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A few weeks ago, I made this drawing of a Chinese vase in my sketchbook. I really love to elaborate in detail all those elegant motifs that show the mastery of the designers from centuries ago! And a poem should not be missing here :)

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I have my sketchbooks to try out new ideas. When I'm happy with it, I take a nice sheet of paper and do the whole thing over again. This drawing is my representation of paradise. The words on the left and right are translations of the word 'paradise' in different languages of the world. A lot of people ask me how many pigment liners I use for one drawing like this so I put it to the test and, although this piece is quite big (50 x 70 cm), I only used one fineline,  just at the finish starting a second one.
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This  is a - nearly finished - drawing from a collection of bottle caps. I only used 3 different sizes of black pigment liners. Why did I choose for crown corks? Because there's such a big variety of type in them. It made me reflect on the fact that every design, how simple it may look, is carefully thought of. And there's only limited space! I learned a lot about type by making this drawing.

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I drew this  row of books on the bookshelf in my studio. I only used a very fine fineliner and a black pencil. It was an interesting exercise for learning about drawing type and the diversity of lettering forms. 

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I've always wanted to draw a chicken but nothing ever came of it. Finally, last week, I spent the whole day drawing this huge black-and-white chicken in my Moleskine sketchbook, ànd doing the lettering. Now I'm figuring out what I will draw on the opposite page. I've already got some ideas!

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Just a new page in my big sketchbook. These names are of people who mysteriously disappeared at sea during the last 75 years and whose whereabouts remain unknown.  Many  disappeared while on voyages or traveling via aircraft. I thought it a worthy opportunity to pay attention to these sad cases.

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During these strange Corona times I started a journal. I'm a huge fan of lists, meaning: books I read, films I saw, music I like etc. But I also wrote down snippets from old diaries and old letters, even a part of a family tree. But most of all I drew a massive amount of decorative patterns and borders. They're all my own design. I can assure you, it is an addiction! You start with some lines, dots or round shapes in a regular pattern and you keep adding until you have the desired outcome. I use different sizes of fineliners and one extra color which is my favorite, yellow.  I highly recommend to anyone making a journal like this. Don't hesitate to ask for more information if you have any questions! I still have a lot of pages to fill and I don't care at all :)

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I spend hours and hours in my studio.  It’s a place of concentration and inspiration and hard work and late nights. Because my studio is in my home, the work  just never seems to end! But I couldn't imagine another way of life. I'm working on a new drawing in my big sketchbook. I was inspired by many things. First of all by old Swiss 'scherenschnitte' that I found, browsing in my mother's old folk art books. But also by ancient Arabic and Ottoman botanical manuscripts. And finally by a black and white embroidery I made many many years ago when I was an embroidery teacher. 

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Joke Boudens

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Copyright Joke Boudens 2015. All images and content are the property of Joke Boudens  unless otherwise noted.