| It was a stormy winter in Chicago back in 2001 when I began illustrating more intensively. I was in the midst of my graphic design course, taking classes at the city’s School of the Art Institute. It was then that I began filling up sketchbook after sketchbook with daily doodles. At that time, it was still a mystery to me how my work could have a richer look, something beyond the simple black lines over a white background. I then began an endless search for interesting textures, whether it was an accidental and blurry photograph instead of a perfect background or scanned fabrics and scraps of paper, beads, necklaces or buttons for three-dimensional accents. |  |
Imaginary Magical Worlds – Linn Olofsdotter
It was a stormy winter in Chicago back in 2001 when I began illustrating more intensively. I was in the midst of my graphic design course, taking classes at the city’s School of the Art Institute. It was then that I began filling up sketchbook after sketchbook with daily doodles. At that time, it was still a mystery to me how my work could have a richer look, something beyond the simple black lines over a white background. I then began an endless search for interesting textures, whether it was an accidental and blurry photograph instead of a perfect background or scanned fabrics and scraps of paper, beads, necklaces or buttons for three-dimensional accents.
Since then, my career has taken many unexpected turns. My skills have evolved, but so has my desire to improve and surprise myself with every new image. I tend to get bored with my work if what I produce isn’t constantly changing. Therefore, if I can go back to an image and feel inspired, I realize it’s probably a piece that has worked out well. I think it’s important to feel inspired by your own work, to go far back in time and desire to do better in the present.
From the first moment I took a pen in my hand, my inspiration was first and foremost the pleasure of traveling into imaginary magical worlds. Rich forests and reflective oceanic pools are two places that I often enjoy going to in my mind. Even though I’ve tried many types of materials, the one I’ve felt the most comfortable with is ink pens because of their large variety of thicknesses. My work process is actually really convenient. For the first phase, all I need is a sketchbook and some of my pens, and I’m off to a local coffee shop, park or to a comfy seat while watching a movie. Then, I bring the many drawn elements into Photoshop and begin a puzzling game. For the past few years, I’ve also been using a Wacom tablet to create small additions to an image so that I don’t have to go back to the paper.
I’m really happy with how my work has evolved, but every day I still look for the next step to take. I would love someday to see some of my work in a three-dimensional format, so that it might feel even closer to the imaginary worlds of which I’ve been thinking. I’d also really enjoy the opportunity to create intricate patterns, whether for fashion or decor.
I enjoy working in the field of commercial art, and my work has given me the opportunity to work with clients from all over the globe. I still think it would be gratifying, though, if the art scene played a bigger role in my career. Therefore, my current goal is to find a way to translate my illustrations into paintings. It’s not an easy process since I’m already comfortable with drawing and so learning how to paint well can be frustrating. Regardless, I hope everything in my life and my career continues to change and evolve so that, when I step out of my studio at the end of every day, I still feel inspired.
