Interview with dreamy illustrator Susanne Loose

Today's interview is with a dreamy, talented aspiring illustrator called Susanne. so who is she? 

keep reading.. 

First, introduce yourself... 
My name is Susanne Loose,  I'm an architect and hobby illustrator based in Hamburg/Germany.​

Who inspires you in term of arts in general and illustration?
I'm inspired by nature in general, landscapes and animals, but also by design objects, interesting persons and characters from movies or real life, sometimes even a mood. But I don't seek for inspiration willingly. Sometimes my mind is empty and I don't have ideas. In these times I can't draw at all.

What is your favorite style of illustration? 

I like rough sketches or pencil drawings. The state of an idea, not a perfect finished picture. This often appears in my job when you have to transport an idea in a quick sketch to the client. On the other hand very detailed illustrations can catch me and amaze me too.
During my youth I was influenced  by Japanese comics (manga) and anime. I still prefer some kind of comic/cartoony style. Lately I'm also interested in the art of tattooing and tattoo compatible illustrations because they can fit a part of your body perfectly.

​

What style of illustration do you find challenging ? 
Portraits and realistic paintings are really challenging for me because I'm not patient nor skilled enough. It's hard not to be intimidated by the skills of others and trust  my own talents...

Name other illustrators you admire... 

Moki (mioke.de), J.A.W Cooper, Audrey Kawasaki, Jeremy Mann, David Hale, Etam Cru

Tattoo artists: Sarah Herzdame, Bob Mosquito, Susanne König, Chaim Machlev, Valentin Hirsch

Who are your biggest supporters? 

My parents and my fiancé.

What do you enjoy doing other that illustration?

To exercise has always been important to me and since I'm working at the office I need to move at the end of the day! Running, swimming or climbing (in a climbing hall) is my (almost) daily compensation to sitting in front of a computer all day. I love the mountains and whenever possible I try to go rock climbing or hiking into the mountains. I enjoy the silence and solitude out there. Being so small towards the power of nature helps me to find my limits and new ideas.

What are your favorite films/ tv shows/ books and musicians that keep you inspired?

Last week I really enjoyed binge watching "Stranger Things" or the film "Ex Machina". But there are all time favorites like Moonrise Kingdom, The Lion King, The Prestige, Lost in Translation, Amelie, Up, Moon...
I'm also ambitious watching series like Game of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards, True Detective...
I like fantasy and surrealistic books for example all the books by Haruki Murakami or "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman. When I was younger, I enjoyed reading "The edge chronicles" by Paul Stewart and amazing illustrations by Chris Riddell. 
The list of musicians would be too long, quite a mixed bag. To name a few: Mia. (german pop band), Depeche Mode, Florence and the machine, Dapayk & Padberg, The Chemical Brothers, Sia, Radiohead, Jose Gonzalez, Wild Beasts, The Cure....

What scares you the most?
Not doing what you love because you're afraid to fail.

​

Have you ever thought about publishing a book of your work or teaching your methods and techniques? 
I'm not a professional illustrator and so I would never dare to teach someone else something I never learned. Art is an enjoyable thing to me, because it's not my job and I'm free to draw when ever I want, not when I have to. All the better when people actually like some of my drawings or paintings. I'm super shy and still very flattered about compliments.

​

Whats your favorite thing to draw? 
It always depend on my mood, but cats, animals in general, mountains and strong female characters are some of my favorites. I'm enjoying anatomical studies of animals and figure drawing too.

Can you say that you have your own style? and what do you call it? 

That's a difficult question. To me there is an automatic development in style over time and it's always influenced by the things you like. It's a changing thing and I could never say: "This is my own style now." 

What's the best advice you can give to all the art lovers out there? 

Be brave and do what you love, don't be scared of failure. 

With the modern day technology and gadgets, what's your favorite drawing related gadget? whats your favorite app or program and have you said good bye to pen and paper? 

I never really tried to draw digitally, but it's always exciting to use new materials and techniques and experience what you can do with it (or not). Due to my job I'm kinda skilled with 3D modelling buildings and editing pictures with Photoshop into a sceneric visualization. Maybe it's old fashioned but in my free time I prefer to draw and paint with watercolors, acrylic paint or just a pencil. I like to blend colors and spread it on canvas, the feeling of a pen or a brush in your hand. For me it's helpful to relax, sometimes even meditative and I can forget everything around me. Other techniques like etching, aqua tinta or vernis mou are also interesting to me. I had the privilege to try this during my studies at the university.

What's your favorite illustration by you? 

At the moment it's the polar bear in watercolor, because there is a little story behind it: It was the first watercolor painting I did after a long time. As a teenager I thought I'm not good at watercolor and kept to my pens and acrylic color. But since this little painting I enjoy working with watercolor although I'm not a "pro" at it. I'm still very intimidated by the skills of other but I try not to put pressure on myself because I now know it would keep me from exploring all kinds of materials and drawing techniques. 

What's your favorite illustration by someone else ? 

Mhh... There are so many adorable illustrations out there, I could never decide for just one. It's also a very changeable thing depending on my mood, like it is with music or movies... I would like refer to the artists I named before :)

Where can we buy your art (if possible)  ? 

I'll open a small shop on my website www.susanneloose.de soon. There you can find small original watercolor paintings and drawings or contact me for commission work. See my work on instagram via www.instagram.com/susu.illustration.

And that's it! 

If you enjoyed this interview please share it and let me know in the comments below or email me at reemwrites@gmail.com 

don't hesitate to tweet me at @reemsjournal    or follow my instagram at @reemwrites