• Home
  • Geboortekaartjes
  • Schetsboek
  • Over mij
  • Contact

Lost password

Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

Venster Visual Story Challenge, tips and tricks! Venster Visual Story Challenge, tips and tricks! Part 2: add limitations! In this post I’d like to share a bit of how I work with art challenges and prompts. I enjoy to participate in challenges like @peachtober. Apart from the community aspect which I think is amazing, I think these challenges are a great way to explore new ideas and ways of working as a creative / illustrator. My hot tip: add limitations! It’s very easy for me to overwhelm myself with all the possibilities. So what really helps me is to add extra limitations. I always choose something I want to explore in my creative practice. For example, last year for Peachtober I focused on collage to play with shape and texture instead of linework, which I am more comfortable with. So my advice would be to think about something you want to practice. Here is a list to start: - Trying out a new technique - Drawing people - Expressions in the face or expressions in the body - Pacing. Is your work often high energy, full of expression, maybe it’s nice to practice slowing down? Or the other way around. - Lots of detail versus little details - Limit the amount of marks you make. For example: draw people with just a few strokes. - Focus on shapes / focus on line work. I could go on, but maybe this already gives you a nice idea! If you have another great one for this list, please share in the comments! I’d love to hear it :) #venstervisualstorychallenge2026
Venster Visual Story Challenge, tips and tricks! Venster Visual Story Challenge, tips and tricks! Part 1: coming up with ideas We are doing two things with this challenge 1. Working with a prompt - how to come up with ideas 2. Thinking about sequence - how to create a narrative with a few images that relate to each other. In this post Im gonna focus on the first part and share how I like to work with a prompt. And a few tricks for when you feel stuck in coming up with ideas. Use your memories! A great way to make it personal. Write down 5 moments you were curious this week. Write down 5 associations with collision from when you were a kid. Go outside and see what catches your eye. A cool bird maybe? See what happens when you connect it to the prompt. Bird and collision, your mind is probably already making up some narratives! Write down all associations or make quick sketches. Another trick is to ask questions like: what if it was really small? Big? Can I pick it up, what is the texture like. Is curiosity fluffy or maybe scratchy? How does it look like from the back? What if it was an object, or a person? Book tip! I’m reading The Grammar of Fantasy by Gianni Rodari (and beautifully illustrated by @mattforsythe). He talks about how imagination can be triggered by putting two things together that don’t necessarily relate to each other. Your mind starts to fill in the gap with stories! Its quite magical 😁 
Don’t overthink it! (Yeah I know it’s hard, putting this in as a reminder to myself as well). It can be as easy as “curiosity” + first thing you see in your house. Go from there. Maybe make rules for yourself like: put a 5 minute timer on it, the story I came up with is what I use! Later this week I’ll share a bit of the behind the scenes of my process!
What are micro stories? Can they tell of a BIG eve What are micro stories? Can they tell of a BIG event? How many images? Is text allowed? In this post we will try to answer frequently asked questions about the Vester Visual Micro Story Challenge. Q: What are visual micro stories? A: They are stories told visually, using a short sequence of images. Q: How short is a “short sequence of images”? A: Yeah. Probably more than one image and less than 6-ish. But if you can tell a story with one image we’ll probably applaud you, and if you need a bit more than six no one will call the police. Ask yourself: does it feel short? Q: Am I allowed to use text? A: Yes. If you do, just make sure that the images talk at least as loud as the text. Q: Can micro stories tell a BIG tale? A: Of course! What makes them micro is the amount of images, not how tall the tale is. Q: Can my 4 micro stories create one bigger story? A: Yes! This is totally up to you. You can make standalone micro-stories that has nothing to do with each other, or you can let them connect to one larger story. Q: can I use an existing story? A: This challenge is all about developing storytelling skills, so we encourage you to make your own stories. But it is also about having fun, so we won’t say you can’t. If you do, make it your own - add a twist, flip things around, do it in your own style! And remember: micro-stories can be pretty much anything! Silly, sketchy, deep, serious, pointless, boring, emotional, whatever. Most important - HAVE FUN!! If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us! What do you need to do to join? -> Follow all the hosts (see below)  -> Use the tags for the challenge (see below) -> Tag all of the hosts in your post as well as in your image Have fun creating! We can’t wait to see what you make :)  The hosts:  @Majken_enequist_art @ehud.neuhaus @niek_schuil_illustrations @annetoppenillo @jessamijn @geeske_illustrations @maluhendrikszen and @vensteracademy The main hashtag for the challenge:  #VensterVisualStoryChallenge2026 The hashtags to use per prompt:  #VVSC26curiosity #VVSC26collision #VVSC26illuminate #VVSC26narrow
