I’m following the fantastic work of Marija Ljubičić for some time already. Among other things, she’s creating a round-shaped pastel illustrations showing the sites from all around Europe. In that unusual format, these cities, buildings and monuments are presented from another perspective. Since Marija is combining art and travel in a fantastic way, I thought she would be a great artist to introduce in our next interview.
Meet the Artist: Marija Ljubičić
1/ Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
Hello! My name is Marija Ljubičić, I graduated from the University of Graphic Arts in Zagreb, and I am currently working as a graphic and motion designer. From a young age, I would always find myself doing something creative. After all, drawing is my passion. After much thought, I decided to share that passion with others. My style is playful and diverse, and a lot of things around me inspire me.
2/ Where do you find inspiration for your art?
My inspiration comes from everywhere and everything, but I would say that I find inspiration when travelling. Whenever going on a trip, I get fascinated by architecture, museums and nature. Also, I like to draw summer motives because I like summer vibes, and that’s why I always find myself drawing the sun.
Sometimes, ideas just come up to me, and I know exactly what I will draw. Still, there are times when I find inspiration in work from other illustrators, various online drawing courses or by going to an art workshop in person just to experiment with different techniques.
3/ How do you create your artworks? What kind of technique do you use?
First of all, I look for some references and then I fill up my imagination with pictures, patterns and motives. After that, I start sketching on paper with a pencil. When I am satisfied with the sketch, I turn it into digital drawing on Ipad, where I draw in Procreate.
4/ Your illustrations are inspired by different locations in Zagreb and Croatia. How do you choose the places you’re going to show on them?
I try to draw the most visited and famous places in Zagreb. When it comes to other cities in Croatia, I always draw places that gave me the most inspiration, places that won me over somehow.
5/ What’s the destination you visited that inspired you the most?
Every destination inspires me in some way, although it is not necessarily related to my drawing.
For example, in Stockholm, I really liked the buildings, especially the colourful part of Gamla Stan. Neues Museum in Berlin impressed me because of the history and collections of Egyptian art.
From each destination, I transfer something to my illustrations. At least some colours that caught my eye.
6/ Do you have any exciting projects planned for the future?
Yes, I have! I am working on various things right now. In the meantime, I oriented myself more on character drawing. However, I would like to open my webshop for my postcards, posters etc.
7/ Where can Culture Tourist’s readers find & buy your work?
Because I am still new in this, for now, you can see and buy my artwork via my Instagram profile @sommarr_. You can contact me directly there. You can also find my work on Dribbble.