Interview: Ellis Tollsma
(March 2022)
We love the softness in Ellis' work, in the light and colour used. Ellis is riso instructor in Hilversum, so we're naturally quite sympathetic to the way they've been integrating the textural affects of riso printing into their work.
With my practice as an illustrator I often work with a lot of color and graphic shapes. I really want people to experience a joyful and whimsical sort of world when they look at my work. I love using different materials and techniques, learning lots of new things, but creating this sort of united world with the look of it all. A big part of my work is about finding happiness and how we can keep a little bit of magic alive in our very unmagical world.
I’ve been working as a freelance illustrator for three years now, and I’ve been really enjoying it so far. I really love working for clients, the projects I get in are always super interesting and make me try out new concepts and ideas. The versatility is super fun. I also work part-time as a riso-print instructor at an art school. Together I always come across new and interesting stuff to do, it’s never boring.
At the moment I’m trying to teach myself 3D in Blender and coding! I would love to make my own small games, but that for now is a distant dream. The 3D I am trying to incorporate within my illustration practice, but for now it’s more of an hobby. I think 3D animating and illustration looks super interesting and is way more accessible now than it used to be, and I love to challenge myself by learning new things!
If you could have a magical power, what would it be?
If I could have ONE magical power it really would be teleportation. I think it would just make my life so much easier haha, and save me money travelling and save me money for housing. I could be always on time! Never miss the train! Scare people by appearing right behind them! And it would be so fun to travel to other countries, be able just to explore new places on a Sunday afternoon and be back by the evening. I think being able to do that would also inspire me so much, I can imagine you would have a lot of new stories to tell if you could teleport everywhere!
Lately I’ve been working a lot more with Riso again. I stopped for a while because it was very labor intensive, but since I now give riso workshops at a school I’ve also been designing my own work with riso again. I’m now animating in risoprint, which is super fun to do and very rewarding. I think it’s such a cool way to design.
The textures of the riso-print move as well as the image, so you get an really interesting effect. I’m working on a couple different projects, the animating in risoprint is one, but I’m also working on a book on Dutch folklore. It’s probably also something I’ll incorporate some riso textures in. I’ve really enjoyed working on those things!
The tool I like to work with is riso, like I mentioned above. The texture and color of riso just looks really nice and I love that it isn’t as digital as most of my work. It gives my work a bit more ‘life.’ I love the feel of the paper and working with the different inks, experimenting and trying to challenge myself by mixing colours.
I think risograph printing gives my digital work a little bit more ‘edge’ to it. It gives lines and shapes a little bit of imperfectness. Risoprinting makes sure you are always a bit surprised with what you end up with.
