seasonal Hybrid Masks
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! ➔
Available | Products via Søciety6 and Redbubble
I have recently equipped my shops at Søciety6 [US] and RedBubble [EU + US] with fresh illustrations, field guides, infographics, patterns and some winter specials – and I was amazed at all the new products there! In addition to prints, posters and postcards, there are now also printed furniture, curtains, pillows, blankets, carpets, bed linen, shower curtains, bath mats, coffee mugs, water bottles, trays, boards, wrapping paper, notebooks, stickers, magnets, cases, skins, bags, picnic blankets, shirts and much more – and some of them now with my designs! ➔
Feature | Mask Tying Techniques at OSMS
I am so proud that Open Source Medical Supplies is showing my Mask Tying Techniques in a beautiful pictorial pictorial cloth mask guide! Thanks to Devon for connecting and to Sophia for the great design <3
Art Prints | 20% Discount at Posterlounge in November
For those who want to redecorate their walls in November or to buy their Christmas gifts early, I’m having a nice surprise: My Posterlounge shop has a discount code, »LUCKHAUS2020«, with amazing 20% savings available for the whole month, on all articels, such as posters, prints, wall stickers, canvas, wood, foam, aluminum or acrylic prints in formats from 13 x 18 cm (from € 6.95 5.56) over 30 x 40 cm (from 9.95 7.96) to 60 x 80 cm (from € 22.95 18.36)! ➔
Raffle | Quiz for »Spuren lesen« by Argow and Fokken
Bastei Lübbe is giving away books on Instagram – with a nicely designed quiz, for which I have provided my animal tracks graphics! Five copies of »Reading tracks – stories that the tracks of animals tell us« by Stefanie Argow and Ulrike Fokken with illustrations by Florian Frick and me will be raffled to those who answer correctly. Good luck! ➔
Published | »Spuren Lesen« by Argow and Fokken
I am very happy to present an amazing new book here, for which I created the track illustrations in cooperation with the (co-) author and professional tracker Stefanie Argow. »Spuren lesen – Geschichten, die uns die Fährten der Tiere erzählen« tells in an exciting, instructive and often humorous way about the stories behind animal tracks. ➔
Available | Introducing my Hybrid Mask Sewing Partners
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. ➔
Worksheet for Trackreading Classes
I have created a new work sheet for the classes of tracker Stefanie Argow, with whom I am continuously working on a detailed version of my animal tracks! They are already used by WWF, IZW and Posterlounge, and will soon be part of a book too! This year’s sheet shows wolf, fox, lynx, badger, marten, bear, rabbit, squirrel, deer and wild boar. ➔
Press | Recommendations for the Hybrid Mask, Part 2
My hybrid cloth mask is still getting around! It’s sewn by volunteers and partners near and far, and recommended all over the world. After my first recommendation and review collection in June, I’ve now gathered some more! ➔
Tips & Tricks | Mask Hub Page with all the Links
I have created a mask hub for all mask links, so if you’d like to share one of my masks, you can just type the link www.irisluckhaus.de/masks instead of jumping to your browser and looking for the bookmark :)
Tips & Tricks | Mask Tying Videos by Reusable Mask Co Australia
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! ➔
Press | Sewing Change: The Iris Luckhaus Story
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! ➔
DIY Instructions | Customized Hybrid Face Masks
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! ➔
Tips & Tricks | Mask Tying Techniques Infographic
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. ➔
DIY Instructions | Making a Hybrid Instant Mask
After starting out with a no-sew DIY makeshift emergency mask, then testing all available patterns for cloth masks and finally inventing my own – the optimized Hybrid Cloth Mask, which fits truly gapless, breathable yet reliably stays in place, even without a nose piece! –, I have now combined these two types of masks (and everything I have learned in the meantime!) to design an instant no-sew DIY mask with the same pattern and fit as the Hybrid Mask. ➔
DIY Tutorial | Hybrid Cloth Mask Pictorial
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! ➔
Fresh Feature | Infographics Poster at Posterlounge
Wie schön, meine Blattformen und Baumknospen in einer Posterlounge-Werbung auf Instagram zu entdecken! :)
DIY Instructions | Sewing a Hybrid Cloth Mask
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. ➔
DIY Instructions | No-Sew Emergency Mask
I designed an emergency maskeshift mask which can be made quickly and easily by anyone without sewing, simply with home and office supplies. If handled with care, it can protect others from your droplets, but its use for your own protection is very limited. If available, please wear a certified mask! If you decide to use this one, please understand that you’re doing so at your own risk: Keep your distance and wash your hands as if you’re not wearing it! ➔
Published | Posters for Forest Education Centers
The Niedersächsischen Landesforsten, for whose »Waldstück« magazine I’ve drawn several identification sheets, decided to publish not only our first four posters with tree leaves, animal tracks, bird flights and tree silhouettes for usage in their forest centers, but our two new posters with forest animals and forester tools will also be used for forest education! Christian Talla, who edits the posters so lovingly, brought them to Din A2 format. ➔