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Maja Lindberg initially began her career as a ceramic artist before transitioning to illustration in 2010. In an interview with Bored Panda, she shared that the shift was driven by the challenges of making a living through ceramics, leading her to work as a web designer for several years before pursuing her passion for illustration.
"After being abroad for some years I returned home and unemployed, and then I started to draw. I really enjoyed it and got a lot of encouragement from friends and family, so I gave it a try and set up a little shop at Etsy. It turned out to work."
We asked Maja about the tools she uses for her illustrations. She shared that early in her career, she always began her work with traditional paper and pencil. "I scanned the drawings and then continued working in Photoshop, where I separated all the drawings from the background in separate layers. I colored it and then set the background and the composition. It was quite time-consuming and every artwork took a long time to make."
In 2016, Maja switched things up by getting an Apple Pencil and exploring Procreate on her iPad, opening new creative possibilities for her art. "It took me quite a while to find my style and I tried out different brushes and textures and took several digital courses to learn more about Procreate. After about a year I felt very comfortable working in Procreate. I could easily add details to the illustrations without having to separate them, which saved me a lot of time."
Many artists have their own workflows and rituals to help them get into the creative zone. For Maja, however, it varies depending on the moment and the project.
"Sometimes an idea just pops into my head when I’m trying to sleep and if I’m lucky I remember it in the morning. If I get an assignment from a customer I often start gathering information and pictures about the subject matter. Pinterest is a big and great source of inspiration. When I feel that I have some ideas, I usually start to sketch in Procreate, sometimes in colors, but most of the time just black and white. When satisfied with the sketch, I start refining the lines and adding shades and colors. Last of all, I try to set the mood by adding textures, light, and darkness into the piece."
Maja shared that she normally works on an illustration for about a week. "But it all depends how many details it is. Sometimes it takes several weeks to finish but if everything flows and I have nothing else on my schedule, I can finish it in a day."
