I create illustrations for:

Are you an art director, publisher, or company looking to collaborate?
I’d love to team up with you!

Please visit my contact page and share the details of your project, what you’d like me to create, how the artwork will be used, your timeline, and your budget. I’ll get back to you with my availability, a proposal, and pricing.

I look forward to hearing from you!
Kindly note that I work exclusively with publishers, art directors, and companies.

I'm honored you'd consider me for your book, story, or poem!

Thank you so much for your interest!
Unfortunately, I don’t take on personal commissions, such as family or pet portraits, or other private requests.
Kindly note that I also don’t collaborate with aspiring authors who are looking to work with an illustrator prior to submitting their stories or poems to a publisher.

At the moment, I focus on projects commissioned by publishers, companies, or organizations only.
Thank you for your consideration, though!

I don't have a webshop anymore at this moment:
But I'm hoping to set one up again in the future.

For fabrics and wallpaper, take a look at my Spoonflower shop.

Some other products featuring my illustrations, like puzzles, calendars, or items made in collaboration with companies, are sold through other shops or publishers. I don’t sell those myself, but you can usually find them by searching my name online or checking with the brand or publisher that released them.

Want to stay in the loop?

Thanks so much for your interest in my books!

You can find the books I’ve written and/or illustrated in most bookstores and online bookshops in the Netherlands. Some titles are also available in other languages and countries.

I'm currently not with an agent anymore

Two wonderful agents have represented me in the past. For a short while, I was with Wundergarden, a children’s book agency based in Germany. Later, I joined Jennifer Nelson Artists, an art licensing agency in the U.S.
Both agencies helped me grow in different ways.

At the moment, I’m working independently. After several years with agencies, I decided to return to freelancing on my own.

If you’re looking for an agent yourself, it’s can be a journey.

There are many types of agents, like art licensing agents, children’s book agents, and editorial or literary agents.
Finding the right fit can take time.

Check agency websites for their submission guidelines, and don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back from them right away. Be persistent, but also patient, while creating the kind of work you’d love to be hired for. Keep in mind that, in case you find an agent, you’re asked to pay a yearly or quarterly (promotional) fee and/or a percentage per project. Fees and percentages differ with every agent.

Good luck!

I've talked about this in a few interviews over the years. 

It's been quite a journey! If you're curious to know more about how I got started, what inspires me, or how my work has evolved, feel free to check out the interviews listed on this page

I'm hoping I've answered most of your questions on this page, as I'm usually on a busy schedule.

If you’re from the Netherlands, there are some great resources you can use before contacting me.
For questions related to my books or if you’re looking for images, coloring pages, or other materials for classroom use, you can download the (Dutch) ‘Help! A Surprise!’ toolkit' from Uitgeverij Lemniscaat.
You’ll also find videos, lesson suggestions, and other fun activities on lemniscaat.nl.

If you’d like to invite me for an interview, ask questions for your school project, or have a general question about my picture books, please contact Hindele Boas at Uitgeverij Lemniscaat: 

If you want to use my work or excerpts from my books you always need written permission from Uitgeverij Lemniscaat.
For these kinds of requests, contact Robin van der Gaag

Thank you so much!

I love experimenting with a variety of materials, so my approach changes over time.

But there are some materials I keep returning to:

Paper:

• W&N hot-pressed watercolor paper - 300g/m2
• Schut Terschelling (Dutch brand) - hot pressed - 300g/m2
• Arches - hot-pressed (satiné)- 300g/m2

Gouache paints:
• W&N Designer Gouache
• ShinHan Pass - Color Design (a hybrid of watercolour and gouache)

Watercolor paints

• W&N Designer Gouache - Professional water colours

• Holbein - Artist’s Watercolor
• Daniel Smith - Extra Fine Watercolors
• Golden - Q’or watercolor

Pencils

• Faber-Castell - Polychromos (nice and soft)
• Derwent - Chromaflow

Water-Soluble Crayons
• Caran d'Ache Neocolor II

Paint brushes:
Usually, I like to work with the W&N Cotman brush series. But I also have a range of other brands. Often, they're synthetic.
A happy find, some time ago, were the watercolor paintbrushes from Søstrene Grene. I'm not sure if their quality is still nice. But you could give them a try.