Amsterdam based illustrator Sandy van Helden creates bold and striking illustrations that evoke emotion. She recently completed her empowering mural at Hutspot Magna Plaza accompanied with a series of prints and t-shirts. We visited Sandy in her home to talk about her aesthetic, way of working and the mural she designed for Hutspot.
How did you became the illustrator you are today?
I was always drawing when I was younger. My parents thought I was quite an easy child, because I would always entertain myself with a pencil and paper. Studying illustration at Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam helped me develop my skill. However, starting out as a freelance illustrator came with many doubts of whether I would be able to find an industry to design for. I experimented working in advertising and discovered that I love the challenge of creating according to a design brief and specific goal. Today, I work for many commercial clients while also developing my own style autonomously.