Since primary school I had the good fortune to be encouraged by very supportive art teachers. Art was the only thing I was good at. I spent a lot of time in the library losing myself in the fantasy stories illustrated in picture books. 

My studio is situated on a working farm outside Cape Town on the West Coast. The animals and birds on the farm as well as the beauty of the surrounding landscape all provide a well of inspiration for my illustrations. Whilst I keep one eye on European trends, my greatest inspiration is from the African continent. My bookshelves are lined with books on the continent, masks, bead works, sculptures and colours, attest to my love for the vibrant cultures of Africa. 

My traditional illustrations start with impasto acrylics, loosely applied with bold brush strokes. The rest of the image is created with washes and details created with water soluble pencil crayons. This technique creates richly textured paintings, and it’s a style I’ve adapted for my digital artwork. 

 I begin by sketching with pencil on thick tracing paper. I redraw the image several times, tightening the drawing at each stage. Finally, I  scan the neat sketch into the computer. I work on a Mac Pro computer, drawing with a stylus pen on a pressure sensitive tablet. I either add colour to the sketch or use it as the basis for the illustration. The final piece frequently includes scanned textures created either with acrylics, or digital photographs of textures found in nature.

Karen Ahlschläger - 2008