Hi, I'm Markus.

Illustrator, watercolour artist and comic artist from Bielefeld, Germany. Born in 1971 in Ostwestfalen, self-taught — I have been painting, drawing and writing all my life. As a teenager I got my first watercolour box for Christmas. I still have both: the box and the boundless joy of painting.

In between lay a whole working life in the creative and digital industry. Since 2012 I have been living both in parallel: together with my wife Stefanie I run our agency at Siegfriedplatz in Bielefeld's Westen quarter — and in the studio I create what you find here in the shop.

Art is my heart project: the place where I find lightness and joy. That is exactly why every order, every message and every piece of feedback honestly means a lot to me.

About my art

My tools are essentially pencil and watercolour, plus acrylic and ink. My subjects: stories. From the raw edges of life, where broken hearts and hope meet — as in the series “Zaubersprüche”, based on the graphic novel I created with poet Pauline Füg (“Zauberspruch für Verwundete”, an Amazon bestseller). From my city: the Sparrenburg, the Bürgerpark, the TV tower — and of course the Alm, because my heart beats for DSC Arminia Bielefeld. And from the pop culture that has kept its hold on me since the eighties.

As a comic artist I work in the school of the Ligne Claire — projects like “ONE. Picture Stories” and the graphic novel “Großväterland” grew out of it.

My promise: Affordable Art

Art should be open to everyone. That is why I paint in a price range that reflects the value of the work and still stays affordable: fair artist prices, straight from the studio, with no gallery mark-up.

  • Personal commissions

    Your own painting. From story to portrait. Hand-painted, no AI. Let's talk about it.

    Your options 

  • Originals

    are hand-signed one-of-a-kind pieces and come with a certificate of authenticity.

    Available originals 

  • Limited Fine Art Prints

    appear in a fixed edition and are never reissued. They come with a certificate

    Available Editions 

  • Prints and products

    are the affordable way into my art. Every motif starts as a handmade original.

    Browse the catalog 

Visit my private gallery

Would you like to see works in the original before you decide? In my private gallery in Bielefeld's Westen quarter you can view most pieces — and talk them over with me over a coffee. Write to me: markus@freise.de

Find something nice for yourself.

1 4