Frequently asked questions

This varies a lot per drawing, obviously due to the format and also what type of pencils I use. An A4 drawing in coloured pencil can easily take 40 hours.

I use professional materials of high quality. The choice of colour pencils is especially important. Pay attention to their colourfastness (lightfastness), the better they are rated, the longer the colours of your drawing will stay beautiful. That's why I use pencils from brands such as Faber Castell, Caran dache, Derwent.

Where to start? They are both pencils. And that's about it. The drawing technique is very different between the two. With coloured pencil, you work from light to dark, a light colour is (almost) impossible to get over a dark one. Coloured pencils are quite hard and you can sharpen them to a nice sharp point. Pastel pencils are soft and wipe out easily. Sharpening is a bit trickier, and certainly making a sharp point. The big advantage is that you can draw with light colours over dark ones, though.

Both have their pros and cons. For instance, colour pencil allows you to draw small details easily and they keep a nice sharp point a bit longer. Pastel pencil quickly has a nice opaque colour, you can blur easily and you can use light over dark. If you are completely beginner then I would opt for coloured pencil. You have a bit more control here and can make adjustments easily than with pastel pencil.

My favourite set is Faber Castell Polychromos. The largest set contains many different colours, including a nice set of greys that you use a lot when drawing nature subjects.

A good and affordable set is Stabilo Carbothello. There are nice colours in this set. They are fairly soft though, making details a little harder to draw. If you want to expand your set, I recommend Faber Castell Pitt pencils. These are also available individually, so you can expand your set step by step.

Yes it is! This can be done during a private lesson if you want live feedback. We can than make some on-the-spot improvements where necessary. Do you live further away? Then you can also send me your drawing digitally. For €15 I will send you my tips. Interested? Then send me an e-mail.

Caran dache pastel pencils contain a lot of pigment and are very opaque. So for a bright white, this is a very fine pencil. The Derwent pastel pencil also gives off a lot of white.

The whitest coloured pencil is chinese white from Derwent Drawing. Another fine white pencil that gives off a lot of pigment is white from Caran dache pablo. I like to use the latter myself.

My absolute favourite is Pastel mat paper from Clairefontaine. It is nice sturdy paper that comes in a variety of colours. Enough layers can be drawn on it to create a realistic drawing. With pastel, the background is of course also quite easy to colour in, with sticks or with pan pastels. This also goes very nicely on pastel mat. This paper is by the way, also very suitable for drawing with coloured pencils!

There are two papers I use a lot for colour pencil drawings. One is Clairefontaine pastel mat, the other is Fabriano hot-pressed watercolour paper. Both have different qualities and properties, but I both allow you to draw in many layers, making it very fine to draw on.

No. I have done this once in the past, but I ruined my work several times with that. So I don't do this any more. So how do I protect my drawings? Basically, I always frame them behind glass and with a passe-partout. In the meantime, I keep my drawings in a drawer with glassine paper on top.

There are several ways. One is to sharpen your pastel pencils with the Swordfish Ikon table-top pencil sharpener. The downside is that the blade gets blunt quite quickly due to the soft pencils, although you can replace it. Personally, I sharpen my pastel pencils with a stanley knife and fine sandpaper. Watch out for your fingers!

I sharpen my coloured pencils with the Derwent superpoint sharpener. As the name says, you get beautiful sharp points with it! I also have a small set of Caran dache Luminance pencils, these are a lot softer and so I sharpen them with a round brass sharpener.

I recommend you start with one of the drawing workshops (pastel or coloured pencil). In it, I tell you about the materials I use and you will do several exercises to try out the materials. This is the ideal basis for learning to draw with colour or pastel pencil. Got the hang of it? Then join one of the other lessons. Find out more here.

Yes! For example, you can take the colour pencil drawing course. In it, you draw a subject of your choice, whether you are a beginner or more experienced. I help you with your drawing, so you get specific tips and advice based on your ability.

Yes! All classes are mainly in groups. You can ask me in advance if others have already signed up for a course or workshop. From 2024, I started the 'Open drawing studio'. You could also call it a drawing club! If you already have some drawing experience, you can participate. You work on your own drawing, get to work yourself and get tips where necessary. Pastel and coloured pencils are available. More people (max 12) can participate in the open drawing studio than in the workshops and courses (max 8).

Don't have any experience yet? Then come to the drawing course, you will get lots of personal attention in a small group, all materials are provided and you will be drawing 2.5 per lesson. You come once a week for six consecutive weeks. Find out more about the drawing course. The open studio is for anyone with a bit more experience. You will work independently on your drawing and receive tips from me as you go along. Paper is not provided during the 2-hour class, but pastel and coloured pencils are. There are two open studios per week that you can join. If you don't come one time, that's no problem. You buy a strippenkaart of 5 or 10 lessons that is valid for either two or four months. Read more here.

In the workshop, we start with the basics. What materials do you use, what are the differences between pencil brands and what effect does different paper have? You do several small exercises to experience how the colour pencils work and how to apply layers. This theory is the ideal basis for the drawing course. In it, you get to work immediately on a realistic drawing (subject of your choice!). I help you step by step. When you have followed the workshop, you will have an ideal basis for the course. More about the workshop.

At the moment, I only teach physical classes. I do this mainly because I can watch live with you and give you tips based on what you do. This way, you learn better and faster how to draw with colour or pastel pencil. Besides, you can ask me anything during the lesson. I hope to give online lessons in the future.

