A profile of the Hamburg-based illustrator who builds motion into still images, follows a non-linear training path, and balances editorial covers with a personal graphic novel in progress.
Meyer's imagery is driven by motion: music, film and coastal landscapes shape lines, posture and composition.
Her process begins with personal curiosity before adapting to briefs, which helps her avoid clichéd solutions in commissioned work.
She's balancing editorial commissions for publications such as Die Zeit, Elle and Der Spiegel with a graphic novel she aims to finish next year.
Ayla Angelos 7 September 2026 In Thomke Meyer's illustrations, you'll spot hair whipping sideways, vines coiling and unravelling across a page, figures leaning mid-stride as if the wind is about to set them afloat. Whether it's personal work or a commission for a magazine cover, all her pieces have a sense of motion inspired by the sounds around her, as well as trips to the cinema and time by the water. "There are so many things that are inspiring, but for me, it's mainly listening to music and imagining pictures that go with the music – or the feeling that resonates with me as I listen," she says.
"I have a hard time finishing it because I could improve it further." One commission that sticks out for her was an illustration for die ZEIT Schweiz, made on her way to an artist residency in Switzerland, tackling child abuse and the country's lack of protective laws. Rather than bouncing off the client's brief, Thomke's process starts with an internal moment of reflection. From there, sketches turn into outlines, then rough colour, with the composition often shifting as it goes.
"I tend to think in terms of moving images rather than static motifs, and I try to capture that movement in my illustrations." Thomke grew up in a village in East Frisia, in a close-knit community with sweeping, flat views, and drawing was one of the few constants of her childhood. Rob Draper on Old-School Electro, Portrait-a-Day and Nike Dreams 18 June 2026 EP215 Why Starting From Scratch Might Be the Best Thing That Ever Happens to You, with Rob Draper 15 June 2026 EP214 The Spark: Katy Ennis-Hargreaves on Croc Hatred, Accidental Shoplifting and Vivienne Westwood 11 June 2026 EP213 Why Being Yourself Is Your Biggest Creative Advantage, with Katy Ennis-Hargreaves of BOLDISM 8 June 2026 Further Reading Inspiration Illustration.
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