Ulrike Mieke | Childrens book Illustrator

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Children's Book Illustrator Ulrike Mieke working at her desk in Brighton. Represented by Bright Agency

Children's book illustrator
& author

Hi - I'm Ulrike Mieke, a South African Children's book Illustrator who loves drawing little humans, and capturing moments of childhood.

Let's work together!

A class of swimmers by Children's Book Illustrator Ulrike Mieke

Bus Scene copy 2.jpg

View my Portfolio

Enough is enough.

Over the last few days or week or so, I’ve been absorbed in the news that’s coming from home🇿🇦woman after woman, girl after girl. Story after story. They aren’t new stories, we’ve heard them all before. We have heard them far too much.

It makes me so angry, the injustice, the uselessness of the police and government for real action. The fear, anger and hurt in the families as they grieve for mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.

When people ask me “should they visit South Africa?” I always say YES! Go! We have the best country and most friendly, welcoming people. They always follow up with what about safety? I tell them use common sense.

The more I think about this, the more I realize that 100% we as South Africans have buckets of common sense, and as woman we even go beyond that.

I should not have to worry about sisters safety in their homes, I should not have to worry about getting into a uber, or going for a run. But I do, it is ingrained in me.

Men do better, @cyrilramaphosa do better, @sapoliceservice_za do your job.
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Thank you!
@womenforchangesa

Enough is enough.

Over the last few days or week or so, I’ve been absorbed in the news that’s coming from home🇿🇦woman after woman, girl after girl. Story after story. They aren’t new stories, we’ve heard them all before. We have heard them far too much.

It makes me so angry, the injustice, the uselessness of the police and government for real action. The fear, anger and hurt in the families as they grieve for mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.

When people ask me “should they visit South Africa?” I always say YES! Go! We have the best country and most friendly, welcoming people. They always follow up with what about safety? I tell them use common sense.

The more I think about this, the more I realize that 100% we as South Africans have buckets of common sense, and as woman we even go beyond that.

I should not have to worry about sisters safety in their homes, I should not have to worry about getting into a uber, or going for a run. But I do, it is ingrained in me.

Men do better, @cyrilramaphosa do better, @sapoliceservice_za do your job.
.
.
.
Thank you!
@womenforchangesa

I absolutely love autumn! It's my favourite time of the year, the sky is usually blue, it's crisp and fresh but not freezing, and the trees - all the best colours! So join me for a Walk and Draw before the grey of winter.

I'll be hosting a Walk and Draw at Stanmer Park on the 24th October at 11am. Link in Bio!

A little promotional 'discount' code if you're interested: StanmerParkWalk, this will run till the 24th September.

Really hope to see you there, I absolutely love hosting these Walk and Draws, small meaningful connections plus drawing = fun fun fun!🍁🍂🍄

I absolutely love autumn! It's my favourite time of the year, the sky is usually blue, it's crisp and fresh but not freezing, and the trees - all the best colours! So join me for a Walk and Draw before the grey of winter.

I'll be hosting a Walk and Draw at Stanmer Park on the 24th October at 11am. Link in Bio!

A little promotional 'discount' code if you're interested: StanmerParkWalk, this will run till the 24th September.

Really hope to see you there, I absolutely love hosting these Walk and Draws, small meaningful connections plus drawing = fun fun fun!🍁🍂🍄

Some of my sketchbooks pages from the last month,

Watching a lot of cricket ( rolling out the pitch and all that), spending time watching these naughty monkeys 🐒, catching up on art club @ellamorella and using random materials, playing padel - I’m addicted and love it! Exploring beautiful places back home 🇿🇦 and soaking up all my time as Aunt to the cutest little one, with fat chubby hands! Too cute!

Some of my sketchbooks pages from the last month,

Watching a lot of cricket ( rolling out the pitch and all that), spending time watching these naughty monkeys 🐒, catching up on art club @ellamorella and using random materials, playing padel - I’m addicted and love it! Exploring beautiful places back home 🇿🇦 and soaking up all my time as Aunt to the cutest little one, with fat chubby hands! Too cute!

Day 4 of waiting in interesting places and strange horse sculptures.

Drawing materials were super limited - black pen, art graf and one little blue colouring pencil.

#threematerialsdrawingchallenge hosted by @naomitippingillustrator @kathryn_boyt and @charlotte durance

Day 4 of waiting in interesting places and strange horse sculptures.

Drawing materials were super limited - black pen, art graf and one little blue colouring pencil.

#threematerialsdrawingchallenge hosted by @naomitippingillustrator @kathryn_boyt and @charlotte durance

Day 3( for me at least but we keep going!) of the #3materialsdrawingchallenge

Materials: oil pastels & two neo crayons, with a little help from a brush pen.

#threematerialsdrawingchallenge hosted by @naomitippingillustrator @kathryn_boyt and @charlotte durance

Day 3( for me at least but we keep going!) of the #3materialsdrawingchallenge

Materials: oil pastels & two neo crayons, with a little help from a brush pen.

#threematerialsdrawingchallenge hosted by @naomitippingillustrator @kathryn_boyt and @charlotte durance

Quick drawings at spots along the way.

#3materialsdrawingchallenge #threematerialsdrawingchallenge hosted by @naomitippingillustrator @kathryn_boyt and @charlotte durance

Quick drawings at spots along the way.

#3materialsdrawingchallenge #threematerialsdrawingchallenge hosted by @naomitippingillustrator @kathryn_boyt and @charlotte durance

As usual I am late to the party but after a bit of a break, spending time with family at home and getting some much needed rest, I thought I’d join the #3materialsdrawingchallenge2026

This afternoon, I got to draw my favourite gentle giants along a river - how incredibly beautiful and relaxing🐘 filling my cup and sketchbook. Here goes, day 1.

