Pastel colours, rosy cheeks and cartoonish prints are all aspects that make up the delightful work of illustrator, Anke Weckmann. Her bold colour palette and perfectly accomplished hand-drawn lines create pieces which stand out on any page- whether that’s digital or in print. They ooze with joy and are bought to life through their mesh of fine detail and striking pattern work. As well as the playful colours, Weckmann’s unique style of facial representation is one of the most recognisable features within her artistic approach, and gives her characters an innocent, nostalgic feel. I contacted the artist to discover more about where the inspiration behind these iconic expressions came from and she explained that her form has developed not only through consistent daily drawing over the years, but also (‘probably subconsciously’) 80’s toys and cartoons that she grew up surrounded by, for instance, Peanuts Animation, Little Twin Stars and vintage Strawberry Shortcake. In March, Anke undertook a drawing challenge named ‘Manly March’ that encouraged her to draw more men, however, real-life and imaginary girls and women have been the leading creative influence, alongside coming-of-age movies, in Weckmann’s illustrations. She explained how her inspiration stemmed from a childhood obsession with a Pippi Longstocking picture book, illustrated by Ingrid Vang Nyman, that fascinated her before she could even read. The similarities from this animated, semi-realistic world that the artist creates within her work can certainly be noticed in relation to her influences, especially through details such as the bright colours and small ears. The Marie Curie and Greta Thunberg pieces in Weckmann’s vivid portfolio showcase this style perfectly, as we see the archetypal large, expressive eyes and rounded faces – quite like an anime character. This connection made complete sense considering one of the movies that the artist finds most inspiring is Hayao Miyazaki’s, Kiki’s Delivery Service – a popular Japanese animation by Studio Ghibli. The relationship that the artist maintains with her childhood, in terms of her character development, allows the audience to resonate that much more with her work, giving it a comfortable and homely sense, as if we have all shared in the experience that Weckmann has had with film and storybook growing up. During my conversation with the artist, I learnt that the pieces are often left open to interpretation, through projected moods on the characters facial gestures and poses. Weckmann described the approach as ‘a suggestion of a narrative rather than telling [you] exactly what is happening’. I found that this method allowed myself, as an observer of the work, to relate my own personal ideas and stories to each individual piece. The artist then expressed her love for when ‘people can recognise themselves or people they know in her images’, making it a wonderfully intimate and memorable experience. Although the majority of Anke Weckmann’s portfolio is made up of a rich array of colours, the final two examples of work are monochromatic in their sole use of black and white. A greyscale tone can also be recognised within these pieces through the technique of pointillism, used to create textured garments on two of her characters. With such immense attention to detail given to each creation, I wondered what Weckmann’s most prestigious piece was, in her opinion. Expectedly, she told me of the difficulty in choosing and that ‘Like many artists, I often cringe at my older work and it's also too hard to pick one favourite’.
Anke Weckmann’s art is a whimsical, vibrant world of colour and character; a journey for any viewer, perhaps transporting them back in time to a place of youth with a sentimentality that simply erases the years.
You can find more of Anke Weckman artwork at this link HERE.
This article was written by the talented Taryn Kaur. For writer inquiries you can contact her at tarynpedler@gmail.com
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