Büttner trained as stage designer and studied briefly in a professional design school (1960–61). Then he worked in various theatres as a poster designer and studied graphic design and painting on his own. Since 1967 he has lived in Rostock, working as a freelance painter, producing frescoes, billboard paintings and illustrations. His favourite field is poster design; almost all his posters have been produced on his own initiative, financed personally and printed in small numbers. He has taken part in national and international exhibitions and poster biennales. In 1981, Büttner received the painting prize at the Biennale of Humour, Gabrovo, Bulgaria and in 1984 an honorary award at the International Biennale, Warsaw. He has also received several prizes in the German national competition for Best Posters of the Year. He was a jury member for the 7th International Poster Biennale, Lahti, 1987 and in 1988 for the 5th International Poster Exhibition, Fort Collins, Colorado.