With a large body of intriguing illustrations, Malte Müller’s work has been in our collection since 2013, represented by Berlin based agency fStop Images GmbH. Müller combines calming colour palettes with minimalistic compositions and surreal scenes to create visually arresting and highly versatile commercial imagery which suites the various needs of content creators.
Read on to find out more about Müller’s processes and where he draws his inspiration from.
LG: How long have you been an illustrator and what made you want to get into illustration?
MM: I have been working as a freelance illustrator since 2013. For me, studying was primarily an orientation phase in which I tried out many different things. In addition to sculpting (Müller studied sculpture at the Academy of Arts, “Kunsthochschule Weissensee” in Berlin), I also painted and made stop-motion films. My practical diploma thesis, for example, was a stop-motion film.
I’ve always drawn, but I first came to illustration through my wife, who does the photo editing at my agency, fStop Images, so it made sense for me to try submitting a few pictures there!
LG: What motivates you to be creative and keep on making images?
MM: What motivates me most is the fact that my work allows me to be self-sufficient and independent, even if it’s often not the easiest way to make a living. It’s worth the challenge, as creating something yourself and then selling it is a very satisfying process.
I find my inspiration in everyday life. I mostly illustrate the little stories and problems that people experience every day.
Above all, it’s fun to draw people, and when you produce so many pictures, you constantly need new ideas. People and their everyday lives offer a wide range of topics, and often, the next motif arises from a situation that I’ve already drawn. In addition, these are also the motifs that are most popular with my customers and clients.
LG: What’s your favourite illustration from your collection on Alamy and why?
MM: This is difficult, but if I have to choose one, it would be ‘Woman walking into blue water’ because in general, I like my most minimal and reduced images the most. This is definitely advice that I give myself again and again: keep it simple. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work with every motif, but when it works, I find that these produce the best and most successful images.
2RMJR97 Woman walking into blue water
LG: Can you talk us through your work process? Is it all digitally produced, or is there a hand-drawn element to it?
MM: My work basically consists of 2 steps. Developing a concept and then illustrating these ideas. I always try to find motifs in the evening and prepare them for the next day. In the morning, it’s harder for me to come up with ideas, so I make sure the ideas are already in motion, and I can make myself a coffee and just start illustrating.
When working with customers, I usually receive a request and a briefing by email or call. Some clients already have an idea in mind, which is usually the case when working with agencies, but there are also orders where I have all the freedom to start from scratch. Finding a motif and agreeing on it with the customer is also the most extensive part of the work. The artistic implementation is then usually quicker and involves less back and forth.
I don’t usually do a lot of sketching with outlines eg. in pencil, I start directly with the composition, the rough surfaces and shapes and also work in colour straight away. This way of working makes it easier for the client to assess and tweak because we are closer to the finished product.
All my pictures are created digitally in Photoshop. I draw on a Wacom Cintiq Pro 24HD.
LG: What advice would you give to illustrators who might be just starting out?
MM: I think it’s important to try out a lot of things first in order to be able to determine what you like best and develop your own style from there. It also helped me a lot to be represented by agencies in the stock area, I got almost all of my orders from that. Many agencies/customers do image research there and come across my images.
We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Malte Müller. If you did, make sure you’re following us on Instagram to catch next month’s contributor spotlight. In the meantime, you can check out Müller’s full collection here, follow his Instagram account here and visit his website here.
If you’re hungry to discover more great illustrators, why not check out our 5 Illustrators You Should Know blog.
