Illustrator of magazines, cultural media, events or advertising, artistic collaborations are an opportunity to discover new graphic territories.
My experience as an Artistic Director in communication agencies has allowed me to be asked for many projects. So I was able to participate in the realization of scenographic illustrations for plays like the pupil Ducobu, at the Théâtre de la Tour Eiffel, and musicals like the adaptation of Ernest and Célestine at the Gaité Montparnasse, as well as the digital painting decorations of the Kingdom of the Two Worlds at the cultural space of Maisons Laffitte.
Some of these events gave rise to an echo in the media to carry these artistic projects carried out.
I have more or less the same technique for making illustrations as when a customer wants to order a painting. If for this kind of work I draw in my studio, I also paint outdoors. Some of my watercolors are available for sale in my online art gallery.
Depending on the requests, I can perfectly adapt to a requested style (comic strip, pop part, realistic or figurative), but most often I remain faithful to the style of illustration that I use to make my Paris watercolors. , from Provence …
The essential difference is that it is a collaborative work, which maybe in a team when it is the case of a magazine, or in pairs depending on the structure of the client. Illustration conveys a message, a graphic and visual representation in the service of specific content.
Since 2019 I have contributed to the magazine France Amérique for which I work in close collaboration with the Artistic Director and the editors of the articles. Their angle of view is invaluable in highlighting the subjects they wish to illustrate. It is up to me to present several basic sketches in order to validate the compositions before starting their realization.
Requests may vary, it could be for character drawing, historical reenactment or architectural illustration. It is also common for me to deal with the illustration of cooking recipes, ingredients and culinary moods.
When it comes to advertising illustration, briefs are the most directive. This is to meet a promotional or institutional need. It can be to animate a commercial operation, in this case the image must convey a direct and strong message. Sometimes advertising illustration is not at odds with artistic, quite the contrary.
Personally, I always try to meet the primary goal with a relevant image first, but I like to push the exercise with my gaze, my graphic style.
The techniques can be completely different depending on the needs. My areas of expression are varied and adapt to content issues. I have been practicing vector illustration since the 2000s, and appreciate the ease of execution.
Vector illustrations allow optimal reproduction quality: the colors are controlled, the line remains impeccable, without any pixelation or loss of resolution. As a result, this vector drawing technique offers possibilities for printing in very large format.
Aside from the technical aspect, vector illustration, whose flagship software remains unmistakable Adobe Illustrator, allows you to draw with specific graphic styles. Pop and vitamin atmospheres difficult to achieve with traditional painting techniques such as gouache or watercolor. For each technique, a specific painting material.
Well-established in graphic trends and relatively timeless, vector illustration is often used in a naive way. The simplification of the line, the full and the hairlines, the customizable color palettes make easy the vintage illustration style, regularly used for posters for example.
Besides execution, my experience as a seasoned designer goes beyond technique. I can also provide a look, a graphic support if that seems necessary. For many years I have been dressing advertising campaigns and communication operations with custom illustrations. Good work is rarely accomplished alone, teamwork brings real benefits to the quality of the project.
The search for a relatively versatile magazine illustrator is frequent, I am at your disposal and will be happy to consider a new artistic collaboration to draw new projects with you.