Currently I live and work as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer at Constance, Germany. I love my work and I appreciate it very much that I am able to live my dream.

Already as a child I scribbled first on the walls of my children’s room, and later as a teenager I abused my homework books and the school desk as a sketchbook. But then came a long period of artistic abstinence. I have never really known what profession to become in future. After a four semester trip to architecture studies, spending a few time to American studies (including a short visit to History and Latin) at a scary town, I abandoned everything, did some part time jobs and finally turned my passion into profession.

How did you get started?

Um, funny story, how life goes.

Some time ago I was traveling through Spain together with my girlfriend and my buddy and we went surfing at Zarrautz. After a stoking session in the Atlantic ocean, we’ve been looking for something to eat and passed by a surf shop. Then, from a book in the window a blue, screamin’ hand catched my eye and I was spellbound. Sure, I recognized this graphic from quite a number of t-shirts, but I didn’t know anything about its creator, Jim Phillips. So I dropped in pronto and leafed through the book.

That was the initiation. Highly inspired and motivated, and didn’t know what else I could do, I created a portfolio and became self-employed.

Bang! That’s all, 13 Illustrations was born and my way as an illustrator was paved. This incident was the beginning at all. I found my vocation. Now, let’s see how it’s going on. I’m always open-minded for new ideas.

13? Why?

Oh, that’s easy! I was born on Friday, the 13^th and I love horror movies, especially the eighties’ ones. And it seems to me that the #13 is my lucky number somehow. At first when I started my business, 13 was served as a name for a fictitious skateboard brand, for which I created some design to fill my portfolio. Well, my environment and I got accustomed with it soon.

 

If you have any questions, yet, or you may want to say something nice or maybe I can help you out with any of your projects, then don’t be shy and write me an email. I’m looking forward to hear from you.

Alex