“Never give up. If you fail, try again! And again and again and again ...”

We caught up with illustrator Emil Ulfhammer to find out about his new projects, including a book he is writing and illustrating. Emil shares details of his creative process and explains how sketching has formed a solid foundation for his work. Read on to find out more about Emil and his work. You can enjoy more of his portfolio in Pictoria Volume.1 and our upcoming directory, Drawn Volume.3.

Who are you and what do you do?

I am an illustrator from Gothenburg, Sweden. I mostly draw with ink and screenprint.

How would you describe your work?

My work is quite abstract. I have an idea of what to write and I put down the pen to the paper and let the inspiration flow and see where it takes me.

How do you go about creating your artwork? Do you prefer to work digitally or with traditional media?

I prefer traditional media such as pen and paper, simple and plain. And cheap. There’s nothing to distract you, there’s only me and my work.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m trying to finishing a book project that I’ve been working on for some time. This project is completely made by me, both illustrations and the story is made up by me.

Who or what are the top five inspirations for your work?

1. Birds. 2. People. 3. My fantasy. 4. Different material. 5. Words.

What's one resource every artist, illustrator or designer should know about?

Start from the bottom. Learn how to sketch with pen and paper and you got a good base for further development.

What is the most valuable lesson you've learned during your time working in the creative industries?

Never give up. If you fail, try again! And again and again and again ...

What is the hardest challenge you have faced in your career, and how did you overcome it?

It’s not enough to do great stuff you also have to promote yourself, let everybody know that you exist. I've been active in social media for some time now and putting up things almost every day. It doesn’t just have to be finished work it could be sketches and stuff like that, just to let people see what you’re doing and that you’re active.

What are your professional goals for the next year?

I will finishing my book project and get it published. I also want to go bigger with my drawings, draw in big formats.