Quick announcement: The 2026 calendar will be released very soon! Pre-orders will open in early September, and I’ll share a proper announcement once everything is ready.
One note: because of the new tariffs introduced under Trump (which have made it far more expensive to ship goods into the US), I’ll likely have to refrain from offering US shipping this time around.
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Hello friends,
I hope this doesn’t feel like spam, but I have a...
2025-08-27 09:42:31 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
I’ve been in such a good flow lately, making new art. It feels nice not to overthink the subject matter. Often, I would second-guess myself if an idea felt too simple or repetitive. Now I’m just letting things happen, and I paint what feels right in the moment. Plus, having all this beautiful sunlight and greenery outside definitely helps keep the inspiration alive!
This is my latest painting. I wanted to capture that in-between mood of early morning or early e...
2025-08-25 17:37:45 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
I just finished another painting, the tenth for this year’s calendar, and I’m so happy with how it turned out. I love the muted colours, the rainy atmosphere, and the splashes of blue. The process felt great, and I worked more efficiently than on some of my earlier pieces.
My approach is simple: I paint about 85% wet in wet, let it dry, then add the finishing touches. When I give that first stage the time it needs, everything comes together quickly. I get into ...
2025-08-20 09:12:17 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
I hope you're week is going well.
On Monday, I returned from visiting my friends Luisa and Isa, which is always a joy, but this time was extra special! Inna Vjuzhanina came to join us, traveling all the way from Ukraine. After years of chatting online, I was beyond excited to finally meet her in person. Inna is a true force of nature—brave, resilient, and radiating unshakable inner strength. Despite everything she’s faced, she’s warm, bubbly, and endlessly k...
2025-08-13 08:12:53 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
It’s early morning here, and the sun is shining. Perfect light for painting!
Lately, I’ve been working on simpler, nature-themed pieces. Not long ago, I talked about my fear of repeating myself and always painting the same things. But honestly, I love when artists have a clear style and focus—something so distinctive that you can lose yourself in it. So for now, I’m leaning into nature and greenery. At least until something else catches my interest.
I...
2025-08-06 07:20:57 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
I hope you're doing well. It rained last night, and today there's a light drizzle, which is much needed and very welcome! My garden has had a tough year with so little rain, so this is a real relief.
Today, I wanted to share a small painting with you. It’s nothing elaborate—just a simple idea that came to me—but the result feels fresh and airy. I'm especially proud of the soft, glowing light effects I was able to create using only traditional media (no digital...
2025-07-21 12:22:27 +0000 UTC
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Hello freinds!
Last week, I showed you photos of the old printing machine factory in Leipzig. This time, I’m taking you somewhere a little less wild, but just as beautiful: the church ruin in Wachau (“Kirchenruine Wachau”). My friend Lorena (@amaretta_) and I recently made the trip, and it was absolutely worth it.
This stunning structure has been through a lot: storms, heavy damage during WWII, and, ultimately, a lightning strike in 1974 that led to the tower’s demolition...
2025-07-11 14:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
Remember when I showed you a photo of this painting earlier? Here's the scanned version. It's my favourite piece I've made in a long time, and I truly enjoyed every part of the process.
I sometimes worry that I repeat myself too much, that people might think, "There she goes again, painting leaves." But I just love plants and nature so much. Nothing else in an image soothes and excites me quite like lush greenery. I love putting on nature sounds while I p...
2025-07-09 14:00:15 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
hope you're doing well! We're currently sweating through the hottest day in ages (38°C or 100°F) and I’m doing my best to keep the hot air out and hide indoors until the sun sets. If you're wondering why I’m being so dramatic about the heat: in Germany, most apartments don’t have air conditioning, so we all collectively suffer through summer.
Before this heatwave hit, we had a stretch of more manageable summer days, and my friend and fellow artist Lorena (@...
2025-07-02 09:15:06 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
I hope you're all doing well! Summer is in full swing over here, and I've been spending the past few weeks immersed in painting.
