IRIS BAKKER STUDIO

Blind drawing at your event - how does it work? ✨HOW✨ I come to your event, set up a station and draw your guests as they come by my table. I hang the drawings to dry, and when your guests go home they take their portrait with them as a memory of your event! ✨HOW MUCH✨ This is hard to answer generally, as all events are different and there’s a big difference in the number of guests 😅 But if you’re curious you can fill out a booking request (link in bio) and I’ll send you something to look at. It’s not because it’s a secret, just because the events I go to have everything from 5 to 300 guests😂 you Can also just DM me :-) ✨HOW LONG✨ One portrait takes about two minutes, and I can draw around 18-20 an hour if there’s a constant flow. I draw approximately 60 guests in 3 hours. ✨OTHER QUESTIONS✨ Do you have any other questions? Drop them in the comments and I’ll try to answer them ♥️ Video clip from a beautiful wedding this past weekend 👀 #blinddrawing #irisbakker #weddingpainter #eventpainter #portraitartist

Why do I draw portraits? I think the special moment between me and a stranger is the most beautiful moment I can imagine. And I believe it has a positive outcome on the world I want to co-create. It is proven that sharing eye contact makes us feel connected and safe, and helps build trust. When I’m staring at people I quite often get the reaction “this is the longest I’ve EVER looked someone in the eyes”. I hope, that have this intense feeling of connectedness that is experienced in the blind drawn portrait session, inspires people to go out there and have it with others. Have a little extra eye contact with their family or smile at a stranger they pass on the streets. It’s a small reminder that we are not alone ♥️ When was the last time you felt connected and present? What made you feel that? Video by @marthathestrup while I drew her 🥰 #portraitdrawing #portraitart #irisbakker

What kind of experience do I create when I do this? Blind drawing people live creates a space of presence and connectedness to me. The presence emerging from the connection between two people is to me not the product of a statement about seizing the day or to be present in the moment at all times to have a good life. It is instead an experience of really paying attention to the other person and to stay present in that experience. Daring to sit without judgements and stay open to the connection throughout the experience. It is my experience that people are always surprised how intense this feels. Being in the now together with someone else, staying in the connection and even more important staying in yourself. There is no escape from yourself and that experience is something I think is very important and that I love giving to whoever I am drawing ♥️ #blinddrawing #portraitdrawing #irisbakker #expressiveportrait #femaleartist #portraitart #portrait

Drawing at the cinema premiere of the TV show ‘Familier I Norden’. All photos by @richohald 💪 I was part of the premiere for the crew behind the series before the official red carpet and cinema release. I drew portraits of everyone in the crew, for them to take home as a memory of the evening. But also as a memory of their work together. It was such a nice drawing session with a very vibrant energy.

And here’s a little quote about their experience: “I had the pleasure of Iris in connection with a dinner we hosted ahead of a cinema premiere for a new fiction series. The moment the first person sat down in Iris’s chair, most of the party’s jaws dropped, because once her hands got to work, it was as if a touch of magic appeared. For us, it supported the sense of community we were aiming for and elevated the event from a dinner to something more special and exclusive.” - Tine Meldgaard #blinddrawing #irisbakker #weddingpainter #eventpainter #portraitartist

All these portraits were blind drawn with both hands at a party on the harbour of Juelsminde ♥️🙌 I think it’s so fun to see how differently they all turn out! 😁 If you want to know if it is within your budget to book me for your next event, don’t hesitate to ask. People ask all the time, and my prices are not secret, just sometimes different because all parties are too 😘🤫 #portraitartist #livepainter #liveartist #eventpainter #irisbakker

Why do I draw presence portraits? I think the special moment between me and a stranger is the most beautiful moment I can imagine. And I believe it has a positive outcome on the world I want to co-create. It is proven that sharing eye contact makes us feel connected and safe, and helps build trust. When I’m staring at people I quite often get the reaction “this is the longest I’ve EVER looked someone in the eyes”. I hope, that having this intense feeling of connectedness that is experienced in the blind drawn portrait session, inspires people to go out there and have it with others. Have a little extra eye contact with their family or smile at a stranger they pass on the streets. It’s a small reminder that we are not alone ♥️ When was the last time you felt connected and present? What made you feel that? Video from @lysskoven_kulturmoedet / @kulturmoedet 🥰 #portraitdrawing #portraitart #irisbakker #eventpainter #liveeventpainter #eventartist

A dream has come true, making this puzzle in collaboration with @ravensburgerglobal and @danskpuslespilsforening ❤️ The puzzle was especially designed for the Danish Jigsaw Puzzle Championship 2026, individual final! The puzzle illustration is inspired by the Greenlandic myth about the “Mother of the Sea”. There are several versions of the tale, but the first time I heard it, it was about how Nature gives us everything we need, but if we show disrespect, it has the power to take it back.

