Lee-Anne Schmidt – Designer

I’m a South African illustrator and designer working primarily in digital collage, creating layered, textural imagery that leans into storytelling and mood. My work draws on imagery sourced from vintage books, old magazines, and public domain or archival collections, as well as original digital compositions, to create detailed, slightly surreal worlds. I also use illustration and often my own photography.

Over the past 25 years, I’ve worked as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator for magazines, publishers, and creative studios in Cape Town and internationally. I also create and sell art prints and work as a surface pattern designer alongside my illustration and design practice.

I’m currently focused on editorial illustration and book cover design for young adult, adult fiction and self-help and self-improvement. I am particularly drawn to projects that value atmosphere, narrative, and visual depth.

I work closely with clients to interpret briefs intuitively and communicate clearly throughout the process, ensuring a thoughtful and well-resolved final result.