Meet Dana Martens:
About Dana
Dana Martens (1983) grew up with pencil and brush in hand and knew from an early age that drawing was her language.
In 2023 she made her debut with ‘Nessie, the Hidden Water Creature’. It quickly became a bestseller and marked the beginning of her creative journey as an illustrator.
Her picture books invite readers into an enchanting world of atmosphere and imagination. Her dedication to traditional techniques — watercolour, pencil and gouache — defines her work. Together they form a recognisable, poetic visual language in which animals, nature, contrast, shadow and light take centre stage.
Having grown up close to nature, it remains her greatest source of inspiration.
Her illustrations invite people to slow down, dream and lose themselves in a richly detailed universe.
In 2026 she received the Picturale Audience Award for her illustrations in Winterwelp.
“Handmade art brings stories to life in an enchanting way, straight from the heart — something that should never disappear.”
Dana wants to keep creating books that are not only read, but experienced and cherished by children and adults alike.
Winner of the 2026 Picturale Audience Award for Winterwelp.
Dana's studio
Dana's studio is more than a workplace. It is a collection of stories, memories and objects that have found their place over the years. Almost nothing is new; every object carries a history and quietly inspires her work.
Before starting a new illustration, Dana plays indie music and fills her water jar. This simple ritual marks the beginning of a careful analogue process centred on paper, paint and pencil.
She mainly works with gouache, watercolour and coloured pencils. Layer by layer, an illustration emerges, finished with delicate dots of Posca paint — a small detail that has become a recognisable part of her visual language.
In an increasingly digital illustration world, Dana consciously chooses traditional techniques. Not out of nostalgia, but because she believes her greatest strength lies in the handcrafted process.
Her artistic world began with an old painter's chest that once belonged to her aunt. It still stands in her studio today, reminding her every day where her love of illustration started.
Every illustration that leaves the studio carries a small piece of that world with it.
“Surrounded by autumn colours, my animals, a cup of coffee and some paint… I disappear into my magical bubble.”