Klaas Verplancke (1964) switches back and forth between styles with consummate ease, as well as techniques and materials, which he chose to suit each job and adjusted for the subject in hand. Although computers came to play a major role in developing his illustrations, the conventional drawing, using pencil or pen and paper, remained the cornerstone of his work. At first glance, Verplancke's drawings and paintings differ a great deal in appearance and execution. But they always display the qualities that characterise him as an illustrator and designer: a sense of humour that can vary from mild to sardonic, a poetic imagination, a preference for illustrating abstract concepts and universal emotions - and a sideways, surrealistic view of reality. Over the course of twenty years, Klaas Verplancke has developed from being a serviceable illustrator of comic strips and books for youngsters into a hard-headed and imaginative author whose drawings take on a life of their own alongside the
