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.
-
Filter By Artist
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
Jisu Choi Unfolds Samsung’s Galaxy Campaign with j-hope
Jisu Choi illustrates Samsung Korea’s Galaxy Unpacked campaign with j-hope, using a street scene and “new ratio” clue to invite followers to imagine the next Galaxy device before its reveal.
Clara Super Duper Illustrates Showbåden 2026 for Copenhagen Opera Festival
Clara Super Duper created the poster for Showbåden 2026 at Copenhagen Opera Festival, a live opera canal cruise running 13 August to 6 September.
The event introduces opera through music, story and city setting, with a Tidal playlist for listeners.
Debora Szpilman Checks In at The Webster Hotels, New York and London
Debora Szpilman created brand illustrations for The Webster hotels as part of a new identity by 01-20 Studio. The project connects hospitality, magical realism, Gabriel García Márquez and cultural storytelling, giving the brand a distinct authored voice across guest touchpoints.
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.
Jisu Choi x CHANEL Animation: Panoramic Portrait of Seoul for Métiers d’art 2026
Jisu Choi has illustrated an animated teaser for CHANEL’s Métiers d’art 2026 collection in Seoul, introducing the city through a panoramic vision of tradition, modernity, nature and urban life ahead of the House’s presentation at Centre Pompidou Hanwha.
DIOR Cruise 2027 Illustration: Javi Aznarez Creates Jonathan Anderson’s Los Angeles Guide for Dior
DIOR Cruise 2027 : illustrator Javi Aznarez creates a Los Angeles Guide for Jonathan Anderson, featuring Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, The Broad Museum, The Getty Museum, Rodeo Drive, Chateau Marmont, Beverly Hills Hotel, Sunset Tower, Bar DiBello, Max and Helen’s, Musso, Frank Grill and a pink cadillac.
Giant Robot 2 Gallery, LA, Presents Film School II : A Group Exhibition
Film School II: The Return at Giant Robot Gallery (Los Angeles) features Dutch Uncle artist Ping Zhu. This exhibition translates cinematic frames into narrative paintings from April 25 to May 12, 2026. It explores the architecture of cinema through shared cultural memory and contemporary art and illustration.
The Voices Shaping 2026: Noma Bar and Javi Aznarez Named in CreativeBoom’s Top 15 Illustrators
The top 15 illustrators of 2026 including Noma Bar & Javi Aznarez, as selected by the Creative Boom community, represent a diverse global cohort redefining visual storytelling. This list highlights artists who champion unique personal perspectives and distinctive voices across all landscapes.
Merry-Go-Round Broke Down: Noma Bar’s Iconic Book Cover Art for David Woo’s Globalization Novel
Noma Bar’s wraparound book cover design for Merry-Go-Round Broke Down establishes the visual identity for David Woo’s globalization novel. Published by Regalo Press, this historical fiction uses nine parables to explore capital’s butterfly effect. A 2008 hostage crisis serves as a microcosm for our interconnected global order
Toby’s Estate Brings Australian Coffee Culture to Tribeca with Quirky Debora Szpilman Illustrations
Toby’s Estate has arrived in Tribeca, blending Australian coffee heritage with vibrant design. The flagship features playful illustrations by Debora Szpilman across menus, merch, and t-shirts. The space, designed by New York Design Architects, celebrates Toby Smith’s journey from a garage roastery to a global presence at 310 Greenwich Street.
Jisu Choi: The Illustrator Behind the Iconic Poster for Netflix’s "BTS: The Return"
Discover the story behind the official Netflix poster for BTS: The Return, illustrated by acclaimed South Korean artist Jisu Choi.
Commissioned for the global premiere on March 27, this exclusive artwork captures the evolution of BTS from military service to their new album, Arirang. Directed by Bao Nguyen, Jisu’s intricate hand-drawn style perfectly encapsulates the K-pop icons' journey.
Explore the creative process behind the year’s most anticipated documentary.
The 2026 Mirror: Fritz Lang’s METROPOLIS Prophecy and the Art of Christian Montenegro
It’s 2026, the exact year the classic story Metropolis was set in a century ago. While today’s world uses tech to map DNA and solve medical mysteries, Christian Montenegro’s art takes us back to the bold, mechanical look of the industrial age. His bauhaus inspired illustrations show the perfect balance between the way we think and the way machines work.
Brian Rea illustrates 52 Break-Up Lines for The New York Times, Modern Love
The New York Times Modern Love feature gathers 52 real-life breakup lines, funny, brutal, and unexpectedly poetic, illustrated by Brian Rea. His minimal, human drawings elevate the piece into a quietly powerful study of how relationships end, revealing humour and vulnerability in equal measure.
Amélie: 25th Anniversary Film Poster by Javi Aznarez for Curzon Cinema’s
To mark 25 years of Amélie, Javi Aznárez has created an intricately layered poster for the UK re-release with Curzon a detailed, character-filled tribute that captures the film’s warmth, whimsy, and enduring visual magic in a single, richly composed image.
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 Book Every Child Should Own: Katy Hessel and Ping Zhu's The Illustrated Story of Art Without Men
The Illustrated Story of Art Without Men," is a new children's book by Katy Hessel with vibrant illustrations by Ping Zhu. Re-examining art history to spotlight overlooked female artists, challenging centuries of male-dominated narratives.
Hand Drawn Illustration: Why Rob Nicol is a Refreshing Antidote to "Gray Goo" Illustration
Discover why Robert Nicol’s hand-drawn illustration is the definitive antidote to 'grey goo' design. Explore the 2026 resurgence of the human crafted touch in editorial illustration, highlighting Nicol’s 'wonky' aesthetic and RCA-trained expertise.
Illustrated Coffee Packaging Design: From Coffee Bag to Brand Obsession
Coffee packaging has shifted from generic jars to design-led branding where illustration drives identity.
In a crowded market, bold artwork and storytelling turn bags into creative canvases. While trends may evolve toward minimalism or sustainability, packaging remains a powerful tool for differentiation and cultural impact.
Drawing the Line: What the $1.5 B Anthropic Case Means for Illustrators, AI, and Copyright
The $1.5 billion Anthropic settlement marks a turning point for AI and copyright, confirming that creative work cannot be used to train models without consent. For illustrators and visual artists, it reinforces intellectual property rights, pushes for transparency in AI training, and signals growing legal accountability across the generative AI industry.
The case sets a precedent for fair compensation and ethical collaboration between technology and creativity.