In het verleden heb ik deelgenomen aan kunstmarkten, maar na enkele ervaringen met regen en wind (wat funest is voor mijn werk) heb ik besloten om niet meer buiten met mijn werk te staan. Daarnaast denk ik dat mijn doelgroep, die echt geïnteresseerd is in mijn werk, niet impulsief een kunstwerk koopt op een markt. Daarom focus ik me nu op exposities bij galeries en kunstroutes, waar ik mijn werk in een meer professionele en rustige setting kan presenteren.
Beforehand, I do not make detailed sketches of my work. What I do is put the rough lines on paper with pencil, after which I draw the work. My way of working is more intuitive (applies to the abstract works), gradually making choices about the composition and details of the work.
No, I draw without a magnifying glass. However, I do use drawing glasses – which are ordinary reading glasses with an adjusted prescription, specially measured by Iris Optiek at the ideal drawing distance (which is a bit closer than the normal reading distance).
To create a large dark area with dots, I use the “checkerboard method. In this I first draw a grid of lines on the paper, with the lines 1 cm apart. Then I alternately fill the boxes with black dots. When the checkerboard is completely filled in, I fill the remaining white boxes with black dots. This technique gives the dark-filled area a vibrant, dynamic look. The incremental building up of the boxes creates a variation in the density of the dot work, which gives the plane more depth and texture.
To make perfectly round circles, I use circle templates and a compass. In the sketching phase, I set the outline of the circles with pencil, then in the working out phase I can draw them perfectly with the rOtring pen. The use of these tools ensures that the circles are precise and uniform, which is essential for accuracy in my work.
The number of hours I draw per day varies a lot. There are periods when I work for hours on end, and sometimes it’s just fifteen minutes. The advantage of my way of working is that I don’t have to go into hyperfocus, but I can just spend 15 minutes in between working on a project. I do have to use my rOtring pens every day to keep them “alive.
The time I take to create an artwork varies greatly depending on the type of work. A drawing with many dark areas made up of dots requires much more time than a lighter drawing with detailed patterns. Sometimes I spend up to 80 hours completing a work, depending on the complexity and technique I use.
From my childhood, I was strongly influenced by cartoonists, especially André Franquin. In his book Dark Thoughts, he uses bright black lines and the white of the paper to tell powerful stories. His use of contrast and precision has always inspired me. I am also influenced by Maurits Cornelis Escher, although he uses completely different techniques than I do.
My abstract drawings, such as “DRAWN,” for example, are not direct representations of reality. They are open to interpretation and each viewer can give his or her own meaning to them, depending on personal associations and experiences. The goal of my work is to appeal to the viewer’s imagination, where meaning arises from the interaction between the artwork and the viewer’s personal experience.
When I add color to a work, I do this first. I use marker pens or ecolinie to add areas of color and accents. Only then do I draw details and lines with the rOtring pen. It is important to apply the pen drawing after the color, otherwise the ink from the rOtring pen would dissolve into the color and ruin the work.
The white dots on my drawings are created by the contrast between the black dots I place and the raw, white paper. In essence, the white dots are not added elements, but the result of the technique I use: by placing thousands of black dots, the illusion of white dots is created. The white paper itself acts as the negative space in my work, creating the visual effect of the white dots.
My inspiration comes mainly from daily life and my personal experiences. I find that my state of mind and mindset influence the type of work I create. Sometimes inspiration comes from simple things around me, and other times from deeper thoughts or feelings I am experiencing at that moment. It is a dynamic process in which my inner world translates to the paper.
I exhibit mainly in because my network is located here in Drenthe. This makes it easier to establish contacts and start collaborations. At the same time, I am aware that my target group may be further away, even outside the Netherlands. My dream is to exhibit internationally, so if anyone knows of a great opportunity, please let me know!
I deliberately choose to draw with rOtring pens because they deliver a deep, full black, giving the illusion that the ink is on the paper. What I appreciate about rOtring is that this full black, even over time, remains the same and does not fade. I have also tried working with fine markers, but they give a gray appearance because the ink flows out more. The precision and consistency I achieve with the rOtring pens are essential to my work.
The value of my artworks comes not only from the hours I spend on the work itself (sometimes up to 80 hours per work), but also from the years of study, experience and trial and error I went through to get to this level of craftsmanship. Before I began creating works of art like the present one at all, I spent years developing my technique and style. This period of learning, experimenting and perfecting makes each work unique and valuable. It is the combination of study, experience and the many hours I put into each piece that justifies the price of my art.
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