Project with professional illustrators
By drawing for this group of children, professional illustrators stimulate their creativity and imagination. They briefly hand control back to them: the children decide what will be drawn. The illustrator is an intermediary, a listening ear, and can draw anything they ask for. The end product, the drawing, is so much more than a small work of art.
“Drawing is a magical medicine, and the artist a wizard with pencils and markers.”
Who are the illustrators?
Steven de Rie
Steven de Rie started scribbling on paper as soon as, as a toddler, he could hold a coloured pencil. When he discovered his older sister’s comic books, he was a goner. Asterix, Spider-Man, Lucky Luke: he wanted to become a comics artist too and invent his own heroes and worlds. He studied visual arts in Mechelen and applied graphics in Antwerp, and worked in a screen-printing workshop in Zoersel. Afterwards, Steven devoted himself entirely to comics and cartoons. Since 1997, he has contributed to the comics of Willy Linthout—133 albums so far. His own work ranges from pop-art paintings to superhero comics. He is proudest of the book ‘Striptekenen!’ (Lannoo, 2020), a comprehensive textbook for children and young people about drawing comics. Since 1997, Steven has also been giving workshops, talks and holiday camps on drawing comics in schools, libraries, cultural centres and for youth organisations.
Mandy Van Passel
Illustrator and founder of Baby in Red, and a happily married boysmom. All my life I’ve been a creative soul; you’d never see me without a pencil in hand—and, to be honest, little has changed, hehe!
After my training as LSO P.O. & IT, I took an additional course to become a graphic designer and I keep upskilling regularly, for instance life-drawing classes with one of my greatest idols, Jan Bosschaert.
My most memorable training remains the mentorship with Tom Bancroft, one of the top animators at Disney. For three months I was trained in character design and, in Dec 2017, I earned my certificate. Not only was this course a dream come true for me; it also prepared me, in a short time, to become the illustrator I am today.
Support our art fund
Your support enables us to reimburse artists for their materials, operations and personal costs. If you would like to support our project financially, your donation is most welcome! Your generous contribution is greatly appreciated by countless sick children, grateful parents and the care team.
