Portfolio
Works for inspiration
An overview of work by Henk van Dam for inspiration — no longer for sale, but an impression of his style, subjects and development over time. Click on a work to enlarge it, or ask for more information via the CONTACT button.
No. 97
Model, ochre and black
Strongly abstracted composition in warm ochre and brown, with a dense, dark mass reading as a torso or shoulder. The background is kept in a cool, blue-green sea colour, with purple and white strokes suggesting light. At the bottom a few black lines indicate a leg or foot. The contrast between the warm ochre form and the cool background gives the composition a strong, almost architectural tension.
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No. 98
Model study, reclining
Two overlapping reclining figures, held together by thick black contour lines running around the body like a shared frame. The left figure is painted in dark brown and pink, the right in a lighter, ochre-brown tone with a greenish shoulder. The vivid black line functions as the composition's main organising element, while the colour within the contours remains looser and freer.
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No. 99
Model, dominant teal green
Reclining figure, the body painted almost entirely in a muted, sage-like teal green. The head is reddish-brown, with a few confident lines indicating the features. Thin orange lines accentuate an arm and a hand lying loosely beside the body. The unusual, green skin tone gives the figure a serene, almost otherworldly calm.
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No. 100
Two models, dark tones
Two figures close together, both painted in dark, sombre brown and black tones. The front figure, with reddish-brown hair, looks at the viewer, while the second, partly hidden behind the first, is worked out with greenish and blue accents. A thin white chair frame at lower right is the only light element in an otherwise heavy, dark sheet.
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No. 101
Two models, sketch and olive
Two figures side by side, strongly different in execution. On the left stands a figure loosely sketched in black line and thin red threads, the skin barely coloured in. On the right stands a more fully worked figure in warm olive green, with dark teal-green hair and a solid green line running down beside the body like a staff or stick. The contrast between the sparse sketch and the dense, painted figure makes this one of the more experimental sheets in the series.
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No. 102
Model, blue hair reclining
Reclining figure, the head with dark blue hair bowed down. The body is painted in warm peach and salmon tones, firmly outlined by a thick black contour line fixing the pose in a few decisive curves. The legs are drawn up and bent, the feet just visible on the right. The combination of the warm skin and the cool blue hair colour gives the figure a fresh, clear colour contrast.
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No. 103
Model, pink mauve leaning
Leaning figure with dark hair, the body painted in a lush mix of pink, mauve and deep blue, with olive green accents showing through between the colours. A thin pink chalk frame surrounds the figure like a loose, sketchy structure. The richness and saturation of the colours give this sheet a sensuous, almost luxuriant quality.
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No. 104
Two models, yellow and olive
Two seated figures side by side: on the left a figure with blue hair and a yellow dress, firmly outlined in a dark line; on the right a figure with long, dark hair and skin in soft pink, with a skirt in olive green and dark red. Red chalk lines connect the two figures and suggest a shared ground or cloth. The colour contrast between the vivid yellow on the left and the muted olive on the right gives the composition a lively balance.
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No. 105
Model, head tilted back
Figure with the head bent far back, the hair in dark burgundy. The body largely dissolves into a hazy, pale pink and grey wash, with a broad blue band running diagonally across the torso. The open, backward-tilted posture and the fading colours give the figure a moment of surrender or ecstasy.
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No. 106
Model, red chalk lines
Seated figure, the body and limbs set down with firm black lines like a stick-figure contour. The torso is densely surrounded by bright red chalk lines fanning outward in a web of crossing strokes, while the face and torso themselves are painted in warm cream and ochre tones. The intensity of the red chalk framing gives the figure a tense, almost enclosed presence, as if caught in a cage of lines.
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No. 107
Two figures, faint and sparse
Very sparse, almost vanishing composition in which two loose elements stand far apart on the sheet. On the left a thin, olive-brown line winds upward like a branch or an arm, while on the right a hazy, pale blue-grey wash with a small, dark purple-black mark is the only other sign of form. The large, empty space between the two elements gives the sheet a strong sense of distance and silence.
