Hi! My name is Ellis Tolsma

Hi, i'm Ellis Tolsma (1997), a freelance illustrator and visual artist from the Netherlands. I often work with a lot of color  and a bit of a retro-vibe,  combined with a very playful, graphic and modern take. I love working with a risoprinter (a cool old-fashioned print technique from Japan) and I also run Studio Misprint in Utrecht. I think it's important to keep reimagining my own creative process and to keep trying out new things, so i'm always creating and learning! You can also read my blog here, or go to my webshop to see my risoprint work!

If you need any graphic illustration work, from posters, patterns, advertisment, editorials, books or even anything animated, you can email me at info@ellistolsma.nl if you're interested in working together. 

Check down below for explanation about my workflow and the kind of illustration I do! You can also sign up for my monthly newsletter, to get portfolio & work updates:


A colorful riso print illustrator and motion designer from Utrecht lounges on a pink couch, their long hair cascading over a brown jacket and red patterned top. Smiling warmly, they rest one arm on the couch amid a backdrop of plants and eclectic wall decorations.

 

EXPOSITIONS 

2018
  • Nominated for the Joke Vreeze fashion illustration awards;
  • Print residency at Escola Massana Barcelona;
2019
  • Nominated for the Artez Academy price;
  • Dutch Design Week Young Alumni exposition in Eindhoven;
  • Festival Waanzin Hilversum;
  • Nomited as Beeldmaker from Het Parool en Vandejong Creative Agency;
2020
  • Exposition Blackfish Utrecht;
  • Collaboration Katoenclub Utrecht;
2021
  • Coach exposition Kunstbende;
  • In Bloom solo Exposition at Change= in Amsterdam
2022
2023

2024

 

Selected clients: The Volkskrant; Humanitas; De Morgen; Oedipus Brewery; Seepje; Sencity Festival; Gemeente Utrecht; Het Financieel Dagblad; Literati book fair; Hotel Citiznm; Probiblio; Uitgeverij Loopvis; Selected clients: The Volkskrant; Humanitas; De Morgen; Oedipus Brewery; Seepje; Sencity Festival; Gemeente Utrecht; Het Financieel Dagblad; Literati book fair; Hotel Citiznm; Probiblio; Uitgeverij Loopvis;

 

WORKFLow

PHASE 1
 We will discuss the brief & talk about your wants and needs for the illustration or animation. This phase can be very quick with one email or we can hop on a call and discuss your project in detail! If you live in Utrecht or nearby, we can also meet-up for coffee or you can come by my studio. We will discuss concepts, ideas, the format, licenses, deadlines, budget & in the end I will sent you a contract. For a short deadline, like in editorial illustration, we can do this in one email so I can start sketching.
Phase 2
In this phase I will send you the first sketches. Often these are three colored sketches that you can choose one from, unless discussed differently. In this phase you can provide feedback and pick 1 of the sketches to work out into a final design. You can provide feedback about color, composition, characters, shapes and everything else needed for the illustration. For animation I design a storyboard and make stylistic sketches for what the final will look like. You give feedback about the frames & the look of the final style.

Phase 3
In the third phase I will have worked out one of the sketches of the final phase into an almost finished sketch. This means i've refined the details, made the changes according to the feedback you provided and colored the whole illustration. At the end of this phase you can provide feedback about small details, like a small positional change, changing one of the colors or about adding more or less details. I will also add the correct text. For animation I work out the animation in movements, not yet very detailed but so you can see what the animation will look like moving. You can still give feedback about the flow of the project, and add some details or information you want to convey for the project. 
Phase 4
In the last phase I will have refined the whole piece and changed anything that was needed in the last phase. In this phase I will also add textures & logo's. I will also provide you with the different formats for instagram, facebook, etc., if needed. For animation I will work out the final animation. I don't provide music and sound, but if needed I can! If so, we will discuss this beforehand and I will add that as an extra phase. If you need more revisions after this phase, the timing and price will be modified.
ADDITIONAL PHASE: RISOPRINT
If you really would love a risoprinted version of your illustration, this will count as an extra phase. I can either add a risoprint effect digitally (which would be added in phase 4) or print it authentically. This is a bit of extra work but creates lovely colorful textures. This can always be discussed after phase 4. 
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