Meet Julia Specht

Get to know our amazing roster of artists

Hi! Welcome to the Roar "Meet the Artist Series" thank you so much for taking the time to sit with me and chat about all things art, career, business, and you! So, with that in mind, would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi, I'm Julia Specht, I live in Hamburg, Germany and I have been working for around 1 and a half years now.

‍‍

Roar: When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

Drawing has been one of my favourite pastimes ever since nursery school. When I was about four years old, I suddenly became completely obsessed with drawing models and told everyone that I wanted to be a fashion designer one day. As a teenager, that obsession shifted to anime and manga.

‍

Roar: Tell us about the journey to get to where you are today?

Although drawing was my passion, coming from a small village and a working-class background, I didn’t realise that this could be a realistic career choice. So I studied Maritime Transport & Port Management. I realised even whilst I was studying that it wasn’t making me happy, but working in an office afterwards made it really bad, to the point where I knew I had to start afresh. I then applied for the Illustration course at HAW Hamburg and was accepted.

‍

During my bachelor’s degree, I specialised in digital frame-by-frame animation and animated several music videos that were screened and awarded at international festivals. During my master’s degree, I then shifted my focus to editorial and board game design, whilst striving to maintain my recognisable style across different media. Whilst I was studying illustration, I worked in a comic book shop for seven years, it taught me to embrace being a nerd. Being selected for the AOI's 2025 mentorship programme and being mentored by Ari Liloan really helped me to find orientation in the professional field after university.

‍

Roar: Tell us a little more about how you work

When I get an editorial job, I first study the briefing, which means reading the provided material and doing my own research on the topic. While researching, I always keep my eyes open for details that can be used visually and try to find the main concepts that should be expressed in my illustrations. The first rough sketches happen on the iPad, and I play around with different layouts. Once the outcome looks worthwhile, the next step is to clean up the sketches and make them look decent, so I can send a small batch of different ideas to the client or art director. From here, we pick a sketch to go with and I’ll start turning it into the finished drawing: first outlines, then flat color and finally the shading.

‍

Roar: Tell us a little bit about the tools you use to create your work; how it works, how they help you work, and just a little about the process etc.

I used to work on a Cintiq, but switched to the iPad Pro as it is just so much more flexible. With the Apple Pencil there’s also finally a controller that fits well in my hand and feels natural. Drawing in Procreate with the Apple Pencil feels overall very intuitive, I don’t have to think much about using the app and can focus on drawing. (Sounds like an ad, but -unfortunately - I’m sponsored by neither.) Although I do most of my commercial work digitally, I also love to draw in my physical sketch book using MUJI pens. That must be a remnant of my manga-phase.

‍

Roar: Show us your working space! Do you have a studio, or do you WFH?

My working space is literally a home office: my desk stands in a corner of my living room, and my dog Fritzi watches me work from the couch. The apartment has a dark and bright side. Since my workplace switched to the sunny side, I can actually work with daylight most of the time. Outside the window is a busy street, but it’s barely noticeable. Still, headphones are a must, as I love to listen to Byte FM or put on random TV-shows like true crime while illustrating. The iPad is what I use for my daily work, but there’s also the big Cintiq that I bought especially for animation. The room around my illustration-hub is a basic living room with a couch, TV-set and a book shelf full of manga, comics and novels.It’s my dream to live in an apartment one day that has an additional room that’ll be just my working space. The doggo can have a spot in there as well ofc.

Roar: They both sound wonderful!

‍

Roar: How do you prepare for your working day?

Get up at four, swallow three raw eggs and a whole celery… no. But close: I get up at 7, do 30 minutes of pilates, take a shower, and eat breakfast. In the morning, I like to keep things simple and calm. A cup of black tea (honey+lemon) is a must, and I start my working day around 9, when I sit down at my desk. At lunch time, I’ll take a break to walk the dog and eat something myself, and at around 6pm it’s time for Feierabend (quitting time for non German speakers!)and I rest the pencil. On weekends, I try not to work and love to do trips around the city and its surrounding areas.

Roar: We approve of a weekend with no work, and fun trips!

‍

Roar: Do you have pets?

Yes, my dog Fritzi! My partner and I adopted her last winter from a shelter in Bulgaria, she‘s approximately 1 year old and a good girl. Her professions are: gnawing, arfing, and sniffing.

‍

Roar: Least favourite subject matter to draw?

Well, financial topics are often hard for me to visualize or relate to, but that also makes them a special challenge. I think you can always find something good, even in the stuff that you won’t like at first sight.

‍

Roar: Favourite subject matter to draw?

Anything where I can squeeze in some flowers and I kind of like to draw hands very much. I also love niche pop culture topics.

‍

Roar: How has AI impacted your career (if at all) and have you changed your approach to the way you work because of it?

I do think we’re starting to notice that opportunities are becoming scarcer and budgets are being cut. I haven’t changed the way I work, but I’d quite like to go back to working more with traditional media. Last autumn I had a commission where I had to illustrate using watercolours, which was absolutely refreshing.

‍

Roar: What would you want to say to anyone who thinks that AI is a harmless tool esp. if they are a commercial "artist"

What frightens me most about AI is that it reinforces mainstream thinking. In my artistic work, challenging clichés has always been a major driving force for me.

‍

Roar: Who is an art director that you appreciate? Perhaps they gave you your first job and/or they let you have free control over the project? Gave you invaluable advice etc.

