Licensing
Opinionated animals for your products.
I'm Tim Hupkes (she/her), a Dutch artist. I paint animals with a point of view: cats with a verdict, owls that are not impressed, hares in racing cars. The humour sits in the characters, so the work holds up on a card, a puzzle, a mug or a tea towel.
Products, commissions and press
- My painting Universal (above) was licensed by Berendsohn AG (Hamburg) for a mug and coaster in their COOL range.
- My own line of greeting cards, sold in this shop and to independent shops (see wholesale).
- A commission from Bibliotheek Rotterdam for Children's Book Week 2006: the illustrations for the poster, flyers and programme booklet of the celebration at the Central Library.
- Featured Artist on Artsy Shark (October 2026). Earlier on Artsy Shark: "The Art of Whimsy" (2014) and the 2022 Artist Showcase.
- Working artist since 2003. Trained in art direction and copywriting at the Willem de Kooning Academy, and at the Art Licensing Academy.
More background: collaborations and press.
Collections
Animals with an opinion
Short, sharp and recognisable. Made for cards, mugs and gifts.
Classic Cars (Go Everywhere)
Animals at the wheel of classic cars. Rich in detail, which makes them strong for puzzles, calendars and posters.
Big, Bold & Bonkers
Large, colourful characters with plenty to say. For homeware, textiles and statement pieces.
Christmas
Christmas without the clichés: hares bringing home the tree, cats who have their own ideas about it.
Blackburn & Haptoe
Two expressive birds with crests, red beaks and long tails, drawn in a loose, lively line. Their humour is for adults: big talk on one side, a sharp reaction on the other. A natural fit for humorous cards and short illustrated jokes.
There is more: a large archive of work since 2003. Ask me for a selection for your category.
Also available: abstract paintings
Hand-painted abstracts for wall decor and interiors, under the name Tim Hupkes Studio. See abstract licensing.
A story: Helix & Hamster
Helix & Hamster is a picture book story of my own, fully illustrated. Helix is a young witch. For her 150th birthday she gets the best present ever: Hamster, who can talk. That is their little secret. When Helix can't get a spell right, Hamster lets her practise on him. There is a massive bang, and suddenly her hamster is a dragon.
Watch the intro film: Hamster flies in, lands on Helix's shoulder, crawls under her hair to the other shoulder and flies off again. Animation, drawings and music are all mine.
The full story and a character bible are available on request.
Product categories
- Greeting cards and stationery
- Jigsaw puzzles and games
- Mugs and tableware
- Calendars and diaries
- Textiles and homeware
- Gifts and promotional products
How it works
- I license per product category and region, for an agreed term.
- Royalty or flat fee, depending on the product and the volume.
- The copyright stays with me.
- High-resolution files and a portfolio PDF are available on request.
- I'm happy to create new designs to a brief.
Licensing agents and design studios are welcome to get in touch as well.
Contact
Email tim@timhupkes.com. Tell me about your company, the product and the market you have in mind, and I'll send you a selection that fits.