Interview with Cocaine Pretti

MAJA STABEL | AN ILLUSTRATED VIEW

Maja Stabel is an artist and designer with a distinct niche for water color paintings. Continuing the illustrated mini-series, I get her perspective on influence and illustration.

Cocaine Pretti: There’s been a recent interest in fashion illustration and the interactive platform it provides, i.e. runway shows. Do you feel the relationship between illustrators and designers/publications will continue to develop? How?

Maja: Yes, it's interesting how Fashion Illustration really has had it's comeback (in) recent years. I think it has something to do with this hole shift that is going on; back to basics - to slow living and handcrafted goods.There's something authentic and nostalgic about hand drawn images.

I definitely think the relationship between designers/publications will develop because illustration is a way for art and commerce to co-exist, something that makes it an attractive communication tool. It also gives so much more freedom to explore and visualize ideas - either on the spot or you can mold it as you like over time. I think we will see much more fashion illustration in everything from commercials to magazines to interior design.

CP: Illustrating editorial portraits stemming from fashion influence, what is it about fashion that is of particular interest to you?

Maja: As a designer myself, fashion just comes natural to me - this is what I know. But I'm particularly interested in the unconventional side of fashion; everything that is not after the book.  I'm not a big fan of the word fashion and what it might imply - that something is 'in or out of fashion'. I'm more interested in people and how clothing can exaggerate their personality. Street fashion is always the most interesting, how people mix pieces together and create their own style. 

Both as a designer and illustrator I'm trying to do my own thing by designing zero-waste clothes and illustrating with my left hand even though I'm right handed. 

CP: Are there other artists or art forms that influence your work? If so, how do you interpret this inspiration? 

Maja: Yes, I love to look at other artists and get inspired. Two of my favorite artists are Howard Tangye and Egon Shiele because of their pen and the way they use color. The lines are so simple and the colors so scarce, which makes it really powerful. Their pictures are just alive and pure with a lot of emotions and this is what I'm striving for in my work as well; to convey human emotion.

I also draw a lot of inspiration from pictures and my absolute favorite photographer is Deborah Turbeville. I get totally lost in her pictures, they're so beautiful and fragile. I try to bring some of that mood into my illustrations.

CP: In a quick step-by-step how to, could you tell/show us how to sketch a basic illustration?

Maja: When I start to sketch an illustration it's often spontaneous - I feel drawn to draw because there's something that needs to get out. Whether if it's personal or commissioned, I need to get into that drive. As I'm drawing with my left hand it requires some courage. When I start a new drawing I have to be fearless, I can't think too much because then I'll mess it up. And that's what I love; the absolute surrender of not controlling, just flowing. So a basic illustration I normally have to do in one go to not get out of it.

CP: If you weren’t drawing, the next best thing would be?

Maja: There's so much I want to do! I'm already designing clothes as well so the next thing would be teaching, I think that would be wonderful and it's also something I plan to do in the future. I want to teach art and illustration, zero-waste fashion design and yoga.

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