I'm nearly finished—just a bit of scanning and editing left to do. In the meantime, here's a quick photo to give you a sneak peek. I'm especially fond of this piece and hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
<3
2025-06-18 11:52:35 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
It's been a while since I finished the cat calendar, but I recently felt inspired to paint something cute again. With Dokomi (one of my biggest conventions) coming up, it felt like the perfect opportunity to debut a brand-new cat print! This piece is lighthearted and fun—I hope it brings a smile to your face, just like it does for me. Fine art prints will be available in the shop soon!
If you'd like to visit me at Dokomi, here are the details:
Whe...
2025-05-20 10:46:40 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
Last week, I took a short, spontaneous trip to Dublin—planned just a few weeks in advance. I packed my bags and, on Saturday, left behind a dreary Berlin airport. Just two hours later, I arrived in Dublin, welcomed by the most beautiful sunshine.
It had been 13 years since I spent my exchange year there during university. I’ve been back many times since, though never as often as I’d like. Every return feels like a wave of nostalgia—seeing my friends, stayin...
2025-05-13 10:17:33 +0000 UTC
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Quick discount announcement, before we start:
Komorebi art book 25% off here.
Luminescence art book 25% off ...
2025-05-12 13:41:43 +0000 UTC
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Quick reminder: The Spring Sale ends this Friday, 25 April, 4 PM (Berlin time, GMT+2). Until then, everything is 20% off with code HARU20
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Hello friends,
I hope you're enjoying a beautiful spring! After my last convention—and the inevitable cold that followed—I've finally found my rhythm again and I'm back into painting. Today, I’m excited to share some new sketches with you!
I've already printed them on watercolour paper and started ...
2025-04-24 14:00:20 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
I want to use this opportunity to overhaul the shop, and make room for new things! Use discount code HARU20 to get 20% off everything at in my store until 25 April, 4 PM (Berlin time, GMT+2): Prints and digital products. The code can be applied to already discounted items.
NEW PRINTS
I have three new prints in the shop, including a new version of...
2025-04-14 08:00:24 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
I don't have new art to show yet, because I've spent the last few days in bed, sleeping off a nasty cold. But today is the first day in where I felt normal enough to leave the house, and I decided to look for some cherry and magnolia blossoms, before they all faded away. This is my favourite time of year, and I didn't want to miss it. Last year, I was fortunate enough to spend a month of spring in Tokyo for my creative residency. And while that was undoubtedly special an...
2025-04-09 11:51:45 +0000 UTC
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Hello, friends!
It’s been an incredibly busy week for me, as I was exhibiting at my biggest convention of the year—The Leipzig Book Fair/Manga Comic Con. Fortunately, it takes place in my hometown, which makes things a little easier. Now, after four intense days, I’m both happy and exhausted. Every muscle and bone in my body aches, but it was absolutely worth it! I’m beyond grateful to everyone who stopped by—whether to buy a print or a book, or simply to say ...
2025-04-01 17:53:50 +0000 UTC
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Hello, friends!
I've started a new illustration, and here’s the sketch! The concept is a semi-self-portrait, inspired by the lofi girl/study girl aesthetic—I thought it would be a fun idea. The background is a mix of real and imagined elements, where aesthetics took precedence over reality. If I had stuck to the actual view from my window, you'd be looking at a construction site... and no one wants that!
I created the line art in Procreate, printed it on water...
2025-03-21 10:13:15 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
I hope you‘re doing well. I haven’t written in a while, and I don‘t have much art to show right now, but I wanted to sit down for a little chat about the topic of focus. At the moment, my brain LOVES latching onto projects that aren’t really that important or urgent, and they become all-consuming. Last week, I made the decision to eventually take a Japanese profiency test (N2, ideally) sometime next year, and I just HAD to immediately rework and improve all my ka...
2025-03-12 15:40:28 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
Today feels like a bit of a strange day, and I’m writing this post with mixed emotions. But let’s start with the good stuff: I just spent a week in Tenerife with two artist friends, and it was absolutely lovely. It never ceases to amaze me how much a little sunshine and warmth can lift your spirits—especially in the middle of winter. I left behind snow and freezing temperatures, only to be greeted by 20°C weather and not a single drop of rain.
