Beastly Worlds

Hi! I’m Beatrijs (Bea), an illustrator and small press creator originally from the Netherlands, based in Bristol. Here’s a little drawing of me and my stress beast, an anxiety-fueled critter that likes to hang about and be a nuisance.

My comics and illustration prints are aimed at anyone who enjoys creatures, plants, folklore and fantasy stories, and a sense of wonder about the world around us. My illustrations are windows into stories of settings, people and creatures with a fantastical element to them. (Such as an ink and watercolour series I have that follows the life of a tiny cat-shaped plant guardian, or a colour combination series that shows magic practitioners with their familiars.)

Here are some helpful foxes carrying (and made with) my go-to art tools.

⁣⁣I often find it hard to pick between them, I love the soft flowy texture of watercolour and brushes, the crisp lines of dip pens and ink, and the vibrant possibilities of digital drawing on the iPad with the Procreate app. I usually mix dip pens and waterproof ink for lines and watercolour for the colours!

I’ve always loved drawing, but my journey to illustration took a little detour, with me studying Chinese and Chinese Literature instead, working for a literary agency and as a social media manager for some time. While I was studying in Taiwan, drawing became a huge part of processing and appreciating my surroundings and experiences.

I have the Beastly Worlds stall, which I take on the road (or rather, train!) up and down the UK for markets and illustration fairs. This includes markets such as Endless Love Creatives at the Baltic in Newcastle, Comic Conventions such as Sequential Scotland in Glasgow and Thoughtbubble in Harrogate, an illustration fairs such as ArtHole in Cardiff and Zinezilla in Bristol. You can keep up to date with upcoming markets via my newsletter - The Beastly Worlds Gazette. Pop in and say hi if you’re in the area!

I make sure my products are as sustainable as possible. For example, for my cards I work with a local carbon balanced printer, Taylor Brothers, using ethically sourced FSC certified materials. For my tote bags I work with the printing company Bag It Don’t Bin It (BIDBI) using natural cotton which has been ethically sourced from a sustainable supply chain. I also work with BIDBI to produce my drawstring bags, which are made from 100% Fairtrade certified and GOTS organic cotton.