HI! I AM MARIANNE VAN DER WALLE,

a freelance illustrator from Nijmegen in the Netherlands. For as long as I can remember, I spent every free minute as a child drawing and often had the wildest ideas about what I wanted to put on paper. Even during phone calls – which were done with a handset and a coiled cord back then – I would be doodling with a pen on small pieces of paper.
You might think that choosing to pursue illustration professionally would be a logical next step, given my passion for drawing from a young age. However, that wasn’t the case. I opted to pursue a career in education and mainly used my pencils to grade my students’ work. For many years, I taught children with great passion and joy. Reading stories and conducting drawing lessons were among my favorite moments.

It wasn’t until after 10 years that I realized something was missing in my life. Soon enough, my drawing pencils and paints made a comeback. It was as if a spotlight had been cast on what had long been in the dark: my joy in illustrating and bringing my imagination to life.
For the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to engage in this almost full-time as a profession. In addition to being an illustrator, I also manage a household with my husband, where our two sons play a significant role.

My workspace is in our house, on the first floor where there used to be an old bathroom. It has since been transformed into a spacious walk-in closet and, more recently, into my ‘magic happens here’ spot. It’s so small that I can hardly turn around, but it works perfectly for me.

ABOUT MY WORK

Whether I’m working in a traditional medium like gouache or digitally on my iPad, texture and layering always play a crucial role in my work. I cringe at the thought of ‘flat images.’ By incorporating a lot of shadow and playing with light and dark, I bring depth to my creations. Throughout this process, I strive to ensure that you can still see pencil strokes or a ‘mistake.’

In my illustration work, I always try to inject a bit of humor whenever possible. I prefer illustrating children’s books with dirty, ominous characters or a setting filled with suspense, or something that will make you chuckle.

In addition to illustrating children’s books, I create a lot of editorial work. This combination of children’s book illustrations and illustrating for an adult audience works perfectly for me. Consequently, my editorial illustrations often take a completely different approach. They are fresh, playful, feminine but with a touch of toughness. Flora and fauna, portraits, and still lifes take center stage in my work. In short, illustrations that shine in articles about lifestyle, gardening, and travel.

ILLUSTRATED CARDS
SELLING POINTS

• Dekker v.d. Vegt Boekverkopers
• Lunchcafé Puux
• Kinderboekenwinkel Nijmegen
• Druk&Vorm Nijmegen
• Jacobs Boekhandel Nijmegen