Karolin Schnoor
Karolin working from her studio in Bournemouth
Pier's first issue cover is illustrated by the incredibly talented Karolin Schoor. Schoor's work is focused on creating vibrant and thoughtful illustrations from the English seaside. We ask her a few questions about the highlights of her illustrative career.
Can you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little about your work?
My name is Karolin Schnoor and I’m a German illustrator who lived and worked in London for a long time before moving down to Southbourne, Bournemouth a few years ago. I really enjoy making colourful illustrations with a sense of movement and I have a background in screen printing so the flat colours and minimal palettes still inform my work.
I studied at the London College of Printing and started working freelance in my last year at uni. I went to an open call for illustrators for a Nokia (vintage flex :D) campaign just before graduating and was lucky enough to be one of the illustrators selected. My drawing ended up being on billboards on the London Underground and I think this kind of springboarded me in terms of confidence and having a sense of what is possible. Shortly after graduating I also collaborated with Royal Doulton on a range of illustrated ceramics and a few years after that I started doing editorials for the New York Times. I feel like those were all key moments that put my work in spaces where it could be seen and set up what I enjoy most about illustration, how versatile it can be and how each project and audience is different.
What was your most memorable moment in your career?
I was part of an exhibition at the BFI where illustrators re-imagined film posters for female directed movies and I did an illustration for Jane Campion’s Piano. When the film was re-released they ended up using my design with Campion’s approval and I just remember being so excited that it had come full circle like that and that she had actually seen it!
Where is your happy place?
The beach, that’s why I moved down here! Feel your mortality, remember you are a mere ant in the grand scheme of things.
Website → karolinschnoor.com
Instagram → @karolinschnoor
