Joris De Raedt
Joris De Raedt is a Belgian-based scientific illustrator, wildlife artist and graphic designer visualising the wonders of the natural world. With his illustrations, Joris aims to connect people with the natural world in order to encourage respect towards nature and to show species and ecosystems worth saving. Translating his fascination with nature into aesthetic and functional content has always been Joris’s greatest passion. Growing up in a family where exploring nature and observing wildlife was always the focal point of every holiday,he has been sketching nature for as long as he can remember.
During De Raedt’s master studies in graphic design he developed his own digital drawing technique. Although working with a graphic tablet, his style pays homage to naturalists of the 19th century. Since he graduated magna cum laude at the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts, he has worked as a full-time artist and natural history illustrator for naturereserves, zoos, nature conservation societies, national post and different publishers. The ideal process of creating an illustration is through fieldwork. Keeping a nature journal with field sketches helps him get familiar with the character of the species and makes it easier to capture its essence in the final illustration. These field trips took him to many places on six continents. His plein-air sketches and watercolour studies play an increasing role in Joris’s work and are often directly used for publications. Joris has been an Associate Member of the SWLA since 2024.
Awards and prizes
Graphic Design Award, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, 2011–2012
World Illustration Awards 2023 — longlisted
Publications
- The Little Owl – Population Dynamics, Behavior and Management of Athene
Noctua 2nd Edition, 2023
- Roofvogels – De mooiste en machtigste dieren in de lucht, 2023
- Vol van Natuur – A Handbook for Guides and Nature Lovers, 2023
- Roofvogels en uilen van Noordwest-Europa, 2017