about Brigit
Welcome! I’m Brigit Hoogenberk, a Dutch children’s book illustrator living in Oslo. My colorful and imaginative illustrations, full of playfulness and detail, bring stories to life and invite children to embark on adventures.
In everything I do – illustrating, storytelling, and teaching – I strive to connect with the world of children. Their emotions, development, and curiosity are at the heart of my work.
Would you like to collaborate or get in touch? I’d love to hear from you!
Curious about my work process, background, and more? Feel free to read on!
What I do • My work and style
I mainly work in a traditional way, with watercolor as my favorite foundation. By combining the unpredictable qualities of watercolor with pencil, crayons, ink, and gouache, my illustrations gain extra vibrancy and playfulness. I love using light-dark contrasts and color contrasts to give scenes more depth and expression.
After the traditional work, I edit my illustrations digitally. My background in design comes in handy here: besides illustrating, I also enjoy working on layout and design. For one of my book projects, I took care of both the illustrations and the complete book layout. I mainly work with Affinity programs, and I use Procreate during the sketch phase to quickly bring ideas to life.
I find inspiration in everything around me. In my sketchbooks, I love capturing all kinds of things while experimenting with materials and techniques. This free, playful way of working fuels my illustrations and helps me discover new characters and stories again and again.
My son is my biggest source of inspiration. His love of nature and getting messy, his creative Duplo creations, his wild drawing and painting sprees, and his Dutch-Norwegian stories all inspire me enormously (all very mixed media). Through his eyes, I see the world anew: full of wonder, adventure, and endless possibilities—something I try to capture in my work.
Publications and collaborations
New book coming soon! – Expected September 2025
“De laatste traan” (The Last Tear) — written by An Van Daele, illustrated by Brigit Hoogenberk (2025, Clavis Publishers, Hasselt – Amsterdam – New York)
“Kikkers in de klas” (Frogs in the Classroom) — written by Daniëlle van den Heuvel, illustrated by Brigit Hoogenberk (2021, self-published)
My greeting cards are available at Voorlopig stores in The Netherlands in Rotterdam West, Delft, and The Hague.
I also regularly create custom birth announcement cards! Feel free to contact me for more information.
My background
Drawing and painting have always been my great passion. At home, the walls were filled with our own artworks, and as a child, children’s book illustrations were my greatest favorites. They made reading easier and fueled my love of stories—something I now want to pass on to young readers.
After high school, I studied Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology. There, I combined my creativity with my passion for math and physics.
Later, I entered the field of education through a traineeship. For nearly ten years, I taught Physics and the Technasium subject Research & Design at a secondary school—a period during which working with young people and witnessing their development into young adults deeply inspired me.
Still, the desire to give more space to my creative side never left me.
In my final years in education, I started my illustration career, working one day a week.
In 2022, I moved to Oslo with my partner Niek, where I became the mother of our son Kasper. In Oslo, I made my dream of becoming a children’s book illustrator come true. Today, I work as an illustrator on various children’s book projects and serve as school leader and teacher at NTC Het Noorderlicht, the Dutch school in Oslo for children with Dutch or Flemish backgrounds. It’s a wonderful combination, allowing me to merge my passion for education with my love of children’s books, storytelling, and creating art.
Collaborate or connect?
I hope my illustrations and stories will inspire and surprise you and the children in your life. Would you like to collaborate, see more of my work, or just have a chat?
Things that make me happy...
The sound of nature • Building Duplo creations with my son • Movies & series • Coffee with coconut milk • Singing • Knitting • Autumn colors • Podcasts & audiobooks • People-watching • Fresh snow • Reading to my son • Indonesian food • Birds • Yellow & green • Plants • Croissants • Swimming • Drinking tea • Reading fiction books • Springtime • Playing board games • Carnival in Oeteldonk • Discovering children’s literature • The smell of summer rain • Making popcorn • Watching talent shows • Reading graphic novels • and of course… lots and lots of picture books!