Tools I Use for Digital Art
Photoshop CS6
Yes, I will use my old Photoshop version ‘till the day it dies!
Wacom Intuos Pro M
I actually prefer an Intuos tablet over a Cintiq, because I find that looking straight ahead at my monitor gives me better posture.
iPad (12,9”) and Procreate
This is such a good combo. Procreate is highly intuitive and a powerful art software that I would recommend to any beginner artists, or someone who wants to get into digital painting.
The Apple Pencil also has really good pressure sensitivity and feels very natural.
Brushes
Here, you can find my go-to Photoshop brushes.
Smudge Guard
A "glove" that keeps your hand from sticking to the tablet. I never draw without it!
Datacolor Spyder5PRO
A device that I use to calibrate my monitors on my Windows PC. You don’t need this if your screen comes pre-calibrated.
Blender
Powerful free 3D modelling software
Alchemy
Sketching programme for random shapes and happy accidents
Tools I Use for Traditional Art
Nicker Poster Paint
It’s the brand that has been used to paint all the traditional backgrounds in Studio Ghibli movies and other Japanese animations. The paint is similar to Gouache and can be used watered down or opaquely.
Schmincke Horadam Watercolour
These are high-quality fine artist paints that are very pigmented.
Arches Watercolour Grain Satiné Hot Pressed 300 g/m²
My absolute favourite paper! It’s extremely smooth, but also very durable. It holds up well when re-working areas several times.
Health
Standing Desk
The Ikea BEKANT Sit/Stand Desk really helped me manage my back pain.
Educational Content
Process Videos
On my YouTube channel, you can find a selection of timelapse recordings that give you insight into my thought- and painting process.
Online Class
This is an 8-week course I put together that teaches you everything I know about creating illustrations and using storytelling.
Layered .PSD Files
Here, you can find layered .PSD files of my work, plus step-by-step images.
Books I Recommend for Learning
Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton
My personal favourite when it comes to anatomy books. Goes deeper into all the muscles and moving parts than Loomis.
Drawing the Head and Hands by Andrew Loomis
Helps you break down and understand the basic structure of the human head. A very systematic approach.
Color & Light by James Gurney
A guide that introduces all kinds of lighting scenarios as well as a ton of information about mixing colours and palettes.
Perspective for Comic Book Artists by David Chelsea
A very light and entertaining approach to perspective drawing in form of a comic.
Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers by Marcos Mateu-Mestre
Extremely useful if you want to work on telling stories with your art and how to get your message across.
Creative Illustration by Andrew Loomis
Goes over composition, how to use reference and all kinds of things you need to know in order to make a good illustration
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Not a how-to book, but it has tons of valuable information, e.g. on how different drawing styles affect our perception.
Keys to Drawing by Bert Dodson
Especially useful for absolute beginners who want to learn the basics of drawing from observation.
Art Books I Like
Shadowline: The Art of Iain McCaig
My number one favourite artist. The book has beautiful artwork, mini tutorials and a fantastic story in it.
Fables Covers: The Art of James Jean
The collection includes preliminary sketches and his thought process.
The Art of Loish by Lois van Baarle
Some of the most beautiful colour palettes you'll ever see as well as sketches and tutorials
The Art of Heikala: Works and Thoughts
I love Heikala’s whimsical watercolour illustrations and this book gives an amazing insight into her inspirations and process.