Sylvia Thijssen

Sylvia Thijssen is an illustrator and teaches drawing courses. She also works with ceramics, especially with illustrations and decoration on ceramics. She did Social Pedagogical Assistance and successfully completed the Graphic Lyceum. In 2022, Sylvia started studying Visual Storytelling at Venster, Academy of Illustration and Narrative.

Sylvia creates powerful images, using her sensitive yet accurate graphic line to create a lot of expressiveness. Sylvia enjoys working with printing techniques such as monotype and dry needle.

Sylvia is versatile, she does not shy away from sensitive subjects, but she also draws inspiration from everyday and humorous events. She thinks primarily in images with as little text as possible.

Insta: @thijssensylvia

Mail: sthijssen@fo.nl

Graphic Novel: Too Early

Often you think (want) to be in control of your life. At times in your life, you don’t have this and everything changes in a second, leaving you with nothing to do but let go of everything.

This story is about the extreme premature birth of Sylvia’s daughter, a pregnancy that went differently than it should have. Emergency hospitalization, the fear of what is about to happen and of what you have to lose.

The theme of this story is control, trust and letting go.

Today I am writing a book about Pip

Speaking of everyday and humorous events, with her dog Pip, Sylvia experiences the funniest things. Pip is cheerful and endearing. But Oh, sometimes she has her hands full and is at her wit’s end.

“Today I’m writing a book about Pip” is about a very happy dog who likes everything and is very enthusiastic. His owner wants to write a book about him, but this does not work out so well. Pip is too enthusiastic and splashes the page, Pip’s ear hangs off the page, Pip wants too much and too big.

A playful, loving story that is about true love between a dog and its owner.

Other work

Majken Enequist

Monica Hajek

Irene de Kroon

De wachter_winter

Marieke van Leeuwen