Miosis Studio — Surreal Fineliner Illustrator, Netherlands

Miosis is the ‘nom de stylo’ of Dutch illustrator Marijke Ludwig, with stylo – or pen – being the operative word. Marijke is outstandingly proficient with a fineliner, creating captivating imagery full of both realism and wonder. Line by line, she meticulously conjures characters, objects and scenes with incredible appreciation for light and shading.

Miosis illustrations bring graphical impact, while at the same time drawing the viewer in thanks to her painstaking method. Every shadow is carefully cross hatched to amazing effect. Meanwhile, you’re beguiled by the surrealist Alice-in-Wonderland feel that so often pervades the content. Clients love seeing their ideas come to life via Marijke’s calm, clear process. Marijke’s skills were honed first at the Vrije Academie ZOM in Landgraaf, followed by a graphic design course in Sittard. Since 2018 she’s been running the design and illustration studio – Miosis – which has gone from strength to strength. One of her biggest influences is the artist and illustrator Ilya Brezinski, who has inspired her to follow a similar creative path.

Approach

Nearly all Miosis illustrations are hand-drawn. Marijke finds reference material, plans her image then sets out to create it with near-photographic precision in pencil first, then with her fineliners on top. “The feeling and flow I experience when drawing on paper can’t be compared to digital work,” she says.

Key software

Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign (for design commissions).

Style

Surreal, sometimes dark and sometimes with a touch of humour, the Miosis style is marked out by an incredible level of detail. Thousands of pen strokes are brought together like a symphony to create a moving piece of art.