DaWanda Backstage

In today’s interview with a DaWanda seller we get to meet Anke Weckmann, aka Linotte, the incredibly talented illustrator/designer, whose beautiful drawings have been gracing greeting cards, tote bags, pendants, brooches and more on the English platform since May of 2008. Check out her lovely shop, and then find out more about how her creations come to life in our interview…

















Please tell us a bit about yourself:
I grew up in a little town near Hannover in Germany and have been living in London for 8 years now. I studied Illustration at Camberwell College of Art and Kingston University and have been working as a freelance illustrator since I graduated in 2005. Now I spend my days drawing & creating products for my shop while drinking copious amounts of tea and listening to audio books.

How did you discover that you have creative tendencies?
I started drawing very early on, probably before I could even walk. When I was little I always asked grown-ups to show me how to do creative things, like crocheting, cooking or making clothes for my dolls.

Where do you find your inspiration?
My work is inspired by people and fictional characters, stories, music, colours, shapes, textures, art, fashion editorials and photography in general.

Do you have any role models/inspirations in the area of Design? If so, who and why?
I recently read all of Tove Jansons Moomin Comics and they are absolutely wonderful. The characters she created, the storylines and the drawings themselves are so amazing and perfect. Every detail and composition is just right. A lot of people inspire me every day, the internet is amazing because you can discover a whole world of creative people every day.

How did you come up with the ideas for the products in your DaWanda shop?
I always have a sketchbook on my desk or in my bag and doodle ideas for products and pictures in it all the time.

Which materials do you use to create your products?
For my digital prints I use a wonderful paper called Somerset, it has a texture similar to watercolour paper but it’s especially for prints. It’s beautiful. For accessories I’ve been using my gocco printer, felt & fabric and shrinki plastic. I like trying out new ideas for products – recently I drew some characters from my sketchbooks directly onto fabric and made little sewn and stuffed creatures out of them.

Please give us a brief summary of your creative process?
My illustrations start as ink drawings on paper and are usually digitally coloured in the computer. As an illustrator I usually work to a brief from an art director but Dawanda is all about my personal work and I have complete freedom to do everything exactly as I want to. After creating the work I then turn it into a print that can be hung on a wall, or apply it to accessories like the “Little Boot” pendants in my shop. The central theme of my illustrations are characters. The way they look has developed a lot in the past eight years. They inhabit a world full of pretty houses, colourful trees, cats and little teacups. I also really love working on details like pretty packagings and labels for my shop products.

Who are your customers?
They are people who enjoy the little world I create through my work. It’s so exciting to share it with them!

What do you want to achieve in the future as a Designer/Creative?
I would love to continuously expand my range of products for the shop, keep drawing drawing drawing and work on as many exciting projects as I possibly can.

What role does DaWanda play in your daily creative life?
I enjoy working on a mix of commissioned projects (illustrations for magazines etc.) and personal work (my own drawings, and products for my shop). It creates a great balance and both areas really benefit from each other. I really enjoy the contact with people who buy from my shop, and I actually really like packaging orders in nice hand-made envelopes and taking them to the post office!

How has your life changed since you opened your DaWanda shop?
I have even more work to do than before! 60-80 hour weeks have become normal. But I love being busy!

Please give us the names of three of your favourite shops on DaWanda:
Gemma Correll
Mary Kilvert
Rima Staines