Kristina Gehrmann

@kristinagehrmann

Freelance illustrator for books & publishing. Fantasy, romance, history. Clients include: HarperCollins, Penguin, Hachette, Darrington Press, book boxes etc. She/her, deaf. #NoAI www.kristinagehrmann.com info@kristinagehrmann.com

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Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· 7d

Something about "you are the product" (bacon) Or maybe the investors are the bacon #genAI

Screenshot from mileswildermusic on Threads:
"“Slop” is so visceral to me because I grew up feeding literal slop to pigs. Buckets and buckets of table scraps, garden trash, cheap grain, etc. soaked in water and poured into a trough. Pigs LOVE slop. We’d pour it out and they’d jostle each other and scarf it down in big reckless mouthfuls with happy, satisfied grunts. Pigs are smart animals, but not enough to understand the reason for the slop buffet. They didn’t know about bacon. I see people satisfied using Gen AI. Do they know about bacon? "

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· 11d

Not hungry either 😆 (Store spotted in Galway)

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· 12d

Selling mentorships to artists and sending unsolicited marketing emails, but can't even tell that I'm an illustrator, not a fine artist. 🤨Are you for real, my dude ??

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· 29d

Hi #PortfolioDay! I’m an illustrator with a focus on fantasy, history & narrative illustration. I want to illustrate more book covers with beautiful badass characters 🙏 🌎 www.kristinagehrmann.com 📩 info@kristinagehrmann.com

A female black-winged angel carrying a scythe staff. Her face is beautiful, but a part of it is blackened and mummified, and she lifts a black lace veil to reveal it. Her outfit displays a similar marring on her body: one of her hands is only bones. She wears her decay with pride as she regards us. Bats fly around her, their heads are skulls.

Blake and Rubi from "Dominion" riding on the back of a big orange glowing tiger. He has taken her captive.

Achilles and Patroclos, standing next to each other in front of a raging fire. Achilles is outfitted for battle and looks wistfully into the distance, while Patroclos ties some laces of his armor, also looking sad. Behind them and above there's the mosaic of a warrior in his chariot.

A young woman in a forest landscape, wearing adventurer clothing and carrying a sword. She stands confidently facing us. Behind her is a big wolf also looking at us. The wolf is surrounded by ominous black shadow shapes.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jun 19

Cover for another boardgame project that might not see the light of day, but fortunately I can still share it! It has an interesting premise about mystery and intrigue at the pharao's court in Ancient Egypt.

A young woman in a simple linen dress, and a man in Pharaoh gear standing in front of an ancient Egyptian landscape with pyramids and flying cranes. She's holding an amulet in her hand which she shows to us while going "shh" as if sharing a secret or mystery with us.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jun 2

I draw all my art on a no-screen pen tablet. Huion sent me their Inspiroy Frego M in exchange for a review: store.huion.com/de/products/... (Use the discount code KRIS10 for 10% off!) As a longtime user of an old Intuos 4, I've been looking for alternatives for when it will no longer run.

Full length portrait of Arwen from "Lord of the Rings", wearing a long flowy dress and cloak. She's walking on a curved pier towards an Elvish ship with a swan head, that another cloaked figure in the distance already is boarding, presumably to travel to Valinor. Arwen appears to be looking back at us, as if reconsidering the journey. The whole color palette is muted, giving a melancholy atmosphere.

A list of some pro and con points regarding the Huion Inspiroy Frego M tablet

Photo showing unboxing of the Huion Inspiroy Frego M graphics tablet, my hand holding the pen.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· May 28

✨shitty diagram to the rescue ✨ Jeans shape A is basically just straight. Much simpler than Jeans shape B B has to fit over curves and waists which are more variables, way more variation here and so it's harder to find the right one that fits.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· May 23

"Olga of Kyiv", abandoned work in progress

Unfinished digital painting. Olga of Kyiv standing proudly in a bleak snowy landscape with shallow ditches, surrounded by a group of noblemen who present the dead bodies of her enemies to her.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· May 19

Possible style examples - from my experience I'm guessing they'll want the nonfiction kind of realism. Clarity and seriousness with attention to detail, plain light & color. ➡️Think museum displays or nonfiction books. NOT fantasy, stylized, flat, "pretty", romance, epic, emotional, dramatic etc.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· May 15

"Guardian of Swans", based on a Magic-style art assignment from Winona Nelson's Smarterartschool class that I took last winter. This one is a "White Creature" and the mood is "I am as unbreakable as our ancient institution, and due the same respect."

