Have you ever wondered how the illustrations are made for the newspaper you read every day? Anne Caesar van Wieren (1982) illustrates for De Standaard, NRC Handelsblad and NRC Next, among others. We talked to him about how this kind of collaboration with a newspaper works, how he arrives at the illustrations and what influence all this has on his art.
“I actually started out as a graphic designer. I really enjoyed doing that, until I had to work with letters. I always had a lot of trouble with that, and I didn't like it as much as a result. In the meantime I had forgotten that there was such a thing as an illustrator. When I found that, I found my place."
“In 2013, there was a call from NRC Next to be an ‘artist in residence’ for three months to make illustrations for the newspaper. I was chosen, and so I worked there. After that I was asked more often. On average, I get an assignment from NRC between one and five times a month now."
"It varies each time, but usually I get a call asking if I'm available. If so, the piece that the illustration is being made for will be sent to me. Often that's an opinion piece, because it's usually about news that stretches over a long period of time. I then read the article and summarise what the journalist wants to convey. Then I start sketching and send my idea to the editor. If it is approved I immediately get to work, for hours at a time, to meet the deadline. Then I scan in the result, send it, and clean the scanner. Sometimes I get a little longer, a few weeks. Then I spend longer on the draft and working out the details in the illustration.”
“I start by working out an idea in several sketches with pencil. These sketches are often not so great looking, but are purely meant to give the idea form. The newspaper then chooses one of these sketches, and I get the measurements. Then I draw the chosen sketch neatly on linoleum and start cutting. Then I print it out and scan the work so I can colour it digitally. Sometimes I work completely digitally, then I first draw with pencil and then I draw everything over on the computer. If I have any time left after that, I'll try to make it look analogue. In an analogue method there is always room for small mistakes; that's what I like about it. Once I hadn't cleaned my scanner very well and then I didn't see until after three jobs that all the images had the same stain in the paper.”
“It's actually almost impossible to miss a deadline. It's mainly about how you make the deadline. I have had times when I wasn't completely satisfied with what I turned in. That’s the worst. On the other hand, there have been times when I had already submitted my work and the piece was changed afterwards. The part I had based my illustration on had been taken out and suddenly didn't fit with the text.”
IT'S ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS A DEADLINE. IT'S MAINLY ABOUT HOW YOU MAKE THE DEADLINE. Anne Caesar van Wieren
"The best articles to illustrate are, for me, those with a difficult subject. It is then a real struggle to make a good illustration that not only respects the gravity of the subject, but also appeals to many people. I often start with something funny, but sometimes I move to get past that. If I can do that, I can be proud. Another challenge is working with clichés. Because the idea is for the reader to see what the piece is about as quickly as possible in the illustration, it is somewhat necessary to work with a visual language that everyone recognises. At the same time you have to make something original out of it. I really enjoy doing that as well.”
“I used to find deadlines very unpleasant, but now I'm learning from them that things don't always go the way you'd like and that's not a bad thing. I am very critical of what I make and put a lot of time into perfecting my work. Because I now sometimes have to let go quickly, I see that sometimes it doesn't matter if you spend two days or two weeks on something: it doesn't necessarily get better. Not everything has to be perfect. And now that I occasionally see that I can also produce something good under pressure and in a short time, I have gained more confidence as an illustrator.”
Want to see more work by Anne Caesar van Wieren? Click here for his website.