Caroline’s designs are a lovingly made menagerie of adorable animal illustrations. We talked to the graphic designer from Bonn about her experiences on Spreadshirt.
Thanks to her cool illustrations on the Spreadshirt Marketplace and the publication of her own children’s books, Carolin has built a name for herself as an illustrator. Her motto: Fill your life with love and joy!
Name: Carolin Vonhoff
Age: 41
Lives in: Bonn
Occupation: Graphic designer
Software: Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
Hardware: Mac, pencils, sketchbooks
With Spreadshirt since: May 2018
Hello Carolin, nice of you to take the time to talk to us. Are you a graphic designer or illustrator?
My main profession is graphic design – I’ve been working in this field for 20 years. I’ve also been working as an illustrator for a few years now.
Is it difficult to stand out in the world of illustration?
There are so, so many great illustrators whose work I admire.
But I don’t see it as competition, rather as a diverse and inspiring cooperation.
Where does the name “Carolina Delight” come from for your Showroom?
What I am showing here is my own personal joy, what makes me happy, what I enjoy and what I love.
How are your designs created?
I like to draw by hand as well as with the computer. That’s why my designs often start as pencil sketches on countless pieces of paper and in sketchbooks. Then I transfer them to the computer and draw over them in Illustrator or Photoshop until I really like it. When I start to smile, I know I’m on the right track.
Do you follow trends when coming up with new designs or do you just do your thing?
In the beginning, I uploaded the drawings I had made in the past years. Lately it’s been nice to try out trends and slowly develop my very own style.
Do you use keyword research to make sure your designs are found on the Marketplace? And how do you classify the topics in your Showroom?
In your newsletters, you regularly publish the keywords that are most frequently searched for. That’s my orientation. In addition, I use keywords that best describe my designs.
The division into topics is quite difficult for me. That’s why there are so many 😉 First, I sorted the designs according to different drawing styles. At the moment I’m thinking about dividing my designs by seasons. But I’m actually still looking for the perfect solution to make it as easy as possible for everyone to find their personal favorite motif.
Sounds like a constant process – and that’s a good thing! How much time do you actually spend on your Showroom?
It really depends; sometimes I have a lot of time and ideas which I like to upload directly. When designing my Showroom, I also like to orient myself on your newsletters. For example, you regularly write which products are particularly in-demand and which new products are on offer. Since I now have more than 300 motifs in my shop and showroom, I can’t always adapt everything. But for my bestsellers and the latest motifs I do this regularly.
How do you use Instagram?
Instagram is definitely my favorite channel. I show my new illustrations almost every day and in the Stories I post photos from my everyday life. I also love sharing with other illustrators and it’s an easy way to observe current trends.
Your designs almost always show illustrations of animals. What interests you about animals on an artistic level?
I love nature and animals. They calm me down, inspire me and are a wonderful contrast to the topics I deal with full-time.
One of your themes is about ‘Oskar’s Stories’, referring to your children’s books about Oskar. That was your own dog, right? Tell us something about the real Oskar!
Oh, the original Oskar! I loved him and miss him very much. Actually, his name was Duffy, but our neighbor always called him Oskar and that’s how I came up with the name for the books.
He was a totally crazy dachshund. In the end, we stopped even trying to take him for a walk in the rain, he’d go on strike and scowl any time we tried!
How did you decide to make Oskar a character for your children’s books?
The first Oskar story “Oskar Searches for Blankie” was written when my first nephew was still very young. Since I love children’s books, I wanted to draw him my own book and Oskar was the perfect character for it. The second story “Oskar Finds New Friends” was written for my godchild and her brother, because they fought so much back then. I had the idea for the third story “Oskar and the Mysterious Message in a Bottle” when I found a message in a bottle on the beach myself and because my nephew likes to play treasure hunt with me.
What has been your experience with Spreadshirt as a sales platform?
The uploading, keywords, administration and the sales overview are super user-friendly. So it’s really fun to publish your work. With the Spreadshirt app, you can even see if someone has bought something. Then I always do a little happy dance.
A happy dance video would also be a good idea for your Instagram account! One last question: What are your plans for the future?
I would like to pass on the joy and love with which I draw my motifs to many people. So that everyone can carry their own personal little piece of happiness with them.
That’s why I would like to work full-time with my illustrations in the future – both in the area of clothing and in the areas of children’s book illustration, wall art and home & living.
Thanks for the interview, Carolin! We wish you every success with your projects and are looking forward to the developments in your Showroom.
Click here for Carolin’s Instagram account. You can find all designs in her Showroom.
