Netherlands-based illustrator and designer Sander Ettema initially aspired to be a filmmaker, but fell back in
love with the easy expression and directness of illustration in 2015. Comics such as 2019’s Friends in Many
Places have enabled him to create new worlds as he’d sought to in film. “It was a very direct, diary-like approach
to my experience with freelance work,” he says.
Working mostly on an iPad using Procreate and Photoshop, Sander describes his process as thematically and stylistically
“informed by obsessions,” such as a song, image, film or video game that trigger explorations of a certain idea. These
are then merged with his current emotional experiences, conversations with friends and more recently, a fascination
with folklore and fairy tales. “I like the pacing of the stories, the large role nature plays and how they incorporate
morals without becoming overly preachy,” he says. One of Sander’s goals for this year is to make his own folktale-style
comic: “a larger piece of fiction, that’s not directly autobiographical.” He’ll also launch A Single Memory, which explores
“individualism and the way memories define who we are,” he says. “Pathos was very important – I really wanted to make
this one character feel alive!”
sanderettema.comSander Ettema
TAPPING INTO OBSESSIONS TO CREATE NARRATIVE-DRIVEN ARTWORKS
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