Anna Beil

posted by Emily Gosling May 11, 2021

Anna Beil’s work plays around with the dynamic between the strange and the familiar: it’s very, very weird, which is what makes it so wonderful. Based in Berlin, she first studied Communication Design at FH Potsdam near Berlin, graduating in 2017. During her course, she focused mostly on illustration and graphic design, and then went on to take an interdisciplinary art degree at HfG Offenbach which she hopes to graduate from soon. Her work certainly straddles the often thin lines between graphics, illustration and fine art; but it all feels united by a certain playfulness and joie de vivre. We had a chat about why her work is often so funny, her process, how she intends to cheer things up this year and more.

The illustrations on your website (I’m thinking the face/penis thing) are hilarious—can you tell me more about the role of humour in your work?

That penis face character I started to draw many years ago, back in school. While trying very hard to draw something meaningful, some stupid and funny doodles came up in every sketchbook. After a while I realised the more I take it easy, the more I can put meaning into it. Humour helps to deal with all kinds of difficult emotions, and it can soften the boundaries to address some delicate or harder topics.

What sort of clients do you most enjoy working with and why?

So far almost all clients have been very nice to work with—especially if there is common ground around things like work conditions or political standing. If you can relate to a topic, you are automatically more motivated and the work itself makes more sense. Those clients often give you more freedom, because they also better understand the creative work and they trust and appreciate your style. But of course, it’s also fine if they give you more critical input, which can often result in something you wouldn’t have thought of which works well in it.

Talk me through your usual process…

I like to start with a rough pen, old bold marker or chalk. Mostly I sketch around a few times, and do a few versions of the same character. Since the face is so emotional, I make tiny changes to the shape of the eyes or mouth until I find an expression I like.

Sometimes I do analogue colouration, but mostly I scan the sketches and change them in Photoshop and finish up working with a tablet. I like to work fast, almost in a hurry, to try out many many options with colours, background and composition. It’s like a fun rush and working digitally makes it so easy to try out all kinds of versions. Then the process slows down, and after a break (which might even be days-long) I rearrange my favourite one until it’s finished.

Sometimes it’s super hard to get in the right mood to draw analogue. For me, it feels somehow more emotional and I need to be focused on doing just that. The digital part is more like a fun game—always available, easy to redo. I like mixing both of those very much: it feels like I’m getting more out of my plain drawings and vice versa.What tools do you like to use?

Markers are my favourite, in combination with oil chalks or rough brushes. Lately, I also started using acrylic paint, airbrush and spray paints. Mostly I combine many things; I really like the different feels. Photoshop is my absolute favourite programme.

How would you describe your style?

A colourful and bold composition. Characters often seem cheeky and emotional, sometimes they blend or disappear into an abstract setting. It’s wild but at the same time also thoughtfully arranged. I try to achieve a balance between those counterparts.

Where do your characters and creatures come from?

I liked cartoons and manga as a kid, so there is certainly a big influence from that time. I love the emotional message a simple drawing of a face can send. From the eyes to the posture of a character, details really can say it all in very simple ways. I’m a big fan of emojis and memes, they are so accessible for everybody and you can mirror your personal feelings into them. Inspiration can be anything: life itself, walks, talks, movies, inner psychological dives, self-observation, friends’ dramas, family care, the madness in society… All these things end up in emotions, which I try to find in characters and creatures. The best expressions are diverse—one eye laughs, the other cries. It’s that discrepancy when you laugh, but almost cry, that I love most.

What are you working on at the moment, and what have you got coming up this year?

For a few months I’ve not been able to go to my studio, so I’m trying to arrange a new good work situation at home. I’m working in a smaller size, mostly on paper. I’m trying out watercolours and chalks at the moment, they are less bright and shiny than markers, spray or acrylic, but I really like the softness.

A while ago I made this booklet with illustrations in combination with some writing. It felt more personal and intimate than just images. So I want to explore that more and work with text again in this project. Hopefully, when this whole covid situation is over, I will be able to do a little exhibition. Let’s see what time will bring… but at least I want to produce a shirt in the summertime. Something to cheer us up a little.