Kerstin Arfwedson

Illustrator

©Lisa Ling

©Lisa Hallgren

©Kerstin Arfwedson

Beauty and the blend

Kerstin is a Swedish illustrator with a strong French influence
She uses many different techniques and loves to mix them
Live painting is one of her specialities

Kerstin Arfwedson grew up in Paris, where she spent nearly 30 years of her life before moving back to Stockholm in 2012. As she studied sculpture, painting and photography in the French capital, specialising in illustration, it is no wonder that her works have a strong Parisian touch, both in style and topics. Kerstin loves the vintage mood and elegance of the Belle Époque art, and her major sources of inspiration are the big couture houses of the late 1970s and early 1980s, as well as Elsa Schiaparelli’s and René Gruau’s works. Kerstin blends all these influences with the simplicity of her native Sweden, obtaining a unique result for her works. Her pieces span from drawings and portraits to book covers, menus and illustrations for fashion, beauty and advertising, among others.

Interview

©Lisa Hallgren

©Lisa Ling

Was drawing a childhood passion of yours?: Definitely. My first Parisian memories are from the restaurants I dined at with my parents. There, I used to draw on the paper tablecloth, giving it to the waiter as a present at the end of the meal. Storytelling was also important to me. When I was alone in my room, I was always telling stories out loud while drawing!
What techniques do you use and which one is your favourite?: Mostly, I use watercolour pens, watercolour, ink and pencils, mixing them together for a sketched-out stroke. Watercolour and ink are my favourites, for the surprising results you get when adding water and play with textures. It can turn into a real experiment and the process is both fun and satisfying.
How do you combine tradition and innovation in your work?: I use both traditional tools, like pen and paper, and digital ones like Photoshop. Sometimes I draw directly on the iPad. But I put a textured layer on the screen to maintain the sensation of the pen and recreate the 'roughness' of paper. It is a good solution to speed up the process.
How did you begin with live painting?: In 2017, a brand asked me to draw live at one of their fashion events. It was a big challenge to someone like me, who really does not enjoy being looked at when drawing. But I decided to face my fears. To my surprise, I enjoyed the intimacy with the people I portrayed, with neither safety net nor time to rethink my strokes.

Kerstin Arfwedson is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2011 and she started teaching in 2023