Jan De Kinder
My grandma

Children's Publishing

Commissioned | Professional

Why did you make this work:
I made this book as a tribute to my grandparents. My grandmother died at a young age. As a child I was curious to know what kind of person she had been. My grandfather fell silent whenever I asked him to tell me about her. Thus, in my mind I came up with an image of her that was larger than reality. In this book I tried to reinforce that childhood fantasy.

How was the illustration used:
The illustrations were used as full-page spreads for a 40-page hardcover picture book. I wrote this book myself and it was published in March 2021.

How did you make this work:
For this story, I experimented with etching and monotype techniques to find a spontaneous way of working. Combining this with gouache, watercolour, charcoal, colored pencils and even a bit of coffee, I tried to convey the sensitivity and warmth between the characters.

Commissioner Name :
Marita Vermeulen
Commissioner Company :
De Eenhoorn

Social Media:
twitter.com/jandekinder1
facebook.com/jan.dekinder
instagram.com/jandekinder/

Personal Website:
jandekinder.be


Currently Based:
Belgium

Biography:
Jan is an illustrator and writer from Belgium who has published several picture books. He studied applied graphic art and continued honing his drawing and graphics skills. Jan’s work has been published in different languages. In his drawings and stories he aims to depict emotion and to create direct, powerful narrative, humour and atmosphere. His favourite colours are all shades of red.

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