Polina Jakimova is a talented freelance digital illustrator hailing from Hanover, Germany. Originally born in Minsk, Belarus, her family made the move to Germany in 1996, providing her with a multicultural background that often influences her artwork.
Her unique style draws heavy inspiration from printmaking techniques such as risography and linocut. Polina has a knack for simplifying shapes and working with a limited color palette. She finds great joy in observing how these elements interact on the canvas, creating new colors and shapes in the process. Everyday life serves as a rich source of inspiration for her, with a particular focus on illustrating the various types of food found around the world.
Apart from her passion for art, Polina is a self-proclaimed movie nerd. She thoroughly enjoys watching movies with friends and using her skills to create mock-up posters for the films they watch. This exercise in conceptual illustration allows her to combine her love for cinema and art seamlessly. Her ultimate dream is to create real posters or book covers someday, fulfilling her aspirations as an illustrator.
Interestingly, Polina never pursued formal education in illustration. However, her path naturally gravitated towards the visual arts. She initially pursued a bachelor's degree in Art History, where she developed a deep appreciation for art while feeling less enthusiastic about the way history was taught. Later, during her master's degree in English Literature, she unexpectedly fell in love with comics and graphic narratives. Despite having drawn throughout her entire life, it wasn't until the age of 33 that she mustered the courage to embark on her freelance artist journey. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for her decision, as she realized that even her secure nine-to-five job as an Editor was not immune to the uncertainties of the world. In late 2021, she made the bold choice to dive into freelance illustration wholeheartedly.
Working digitally with her iPad provided Polina Jakimova with the freedom to experiment with various techniques and discover her own unique style. While she had moderate training in classical painting during her teenage years, including oils, pastels, charcoal, and acrylics, she found that she needed to unlearn some habits and embrace new approaches to truly find her artistic identity. Even now, she continues to explore and evolve as an illustrator, always enjoying the process and the opportunity to appreciate art from different perspectives. Polina is determined to pursue her artistic journey for years to come, creating captivating illustrations and sharing her love for art with the world.
Tips to fellow Artists:
Don't be afraid to start again. When I find that my illustration doesn't work, I try to identify the point where it went downhill. If the whole composition does not work, just start again. Not immediately, take a walk, have a cup of tea or a nap and then try again. These things tend to work out over time and no matter how hard you push and want to work it out NOW, it is better to give your brain and yourself a break.