A man in gleaming iridescent samurai-inspired armor. He's a big, serious intimidating guy and looking down at us. In the background, we look up at a domed ceiling from which a cool bluish light falls through a window at the top. Behind him, swans flap their wings.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· May 7

"Time Travellers", cover artwork for a project that got cancelled. The idea was to show protagonists that could easily travel through various eras and places, and look like they could potentially assimilate to any of them. Medium: Photoshop CS6 and Wacom Intuos 4, as always.

A young man and woman dressed in vaguely historical and fantasy inspired clothing and red cloaks, walking along a stone path. She is holding a compass-like device, he is holding a writing board and stylus. In the background all around them, scenes with ancient monuments and historical buildings swirl around them, giving the impression that they're walking through time.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Apr 21

The Divine Trio Commissioned character art for "The Last One" and "The Cruel Dawn" by Rachel Howzell Hall (@rachelhowzell.bsky.social ) 💙

3 characters floating in a sky surrounded by a golden glow:
in the middle, a young Black woman in armor and red cloak, holding a sword and looking powerful and majestic. She is flanked by a young White man also in armor, drawing a sword; and by a young woman of color in a white scaled suit. All three are looking at the viewer.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Apr 17

I love the detail and storytelling in your work! This is some of my art for (or inspired by) print games, I'd love to do more like this! <3 My website is www.kristinagehrmann.com .

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Apr 14

A young woman in 15th century inspired black plate armor, looking wistfully and holding a longsword that has a magical golden light emanating from it. Behind her is a rich colorful tapestry with late Medieval motifs that's interwoven with gold thread.

Illustration of a knight or paladin or swordfighter in chainmail and cloak, drawing her sword, stepping over a water surface towards the viewer. Behind her, a flock of swans rises up into the sky.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Apr 13

Book cover illustration for the upcoming novel "Cursed by Shadows" by Liane Mars at Piper Verlag.

A young woman in a winter landscape, wearing adventurer clothing and carrying a sword. She stands confidently face to face in front of a big wolf, who looks slightly dangerous. The wolf is surrounded by ominous black shadow shapes.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Mar 8

Recently released character art for an upcoming history/fantasy novel, commissioned by author Nina Nemesia.

Back view of a man standing on a grassy cliff against a morning sky. He has long black hair and is dressed all in black, and silvery chainmail. He holds a curved sword in one hand from which blood drips onto the ground and turns into bright red crocuses. Behind him in the distance a burning village is loosely indicated. Some black crows flutter around him.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Feb 26

My new childrens' book: "The Gallaudet Eleven: The Story of NASA's Deaf Bioastronauts" is coming soon! I just received my contributor copies (way too many 😂) Written by @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social , illustrated by me, it tells a true story from Deaf history. #kidlit

Photo showing a stack of contributor copies of my new picture book. Both front and back cover next to each other.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Feb 7

The Knight's Favorite A wildcard for a medieval-themed tarot (that might or might not happen in the near future) where I had complete artistic freedom for the subject! ✨ So I went with "what if courtly love at the tournament, but make it gay?" 💜 Client: 78 Tarot

Scene at a tournament in the 1300s: A knight in full armor on his horse (only without the helmet, which a page is carrying) rides up to a richly decorated stand of spectators. Subverting the expectation that he'd ask for a "lady's favor", he instead receives said favor from another, younger man who is tying a ribbon around the knight's jousting lance. Ladies look on surprised/shocked/delighted.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 30

Age of Enlightenment A lecture on freedom and equality in the 1770s. Here I used sunlight and shadow, as well as animals, to convey additional layers of metaphor. Commissioned for a history textbook. Client: Noordhoff Uitgevers

Outdoor scene in the summer, in a country garden in the 18th century: Richly dressed, well off people are sitting around a speaker, having tea. They're in the sunlight. There's a small dog with them who's just been released from the leash. They look at the speaker with interest, open to his words.
Another group of 2 people is fully shaded by a tree, and their dog is on a leash. They seem very skeptical and unconvinced by what the speaker is talking about.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 27

I'm super thrilled that my book "Bloody Mary: A Graphic Biography of Mary Tudor" has been given an honor in the new comic/graphic novel award category from the ALA. 💚 www.ala.org/gncrt/awards... In the category Outstanding Comic Awards for Young Adults, Nonfiction.

