Olav Marahrens, freelance Illustrator
Who are you :
I am a freelance Illustrator
Your current job :
Currently, I am working on a so called "Wimmelbuch" for a children's book publisher. Well, there is no real translation in English but you can describe it as something like a "swarming book", which shows a lot of small scenes and tiny details coming together as one huge picture that bears a lot to discover for kids.
In which city are you located?
I live in a north eastern part of the Hamburg metropolitan area.
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
I am more or less an allrounder, who pretty quickly gets bored with daily routines and needs a lot of liberties to accomplish a good piece of work.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
The really traditional ones.That means paper, pencil, and pen. But nowadays, of course, there is photoshop involved in almost every job.
What does your office space look like?
Actually I have two work tables, one for traditional techniques, the second one for the digital part of the job.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working?
Depending on the mood I `m in, I listen to pretty much everything from Bach Cantates to Motörhead.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work?
Getting up at dusk and starting the virgin day with a cup of hot tea. is just the right precondition for me to be most productive.
What tips would you give to improve productivity?
It may sound rather boring, but it is discipline. Getting your act together, even on days when you really don`t feel like up for anything often rewards you with the best results.
You're better than your colleagues to :
Claiming to be better at something than the next person never comes to my mind. There are a lot of talented, adorable people around and I highly respect each and every one of them.
What is the best advice anyone has given you?
Whatever you do, stay true to yourself.
What is your best tip for saving time?
Precise briefings. To straighten out all questionable issues with the client in advance may save you a lot of additional working hours.
What is your routine start and end of the day?
Doing some finger exercise on my drawing pad in the morning and store my day´s work properly when it´s finally done.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
I could hardly exist without my sketch book.