The Mother of the Sea lives on the bottom of the ocean and is the guardian of all marine life; seals, walruses, whales, fish etc. When humans act greedily, disrespect nature or the animals they kill, she manifests their sins by capturing filth and animals in her hair, leading to hunger on land. When the community suffers, it is the job of the Angakkoq (shaman) to fix the relationship between humanity and nature. The shaman travels to the bottom of the sea, finding the Mother in a state of misery, covered in the filth of human behavior. To appease her, the shaman must comb her hair and wash away the dirt. Rather than viewing nature as an endless supply, the myth frames nature as a partner in a fragile, reciprocal contract. I’m super thankful to both @ravensburgerglobal and @danskpuslespilsforening for giving me this opportunity. It has been an exciting challenge, to make an artwork with the GOAL of making it fun to puzzle. The choices I made were different from if I had only made it as an illustration. A lot of thought has gone into the design. 

My goal was that different areas spoke to different puzzlers strengths: gradients, color blocks, textures, details/no details, etc. to ensure that every participant would have an area to start with that played to their strength. Hopefully giving everyone a good start 😘 I’m blown away by the puzzle community and how you all received it. Thank you so much for an amazing weekend ♥️

I LOVED MAKING THIS and I hope you want to make more @ravensburgerglobal 🤞 - Iris Bakker
 #ravensburger #dmipuslespil #danskpuslespilsforening #irisbakker #puzzledesign #puzzleillustration #puslespil

What a year it has been!! 😍 Taking the time to reflect a bit on the past year makes me feel thankful for all the experiences I’ve had and all the people I’ve met. Putting this real together shows the many different places I’ve been this year and how I’ve worked with drawing in so many different ways! ✨Drawing to support a story in a book ✨Drawing to share funny stories at a bachelorette party ✨ Drawing to meet people and really SEE them ✨ Drawing to celebrate the beautiful outfits of guests ✨ Drawing to put a political agenda on the table ✨ Drawing to sketch out a mural coming up in 2026 ✨ Drawing to celebrate an anniversary by thanking the people who got them there ✨ Drawing to let go of perfectionism ✨ Drawing to have fun! All in all: drawing to bring people together and to create connections ♥️ Thank you to everyone who’s asked me to contribute to their event this past year and thank you to everyone supporting me digitally as well ♥️ Let’s rest and get ready for another year 🥂 #eventpainter #portraitdrawing #liveeventpainter #irisbakker #livepainter

Small clips from a lovely drawing session from earlier this year.. when it was super sunny and warm outside👀 These days it’s getting darker and darker outside, but 9 days from now the days will slowly increase again ♥️ It’s easy to let the darkness steer us into isolation mode, crawling up under a blanket at home, trying our best not to leave the house 😂 But try to hold eye contact just a second longer with the bus driver, the cashier or a random bypasser when you walk the street today. And you might feel it getting just a bit warmer inside already ♥️ Also if you don’t know me: Hi! I’m Iris and I draw portraits of the guests at events, without looking at the paper and with both hands 🙌 #eventpainter #liveeventpainter #portraitdrawing #irisbakker #weddingpainter

Why do I draw portraits without looking at the paper? I think the special moment between me and a stranger is the most beautiful moment I can imagine. And I believe it has a positive outcome on the world I want to co-create. It is proven that sharing eye contact makes us feel connected and safe, and helps build trust. When I’m staring at people I quite often get the reaction “this is the longest I’ve EVER looked someone in the eyes”. I hope, that having this intense feeling of connectedness that is experienced in the blind drawn portrait session, inspires people to go out there and have it with others. Have a little extra eye contact with their family or smile at a stranger they pass on the streets. It’s a small reminder that we are not alone ♥️ When was the last time you felt connected and present? What made you feel that? Are you ready to stay present with your loves ones during this holiday season? #portraitdrawing #portraitartist #liveeventpainter #blinddrawing #irisbakker

✨ IRIS BAKKER I CULTIVATE WEBSHOP ✨ Vi er så heldige at dele hverdagen med Iris Bakker her i Cultivate – og nu kan du også opleve hendes unikke akvareller, som vi sælger i vores webshop 🌱 Tjek dem ud her: cultivate.dk Iris Bakkers egne ord om sit arbejde: “Jeg er uddannet interaktionsdesigner og arbejder i spændingsfeltet mellem kunst og design. Jeg tilbyder live-tegning til events, for eksempel portrættegning af gæster til fester. Jeg arbejder med en særlig teknik, hvor jeg tegner gæsterne uden at kigge på papiret og med to hænder på én gang. Den intense oplevelse resulterer i ekspressive portrætter, som gæsterne kan tage med hjem.” God 2. december derude ❣️

Recently I had such a beautiful drawing session in Horsens. There was such a special energy in the room this day, the conversations were really honest, deep and meaningful.. even though they last less than two minutes 😅 Something just happens when we sit presently with each other, sharing our full attention and this day specifically it felt so soft, but yet so powerful. I keep being reminded how vulnerability is truly strength. I feel more and more sure about my belief that the world would be better off if we dared to stay more present with each other. Even when it feels uncomfortable to let ourselves be seen. Someone even left to go get me chocolate and fudge to say thank you 🥹 #eventpainter #portraitdrawing #liveeventpainter #blinddrawing #irisbakker