FAQ

Below I’ve shared some answers on questions I get asked the most. Is your question not answered here? Drop it at Ask Marloes!
Information regarding my shop and shop orders can be found here.

About me

How do I pronounce your name?

My first name ‘Marloes’ is pronounced as: Mahr-Loose.

What do you do exactly?

I work as an illustrator, author, visual artist and designer.
What I do and make:
– Illustrations for picture books, chapter books, and non-fiction books (both for kids and adults)
– Designs for book covers, including illustrations and (hand)lettering
– Editiorial illustrations for magazines and newspapers
– Illustrations for branding (with humour if you like)
– Making comics and cartoons for magazines, like King Features (reboot of Popeye), Flow Magazine, Tina (girls’ magazine) and more
– Creating stories and illustrations to create engagement with audiences, for companies and brands on social media writing opinion pieces, picturebooks and non-fiction (book released in Summer 2022)

Did you go to art school?

I did! I have a Bdes-degree in Visual Communication, which is a combination of graphic design, photography and video. After graduating I did several courses and masterclasses in (picture book) illustration including at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. I took several courses in psychology and am studying social psychology at the moment.

Which languages do you speak?

– Dutch (native language)
– English (fluent)
– German (reading and speaking, writing a bit less)
– French (reading)

Can I visit you?/Can we go for coffee?

If you’re not a client or someone I know, the answer is probably ‘no’. I unfortunately lack time to see friends and family, so my priority is to spend my free time to them. Thanks for understanding!

Work inquiries

How do I best get in touch with you?

Via e-mail. You can do so at hello@marloesdevries.com or via the contact form.
To work efficiently, I do not use social media inboxes to discuss work. Therefore I don’t respond to DMs in most cases. I can be reached by phone for clients I first spoke to via email.

Why don’t you have your phone number on your website?

So that I can work very concentrated while I’m working on projects for clients. I get quite distracted by unexpected phone calls. Emails works better for me. If we’ve had contact and you’d like to chat about the project we’re working on together, then of course phone calls are possible (and handy).

I’ve written a book. Can you illustrate it?

Most often I work through publishers on books but do contact me if you have a book that fits me. For self-publishing: I don’t work for free or only for royalties. If you have a publisher, please suggest my work to them and ask them if they see my work as a good fit.

Do you take on personal commissions, like portraits, wedding invitations or birth announcements?

At the moment I don’t. I’m focusing on working with publishers, magazines, companies and my personal projects.

Do you sell prints or products of your work?

I do! You can find them in my shop.

Where can I buy your books and products?

Most of my books are available to order in any book shop in the Netherlands and Belgium. Here you can order them online. Self published zines, signed books and limited edition prints are available in my shop.

I’d like to buy one of your paintings. How does that work?

I offer my paintings in series, and when a series is finished I offer them in my shop. Subscribers to my newsletter get first access to new paintings, so do subscribe if you’re interested.

When will you have new paintings/prints for sale?

As my partner Bram always says: “it’s ready when it’s ready” 🙂 I don’t work with strict schedules for my personal work, to keep the process enjoyable for myself and it also results in better work. With artwork I don’t work well when I’m put under pressure.
If you want to receive updates on the process and know first when new work is available, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter.

Do you work for free?

When it’s a charity where every staff member works for free (artists shouldn’t be the only one volunteering) and it’s a cause I support: I would love consider to work for free. Do get in touch and let’s see what we can do.
In other cases: paying someone for their work shows you understand their time is valuable and that you respect it. If you feel my work, expertise and time is not worth paying for, we’re unfortunately not a match.

If I hire you to create work for me, does this include product photography or behind the scenes videos and photos for me to use?

No, but I do know some great photographers who can help you with this. If you want me to take photos of work in progress for you to use, please let me know beforehand so I can include this in the price quotation.

When I’ve hired you to create work, will you promote my company on your social media?

I don’t do specific advertising campaigns for the companies I work for, but we can discuss this.

Do you have people that help you run your business?

No, it’s a one-person-business. Occasionally my partner Bram helps me out with email and web-related tasks during busy times. This way I maintain personal connections with the people I work with, and lines of communication are simple and quick.

Can I use one of your existing illustrations for my logo/product/blog/business/article/etc.?

I offer licenses for this. Please get in touch with me and let me know what you are going to use it for, what the purpose is and what your budget is. If you use my work without my permission, the fee will be much higher because you used my work illegally. It is not allowed to use any of my illustrations without my permission.

Can I interview you for my blog/magazine/podcast/etc.?

Probably! I very much enjoy talking about illustration, art, working as a creative freelancer and more. Feel free to get in touch and I’ll get back to you asap. If it’s a good fit we can set a date.