#3materialsdrawingchallenge #threematerialsdrawingchallenge hosted by @naomitippingillustrator @kathryn_boyt and @charlotte durance

As usual I am late to the party but after a bit of a break, spending time with family at home and getting some much needed rest, I thought I’d join the #3materialsdrawingchallenge2026

This afternoon, I got to draw my favourite gentle giants along a river - how incredibly beautiful and relaxing🐘 filling my cup and sketchbook. Here goes, day 1.

#3materialsdrawingchallenge #threematerialsdrawingchallenge hosted by @naomitippingillustrator @kathryn_boyt and @charlotte durance

A little look around my studio space, I cleaned it on Saturday for the first time in 4 months and it already looks like a mess, but I kinda like it.

I make piles on the floor, lists on post it notes, take naps on my floor and frequently dip my brush into my tea. And it somehow works. I know that I’m incredibly lucky to have this space.
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#kidlitillustration #studio illustration #illustrator #drawing

A little look around my studio space, I cleaned it on Saturday for the first time in 4 months and it already looks like a mess, but I kinda like it.

I make piles on the floor, lists on post it notes, take naps on my floor and frequently dip my brush into my tea. And it somehow works. I know that I’m incredibly lucky to have this space.
.
.
.
#kidlitillustration #studio illustration #illustrator #drawing

Unpopular and perhaps risky opinion but I'm not a massive 'cat person'. I used to be, I had a cat called Koda, she was pretty wild and I would spend hours calling her name in the garden, something my sister loves to remind me of! To be fair, she only came to me so that was pretty cool!

But now, not so much - too much fur, too needy and you can't go run with them! So I think, I'll draw all my cats kinda miffed.

Can I?
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#childrensillustration
#childrensbookillustration
#childrensbooks
#picturebook
#picturebookillustration
#kidlitart
#kidlitillustration

Unpopular and perhaps risky opinion but I'm not a massive 'cat person'. I used to be, I had a cat called Koda, she was pretty wild and I would spend hours calling her name in the garden, something my sister loves to remind me of! To be fair, she only came to me so that was pretty cool!

But now, not so much - too much fur, too needy and you can't go run with them! So I think, I'll draw all my cats kinda miffed.

Can I?
.
.
.
#childrensillustration
#childrensbookillustration
#childrensbooks
#picturebook
#picturebookillustration
#kidlitart
#kidlitillustration

A moment for the toes - little chubby teeny toes.
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#childrensbook#childrensillustration#kidlit#kidlitartist#childrensbookpublishing

A moment for the toes - little chubby teeny toes.
.
.
.
#childrensbook#childrensillustration#kidlit#kidlitartist#childrensbookpublishing

My morning desk, I’ve been trying to make room for playing around, been feeling very tight with my work at the moment so hopefully this loosens things up! I might join the #3materialsdrawingchallenge this year, I really enjoyed it last summer - a great way to document the summer and feed the creative tank.
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#kidlit#childtensbookillustration#children_illustration n

My morning desk, I’ve been trying to make room for playing around, been feeling very tight with my work at the moment so hopefully this loosens things up! I might join the #3materialsdrawingchallenge this year, I really enjoyed it last summer - a great way to document the summer and feed the creative tank.
.
.
.
#kidlit#childtensbookillustration#children_illustration n

I love a post-it note and when I hear something or read something or just need to give myself a bit of a lift- it goes onto a post-it note. So here are a couple that have kept me going of late.

Draw it to solve it - sometimes a drawing or idea just doesn’t fit, something doesn’t feel right and the only way to solve it, to figure it out is to draw it out. I tell myself this when I’m storyboarding…so many repetitions! So much solving.

Rejection is not no forever, just no for now. Rejections sucks, we have it all the time - projects, clients, ideas - I must say that I’m getting better at rejection, and I think a big part of that is that I’ve been doing the 100 rejection challenges, I even have a folder in my gmail for this, and telling myself “that’s fine, more time to work on my own stuff.” Plus having a part-time job saves me all the time.

You are good enough - I really struggle with comparing myself, the creative gap, the imposter syndrome etc etc…I have to tell myself this, I have spent time learning and developing my craft, and my work is good enough to be there.

“Pretend to be the artist you want to be.” - Sydney Smith, shared this last year at Bologna, and it does help to sometimes pretend I’m this fancy artist living it up in my studio, it gives you a bit of confidence to push your work forward.

Anyway those are some of my post-it notes, do you have any?

I love a post-it note and when I hear something or read something or just need to give myself a bit of a lift- it goes onto a post-it note. So here are a couple that have kept me going of late.

Draw it to solve it - sometimes a drawing or idea just doesn’t fit, something doesn’t feel right and the only way to solve it, to figure it out is to draw it out. I tell myself this when I’m storyboarding…so many repetitions! So much solving.

Rejection is not no forever, just no for now. Rejections sucks, we have it all the time - projects, clients, ideas - I must say that I’m getting better at rejection, and I think a big part of that is that I’ve been doing the 100 rejection challenges, I even have a folder in my gmail for this, and telling myself “that’s fine, more time to work on my own stuff.” Plus having a part-time job saves me all the time.

You are good enough - I really struggle with comparing myself, the creative gap, the imposter syndrome etc etc…I have to tell myself this, I have spent time learning and developing my craft, and my work is good enough to be there.

“Pretend to be the artist you want to be.” - Sydney Smith, shared this last year at Bologna, and it does help to sometimes pretend I’m this fancy artist living it up in my studio, it gives you a bit of confidence to push your work forward.

Anyway those are some of my post-it notes, do you have any?

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Follow me on instagram @ulrike_mieke

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