i can't really translate the word "braaf" to english. according to google it can mean good/nice, well-behaved, goody-goody, obedient. my illustration teachers have been calling my work "braafjes" for the entirety of the year, which can mean predictable, typical, boring. i know they don't mean it in a bad way, and i know they genuinely want me to get better at this thing, but it is confusing sometimes. they want me to play more.
i ranted about this in my journal, and then i read some older notes back from when i asked what they meant (only dared to do so after 4 months of college. woopsies). i keep forgetting it! so this page, accompanied by a physical inspiration booklet im making, is a bit of a mnemonic device i guess.
journal entires about this:
may 2026, rant
13 june 2026, jury
forget
- the idea of: THE illustration
- the idea of: good and bad illustration
- the idea of: showing everything i can do
- the idea of: classical painting and drawing
- the idea of: drawing for the text
remember
- what do i want to illustrate?
- what do i like?
- composition!
- what if i do this? what if...
- deal with reference images differently: look and walk away
- deal with text differently: read and walk away
- go outside, make form and shape studies
play...
by restricting
- time
- materials
- color
- format
- shape
by use of format, drawing rulers, stamps, etc
by collecting
i made an inspiration booklet, i want to keep adding prints and notes to it.
i plan to make one per big project next year, like its a big moodboard.
with & by combining materials
- materials i own:
- oil pastels
- soft pastels
- aquarel
- acrylics
- ink
- colored & regular pencils
- charcoal
- gouache
- & access to a printing studio for monotypes, linocut and drypoint etching
nothing is a mistake. there is no win and no fail. there is only make.
may 29 2026. a little reminder from my friend that i literally can't fail or lose anything, as long as i make things. made me think of this quote that ive had in my tubmlr page since i first made it. perhaps i should put it on a poster and put it up on the wall behind my desk.