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No. 108
Model, pink diagonal powerful
Dynamic, reclining figure with a powerful black contour line fixing the pose in a few decisive curves. The background is immersed in a diagonal wash of pink, while the body itself is set down in warm brown and olive tones. The combination of the vivid pink diagonal and the black linework gives this sheet a powerful, almost graphic directness.
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No. 109
Model, blue-grey chalk
Standing figure, the body built up predominantly from soft blue-grey pastel with dense black chalk contours sharply outlining the form. Small accents of ochre and green break through the cool, muted palette. The combination of the soft pastel and the hard, black line gives the figure a tension between fluid colour and taut structure.
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No. 110
Model, faded peach
Faded, almost vanishing composition in pale peach and skin tones. At upper left a dark, navy-purple line winds like a scarf or a lock of hair, while at lower right a thin, yellow circular line suggests a head or a piece of jewellery. The rest of the figure largely dissolves into a haze of soft, blurred paint, with only here and there a grey shadow lending some form. The fading itself is the subject here — a figure almost disappearing into the paper.
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No. 111
Model, leaning pale blue
Leaning figure, the body built almost entirely from thin, pale blue chalk lines against a pale, hazy background. On the right a warm, orange-red head of hair or scarf breaks through the cool linework, with a single dark accent for the face. The sparse, transparent chalk structure and the vivid orange note give the sheet a fresh, almost wintry temperature contrast.
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No. 112
Model, bright yellow blonde
Standing figure in bright yellow-green with blonde hair blowing loosely backward, the hand raised to the face in a confident, almost fashionable pose. On the left a second figure is faintly sketched in white and ochre, indicated with only a few lines. The vividness of the yellow-green against the hazy, blue-grey background gives the main figure a radiant, almost sunny presence.
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No. 113
Model, blonde curls olive
Seated figure with a lush mass of blonde, curly hair, the body outlined with dense, dark contour lines. Planes of ochre and rust brown fill the torso, while a small blue accent at the ear forms the only cool detail. The combination of the vivid blonde hair and the earthy, warm torso gives the figure a lively, natural colour contrast.
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No. 114
Model, green and red chalk
Reclining figure with dark hair, the body painted in a pale, cream-coloured tone. Around the lower body curls a dense network of green and orange-red chalk lines, like grass or shrubbery surrounding the figure. The loose, energetic chalk strokes contrast with the calm, fluid paint of the body itself. The combination of green and red gives the composition a natural, almost autumnal atmosphere.
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No. 115
Model, olive on chair
Seated figure with dark, reddish-brown hair, the body painted in a pale, cream-coloured tone with a single yellow earring accent. A green chair leg is just visible at lower right, the only clear sign of the setting. The sober, almost monochrome colouring of the body leaves the attention mainly on the posture and gesture of the figure, rather than on colour contrast.
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No. 116
Model, sienna leaning drapery
Standing figure with dark hair, the skin painted in warm sienna and ochre. In front of the body hangs a soft, green drape falling loosely over the arm and midriff. The combination of the warm skin tone and the cooler green fabric gives the figure a subtle balance between warmth and coolness, with the drape as the resting point in the composition.
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No. 117
Model, seated
In a few brushstrokes the body is indicated, with accents on the face and chest.
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No. 118
Two models, cream and brown
Two figures on one sheet: on the left a reclining figure in a pale, cream-coloured tone almost fading into the white ground, on the right a seated figure with a firm black contour line and skin in warm brown. Small yellow accents at the hands bring an unexpected vivid note to the composition. The contrast between the fading cream on the left and the firmly outlined brown figure on the right gives the sheet two clearly different registers.
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No. 119
Model, arm stretched dynamic
Dynamic figure with an arm stretched diagonally across the sheet, the head in olive green and the body in warm ochre-brown tones. The composition is strongly diagonal, with broad, confident brushstrokes emphasising the movement of the outstretched arm. The combination of the green head and the brown torso gives the figure an earthy, natural presence.
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No. 120
Two models, olive and ochre silhouette
Two standing silhouettes side by side: on the left a figure kept almost entirely in dark, olive-black, on the right a second in warm golden ochre with a red face. The strong contrast between the two silhouettes — one closed and dark, the other radiant and warm — gives the composition a dramatic, almost theatrical tension.
