Netherlands-based , aka Liekeland, is an illustrator creating scenes of a quiet existence that are sure to resonate with anyone who prefers their garden to the hustle and bustle of a booming metropolis. Her ballpoint pen and showcase people (and animals) tending to their greenhouses, watering plants, and enjoying a home cooked meal with friends.
For Lieke, art imitates life; it’s how she comes up with ideas for her work. But what happens when your life changes—how does your illustration shift with it? This is something that Lieke has had to consider the past couple of years. I was elated to speak with her about this and more—including advice she has for aspiring illustrators. Scroll down to read the interview.
How do you generate ideas for your work?
My inspiration comes mainly from my surroundings. I used to go to my vegetable garden to feel inspired;
collecting vegetables, fruits, and herbs from the garden to make food in the kitchen was always one of my biggest inspirations. My cat [would be] on the kitchen counter, the chickens [would run] to my window to see if I got some seeds for them.
For two years I live in a bigger city where I don’t have a garden and I see how, because of that, my illustrations are changing. I go to the park with my dog, to the gym, and have drinks with friends outside. My illustrations now are much more about the city life then it was two years ago. Also when I went to Asia for a half year, my illustrations got really influenced by the food I’ve eaten there and the things I’ve experienced.
Next month I’m going to move to a new home. [It’s] a house in the city but with a huge garden. I can’t wait to walk in my vegetable garden again, [build] a greenhouse and introduce my dog to little chickens. Hopefully, they will get along.
Your work uses colored pencil; what attracted you to this medium, and why do you continue to use it?
When I was a kid I always made illustrations with paint, but at the moment I was 16 I figured out I wanted to become a tattoo artist. That’s when I started to work with ballpoint pencils, it was more easy to create shadows and I think I just saw other tattoo artist work with the pencils.
Later when I [attended] the art academy I started to use colored pencils. I never liked them before but tried out many different brands and types. Eventually, I ended up working with the pencils from , with the little golden line at the bottom.
I learned how to make shadows, use many colors above each other and work with ballpoint pencils to make the black more intense. Still, I sometimes use other materials but love the colored pencils the most.
How do you market yourself and your work now? Has it changed over the past few years?
When I started with Liekeland seven years ago, I tried to get published in magazines. It was my dream to illustrate for magazines and see my illustrations in stores.
I never thought of a real marketing plan for myself, it was a goal and I thought it would be so cool. Now I still don’t want to think about marketing myself. I try to be honest on my and to be myself in the illustrations I create. Although I can see how Instagram is a really good marketing place to show yourself to the world, I try to not overthink it.
What piece of advice, habit, or tool has helped you the most in your career?
My advice to someone who likes to start with illustrating and create their own style (I think this is the question I get asked the most on Instagram), would be that you first find out what your interests are.
What is your inspiration, what do you love to do, is there a sport you love, or some animals, do you love to cook or travel?
Those subjects are your inspiration and what you are going to illustrate. Then you need to find out what your tool is going to be; try everything there is on the market and [what] you feel comfortable with.
Eventually, you will find your tool, your inspiration, and your subjects. Those things together make your style I guess, that’s how I found out. And [they’re] changing in time, now my subjects are different than a few years ago.
Thank you, Lieke! You can find prints of her work (and more) in her . Here’s even more of her work.
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