10 Questions with Julian Stips

Julian Stips is one of the emerging artists who participated at the Dutch Fashion Illustration Exhibition on the 7th & 8th of March 2020. This group show was curated by I love illustration for Amsterdam Fashion Week.

Photography by Mr Ferry van der Nat

Hi Julian, great to have you here!

1 Could you tell us something about yourself & your background?

I grew up in Hilversum as a typical dreamy queer kid, and spent most of my time in my room watching movies, dressing up, reading and drawing.

My parents have never moved from the house I grew up in, so in my old room you can still find heaps and piles of drawings. Many of which contain a princess of some sort.

Balenciaga

2 How did you get started as an illustrator & did you go to art school?

At 17 I moved to Arnhem to study Fashion Design at Artez. I think the main thing I learned there was to use art not only to escape from the now but to also try and pick up on the world around you, the zeitgeist, and translate that as well. Fashion in the most literal sense.

I graduated with a collection but it was quite clear that my strengths lay more in the 2D parts of the process. I always had difficulty mustering up the patience and concentration to develop and neatly sew a garment.

So after graduating I went straight back to drawing.

Gucci

3 How would you describe your style & what is your technical proces?

I think my style is best described as decorative and sensitive. I like to draw sort of fantastical people (often androgynous) in rich settings.

My black and white illustrations are all handdrawn with ink on paper.

My color is all digital, I hand draw a sketch with pencil or pen on paper and then color it in photoshop, using digital painting and collage elements of my own paintings and textures.

Fish

4 What do you love most about your job & what not?

Being a freelancer and artist brings a lot of freedom which I love, but it can also act as a double edged sword. It can be very insecure and all depends on the effort you put in yourself. Sometimes I envy people with ‘regular’ jobs and set schedules, but I also know that I would get very bored with that in no time.

Nothing beats getting hit by inspiration and getting into a flow while making something, and (with me) that can’t always coincide with regular working hours.

5 Who or what inspires you & your work?

I get inspired by many things. Other arts like music, film and dance inspire me as do interior design, flora and fauna..

Stylewise I am mostly influenced and inspired by art deco, jugendstil and other movements from the so called ‘golden age’ of illustration (1880s-1920s). I love Klimt, Schiele, Leyendecker, beardsley, the list goes on..

6 Which clients do you work for & what is your dream project?

Aside from making (and selling) free work, I do a lot of different things.

I regularly draw illustrations for articles, I do fashion illustrations, private commissions, technical drawings, print design and I teach.

I would love to do more collaborations in the future. It would be great to do a big campaign of a fashion house for example (Prada/Marc Jacobs/Gucci/Balenciaga, call me!), or perhaps create decors or settings for something.

Gucci

7 Working on new stuff that you can share with us?

Right now, especially with the current situation we’re in, I have a pretty open schedule. I just moved into a new studio space so I’m hoping to create a lot of new work there and maybe try out some new techniques.

Actual painting is on top of the list so stay tuned for that..

I also dabble in producing music, and writing stories. I have yet to find a way to combine all those things but it’s always brewing in the back of my mind.

8 Name 3 things you can’t live without…

apart from drawing obviously:

1) friends and family

2) alonetime

3) music

9 How important is social media for you?

I’m still getting used to being visible on social media all the time. I definitely see immediate effect when I post a lot or am in other ways engaged in social media.

Sometimes it worries me how dependent you can feel on it, when someone mentions they are ‘done’ with social media and go offline for a bit, I completely understand but also realize that is not really an option for me.

It’s definitely nice that is has made the world so small and to get appreciation for your work from people all over the world.

10. Any words of wisdom to aspiring artists?

Go for it! I guess try to find a way to stay busy and productive, while maintaining a joy and pleasure in what you’re doing. Get out of your head and don’t lose too much time thinking or worrying, just keep making stuff. And keep telling yourself these things while you tell others, like I’m doing now.