Interview: Illustrator Antje Schulz

Antje Schulz is a creative explorer with a special passion for illustration. Combining kawaii cartoons with vintage elements, she creates illustrations that carry her own distinctive signature.

Her creative journey has been anything but straightforward – from elderly care to graphic design and finally to self-employment. In the interview, she shares what drives her.

Introduction

What’s your name?
Antje Schulz.

Where do you live?
In the small village of Linthe, with 928 inhabitants, in the beautiful region of Brandenburg.

What kind of art/creativity do you mainly focus on? (Painting, sculpture, photography, digital design, etc.)
I’m a multi-creative person and love trying out new things. However, for about one and a half years now, my passion has been illustration – a mix of kawaii cartoons with a vintage touch.

Have you completed any formal training, or are you self-taught?
Originally, I trained as a qualified elderly care nurse. At the moment, I’m still studying graphic design at the private DIPLOMA university in Hesse. I have already submitted my bachelor’s thesis, which focuses on the design of a children's book.

Where can people see your work? Do you have a website or social media profiles you'd like to share?
I recently started my own business as an illustrator and graphic designer and have launched a website, an Etsy shop, and an Instagram account. Since everything is still in the making, it’s worth checking back from time to time. 😉

You're creative. Why?

How did you get into art? Where did your creative journey begin?

I’ve been painting and drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. There were times in my life when I took creative breaks, but I always found my way back to it. When I was looking for a career change, I knew I wanted to turn my hobby into a profession. That’s why, at 40, I decided to study graphic design. During my studies, I realized that working with pen and paper still brings me a lot of joy. Right from the start of my studies, I somehow knew that I wanted to write and illustrate a children's book for my bachelor’s thesis. And I also realized that I didn't just want to become a graphic designer, but a children's book illustrator as well.

What inspires you?

Life itself inspires my illustrations—tiny moments from everyday life can spark an idea in my mind. For example, a hobby gardener (like me grins) finding a snail in their lettuce while preparing a salad. I'm particularly drawn to foxes in vintage clothing.
Why?
Because foxes are my favourite animals, and I’ve always loved old eras and objects. That’s why my illustrations often feature a special vintage colour palette and a nostalgic touch, whether through clothing or objects.

I spent years trying to draw as realistically as possible until I eventually realised it no longer appealed to me. Plus, it simply took too long to finish a drawing. I really wanted to master those “simple” characters you often see in children's books or cartoons. In reality, they’re not simple at all—I had to spend a long time learning before I was happy with my results. The real breakthrough came when I got my hands on a book by the Dutch artist Karin Luttenberg.

Her explanations on how she draws her cartoon girls helped me overcome a creative block that had been holding me back for years. Finally, I could do it too!

My second major influence and source of inspiration comes from Japan. I love Hobonichi planner books, and I kept noticing the adorable characters often seen as stickers. At some point, I stumbled upon the term for them: Kawaii. Shifting from a realistic drawing style to the highly stylised, cute kawaii style took some time as well. One artist who particularly inspired me in this area is Becky Castaneda. Although I don't use the pastel colours she works with, she really helped me understand the kawaii style.

What does your creative process look like?

What materials and tools do you prefer to use, and why?

Due to my love for vintage aesthetics, I prefer working with tinted, cappuccino-coloured paper. I especially enjoy using the Cappuccino sketchbooks by Hahnemühle, whether it's smooth paper or watercolour paper. The Strathmore Toned Tan paper pad is also perfect for me.

For colouring, I like to use alcohol markers that match my colour palette as a basic medium. My favourites are the Copic Ciao markers and Ohuhu markers. To add texture to my illustrations, I use oil-based coloured pencils, such as Polychromos by Faber-Castell or Neocolor by Caran d’Ache.

For digital illustration, I work with Procreate. I prefer to start with a paper texture, ideally in a beige tone. For colouring, I use a brush with a smooth texture, and as a final touch, I like to add details with a pencil that mimics the look of coloured pencils or wax crayons.

Yes, definitely! Unfortunately, I can’t share it publicly yet, but my design project for my graphic design bachelor’s thesis is my absolute passion project! It’s a children’s picture book, written and illustrated by me, focusing on social interaction and its challenges, offering solutions for children with hearing impairments.

The story revolves around two children—one with hearing loss and one with normal hearing—who initially struggle with communication but gradually learn to interact considerately, eventually forming a friendship.

What has been the biggest challenge you've had to overcome as an artist?

I often feel that my illustrations aren’t good enough, and I’m still working on being able to share them without self-doubt. For about a year now, I’ve been part of a network of illustrators. Through these connections, I regularly receive positive feedback and kind suggestions for improvement, which have helped me grow.

Realizing that I can never please everyone has also helped me embrace my illustrations with all their strengths and weaknesses. I owe a lot of this growth to a fellow student, who has since become my best friend!

How important is the connection and interaction with other artists and creatives to you?

As I mentioned earlier, it’s incredibly important to interact with like-minded and equally passionate people. Only those who share similar goals, challenges, obstacles, and successes can truly understand your current situation.

Whether you're feeling completely defeated, have lost all courage, or are so happy you could embrace the whole world—having such a network is invaluable. Whether you need advice, have questions, or want to offer help and support yourself… it's all pure gold!

What does art mean to you? What role does it play in your life?

Ever since I could hold a pencil, I’ve been fascinated by how a single dot can turn into a line. Everything starts with a dot the moment you put the pencil to paper. I’m sure we’ve all doodled on our notebooks in school—wondering what happens if we don’t lift the pencil, what shapes might emerge? I think those were my first scribbles!

Art has always been my favourite subject, and it was even my major in secondary school. However, I first trained as a hotel manager and later became an elderly care nurse. That desire to help others and do something good for people is still very much a part of me.

My biggest wish is to bring a smile to people’s faces with my illustrations, to offer support, or simply provide a little moment of escape from the stresses of everyday life. That’s why, during the Christmas season, I created an Advent calendar on Instagram. I shared “How to Draw” tutorials for Christmas-themed illustrations almost every day.

What role do you think art plays in society?

What roles do artists play in society?

Coming from a graphic design background, I see images and graphics as a means of communication. In my opinion, the biggest difference between graphic design and art is that in design, you remove everything that isn't necessary while still conveying the message.

With art, it's the other way around—it's colourful, wild, sometimes even chaotic, yet there's always a message behind every piece! I truly believe that every artist has their own messages they want to convey. Simply put, artists deliver colourful messages!

What themes are important to you?

Is there a theme or message you want to convey through your art?

Yes, absolutely! It’s important to me that my illustrations evoke pleasant, joyful, heartwarming, and nostalgic emotions. I want to create a sense of connection to the past, as well as a feeling of home.

Personally, I love Art Nouveau and Art Deco, old books with gold embossing, and antique furniture from the Gründerzeit or Art Nouveau periods. I think this has a lot to do with my childhood.

I spent many summer holidays at my grandmother’s house, which was filled with countless books and beautiful antique furniture in her villa. Some of that furniture, books, and even her beloved mini patience cards are still with me today. I believe this deep connection to the past, to family, and to a cherished childhood is something I aim to capture in my illustrations through the vintage touch, colour palette, and motifs.

Additionally, I also create MiniMe illustrations. These are primarily made to please my clients, but I find it fascinating how you can capture a person’s character with relatively simple means. The message behind them is clear—every person is unique and valuable!

Thank you, Antje!

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