🚨 PROMPT REVEAL IS HERE 🚨 Ready for the Venster Vi 🚨 PROMPT REVEAL IS HERE 🚨 Ready for the Venster Visual Story Challenge? ✨ Prompts: • Curiosity (May 4–10) • Collision (May 11–17) • Illuminate (May 18–24) • Narrow Escape (May 25–31) This May:  4 weeks = 4 prompts = 4 micro stories 🎬  One short visual story per week.  Connect them into one bigger story if you want—or keep them separate. Your call. What are micro stories? Short visual stories (2–6 images), more or less is allowed for sure. But the challenge is to say more with less.  We’ll share examples and tips soon—stay tuned 👀 Who can join? Everyone. Any level, any medium—just keep it human-made. How to join: • Follow all hosts • Use #VensterVisualStoryChallenge2026 • Use the weekly hashtags • Tag all hosts in your caption AND image Let’s create—we can’t wait to see what you make 🔥 The Hosts: @majken_enequist_art @ehud.neuhaus @niek_schuil_illustrations @annetoppenillo @jessamijn @geeske_illustrations @maluhendrikszen en @vensteracademy   Challenge Hashtag: #VensterVisualStoryChallenge2026 Hashtags per prompt: #VVSC26curiosity  #VVSC26collision  #VVSC26illuminate  VVSC26narrow
🎉Announcing the return of the Venster Visual Story 🎉Announcing the return of the Venster Visual Story Challenge this May on Instagram! (Dutch below) Join us, a group of Venster Academy alumni and students, in creating visual micro-narratives. 🗓 When? 4 weeks in May, starting on the 4th 📌 How it works: For each week in May, you get one prompt to create 1 visual micro-story (just a few images). By the end, you’ll have 4 micro-stories that can each stand alone OR connect into a bigger tale. Use any style or medium—as long as it’s human-made! 🎯 To join: Follow the hosts: @majken_enequist_art @ehud.neuhaus @niek_schuil_illustrations @annetoppenillo @jessamijn @maluhendrikszen @geeske_illustrations Also follow our alma mater: @vensteracademy Prompts drop April 6 so you can prep ahead. Post weekly in May with hashtags: #VensterVisualStoryChallenge2026 & the hashtag for the prompt Tag all hosts and @vensteracademy in image & caption so we can see and share your work! ✅ Micro-stories are short but can be rich—serious or playful, fast or detailed. 📣 Have fun, spread the word, and share your stories! #MicrostoryChallenge #VisualStorytelling #IllustrationChallenge (NL) 🎉Doe mee met de Venster Visual Story Challenge in juni op Instagram! Samen met studenten en alumni van de Venster Academie maken we visuele microverhalen. 🗓 Wanneer? De hele maand mei – 4 weken 📌 Hoe werkt het? Voor elke week is er 1 prompt om 1 microstory te maken (kort beeldverhaal in een paar beelden). Aan het eind van mei heb je 4 verhalen die op zichzelf staan of samen één groter verhaal kunnen vormen. Gebruik elk materiaal of stijl die je wilt, zolang het maar human-made is. 🎯 Meedoen? Volg de hosts: @majken_enequist_art @ehud.neuhaus @niek_schuil_illustrations @annetoppenillo @jessamijn @maluhendrikszen @geeske_illustrations en natuurlijk: @vensteracademy De prompts worden op 6 april gedeeld. Post je verhaal wekelijks met de hashtags #VensterVisualStoryChallenge2026 & de hashtag voor de prompt Tag alle hosts + @vensteracademy in beeld én tekst zodat we je werk kunnen delen. ✅ Microstories zijn kort maar krachtig – snel of gedetailleerd, alles mag. 📣 Vertel het door en vooral: veel plezier!
So what do we think he did?? Experiment of the da So what do we think he did?? Experiment of the day: working on gessoed paper. Works great with the soft pastel, because it gave a nice texture to my very smooth sketchbook paper. Unsurprisingly not too great with watercolour 🙃 #agrandscribblygame #agrandscribblygame5 #sketchbookplay #sketchbookpage #sketchbookpractice Thank you hosts! @mosokje @sudden.strangeness @ksenia_topaz @janneke.kelderman @jacqueline.davis.artist @bepolinarium @zeke.draw @pepe_watercolour @marinahenina
The insects are fighting 😱 Day 4 of #agrandscribbl The insects are fighting 😱 Day 4 of #agrandscribblygame I tried monoprinting with charcoal directly on the illustration. Bit nervous haha, but like the effect! #agrandscribblygame4 #creativeplay #creativepractice #illustratorsketchbook Thank you hosts! @mosokje @sudden.strangeness @ksenia_topaz @janneke.kelderman @jacqueline.davis.artist @bepolinarium @zeke.draw @pepe_watercolour @marinahenina
Little snack for day 3 of #agrandscribblygame! Mad Little snack for day 3 of #agrandscribblygame! Made with a bit of painting and mostly collage of premade textures #agrandscribblygame3 #sketchbookplay #creativeplay #sketchbookpage Thank you hosts! @mosokje @sudden.strangeness @ksenia_topaz @janneke.kelderman @jacqueline.davis.artist @bepolinarium @zeke.draw @pepe_watercolour @marinahenina