Making Of

All of the drawings in this book were created entirely by hand using ink on paper. Most of them are drawn on A4 paper simply because it’s a very practical format. The larger a piece becomes, the more planning it requires. The biggest challenge—and something completely new for me—was creating my two largest works with acrylic paint across multiple canvases, which are held together with magnetic strips, among other things. But more about those later.

For my ink drawings, I use the following materials:

  • Paper: Canson Bristol 250 gsm. It has a great feel, holds up well to water, and has a pleasant white tone. I’ve been using this paper for many years, and it has never let me down. It’s especially well suited for ink, and I always keep several pads in stock.
  • Pens: Sailor Fude fountain pens were a complete game changer for me. They make it possible to create incredibly dynamic lines, ranging from very fine strokes to bold, high-contrast lines. That versatility also allows me to work surprisingly quickly.
  • Fine line work: For precise, straight lines I use the Platinum Preppy fountain pen with Platinum Carbon Ink. It’s a very popular choice among urban sketchers for good reason.
  • Ink: Ink is a huge topic, and I’ve tested countless varieties to find the ones that suit me best. For sketches, I really enjoy Sailor’s dye-based inks because they can be reactivated with water, making it easy to create interesting effects. For finished artwork, however, I prefer Sailor Kiwaguro Pigment Ink and Platinum Carbon Ink in black. Eventually I decided to try Platinum Sepia Ink, and I haven’t looked back. It’s another high-quality pigment ink that’s perfect for drawing. As soon as I saw how beautifully it interacted with water and blended with the black inks, I knew I had found something special. The subtle sepia tones fit the atmosphere of space-themed illustrations perfectly.
  • Pencils: Before I start inking, I sketch everything with pencils, and these days I exclusively use Blackwing pencils. Admittedly, Blackwing has a reputation for being something special, and many people enjoy comparing every little detail with other brands. I simply think they’re beautifully made, feel great to use, and produce excellent results. I’ve completely fallen down the Blackwing rabbit hole and even collect limited editions in glass test tubes. I think that’s actually an important point—it’s perfectly okay to use tools simply because you enjoy them. The more you like them, the more often you’ll reach for them.
  • Star dust: To create the fine star dust found in some illustrations, I use a combination of white highlight pens such as the Uni-ball Signo Pigment White, Kuretake White Ink, and Pitt Pastel pencils. By sanding the pastel pencils with sandpaper, I create an ultra-fine white dust that produces subtle cosmic effects.
  • Protection: Every finished drawing is sealed with a fixative and a protective varnish to ensure it remains well preserved over time.

For larger areas, I also like to use Lefranc Bourgeois drawing ink with a brush. I work with a variety of brushes, ranging from inexpensive ones to high-end artist brushes.

Sometimes I’m actually happy when something smudges by accident or the ink doesn’t behave the way I originally intended. It makes the whole process more exciting. And the more smooth and artificial AI-generated images become, the more I embrace every blot, splash, and happy accident that finds its way onto the paper.

Illustrating Stardust --> YouTube Short Video

For my acrylic paintings, I joined multiple canvases together using magnetic strips and C-clamps. I primed the canvases with Marabu Gesso, sketched the composition with a soft graphite pencil, and painted everything using professional-grade Marabu acrylic paints.

In previous years, I had often worked with lower-quality acrylic paints. This project made me appreciate just how much of a difference artist-grade paints can make—they generally contain a much higher pigment concentration. For my astronaut paintings, I didn’t want to make any compromises, and I’m very glad I chose to invest in the best materials.

Choosing the canvases was just as important. I needed canvases with perfectly straight edges so they would align seamlessly when assembled, without leaving distracting gaps between them.

The entire process took several days, and I occasionally recorded timelapse videos along the way. You can watch the results in the Timelapse Videos section.

 

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