Founder of Studio Turbo, Raoul Wilke is a graphic designer and printmaker from ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. He graduated in 2011 from AKV Sint Joost Art Academy with an insatiable hunger for printmaking. After graduating, Raoul’s familiarity with skateboard culture lead him to reinvent himself, inspired by bold colours, strong shapes and cheeky slogans. Today, his practice mainly focuses on developing visual identities, editorials and the occasional festival branding, advocating striking typography, loud colours and energetic visual elements in his design projects.
As a printmaker he has a lighthearted illustrative approach. Raoul’s goal when making prints is simple; “to make people smile or leave them with a sense of wonder“. He likes to experiment with all kinds of analogue techniques and digitally rearrange them into new compositions, exploiting the best of both worlds. This approach allows Raoul to explore all the possibilities of screen printing and Riso printing, amongst others.
Raoul usually starts his creative process with quirky puns or developing a sudden obsession for certain textures. This inspiration is then used to set the outlines for a new print. Within these outlines he starts experimenting with paint, stamps, charcoal, markers, sandpaper, plotting machines or paper clippings; just about anything that can be used to create imagery. The results of the experiments are then digitally rearranged with Adobe Indesign or Illustrator into artworks that radiate joy or show the beauty of seemingly simple things like textures or gradients.
Recently, Raoul has started experimenting with a cutting plotter by replacing the knife with a DIY marker tool. This tool makes it possible to print beautiful gradients in one smooth line. By using transparent inks and overlapping designs unexpected and colourful prints spring to life.
During the first COVID lockdown in The Netherlands, Raoul worked together with 3 other designers from his hometown. The Nieuwe Bossche School project focused on brightening up the empty streets and commercial advertising spaces with a series of uplifting posters. By collaborating with a local screen printing workshop they raised enough money through poster sales to cover the city with their artworks. The project turned out to be so successful the 4 designers decided to put together an exhibition to celebrate their favourite medium; the poster.
Although Raoul is currently working on some exciting branding projects, in the future he hopes to have more time for printmaking. He firmly believes in the innovating and stress relieving powers of a healthy balance between commissioned and personal work.
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