The Journal
The Dutch Uncle Journal is a considered study of illustration, design, and animation in practice, how they are conceived, commissioned and realised in the wider world.
This is where we share the thinking behind our latest projects and engage with the wider shifts shaping visual culture, from the resurgence of handmade texture to the ways art redefines the spaces we inhabit.
A collection of work and ideas from the front line of contemporary illustration.
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Brian Rea / Noma Bar / Satoshi Hashimoto / Javi Aznarez / Debora Szpilman / Simone Massoni / Ping Zhu / Klaus Kremmerz / Lucas Varela / Charlotte Trounce / Marc Majewski / Kustaa Saksi / Alessandro Gottardo (SHOUT) / YOCO / Hsiao-Ron Cheng / Jisu Choi / Graham Roumieu / Tavis Coburn / Joel Holland / Robert Nicol (MA RCA) / Clara Dupré / Marc Burckhardt / Aesthetic Apparatus / Jon Gray (Gray318) / Christian Montenegro / LAPRISAMATA / Gaku Nakagawa / Adam McCauley
Debora Szpilman Illustrates Knight Frank’s Residence Report 2026/27
Debora Szpilman returns to illustrate Knight Frank’s The Residence Report 2026/27, bringing wit and warmth to global luxury property research. Her character-led drawings explore mobility, wellness, hospitality and changing ideas of luxury, continuing her collaboration with Knight Frank once again.
Marc Burckhardt Illustrates Kim Kardashian’s Armenian Family History for Vanity Fair
Marc Burckhardt illustrates Kim Kardashian for Vanity Fair, accompanying Jonathan Van Meter’s Citizen Kim excerpt exploring her Armenian family history, migration to California, inherited ambition and the mythology of destiny behind one of America’s most famous families and business empires.
Debora Szpilman Illustrates Jancis Robinson’s 50 Years of Wine for the Financial Times
Debora Szpilman illustrates Jancis Robinson’s landmark Financial Times feature celebrating 50 years of wine writing. The FT Weekend commission traces five decades of change across wine culture, climate, production and consumption through Debora’s distinctive, witty and elegant editorial illustration.
Gen Z, Smartphones and Student Mental Health, Illustrated by Brian Rea
Brian Rea illustrates Missouri Baptist University Magazine’s feature on Gen Z, smartphones and student wellbeing.
The article explains how social media affects attention, anxiety, sleep and campus life, while MBU responds through media literacy, faith, support and in-person care programmes.
Satoshi Hashimoto for Guardian Food Quarterly: A Beach Feast
Satoshi Hashimoto illustrates a Guardian Food Quarterly summer feature on beach food traditions, from Brazilian pastels and Mumbai sweetcorn to Portuguese bolas de berlim, Mexican coconut pulp and Antiguan seasoned rice, bringing a global shoreline menu into an editorial commission.
Javi Aznarez Illustrates the Hamptons for New York Magazine’s Summer 2026 Issue
Javi Aznarez illustrates New York Magazine’s Summer 2026 Hamptons issue, capturing seasonal workers, family homes, Donohue’s East and Hamptons culture through warm, character-driven editorial illustration that brings humour, social observation and New York summer storytelling to life.
Gardening Stories: Capturing the Magic of the Garden Illustrated By Clara Dupre
Clara Dupre illustrates 24 Illustrations for Charlotte Mendelson’s Observer gardening column with witty editorial botanical artwork. Her gardening illustrations combine plants, humour, character, and storytelling, making the series a strong reference for professional garden illustration, botanical editorial art, and illustrated gardening stories.
The Art of The Long Read: Illustrated by Javi Aznarez for The Guardian
The Guardian Long Read Issue № 3, with creative direction by Chris Clarke, features cover illustrations by Javi Aznarez.
Printed on linen-embossed stock with fluorescent Pantones, the edition showcases premier talent including Justin Metz, Paul Blow, and Spencer Wilson. It is a definitive collection of contemporary craftsmanship in global editorial illustration.
The Art of the Elegant Outlaw: Javi Aznarez and the Lord of Barmbeck
In 1920s Hamburg, Julius Adolf Petersen—the "Lord of Barmbeck"—turned burglary into a high-fashion performance. For Stern Crime, artist Javi Aznarez illustrates this non-violent "Robin Hood" with a sharp "Ligne Claire" lens, revealing a tactical irony: the Lord was too vain to be invisible. By dressing for a gala to rob a stagecoach, Petersen proved that in the underworld, a spotlight is often more dangerous than a gun.
Why Regular Illustration Commissions Matter: Javi Aznarez x Mengya Magazine
Beyond the hunt for one-off commissions, Javi Aznarez’s monthly covers for Mengya Magazine demonstrate the power of the "visual column." Entering 2026, this partnership proves that repetition builds more than just a portfolio—it fosters the trust, speed, and creative freedom necessary to transform a magazine cover into a definitive cultural landmark.
Javi Aznarez and Nieves Publishing: The French Dispatch Covers
Javi Aznarez collaborates with Nieves Publishing on The French Dispatch Covers, a 2025 book collecting his illustrations for The French Dispatch movie.
Designed in a New Yorker-style format, the publication highlights Aznarez’s distinctive linework and colour, integral to Wes Anderson’s visual world and storytelling.
Clara Dupré for Internazionale Kids: A Simple Look at Love
Clara Dupré illustrates a feature for Internazionale Kids exploring the question “What is love?”. Through clear editorial storytelling, the piece presents love as something expressed through actions, care, and responsibility, helping young readers understand emotions in a calm, accessible way grounded in everyday experiences.
Javi Aznarez Turns Starmer and Reeves Into Budget Outlaws for The New Statesman
Javi Aznarez creates a dynamic cover for New Statesman depicting Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves as outlaws amid budget tensions. The illustration captures political urgency and economic debate, using bold editorial storytelling to reflect public reaction to Labour’s fiscal strategy and tax policies.
Lucas Varela : The Art of Polite Chaos in the FT
Lucas Varela creates editorial illustrations for Financial Times, accompanying Robert Shrimsley’s advice column. His work transforms everyday dilemmas into subtle, composed visuals, using quiet humour and minimal detail to reflect moments of tension, decision-making, and human behaviour alongside the column’s dry, observational tone.
Klaus Kremmerz Breathes New Life into French Cinema Classics in The Metrograph Magazine
Klaus Kremmerz creates evocative illustrations for Metrograph Magazine, reinterpreting classic French films such as L'Atalante and Hôtel du Nord. Designed by Matt Willey at Pentagram, the issue combines illustration and editorial design to revive the mood and storytelling of 1930s–40s cinema for contemporary audiences.
Debora Szpilman : Where Warm Meets Witty
Debora Szpilman brings tactile elegance and a "human trace" to global editorial giants like The New Yorker, The New York Times, and HBR. Defined by a painterly palette and quietly subversive wit, her hand-drawn authenticity transforms complex narratives—from wine culture to corporate strategy—into timeless, sophisticated visual stories.
