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Assorted illustrations 🖉
Below is a collection of illustrations I simply made for fun, or maybe to explain something during which I got lost and the example exploded into an illustration. I just like to draw things, that's what makes me happy. If I can't draw or don't have any inspiration, something is not well with me.
People sometimes ask me how much time it takes to create an illustration. This so depends on what I draw! The first one below for instance took days to complete. And that's not even counting research on how to draw a technically correct element, for instance, or the time it takes to prepare it all. People tend to think drawing with a computer is very fast. The best remark came from a client early 2002: "But the images are all in your computer, right?" Erm... no. And also "But drawing with the computer is super fast!" Erm... no.
Going to the beach
So nice to feel the wind.
I used to love the beach as a child, not the humans-packed beaches, but the places where there were hardly any humans at all, and that had small puddles of water with teeny-tiny creatures in them. I was intrigued by the sand and so enjoyed looking at the grains, the pieces of shell, the tiny glass particles and the small pieces of eroded rock.
Or landscape
I first drew this in landscape set-up, with just the legs in it. I like this version very much as well.
I ended up adding more to this drawing, but there always comes a point when I need to stop; I want to keep it simple to not distract too much.
With a parasol
I really like to draw and lose myself in the process.
The version with the complete woman in it was done last. It can be fun to just show a portion of something to make details stand out more and to leave more to the imagination. But other times it can be nice to simply show it all.
Cigarettes Russes
I saw a cookie I remember from 'way back when' but I didn't know what it was named. Such a cookie though, as it turns out, is named a 'cigarette Russe'.
Attention: history lesson!
Around 1870, Belgian apothecary Charles Delacre finally received permission to sell chocolate. Because chocolate was considered very medicinal, of course. It made him very popular and because of that he at some point added a shop next to the apothecary, where he sold all sorts of chocolate. In 1873 he even added a chocolate factory. His products were so popular that he ended up delivering to the court, too.
And well, chocolates result in cookies, right? So, around 1890 he started producing cookies as well. He decided to add chocolate to some of them, and one of his early successes was the 'Pacha Delacre'. Well, yeah!
In 1906 Charles decided his son should take over. His son was named Pierre. And it was Pierre who finally invented that Russian cigarette. As a cookie, right? It is named like this because the Russians used to roll their cigarettes in a similar way the cookie dough for Cigarettes Russes was rolled. You can actually make these cookies yourself but it's quite the chore.
A mysterious drink
I just like to draw, and even though I really set out to draw a simple glass filled with coke (which I really don't like myself, yech, coke) it turned into something completely different. In space, because that's what I like.
And a variation
And then I created a variation because I suddenly felt this illustration needed swans.
But this meant elements had to be added, and others had to be removed, see?
Or this one?
And ever so sudden again, I thought that, erm... well yeah... what did I think...
Well, just look and you decide. It's best to not fill things out, just enjoy it.
A red door
The Red Door.
I created this one quite a while ago and I keep getting back to it. I think I will one day use it in a different setting.
Legs on a red background
Legs on a red background, I felt like drawing it and well, it was nice to do it and helped me create variations, see the ones on the right.
Assorted legs
I use this example to explain to the students how changing colours and adding or removing elements can totally change the look and feel of an illustration.
A rocket
Just a space adventure. Ah, science fiction, I like it so much.
A building in space
More space situations.
A carrot in space
And even more space situations! This one uses one of my favourite luring objects.
A dressed table
Listen, I love carrots all right? So, when I was working on a design, I thought there should be carrots in it and put it on the plates. One person will have two nectarine slices, because I still had some. And one of the carrots is the White Sparkle Carrot, because, well, some carrots are just plain special.
Table variation
I suddenly felt the need to make things more red, so here is a variation on the theme.
And another table version
Look, I really like using Illustrator. And it's so flexible. I felt like creating a purple and green variation an there it was!
New year
2018 card for the new year.
A desert
A desert with my favourite mystery object.
A green house (Zaandam)
This house is in Zaandam, one of the oldest houses with lots of history. A student's grand parents lived in it. I thought it looked nice and drew it! And a historic society is going to use it on their website, so nice.
Summer legs
I really hope this year will be a better one than the ones I had over the last 15 years. I still have hope!!! Let's make it good!
Legs and white dress
A few legs walking, simple version.
rain
A rainy day in the Netherlands.
pain and loss
Illustration from scratch, after a drawing I made on paper.
strength
Finally got rid of bad stuff! Power to women, but in pink, of course.
Summer holiday
A sunny day in the Netherlands!
A wall
And a wall with lockers
Yet another wall, with lockers.
Lounge wall
A few walls and objects using a limited palette.
Woman in desert
A woman with a veil in the desert.
Woman in water
Swimming amongst fish, I would have loved to do this in my life. I think it's now too late. I added an octopus because I like them so much, they are intelligent!
Halloween
Halloween! Bats and pumpkin and scary stuff.
Drawing
Explaining how stuff works is what I like to do, and illustrating it to help explain it better.
A little ship
Un petit navire qui a besoin d'un havre.
Polar bears
Polar bears in icy sea. I wanted the design to have very light colours and little contrast, but enough, and yellow and blue.
Bikini
I use this to explain how masking works, during one of the courses I teach. But it's fun as a stand-alone illustration too, I think.
Building at night
A variation on a design I did a long time ago, but this one is nice too so I thought it would be placed here.
Just cute
Sudden cuteness. I don't know where it came from but there it was, cute and all.
Dolls
I had fun drawing these Russian Matryoshka dolls. Especially because they look so simple and are not, and then resulted in more fun lesson material.
Drawing details really is my cup of tea. And since the word 'gezellig' is one of the first words the expat students learn, I really had to add that. I have had a few students from Russia already, so nice.
Weather demands
That year was very rainy while I tried to get a holiday feel. Did not work! So I created this drawing.
Crazy thing though, one of the neighbours told me it had been such a wonderful Summer while we were getting the mail from the letter boxes. Huh? Went abroad, did she? This very same neighbour thought 2018 had been so rainy. Again: huh? 🤔
Water woman
I had a bit of time and asked some students what I should draw. One asked to draw a woman on the beach, lying in the water. So that's it! And of course I gave her the drawing, that's fun. Jeez it's already 13:20 hours, I really should go do something else.