About Mons René Andersen
I’m an independent graphic designer and illustrator based in Copenhagen, Denmark. I specialize in book design.
I’ve always had a soft spot for books, and I’ll bet you I can sniff out a bookstore no matter where in the world you drop me off. I’ve designed covers and interiors for books since my first employment in a publishing house in 1988. Of course an assignment sometimes extends beyond the book itself and requires posters, ads, websites, photo editing, package design or illustrations … I enjoy all of it, but in the end it’s always about the books.
I like simple solutions. With a twist. And I like it when clients go: “That’s just what I had in mind!” It takes some good listening. And some curiosity. And communication, friendliness, humour, speed, playfulness, patience, and going back to square one without sulking. That’s what I like about my job. I’m good at those. And I’m good with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. For illustrations I prefer to work by hand and clean up later in Photoshop.
I was always drawing and creating stuff as a kid. Whenever I spotted bright colours like collections of crayons, rows of yarn, or paint, I just wanted to eat them. Seriously! Later, I tried out tons of things, searching for my future job. It took me a few years to figure out that I should have just settled for the things that felt so playful and natural in the first place. Who would have known it could be that simple?