Sketching...

For the ink sketches I used the pentel brush. It has a nice tip, and good quality ink.

Portrait sketch

Portrait study of Dutch writer Gerrit Komrij. Oils on paper.

Richard Schmid states in his book 'Alla Prima" (which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn more on painting alla prima) that you should never leave anything in your painting that you are not satisfied with. I totally agree. If you compare painting to speaking, leaving such a thing on the canvas is like mumbling, instead of spealking clearly.
Still I limited myself to one session for this sketch, especially to see which elements I overlook, when I am not revising every 'mistake'.
Most apparent are two things to me.
1. Colors. The tonality of the portrait is quite okay, yet the portrait lacks interesting play of warm and cool accents. The light areas are way too cool.
2. Point of interest. The sharp edges in his hair and his coat, take the focus away from his face. Because of this, the painting does not state clearly where the point of interest lies. This sharpness had better be placed in the glasses and his eyes instead.
I learn from this sketch that it is very important to take the time and to think about concepts like these (point of interest, composition, color, tonalities) even more, before putting the paint on the canvas. Painting happens in the mind first.


Detail for those who want to have a closer look at the brushstrokes:

Outdoor sketching

I wanted to do a sketch outside inspite of the freezing cold. Not equipped with the right protection (like gloves...) nature forced me to stop at the moment I could no longer move my fingers.
I had so much fun, though...The suffering is totally worth it...

Doodle

Quick doodle of Dutch comic artist Jan Kruis.

Vrij Nederland Christmas Cover

I illustrated the VN cover for the christmas issue. The job was strictly directed, so during the making, I created many versions, to get to the final cover.
For some reason they decided at the very last moment to cut off the left part , with the chrismas tree and Michael Jackson, and only the table with the people eating appeared on the cover.
The cover appeared troughout the coutry. Below : an advertisment in Amsterdam.

Advanced Photoshop

aA while ago, my Obama caricature was published in Advanced Photoshop magazine.

Esquire

Two illustrations for Esquire magazine.

TV Wedding

A design for a wedding invitation for two friends of mine, who are getting married on national television, december 31st.

Sketches

Esquire

Illustration for Esquire about dealing with conflict situations and how to control them.

Groeneveld en Lockhorn

These illustrations are part of a series, created for a company that specialises in communication trainings. It was my job to create a set of caricatures that could be 'recycled' in different settings.
It required a new approach, starting with a finished caricature, and then adding the situation.
This is a photo of my models.

Sketches

What is possible in drawing is limited only by your imagination. Drawing and observing the world often is a way to develop your imagination and skills to put it on paper.
Simply a pencil and a piece of paper are enough to endless learnig, imagination and fun!!

Terrible yellow eyes

Terrible yellow eyes is a project initiated by Corey godbey.
The blog contains a collection of works inspired by the beloved classic, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, created by many talented artists from around the world.

All of them share a love and admiration for Sendak's work and the pieces presented here are done as a tribute to his life and legacy.

Sketch

I am working on a new book. I am exploring new directions for children's book illustrations, experimenting with distortions and perspectives. I work on this project in my spare hours, that I don't have much... progress will be slow, but it gives me the opportunity to put in some extras, that ofthen cannot be added because of deadlines, budgets or other restrictions....

Characters