For illustrators

Do you teach workshops?

You can find more information on workshops and talks here. Feel free to sign up for my newsletter to receive information on new workshops and courses. I can also be hired by organisations and schools to teach workshops. More info can be found here.

Just one quick question…

Due to time restraints I don’t answer all 1-to-1 questions I get through email or DM’s.

I want to be an illustrator but where do I start?

I have written several articles about this on my blog. Feel free to grab a cup of tea and dive into it.

I have questions about being an illustrator and running a business. Can you help me?

I have a blog filled with tips to help with freelancing and illustration, which will get your on your way 🙂

Can I copy your work?

If it’s for practice and you keep it private in your sketchbook for your eyes only, then yes. But if you want to publish it in any way, including on social media, post it on your website or to sell: then no. That is copyright infringement.

Can I visit you, or can we go for coffee?

I’d like to know why someone wants to meet with me, so I’d love to hear what your idea is so that I can decide whether it would be suitable for me too. If you want to ask me all about freelancing or illustrating, you can book a 1-on-1 session.

Do you take interns?

I wish I could but as a one-person-business working from my home studio, my space and time is too limited to offer an experience that will help interns further. I believe proper time should be invested and I cannot offer that at the moment unfortunately. I also can’t offer guidance in finding places to get an internship elsewhere.

What materials do you work with?

I have a lot of favourite tools I enjoy working with, which you can all find on this page.

Where can I best buy art supplies?

I recommend buying at your local shop to support their business, or buy from my favourite online small business Splendith. Also because you can often try out colours and materials in the shop, or ask for professional advice. If you want to find a shop near you try Google: search for ‘art supply shop’ in your language and add your city, or a nearby bigger city.

Who are your favourite artists/inspirations?

It’s a bit of a mixed bag, here we go: Helen Frankenthaler, Quentin Blake, Mary Fedden, Nora Efron, Frida Kahlo, Oprah Winfrey, Mary Blair, 80’s children’s animations, Fiep Westendorp, Sempé, Carson Ellis, Miranda Hart, Annie M.G. Schmidt, Chris Haughton, Monty Python, Maira Kalman, Pénélope Bagieu, Maaike Hartjes, Rebecca Green, Posy Simmonds, Philip Glass, Fairfield Porter, David Hockney, Gemma Correll, Oliver Jeffers, Sarah Millican… amongst others.

Can you let me know your resources/companies you work with?

You can find a big list of tools I use on this page. If I don’t know you personally, I’m less likely to disclose which companies or partners I work with.

Social media and online

Can I share/repost your work on social media?

For personal use: sure. Please credit me properly, and it’s not allowed to edit my work, or cut off my signature. If you want to share it on Instagram, you can find a re-posting guide in my highlights.
If you want to share on Facebook, please only share from my own Facebook-page directly, or if you must upload again: please link to my Facebook-page. It’s @MarloesDeVries.
If you’re a business wanting to promote your services with my work: a hard no. Please follow the guidelines my Instagram highlights to see how it works, or contact me for a license or hire.

Why haven’t you answered the Instagram-DM I sent you?

I can’t keep up with all the social media inboxes and DM’s. I appreciate lovely messages and try to read them all but replying to all is not possible. If it’s a work inquiry, please email me. If you just want to say ‘hi’ please feel free to comment to a recent Instagram-post. I genuinely appreciate it!

I’m an artist too. Can you promote me on your Instagram or blog?

I regularly promote work of other artists because I genuinely love their work, not because I’ve been asked to. So, only out of free will 🙂

How do I stay up-to-date with your work?

My monthly newsletter (subscribe here) is the best way. I carefully curate all my favourite things (books, films, articles, etc.), share personal thoughts on my creative practice and share what I’m working on. Newsletter subscribers also get first dibs on new (online) workshops and when I have new art for sale.

Can you advertise/promote my product on your Instagram and/or blog?

I’m open to business collaborations when your product/service fits me and my work, and is something I’d actually use or have used. Please note I don’t work/advertise for free as I feel my hours and expertise are worth paying for. If you feel it’s not worth paying for, we’re not the right match.

If you feel your product matches me, do get in touch and let us know what you have in mind, your deadline and your budget. Bram will handle emails regarding promotion. He will not respond to emails that have no personalisation and clearly have been bulk-sent.

Can I send you a product in exchange for a mention on your Instagram/blog?

Thank you, but no 🙂 See above.

Are you willing to link our products/articles on your blog?

Nope.

Is your blog open to articles written by third parties? (AKA I’m a writer and want to publish my articles on your blog)

No. I get a dozen of these requests every week and they go straight into my bin.

Can I add your email to my newsletter list?

No.