louisa schmolke
to build a home
Louisa Schmolke, UK native, Masters of Architecture and architectural illustrator, does more than draw and design buildings.
laying a foundation
Louisa Schmolke, who studied architecture as a University student, has a knack for numbers.. and art. Pursuing the field of architecture felt like the logical middle ground for her, to combine her affinity for numbers and science with her artistic talents.
When her move to New York City was derailed by the coronavirus, Louisa was contracted by the #1 architectural firm in the UK to work as an architectural illustrator.
“I take my clients brief and I do the imagining to bring it to life,” Louisa explains.
After unexpectedly moving back into her family home in Scotland and taking on a new role as an architectural illustrator, Louisa was motivated to draw and paint outside of working hours. It was a past time she didn’t have time to pursue as an architectural student, and she looked forward to delving into her creativity again. Using old art materials she had around the house (acrylic paint and paper that she won in a contest years back) Louisa experimented with artistic styles outside of the buildings she drew day to day.
“Abstract art looks great on a wall, and it’s an extremely popular style at the moment,” Louisa says.
Her abstract artwork was a sensational hit on instagram, and Louisa was pleasantly surprised by the popularity of these trendy artworks.
Louisa often polls her instagram following to gauge what styles of art they’re interested in seeing from her next.
Despite her immersion in the architectural field and her recent success selling abstract work through instagram, Louisa’s first true love is drawing the body.
Louisa sketched the below portrait of Ashley Graham and posted it to Instagram, tagging the renowned model who has over 12 million instagram followers. She recalls the surreal moment when Ashley Graham reposted the sketch of her and her son to instagram.
“Millions of people saw it,” Louisa recounts. It was a defining moment for her and her confidence as an experimenting artist.