Photo of the artist and author sitting on a bench outdoors, holding her graphic novel "Bloody Mary: A Graphic Biography of Mary Tudor". Her speech bubble says "Thank you, Graphic Novel & Comic Round Table and American Library Association!"

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 25

I got asked a few times how I drew the mosaic. The very un-prosaic answer is: it's just drawn manually, and not even super precisely as you can see here in 100% original size. But it still follows a specific lighting logic (top down), color logic (cold vs. warm), same as the main subject.

Screeshot of 100% original size of the mosaic in my illustration "The Song of Achilles".

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 21

I love how this stock site uses "We don't offer AI slop" as a selling point and quality indicator. Hope it means there is a wider demand for that.

Screenshot of iStock, with a message "Our creative library does not contain AI generated content" among the picture previews.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 18

At the Court of the Sun King. Nonfiction book illustration showing the dinner of Louis XIV as a court performance in the early 1680s. Can you guess I love painting very detailed scenes? 😆 Client: Noordhoff Uitgevers

A dinner scene at Versailles in the early 1680s: Louis XIV eating together with his family. Around them, a crowd of nobles looks on curiously at the semi-public performance. Some of them are bickering and fighting for the privilege of serving the royal family who is mostly unimpressed and enjoying their meal. In the foreground, a toddler has wandered off from their mom and is precariously reaching for a candle on the royal table.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 15

That's gorgeous, I love how you handled the luminescence of the green leaves 😍 My favorites of 2025 are these: "Arwen", personal work (left), and "Excalibur" (right) done in Cynthia Sheppard's Smarterartschool class.

King Arthur sits on the ground next to a mossy rock, proudly thrusting the sword up into the air, suggesting that he's just drawn it out from the stone. It has a magical blue glow. In the background, some people cheer his success, while a few others seem miffed about it.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 13

Some more examples!

An interpretation of the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu, sitting and playing an ancient lute. She has long bright yellow hair that radiates out from her like sun rays. An amulet or mirror around her neck radiates even more rays.

A religious ceremony in ancient Minoan culture: a young female priest, dressed in white, under an olive tree. In the background, two more women doing some kind of dance and strewing red petals on the ground. The scene is full of dappled sunlight.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 13

Hi #PortfolioDay! I’m Kristina, a bookish illustrator inspired by history and mythology, with 10+ years freelance experience. 🌎 www.kristinagehrmann.com 📩 info@kristinagehrmann.com

Romantasy book cover illustration: A dark, imposing castle with both Gothic and Ancient Greek elements, seen through a round frame of roses. Pink sand glitters around the roses and falls in the foreground. Among the roses we see a Spartan helmet, a shield, spears, and a small mouse.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 10

My assignment for Winona Nelson's SmArtschool class: Choose a favorite book and illustrate a cover for it. I picked "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller, and my goal was to capture a similar bittersweet tone as the novel has.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Jan 9

Post a mage!

A young woman in hijab sitting on a tree branch. She is holding a wand, conjuring up glowy, magic forms of moon phases. Behind her is the sky with a large, full moon. Next to her a cat is sitting and also attempting to do magic.

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Dec 15

This is why our art got so much more traffic on the old Deviantart: an inbox just for new art posts from the artists we followed. I want a dedicated art platform that has this option. Why is there none today!??

Kristina Gehrmann@kristinagehrmann· Dec 12

"Happy Place", endpaper illustration I drew for "Sistah Samurai" by @obeytheauthor.bsky.social . For the special edition published by @thebrokenbinding.bsky.social !😊