Renate Habinger: Austria ★ Illustrator

“I devote all my energy to being able to finance the making of books. That is wastefulness. But it is important for me, it makes me happy, and that is why I do it.”

Renate Habinger

Renate Habinger was born in Sankt Pölten in 1956 and now lives in Oberndorf in Lower Austria, but spent much of early adulthood in Asia learning paper-making, plant dyeing, printing techniques and lacquer work. She also took a more traditional degree in graphic design for the Federal Teaching and Experimental Institute for Higher Graphics in Vienna, and has studied weaving. Habinger’s interest in three-dimensional art forms and her refusal to separate crafts from the arts has resulted in an eclectic illustrative style that combines very diff erent types of media. The resulting collages boldly combine paper cutouts, ink tracings, superficially child-like colored pencil or charcoal sketches, water and acrylic paints with a confidence and an eye for detail.

Habinger’s precise eye for detail and versatility is evident in Das Buch Gegen das Kein Krout Gewaschsen Ist [The Book of Herbs]. The front papers are illustrated with a seemingly child-like illustrated alphabet, giving the impression that this guide will be fairly simple and straightforward and simple. But the introduction is interrupted with a double-spread of illustrations of numerous herbs revealing Harbinger’s botanist’s eye interspersed with fantasy and other creatures. The work continues in this vein with sharp variations between almost photographic realism, playful instructive illustrations, and images that resemble children’s own drawings.

Habinger also illustrates books for adults, particularly life-style, humor, and information texts. In commenting on the diff erence between illustrating for adults and children, Habinger claims that she tends to focus more precisely on the subject when illustrating for an adult audience. For children, she prefers to allow more room for feeling and imagination, and tries “not to become too complicated and intellectual.” By this, she does not mean simple. Habinger places numerous details in her illustrations that are intended to create layers of meaning. These details can take the form of sign language appearing in the margins of the songbook, Simsalabimbambasaladusaladim, which reminds children of others who cannot hear the songs.

Harbinger is also a dedicated teacher and since 2008 has been the director of a summer school on illustrating children’s books.