Anke Wellnitz from SPIEGEL. She gave me my first editorial commission, and what a commission it was: a series of four illustrations for SPIEGEL’s history magazine. Working with her was a real pleasure; I loved the subject and was given plenty of freedom, and she even invited me for a coffee at the SPIEGEL Café.

‍

Roar: How did you handle your worst client experience?

Last summer, I had a project where the client and I just couldn’t see eye to eye. After another round of revisions, the client then terminated the contract early. I was actually quite relieved, as we just didn’t click. I thought to myself: “Just move on; something better will come along” – and that’s exactly what happened.

‍

Roar: What other artistic mediums motivate you?

Movies and music!

‍

Roar: Who is your dream client to work for?

VANS - I'm a skaterboy at heart and own at least 13 pairs. And a LUSH wrapping knot!

‍

Roar: What would your dream commission be and how would you approach / tackle it if it ever came to fruition?

A skateboard deck or music gig poster. Honestly, just have fun with it \(^-^)/

‍

Roar: Do you have any words of wisdom, or advice for those in their career?

I am still figuring many things out as I go, but I would say get yourself out there! Drawing is only one part, but trying to make the scary part a routine makes it a lot easier.

Roar: Agreeeee!

‍

Roar: If you were not an artist, what do you think you would be doing?

I wish I had an answer to that question by now. I worked in customer service in the shipping industry and hated it. I worked as a bookseller and loved it. My 18 year old self I would advise to study architecture or medicine instead of Maritime Transport & Port Management.

‍

Roar: Do you have another job other than the work you do as a commercial artist and do you think this helps or hinders your professional practice?

I’m very grateful that I’m currently working full-time as an illustrator. For a long time, I had a part-time job, and although I enjoyed doing that too, I found it very draining in the long run to always have to juggle my time between two or three things.

‍

Share some artists that you think we should know about

(see the photo of my wall at my working space)

(left) Alice Bloomfield (@bl00mfield) – just too cool for school

(right, top left) Sarah Judith (@sarah__judith_) – my best friend, who’s about to release her first illustrated cookbook for children

(right, top right) Gosia Machon (@_gosiamachon_) – I was very lucky to attend her painting classes at uni and her surreal paintings speak directly to my subconscious

(right, bottom) Karlotta Freier (@karllikesotto) – little fangirl moment here, my favorite illustrator! I’d love to live inside her whimsical and atmospheric worlds

‍

Roar: What's your earliest art memory of why you wanted to become an artist?

That sense of inner calm I feel when I draw, that flow I’ve had ever since I first picked up a pencil. I think I just need to keep my hands busy and create something.

‍

Roar: What is your favourite way to decompress from your work and can you tell us a little bit about your version of work/life balance?

A walk, a nice meal, and recently I’ve started going for a run with my partner in the evenings. Unfortunately, I’m totally prone to hyperfocus, so I benefit from the fact that my partner has a regular job, and I base my schedule around his hours. When I was still single and animating music videos, I often only worked between 6 pm and 4 am. You start to feel a bit odd after a while when you lead a parallel life like that. Lately, I’ve really been enjoying the fact that I’ve switched from being a night owl to an early bird, so to speak.

‍

Roar: How many drinks (cups, bottles etc) do you have on your desk at one time?

1 Earl Grey with honey and lemon + 1 caffeinated lemonade (in my Dr. Pepper phase right now) + 1 glass of sparkling water

‍

Roar: Have you ever felt imposter syndrome, and what do you do to fight those thoughts?

Always, but I try to keep going anyway because I love drawing. Sometimes it helps to look back at old projects and see what I’ve already achieved. Playing with my dog helps too. She’s always completely in the moment, and it’s so refreshing to let that rub off on me.

Roar: It’s so true, we should all live like our dogs.

‍

Roar: What fictional character do you relate to and why?

Jake from Adventure Time, I can totally relate to his chaotic good vibe, and what’s not to love about a magical, shape-shifting dog?!

‍

‍Roar: Your fave’s

Book: "Amrita" by Banana Yoshimoto

Film: I bet you already know it... "Stunt Rock" (1978) xD... to be honest, that’s a tricky question, as I’ve rated nearly 900 films on IMDb. I really enjoyed “Marty Supreme” recently at the Savoy, one of my favourite cinemas in Hamburg

TV Show: "Kaiba" by Masaaki Yuasa - so strange and fascinating (and I cried so hard during episode 7). The same goes for "The Midnight Gospel" by Pendleton Ward and Duncan Trussell. And "Fleabag" is just perfect.

‍

Roar: What do you listen to when you work?

Byte FM is my favourite radio station when I can’t make up my mind, and I often discover new songs there that I love.

‍

Roar: Share your favourite recipe (if you cook) or if you're not a cook, maybe your favourite takeout?

Marinate 700g of lamb with 1 tsp each of chili, cumin, and cinnamon in the refrigerator. Soak 250g of dried apricots in hot water. Brown the meat, purée the apricots with 600ml of the soaking water, and add to the pan. Simmer with 2 bay leaves and a finely chopped lime. Serve with broccoli and couscous.

Roar: YUMMMMMMMMM

‍

Roar: Country you would love to visit

JAPAN !! ≧◡≦

‍

Roar: Something you've been itching to draw but have not had an opportunity yet

A skateboard deck or music gig poster

‍

Roar: What is something you feel people should know earlier on in their career?

You have to reach out if you want to be seen.

‍

Roar: Favourite snack?