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No. 121
Two models, pink and dark green
Two figures close together, the whole dominated by a lush, mauve-pink wash with dense dark green and black contour lines binding the forms together. Red and blue accents break through the pink ground. The density of the colour and the expressive, crossing lines give this sheet an intense, almost intertwined composition.
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No. 122
Model, kneeling red hair
Kneeling figure with red-tinted hair, the body built from warm ochre and brown tones with dense dark green and navy blue contour lines. Red chalk lines frame the composition in loose, fanning strokes, like a glow around the figure. The combination of the red hair and the red chalk framing gives this sheet a strong, continuous colour theme from top to bottom.
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No. 123
Two models, burgundy and grey
Two figures side by side: on the left a figure in warm burgundy and ochre tones, on the right a second in cooler grey and mauve. Thin blue chalk sketch lines connect the two figures and suggest a shared ground. The temperature contrast between the warm figure on the left and the cool figure on the right gives the composition a subtle, balanced tension.
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No. 124
Model, pink scribbles light
Very light, almost vanishing figure, the body left largely white and cream with only a few olive green brush accents at the torso. At the bottom of the sheet bright pink chalk scribbles break through the otherwise restrained composition, like a sudden burst of colour at the base of an otherwise quiet figure. The contrast between the light top and the vivid pink bottom gives the sheet a surprising energy.
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No. 125
Model, faded ochre yellow
Faded, sparse figure with a head of olive-yellow hair lighting up at the top of the sheet against an otherwise empty, pale ground. Thin dark green and orange lines suggest shoulders and an arm, while the rest of the body is barely indicated. The scarcity of colour and line gives this sheet a hushed, almost absent quality — a figure just on the point of appearing or vanishing.
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No. 126
Bent, seated model
The hands are folded behind the neck and the elbows rest on the knees. The body is outlined with a firm black contour line and filled with varying shades of sage and sea green. A dark navy accent at the shoulder and a small yellow mark break the predominantly green colouring. Below, at the hips and legs, the green shifts into a warmer, mauve-brown tone. The dark seat and the pale elbows form the centre of the composition.
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No. 127
Model, deep red leaning
Leaning figure with a head of green-yellow hair, the body painted in an intense deep red and burgundy-brown. The arm and shoulder are set down in warm ochre and golden tones, while blue chalk lines loosely scribble around the figure like a sketch not yet finished. The depth and saturation of the red give this figure a lush, almost velvety presence.
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No. 128
Model, teal dots
Seated figure, the body outlined with a firm black contour line against a pale, hazy ground. Small, subtle dots of teal-green paint are scattered across the torso, like freckles or spots of light on the skin. A warm, orange chair leg on the right is the only vivid colour accent beside the restrained dots. The combination of the taut black line and the fine, sparing dots gives the figure a refined, almost delicate presence.
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No. 129
Model, olive-grey reclining
Reclining figure in olive-grey, with sienna contour lines binding the body together. The form is laid out broad and stretched across the sheet, with warm, rust-brown lines marking the contours of back and legs against a muted, grey-green wash. A small dark blue accent at lower left is the only cool detail. The horizontal, extended composition and the earthy palette give the figure a calm, almost landscape-like quality.
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No. 130
Model study with green accents
Two figures, light in tone, with a green accent on the lap and thin brown lines. The bodies are kept vague and transparent, with only the green mark and a few red chalk lines giving a concentration of colour. On the right stands a small, colourful detail in yellow, red and green — the feet. The restrained, almost vanishing figure leaves the attention mainly on the few bright colour accents.
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No. 131
Model, blue chair leg
Seated figure on a stool with a blue leg, a green accent on the torso. The body is sketched with thin, dark red lines against a pale, cream-coloured ground, with a small olive green mark at the stomach. At lower right, blue and black lines mark the legs of the stool on which the figure sits. The sober, almost monochrome palette of the figure itself contrasts with the bright colour accents of its surroundings.
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No. 132
Model, black chair green
Seated figure on a solid, black-painted chair, the body in varying shades of green — from fresh mint to dark olive. The face is set down with warm brown and red accents, with a small blue detail at the eye. The navy blue arms rest loosely on the armrests. The heavy, almost architectural chair dominates the lower half of the composition, while the figure seems to sit light and almost floating on top of it.
