Coverdesign and Illustration I did for Jo van Nelsen. The audio-book is called “Die Schlangendame”. The original Book was released in 1896 by Otto Julius Bierbaum and Jo van Nelsen is reading from it and playing original shellack records on his grammophone. I loosely based my illustration style on that timeframe around 1900 and Can Can Posters. In 2015 I already designed a CD Cover for Jo van Nelsen when he released "Lametta, Gans und Siegerkranz" with a christmas theme. This time I pushed for an illustration on the front to make it even more unique and original. I would like to thank Jo for making this happen and trusting me. Now we are both happy with the result!

Denim

Now on Instagram

The digital world is evolving and tradional blogs are almost to slow. So I finally signed up on Instagram which seems to be the biggest social network for pictures right now. I already like it. Lot's of cool people sharing their work or just snapshots of nice things. Compared to this blog I also added some more menswear related themes. You may already know I am working with several brands who do vintage inspired fashion. For me it makes sense to support each other by tagging them in my outfit postings. Putting together an outfit can be compared to drawing a picture. You chose colors, textures and other elements that go with each other to create a harmonious (or clashing?) composition. But then again... this may be too far fetched and I am just vain. Haha.

If you want to stay in touch with my current work please have a look: Instagram: menswear_illustration

Free Projects / Music

Some free projects inspired by vintage sheet music covers. I often see those booklets on the fleamarket and although I don't really play an instrument (except guitar in a punk band when I was 17) I really love the cover artwork. So sometimes I buy them just to look at it. The colors are limeted and the shaped are bold and playful at the same time. The first picture is also a visual joke about detachable collars, which were common in the first half of the 20th century

Blaue Orangen Kreativmarkt / Presse

I shared a stall with  Dark Candy Illustrations at the "Blaue Orangen Kreativmarkt" this month and a few local newspapers mentioned us by name. I forgot to make pictures myself though so you'll have to trust the mainstream-media one time. ;-) It was a nice day and we had lot's of fun. Thanks to Lucie Richter and the Blaue Orangen team.

Frankfurter Rundschau

Wiesbadener Kurier

Happy Halloween 2014

T-Shirts for Vecona Vintage

Most of you already know I am friends with the people behind the label Vecona Vintage. They asked me to design some T-Shirts aiming at Lindy Hop Dancers. So I took two popular songs and made them into shirt motives. "Straighten up and fly right" for an Aviatrix motive à la Amelia Earhart (even if the lyrics go quite differently) and the chorus of the "Tiger Rag" with some 1930s collegiate figures!

Get them at www.vecona-vintage.com

Die Liebe der Matrosen ("The Sailors' Love")

"Die Liebe der Matrosen" is a little Illustration I made for an art group in Wiesbaden. We meet every 2 weeks and give each other "homework" to some topics. This time it was to draw something about the sea. I tried to keep it simple with only few colors. More can be found on my tumblr:

http://drawfastdieyoung.tumblr.com

GRUSS VOM KЯAMPUS

Apache Gals

To understand the titel you might want to read more about Apache Dance. The name derieved from early 20th century parisian street gangs that were famous for their cruelty but also for their unique style. They appear to have been quite peacock-ish with their outfits.

The famous dance includes a fight between a gangster (or pimp) and a prostitute and became part of the popular culture of the first half of the 20th century. If you do a search on youtube you will find many movies with it ranging from comedies and musicals to crime flics. While I love the style of the costumes and the dance moves I felt uncomfortable with the violence against women thing. I decided to give it a twist and let the women fight back. Their attitude resembles Riot Grrl comics like "Tank Girl" now.

Yes, it still includes violence but if society still blames the victims of sexism if the don't defend themselves... well the guys were "asking for it", right?

Zeixs

Ahoi dear readers,

long time no see. I have been busy working for agencies and most work for clients doesn't really fit into this blog.  Recently I finished an illustration for a for the "cooking basics" project with Zeixs. I will keep you updated as soon as I know more about the release date.

Zeixs already published a few of my older illustrations ealier this year in their collection "Illustration 2".
You might recognize some of them. Have a look:

Jazz Age Portraits Part II

Unfortunately the second Jazz Age Portrait session won't take place since the Boheme Sauvage in Wiesbaden was cancelled.


You can find pictures from my last session at the Decadance event in the Sensor Wiesbaden Magazine.

Jazz Age Portraits at the decaDance Ballroom

Next saturday (16th march) I will attend the decaDance Ballroom in Wiesbaden and offer modernist jazz age portraits for the swing crowd. Get them while they are HOT and take home an original illustration.

http://deca-dance.net/

Swing in Wiesbaden

I love swing music and many of my friends are Lindy Hop dancers. I made illustrations for various swing events.The most current ones are taking place in Wiesbaden this month:
The "decanDance Ballroom" and the "Walhalla Hot Club"

Maybe you have seen the posters or heard about the parties. Feel free to join us to "cut a rug."
Of course I will be there too. :-)

Unpublished Illustration: King Kong climbs the Marktkirche

This actually was a version of the Sensor "Cinema" Cover (see the last post) that has not been published.
I quite like it because of the "Old Hollywood" vibes. The border between B-Movies and Blockbusters can be quite thin at times. ;-)

Sensor Wiesbaden Cover "Filmstadt zwischen Hoffnung und Abgesang"

If you live in Wiesbaden chances are high that you have already seen some of my artworks. Reason one is the "SENSOR Magazin" which can be found in almost every bar, store, barber shop and café all over the town. For the february issue I made a cover illustration with a "cinema" theme. My idea was to include the "Maschinenmensch" character from Fritz Langs "Metropolis" since the restorations of the long lost parts where done in Wiesbaden. The Murnau Stiftung has a huge archive of german movies starting at the silent era. To build a bridge to modern trends I made up a 3D version with the typical 3D glasses. I was delighted when I found a picture on their page with the audience in the "Murnau Filmtheater" wearing 3D glasses and holding the magazines with my cover. Thank you, Sensor.

Visit the Sensor Wiesbaden homepage or their facebook page.

Unpublished Editorial Illustration

In the last few month I was quite busy with my new job at an Advertising Agency and with my move to a new flat in Wiesbaden. I have some new Illustrations to show you but they will be published next month. In the meantime I will upload some good stuff from the archives.

Alternative version of the Sensor cover from last September: Modestadt Wiesbaden.

Movember

Grow a moustache for a good cause: Men's health awareness

Illustrated calendar 2013

This is another project together with some of the Illustrators from Mainz / Wiesbaden. A calender for the year 2013. We sell it at our exhibition in Rüsselsheim for only 5€ (two for 8€). But of course you can contact me to get one too. My picture is for the month Movember ;-) It was made exclusively for this calendar. The business cards (made in a playing card size for every exhibitor) are for free.

Calendar layout by Martina Theisen and Christian Weber.

Workshop: Das illustrierte ABC

This was an artwork for a workshop linked to the exhibition in Rüsselsheim.
The illustrated Alphabet would bring Illustration and handwritten Typography together. The ABC is the core of our language. I planned to do a collection of illustrations to every letter in the alphabet. The participants would choose a few letters and at the end of the course we would present our work together. Every media can be used: ink, pencils, watercolor, acrylic paint, scissors and paper, digital...

It seems like it won't take place now but if you are interested please contact the VHS Rüsselsheim and ask for the Workshop: "Das illustrierte Alphabet" If we are lucky they will get it back into the programme.