ManMaker Profile: Dennis de Groot, Graphic Designer Extraordinaire!

My wife and I were recently in Amsterdam. I know, I know, our lives are amazing. But that’s not the focus of this story.

One evening we went to cozy little bar with some outdoor seating. While we were there, two guys sat down on the bench next to us, over looking a canal,like all seats in Amsterdam do.

One of the guys, it turned out, worked in publishing. He’d just brought a print of his client’s new book, “Bare Essentials”, and was showing it to a friend.   I couldn’t help but stare, because each page featured one iconic pop character, reduced down to the most minimal of colors and shapes and yet still completely recognizable.

They let us join in the guessing game, I think because the publisher’s friend was having some trouble recognizing some of the characters, probably because he was bicycling around outdoors in his youth, whereas I spent my entire childhood glued to a tv.

The book, and much of Dennis’ work, revolves around really clean shapes and lines, and vibrant color schemes.

Needless to say I was hooked. And if his book or the Amsterdam rendering at the jump weren’t enough to hook you, check out the story of how he met his wife.