The Illustrator's Market: Wouter Tulp

How did you become an artist?

I have been drawing and painting since my early childhood. Whenever people asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I always gave many answers, but an artist was always one of them. In high school I created illustrations for the school’s newspaper, and after that I went to art school. I studied illustration there, and after graduating, I immediately started working freelance. in the beginning it was hard to find work. I thing every freelance illustrator will go through the experience where you know you have a lot to offer, but nobody knows you, and publishers prefer working with people they already know, and trust.It takes perseverance to get the jobs eventually. After about two years I had enough work to make a living off my illustration work.

Was there anyone that influenced you in becoming an artist?

My dad is a painter, and seeing him working since as log as I can remember has had a huge impact on me and my development as an artist. He took me out painting in the fields, gave me drawing lessons, he drew caricatures, and he had a lot of artbooks. I think he has influenced me more than anyone .

What inspires you?

Good question. I think the fact that I can be amazed and discover new things. I remember one morning I woke up and suddenly realized that shadows have a color too. Before that, my paintings were actually drawings filled with paint. The shadows were dark, so I mixed black through my paints and made the shadows dark. Now I suddenly was able to actually see the colors in the shadows. For days I just walked the streets just looking. And it inspired me to go out and paint whatever I saw. Drawing and painting causes me to observe the world around me, and time and again, I am amazed by the fact that nature is richer than anything I can imagine.

Would you like to share your work process

This is a tough one. I like to discover while I’m working. I do not have one method, so it is hard to explain. I do have a tutorial blog ( www.tulptorials.blogspot.com ) where I post some process tutorials and other stuff.

Mainly it comes down to this: I take in the content of an assignment. I read the briefing and make sure I understand what the purpose of the assignment is.

Then I scribble down some ideas. I gather information and documentation that I think can help me visualize in a better way than just from imagination. Using reference is a good way to make your work more real and believable.

The creative process is something hard to explain, but I often notice that I combine something that has to do directly with the topic, with something that seems to have nothing to do with it. Or at least unexpected. This can make an idea original.

I create a few ideas and make thumbnail sketches of them. I send these to the art director, and we choose the concept that fits best. Then I make a more elaborate sketch, and often also a color sketch. This way the art director can get a good idea of what he can expect, and also it is a phase in the process where adjustments are easily made. I try to be as specific in this part of the process, so in the end as little changes as possible have to be made.

When we agree, I create the final illustration.