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No. 133
Model, sage and rust
Seated figure in sage tones, with rust-brown and ochre accents marking the arms and legs. The hair is dark navy blue, the hand resting against the head in a pensive gesture. The paint is applied thin and watercolour-like, the texture of the paper still visible through the pale, transparent layers. The combination of sage and rust gives the figure a muted, autumnal warmth.
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No. 134
Model, navy blue accent
Crouched or hunched figure, the torso filled with a bright yellow-green and olive plane forming the centre of the composition. At the bottom a compact, dark navy blue accent marks the pelvis or legs. Thin grey pencil lines loosely and sketchily frame the figure. The sharp contrast between the vivid yellow-green and the deep navy blue gives the composition a bold, graphic clarity.
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No. 135
Three models
The dark, olive green figure in the foreground, bent forward or crouching, with dense black brushstrokes making the form compact and heavy. At upper right, far removed and much hazier, a second figure is sketched in red and grey wash tones, almost dissolving into the background. The contrast between the dense, dark figure in the foreground and the faint, almost vanished figure behind it gives the sheet a strong sense of depth and distance.
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No. 136
Model, confetti colours
Seated figure with dark hair, the body left almost entirely uncoloured except at the arm, where an exuberant burst of small, vivid colour marks — blue, yellow, red, green — is scattered across the skin like confetti. A thin pink line loosely encircles the head and torso. The contrast between the bare, white figure and the exuberant splashes of colour gives the sheet a playful, almost festive energy.
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No. 137
Model, yellow-green dress
Seated figure with dark navy blue hair and a dress in fresh yellow-green, with a dark olive green sleeve on one side and a burgundy arm on the other. Orange contour lines indicate the shape of the dress. The asymmetrical colour division between the two sides of the body gives the figure a lively, almost unbalanced dynamism.
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No. 138
Model, green on chair
Seated figure with dark hair, the torso painted in fresh green and yellow against a pale background. The figure sits on a chair with solid brown legs, orange contour lines indicating the seat and backrest. The fresh green of the torso and the warm brown of the chair give the composition an earthy, natural colour balance.
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No. 139
Model in yellow/green
Seated figure with dark hair, the body kept in yellow/green and burnt sienna tones. Within these strokes, the contours of hips to shoulders are indicated in a few lines. The rest of the figure is sketched with thin, reddish-brown chalk lines against an otherwise open, white sheet.
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No. 140
Model, dark strokes
Seated figure on a wooden stool, the body in pale cream and beige tones with dense, dark olive-black brushstrokes fixing the arms and legs. The dark hair falls loosely over the forehead, with a small red accent at the mouth. The vivid, decisive black strokes against the otherwise soft, pale skin give the figure a graphic sharpness within an otherwise subtle composition.
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No. 141
Model, sienna outline reclining
Reclining figure, laid diagonally across the sheet, with a thin sienna outline binding the body together. Broad, green wash tones fill the torso, while warm ochre and sand-coloured marks at the head and feet round off the composition. The loose, transparent wash technique and the soft sienna line give the figure a fluid, almost landscape-like horizontality.
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No. 142
Model, mustard yellow abstract
Strongly abstracted reclining figure, the body painted largely in mustard yellow and held together by a thick black contour line winding in broad arcs across the sheet. Small pink accents at the head and hip break through the predominantly yellow palette. The vividness of the yellow and the graphic force of the black line make this one of the most colour-intense sheets in the series.
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No. 143
Model, green seated simple
Simply set-down seated figure, entirely in shades of green — from fresh yellow-green to deeper forest green. A dark contour line encloses the body with confident, unbroken strokes, while the legs stretch out to the right. A small blue accent at the knee is the only detail outside the green colour scheme. The sobriety and simplicity of the composition give the figure a calm, concentrated presence.
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No. 144
Model, sage pink surroundings
Seated figure, the body painted predominantly in sage and grey-green tones, surrounded by soft pink and mauve strokes lying like a haze around the form. Orange contour lines loosely sketch the outline of head and shoulders. The combination of the muted sage and the warm pink surroundings gives the composition a soft, almost sfumato-like transition between figure and background.
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