We stayed in a...
2025-02-24 12:04:54 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
I hope you're doing well! It's snowy here today—quite the opposite of the painting I just finished. Let me tell you a little about it.
The small paintings I shared recently have been so much fun and so motivating that I felt compelled to take on a more complex piece (it’s been a while!). This time, I approached it a little differently than usual. Normally, I aim for images that feel naturalistic and unplanned, as if they were captured from real life rather than...
2025-02-13 18:49:16 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
Today I'd like to share a few paintings I've made recently. As I told you in my last post, I dusted off my poster colours, and I started a new sketchbook. However, I quickly became dissatisfied with the way the paper warped and how the paintings on opposite pages were rubbing off on each other, practically destroying my work. So I returned to loose sheets of paper, which I can flatten easily. Also, I'll have the opportunity to frame and exhibit some of the paintings!
...
2025-01-31 14:24:07 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
I just quickly wanted to drop in to tell you that I added 19 calendars to my store: https://www.djamilaknopf.com/store
I ordered these extra in case some got lost in the mail, or if someone contacted me because they missed the pre-order entirely (happens every year). So if you still want a calendar, for whatever reason, now's the time!
Talk to you soon.
2025-01-15 14:30:02 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
I hope you're well, and I hope the daily monotony of life hasn't caught up with you yet. I know I'm still in a bit of that end-of-year haze, and I hope to remain there for a little while.
New Sketchbook
Of course, this time of year provides a great opportunity to try new things or return to old, abandoned ones. So I asked myself what I was missing these days, and the answer was painting with proper, analogue paint, on paper. Not necessarily ...
2025-01-10 15:51:07 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
As the year draws to a close, I thought it would be a great time to reflect on everything I’ve created and experienced over the past twelve months, and to share some of my personal highlights. I’d also like to take a moment to talk about my goals and intentions for 2025.
FAVOURITE PIECE OF ART I MADE
First, let’s start with one of my favorite creations from this year—my number one is definitely this little black cat with button eyes. <...
2024-12-27 16:26:36 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends, and merry Christmas!
I'm just dropping in here to leave these two paintings I made this week. I originally wanted to take time off during the holidays, but I often find that I actually want to paint more during those days because I don't have to, and it's just a quiet time without emails or many other distractions. So it's perfect for creative work. Anyway, I hope you're having a good time right now, and I hope you like the paintings! I made b...
2024-12-26 19:30:38 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends,
I hope you’re doing well as the holidays approach. Personally, I’m ready to wind down, relax, and bring 2024 to a close—it’s been such a busy year! Lately, I’ve been watching a cozy show each day: The Great British Bake-Off. Up next is the new season of Queer Eye. I’m also looking forward to setting intentions for the new year. What can I say, I just love making plans. How about you? Do you have any special intentions for next year?
It...
2024-12-19 14:39:46 +0000 UTC
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I’m thrilled to share that I’ve finally finished THE THING! By now, you should have received a message from me with the first chapter of the guide. I also wanted to share some sample pages here to give you a better idea of what it’s all about. I opted for a simple design with a creamy color palette. I hope you enjoy it!
The full guide is available here: https://www.djamilaknopf.com/store
2024-12-11 11:18:14 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
The weather has been so dark and gloomy lately that I haven’t had the chance to properly photograph my new art book, which arrived a while ago. It’s been sitting quietly on my shelf, waiting for the sun to finally make an appearance.
I’ve heard from some of you that your Kickstarter copies of Luminescence are starting to arrive, and that makes me so happy! I truly hope you enjoy it. I put a lot of thought and effort into the writing, so I’d lov...
2024-11-27 11:30:18 +0000 UTC
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Hello friends!
I’m still working on my perspective guide, which has turned out to be much more ambitious than I originally anticipated! Writing and explaining the concepts is one thing, but visualising them and finding good examples is a completely different story—and it’s incredibly time-consuming.
That said, I’m really enjoying the process and learning a lot along the way.
Here are a few of my favorite sketches from the project so far. They’re a bit out of contex...
2024-11-20 07:42:58 +0000 UTC
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