You buy a strippenkaart of 5 lessons which is valid for 2 months or 10 lessons which is valid for 4 months. You can order one by sending me an email.

Yes! If you are interested in a private lesson, please contact me. Based on your wishes and abilities, I can create a tailor-made lesson or lesson package for you. This could be an entire day, for example, or several shorter lessons. Are you interested? Then I look forward to receiving your e-mail! Find out more here.

I am very happy to create a customised outing for you, your colleagues, group of friends or girlfriends. Depending on how long the outing can take, I can provide a tailor-made drawing class. This can take place at Haaks in Culemborg (20 minutes from Utrecht or 30 minutes from 's Hertogenbosch) or at a location of your choice.

How nice that your child likes to draw! I am happy to help. Whether it's a weekly drawing lesson or a one-off, please feel free to contact me. Then we'll discuss the possibilities.

Yes, I definitely teach young adults. When I have enough interest in this age group, I am happy to organise a drawing workshop or course (from 4 people upwards). A birthday party is also a possibility! Find out more here.

At the moment, I teach 10 - 12-year-olds only through the broad school in Culemborg. Would your child like to join this? Then take a look at www.bsculemborg.nl/

I use high-quality materials that are quite pricey. Besides, drawing with pencil takes a long time. Especially because of all the small details I add, drawing with pencil takes a lot of time, especially with coloured pencil.

Framing drawings is the best way to protect them. This is especially true for pastel pencil drawings, which you can easily smudge out. In addition, I frame all my work with museum glass. This is special glass that blocks UV and thus keeps the drawing beautiful for even longer. And this glass reflects much less than normal glass, which makes the artwork stand out even better in your home. Have you found a favourite drawing but would prefer a different colour frame around the work? Then contact me about the possibilities.

All my drawings are framed with high quality museum glass. This is special glass that blocks UV and thus keeps the drawing beautiful even longer. And this glass reflects much less than normal glass, making the work of art stand out even better in your home.

When you let me create a drawing for you, whether it's your favourite animal, flower or pet, we decide together on the right position, details, background and more. The drawing is a unique copy from which no prints, copies or cards are made by me. I do use original drawings, which I devise and create myself according to my wishes, for a limited number of prints and cards. So in that sense, this drawing is not unique. Because of these differences, a commissioned drawing is therefore more expensive than an original.

You can commission a drawing, made in pastel or coloured pencils by sending me an email? A step by step guide can be found here.

Yes. You can order an original drawing in my webshop. If you want to come and see the drawing first, please let me know. We can make an appointment for you to visit my studio.

I only make prints of my original drawings. These are the drawings I conceive and make myself according to my preferences and wishes. It is always a limited number that I have made of a drawing. I choose which drawings I do and don't do this from.

I make a maximum of 100 prints per original drawing. When these are all sold, there will be no more. So this is also what limited edition means. For some drawings, I choose to publish them in an even smaller edition (of only 50 or 20 pieces, for example). This gives them an even more unique character and makes them slightly pricier.

I only have professional art prints made of my drawings. These Giclee prints are made with the very best high-definition equipment and the finest materials. When you hold a professional print in your hands, you immediately see the difference. Giclee printers use a higher quality of light-resistant, archival and pigment-based inks. I always choose Hahnemuhle photo rag paper of archival quality (acid-free) which has an exceptional lifespan of up to 200 years.

I have my Giclee prints printed at The Print Space where they are made to order. They produce and ship prints completely climate-neutral. If you want to know more, take a look here.

Great care is taken to ensure safe, efficient and protected delivery. Your ordered print is carefully packed with pergamine paper and bubble wrap, so it is not at risk of scratches or creases. The print is then packed in a sturdy cardboard envelope or tube (depending on the size).

I also make postcards from my original drawings. I have these printed on recycled paper. The accompanying envelopes are also made of recycled paper. As a biologist, I naturally consider sustainability important!

No, I don't have a physical shop, but I do have a studio where I work. Here you can visit by appointment to view a drawing. My studio is located at Haaks (haaksculemborg.nl), parallelweg west 35A, Culemborg.

Your order is already at PostNL, but due to the rush the track and trace code may not have been updated yet. This often does mean that your parcel will arrive a day later.

Additional ordering is only possible if you have not yet received a track and trace. To be sure, please send an e-mail first.

This is because the prints are made to order in Germany and shipped directly to you from there. All other items I ship myself from my Atelier in Culemborg. As a result, shipping costs are added twice.

Yes, this is possible. Prints can be ordered worldwide. Original drawings and cards can be sent to Germany and Belgium via the webshop. Do you live elsewhere? Please send me an e-mail and we will discuss the possibilities.

When you order a drawing without a frame, I wrap it in a pergamine envelope to protect the drawing from smudging. It then goes between two layers of cardboard in a reinforced envelope. When you order a framed drawing, I put protection on the corners of the frame and on the glass. I then wrap it in recycled bubble wrap. This packaging goes into a suitable box which I further fill with recycled paper or foam to prevent discs.

I pack all my orders as much as possible in recycled materials from orders I have received myself. Cardboard boxes, paper, bubble wrap, Styrofoam etc. I try to use as little plastic as possible. That's why I only use paper tape, for example,

You can also collect an order from my studio at Haaks in Culemborg. This can only be done by appointment, so please contact me for that.

Every year I participate in various art fairs and markets. I keep track of this as much as possible on this page.