How music taught this artist to experiment in his digital painting

I grew up in Paris in the 1980s, a city rich in culture and history. I spent a lot of time in museums, read manga and comic books, and played many video games that are now considered retro classics.

At home, my mother dedicated an entire shelf to books about painters, so I was surrounded by images of all kinds and genres. Looking back, I think my work sits at the crossroads of all those influences – fine art, popular culture, games, and illustration – without ever feeling the need to separate them.

Introspection and getting to know myself better have had a huge impact on my work over time. I’ve also been playing jazz for about 25 years and learned two different instruments.

Music taught me a lot about rhythm, improvisation, and intuition, and I often borrow ideas and wisdom from composers and musicians as much as from painters. It helped me build bridges between disciplines and stay open to experimentation.

Exploring the digital medium, finding interesting ways to paint light, volumes, their perception and expression. This gang rules the underworld, its reach touching Kaolin’s elite; meeting them by docks or trains means trouble.

The work of Erik Tiemens was a key revelation for me. It showed me how to connect my European painting background with more modern, entertainment-oriented imagery. His work also demonstrated that traditional painting and digital tools don’t have to be opposed.

His blog was called Virtual Gouache Land, which says a lot about that bridge between worlds.

As far as I can remember, it was a series of illustrations depicting passages from the Bible for a Catholic magazine aimed at teenagers. My current work is much freer, darker, and more graphically experimental.

Interestingly, though, I find myself bringing mythology and spiritual themes back into my work more and more, so there’s still a subtle connection between then and now.

The last piece I completed is called The Purple Gang. It depicts a violent group of thugs operating in the underworld of an ancient China inspired fantasy world. I’ve always enjoyed portraying villains and darker themes, which, in a way, are very present in mythology and religious texts as well.

Compared to my earlier work, this piece feels more confident, more narrative-driven, and more comfortable embracing darker tones.

Pretty much, with all the challenges and rewards that come with it.

Focus on the what rather than the how. Technique will develop naturally with time, but clarity of intention is much harder to build later on.

There are far more studios and opportunities today, which is a very positive change. When I started, around 2009, concept art positions felt almost unattainable, and I often had to explain what a concept artist even was.

Now there are excellent schools teaching concept art, and many more ways to share and sell work independently. Comic artists don’t necessarily need publishers, and last year I don’t think my artbook GRIT could have existed without crowdfunding.

You can sell brushes, prints, books, or even build a career around sharing your process. It’s a very different landscape, and in many ways a healthier one.

I project myself into every character or scene I paint. I approach it almost like acting, briefly stepping into each role.

My goal is that everything I draw, paint, or sculpt contains a part of me. That feels even more important today, at a time when images can be generated without any human sensibility or lived experience behind them.

This year, I’m focusing on producing and selling high-quality fine art prints of my illustration work. I miss the physical presence of images and the relationship they create with the viewer.

I’m also working on a second artbook, continuing to develop my own imaginary worlds. At the same time, I’ll keep collaborating on video games and art-directing projects, including one I hope to develop myself with other talented artists.